Urban Mission School

TLG Lewisham 1 Cornmill Lane, London SE13 7FY

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders, including the proprietorial body, have a clear vision for the school. They share this vision effectively, helping pupils to improve their behaviour and reintegrate into mainstream education.  Leaders, including the proprietorial body, have ensured that the school consistently meets all of the independent school standards.  Pupils have large gaps in their prior learning, due to social and emotional difficulties. Good support, tailored to their needs, ensures that they quickly settle and make good progress.  Leaders adapt the curriculum to meet the developing needs of pupils. Consequently, pupils actively want to learn and find a renewed enjoyment in learning.  Staff develop pupils’ self-awareness and morality. Consequently, pupils are better equipped to show resilience when facing behavioural challenges.  Parents and carers, referring schools, and the local authority are highly satisfied with the work

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

of the school. Effective communication ensures that they are aware of individual pupils’ successes and concerns.  Staff have a strong understanding of the context they work in. They use this knowledge to ensure that they are alert to safeguarding issues, including extremism, child sexual exploitation and knife crime.  Pupils make significant progress in their attitudes to learning, behaviour and attendance. Staff are effective in helping pupils better understand how to communicate with their peers and the community beyond the school.  Teachers ensure that pupils have a solid foundation in science before introducing new learning. This ensures that pupils fill gaps in their historical learning. However, pupils have fewer opportunities to plan, conduct and write about practical science experiments.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 This school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve further the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, by: – ensuring that pupils develop their ability to plan, conduct and evaluate scientific experiments relevant to their age and stage of learning – ensuring that pupils, particularly the most able, develop their ability to explain mathematical thinking – developing and applying a consistent approach towards pupils’ handwriting.  Develop further the school’s careers programme for pupils by helping them to understand better the range of vocational opportunities available, including university technical colleges (UTCs) and apprenticeships.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders have ensured that all of the independent school standards are met.  The headteacher has worked well with the proprietorial body and TLG education charity to create a strong vision for the school which is understood by everyone. Consequently, all stakeholders are focused on improving pupils’ behaviour and engagement in education. Pupils, parents and referring schools are in full agreement that the school has excellent communication. All stakeholders are kept involved and up to date with pupils’ pastoral and academic progress.  The headteacher has created a culture where the needs, interests and abilities of each individual are used to shape the school’s curriculum. Many pupils stay at the school for short periods. Consequently, what staff teach is always under review to ensure that all pupils make good progress. Pupils find a renewed love of learning, improve their attendance and re-engage with learning.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders have a sharp focus on improving the school. Staff and governors take their role in school improvement seriously. They actively engage in improving their own effectiveness, and seize opportunities to do so. This enthusiasm has helped ensure a consistently good quality of teaching since the school opened. Staff meet daily to discuss their work, share good practice and problem-solve emerging issues of concern.  Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the school’s effectiveness. They use this knowledge well to develop effective plans for improvement. As a result, the school continues to improve. Leaders ensure that daily evaluations from staff are used to shape their work. Furthermore, they conduct checks on teaching, pupils’ progress and behaviour to help analyse and refine improvements in the work of the school.  Leaders work well with referring schools and local authorities to ensure that pupils

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

returning to their original school do so successfully. Pupils’ improved behaviour, attitudes to learning and attendance continue on returning to their mainstream schools. A small number of pupils have successfully transferred into sixth-form colleges and are progressing well in their chosen qualifications.

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Governance

 The proprietorial body has provided effective challenge to leaders since the school opened. As individuals, they regularly visit the school. They meet with pupils and check on the work of the school. Consequently, they have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development.  The proprietorial body has a wide range of skills, which help its members to support the work of the school. Good use has been made of the TLG education charity to enhance their understanding of good practice and national developments in education. This is a key reason why governance provides effective challenge to leaders and staff.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  All staff have a clear understanding of the school’s procedures for safeguarding pupils. Ongoing training ensures that they understand the signs and symptoms of potential concerns. Staff have a strong understanding of the safeguarding issues which are most prevalent in their locality, including: children missing from education, child sexual exploitation and knife crime. All staff are alert to the dangers of extremism and understand the potential signs of radicalisation. Pupils know how to stay safe from such views, including when online.  Records show staff use their knowledge of safeguarding to identify potential concerns. Detailed records are maintained well to help them identify patterns of concerning behaviour. Staff engage proactively with other agencies, such as social care, and child and adolescent mental health services.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Staff plan learning well to meet the needs of individual pupils. Across the curriculum, pupils are helped to fill historical gaps in their learning from key stages 2 and 3. Over time, pupils develop a solid base on which to build their new learning.  Teachers and support staff work well together. They develop learning in partnership with each other, helping pupils overcome difficulties and errors while ensuring that pupils think for themselves.  As pupils settle in the school and experience success in their learning; they begin to enjoy learning. They are helped to learn how to communicate with each other and to apply skills of debate to their lessons. Consequently, lessons have a purposeful atmosphere where pupils and teaching increasingly focus on learning.  The teaching of English, including speaking and listening, is particularly strong. Teachers apply their understanding of phonics to help pupils who have historically struggled to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

grasp basic reading skills. However, some pupils’ handwriting is not formed well, and some is immature in style. Staff do not have a consistent approach to helping pupils improve their handwriting.  Specialist facilities are used, where appropriate, to help deliver good-quality teaching and learning. For example, in creative education the inspector observed pupils creating a movie where they had written and recorded a soundtrack. This made a strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. Pupils gained a clear understanding that music is a form of communication helping them convey messages and feelings.  Though pupils make consistently good progress in a wide range of subjects, they do not benefit from regular opportunities to plan, conduct or evaluate scientific experiments. Furthermore, pupils, particularly the most able, make good progress in mathematics; however, they have few opportunities to explain their mathematical thinking.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Social and moral teaching is a strength in the work of the school. Teachers use opportunities that emerge in lessons and social times to help develop pupils’ understanding of how to communicate effectively and work with their peers and the wider community. For example, how to give eye contact, and how to decipher the messages which inappropriate eye contact can give other people.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Staff build a positive relationship with each pupil. They are careful to adapt to pupils’ behaviour and daily needs. Pupils are helped over time to talk about their feelings and to deal appropriately with their emotions.  Pupils value and understand their education. They are helped to develop an appreciation of how their own learning will enable them to achieve life aspirations. Pupils develop a good understanding of careers, and benefit from a range of workshops and work- shadowing opportunities. However, leaders agree that pupils, particularly those in key stage 3, have fewer opportunities to develop their understanding of apprenticeships or UTCs.  The school’s curriculum helps pupils to develop their understanding of how to stay safe. In particular, pupils have a strong understanding of how to stay safe in the community.

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Personal development and welfare

They recognise well the dangers of knife crime and gang-related activity.  Bullying is rare, but does occasionally occur. The school is effective in helping pupils to deal with this when it arises. Leaders have proactively tailored the school’s curriculum to help pupils understand bullying and resolve issues amicably with their peers.  Pupils have a good understanding of what it means to be a British citizen. They understand personal freedom, the law, the court system and equalities. Pupils have a basic understanding of democracy, in particular the right to vote for representatives in elections. However, some pupils still do not comprehend how they will interact with democratic institutions, for example through their local council or parliamentary constituency.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  From the first day a pupil joins the school, their attendance and punctuality is a priority for staff. Leaders communicate daily with parents and referring schools. Effective partnership ensures that pupils improve their attendance and punctuality while at the school. Attendance for all pupils is currently below national expectations for schools of a similar type. However, the attendance of all pupils has improved significantly from their starting points and over time.  Staff implement the school’s behaviour policy consistently, and manage pupils’ behaviour well. Consequently, all pupils make improvements, both in their behaviour and with their attitudes to learning. Over time, staff help pupils realise that their improved concentration and focus contribute to their success in learning. For example, homework seen by inspectors showed an increasing level of pupils’ engagement, which helps to support their

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Behaviour

classroom learning.  Staff know pupils well. They use this knowledge to help intervene with pupils and avoid potential disruptions to their learning and that of the wider class. The inspector observed staff skilfully helping to ensure pupils’ good progress over time.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 When pupils start at this school they have large amounts of missed learning. They are often disengaged from school and do not want to be taught. Many pupils are at the school for short time-periods. However, a growing number are remaining, due to the positive steps made in improving their attendance, behaviour and learning.  Pupils make good progress, particularly in their reading, writing and mathematical calculation. This is because staff help pupils to improve their basic reading skills. Those who have not mastered reading are supported well to do so. This helps enable pupils to make greater progress across the wider curriculum. Therefore, all pupils make good progress in filling gaps in their learning resulting from their historical irregular attendance and social and emotional difficulties.  Pupils’ attitudes to reading improve over time. Leaders rightly assess pupils as not being enthusiastic or keen to read independently outside of school. This is in part due to their

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Outcomes for pupils Good

historic underachievement. Pupils understand the importance of reading, and their attitudes to this aspect of learning improve over time.  The curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of individual pupils. Leaders work with staff to identify relevant qualifications that will fit with pupils’ aptitudes and educational next steps. Consequently, some pupils experience their first success in gaining qualifications that will support their future education, training or employment.  Pupils’ interpersonal skills improve during their time at the school. They learn to debate and appropriately convey their opinions. Many pupils grow in confidence, and successfully reintegrate into mainstream education and/or progress to further education. Furthermore, inspection evidence shows that former pupils are progressing well in their next stage of education or training.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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School details

Email address justina.asafuadjaye@tlg.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 TLG Lewisham is an independent school and alternative provider in the London Borough of Lewisham. It has a registered capacity of 18 places for boys and girls aged 11 to 16.  Pupils typically attend five days per week. One pupil is currently attending Ilderton Motor Vehicle Project two days per week.  The school is run in partnership between Ecclesia Church and TLG, an educational charity. TLG Lewisham is located within the church’s buildings, but has sole use of the building when operating. The school has a Christian ethos.  The school website meets all of the requirements of the independent school standards.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector gathered a wide range of evidence during the inspection, including through observations of pupils, both in lessons and during social times. The inspector looked at pupils’ work across the school’s curriculum.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders from TLG, the chair of the proprietorial body, members of staff and volunteers.  Telephone calls were held with parents of current pupils, to current referring schools and the local authority. A further call took place with a former referring school regarding pupils who have now been reintegrated into mainstream education.  The inspector visited the alternative provision at Ilderton Motor Vehicle Project to review progress being made by the pupil attending two days a week.  Conversations took place with pupils both formally and informally during lessons and at social times.  A range of documentation was considered, including: a document evidencing leaders’

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Information about this inspection

evaluations of the school’s work with pupils and families; information regarding the attainment and progress of pupils; and records relating to behaviour, exclusions, attendance, sanctions and rewards. Documents showing leaders’ promotion of health and safety were also reviewed. The inspector examined the school’s records relating to the recruitment and vetting of new staff.  The inspector considered the written responses on Ofsted’s online parent survey, Parent View. Responses to the staff survey were also taken into account.

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Inspection team

David Storrie, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Parent View You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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