Imedia School

Imedia School Faraday Court, Birmingham, 85 Summer Road, Erdington B23 6UT

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have not ensured that teaching is consistently effective and leads to improved academic outcomes for all pupils.  Although leaders have identified appropriate improvement priorities, they are not yet able to demonstrate how the actions, linked to these priorities have improved teaching and learning or outcomes for pupils.  Support for teachers to develop their teaching skills is not effective enough to ensure that the quality of teaching is improving rapidly enough.  The proprietor and leaders have not ensured that all of the independent school standards are met.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is variable across subjects. Consequently, pupils do not make consistently strong progress in all subjects.  In mathematics, the work set is not always matched well enough to individual pupils’ learning needs, resulting in some pupils not achieving the standards of which they are capable.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils who enter the school with significant gaps in their knowledge and understanding of English and mathematics are not developing their basic skills in these subjects rapidly enough to ensure that they reach the standards of which they are capable.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and staff are determined to see the school improve. They want to do more to make certain that pupils achieve well.  Pupils’ behaviour is well managed. Their personal development, confidence and self- esteem are given high priority.  Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying and how to keep themselves safe and healthy.  Leaders have been successful in improving attendance for the vast majority of pupils. Attendance and punctuality are given high priority.  Pupils are proud of their school and value the support they are given. They recognise the importance of education and demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning.  Pupils are extremely polite, well-mannered and courteous towards staff and visitors. Compliance with regulatory requirements

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school must take action to meet the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 and associated requirements. The details are listed in the full report.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that: – action plans clearly identify how the intended impact of actions taken to improve outcomes for pupils and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment will be measured – the recently introduced staff appraisal system is used more effectively to monitor the quality of teaching and learning and identify appropriate improvement targets for teachers – teachers are well supported to develop their teaching and learning skills through the provision of effective training opportunities and sharing the good practice that currently exists within the school.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that pupils make consistently strong progress from their starting points, and achieve stronger outcomes, by ensuring that: – learning in mathematics lessons is sufficiently challenging and appropriately matched to the individual needs of pupils, including the most able pupils, lower-attaining pupils and

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

those requiring additional support – effective additional support is provided for lower-attaining pupils so that they can acquire core skills in English and mathematics more quickly and more pupils can achieve the standards of which they are capable.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders have not ensured that all the independent school standards are met as they have not secured consistently good teaching or consistently strong outcomes for pupils.  Leaders, including governors, have an accurate view of the quality of education provided by the school. With support from external educational advisors they have completed an evaluation of the provision and identified appropriate improvement priorities. The actions they have taken in response to this work are clearly beginning to have an impact on the quality of what the school provides for pupils. However, leaders have not yet ensured that teaching and learning is consistently effective in securing good outcomes.  The headteacher has established a system of staff appraisal which includes termly monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning through lesson observations. However, this system is not supporting leaders to improve teaching and learning quickly enough as

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

it does not include all teachers. In addition, although improvement priorities are identified for teachers, these are not linked to progress and outcomes for pupils and do not show how staff will be supported to improve.  Responses to the staff questionnaire show that not all staff feel they are supported well enough by leaders to improve their teaching skills. Three out of four members of staff who responded to the survey said that they are not provided with opportunities to learn from each other and do not receive appropriate professional development.  Records of lesson observations carried out by leaders identify appropriate strengths and weaknesses. However, as leaders are not providing support for teachers to improve their practice, the overall quality of teaching and learning is not improving quickly enough.  The curriculum meets the requirements of the standards for independent schools. However, the school does not currently provide any extra-curricular opportunities for

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

pupils. Leaders have rightly identified that pupils need to be provided with a wider range of experiences and opportunities to enhance their education further. For example, they are working with other local providers to enable pupils to gain additional qualifications. Leaders are also planning to include opportunities for pupils to strengthen their emotional, mental and personal well-being development.  The school’s aims are to support pupils who have become disengaged with education to re-engage with learning, develop their personal and social skills and make good academic progress. Leaders have partly achieved these aims. They have established an appropriate learning environment and ensured that the social, emotional and mental health needs of individual pupils are met. Behaviour is good and pupils engage well with their learning.  The actions taken by leaders to improve the attendance of pupils have been successful.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

Attendance is given high priority and leaders work well with families and other professionals to ensure that pupils are supported and enabled to attend school regularly.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted effectively by the school. Pupils demonstrate respect towards people from different backgrounds to their own, including those with different religious and cultural backgrounds. They have a good understanding of diversity and the importance of ensuring that everyone is treated equally and with respect. They have a developing understanding of British values and could explain why these values are important. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Governance

 The governing body includes members with an appropriate range of skills. They have undertaken appropriate training and ensured that the school meets its statutory responsibilities for safeguarding and health and safety.  Governors hold regular meetings with the leaders of the school and visit the school to oversee aspects of the school’s work, including the academic progress made by pupils, the quality of teaching and learning, attendance, behaviour and safeguarding.  The governing body shares the vision and aspiration of the leadership team to ensure that the school provides the highest quality education to its pupils. Currently, though, this vision has not been fully realised in practice.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Safeguarding is a high priority and there is a strong culture of safeguarding within the school. Staff undertake regular child protection training, are knowledgeable about safeguarding policies and are clear about the procedures they need to follow if they have any concerns  The safeguarding policy is published on the school website and is readily available. It meets the most recent government requirements.  Leaders follow safer recruitment guidelines, ensuring that all the required employment checks are carried out before new members of staff are appointed.  The school implements its policies such as anti-bullying, behaviour management and health and safety effectively, to ensure that pupils are safeguarded.  The designated safeguarding lead works well with other agencies and professionals to ensure that appropriate support is provided to potentially vulnerable pupils.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teaching is not consistently strong in all subjects and is not well matched to the needs of pupils of differing abilities. Consequently, not enough pupils make sufficiently rapid progress over time to enable them to achieve the standards of which they are capable.  Work in pupils’ books shows that teachers do not always have high enough expectations for pupils’ learning, particularly for lower-attaining pupils. Work is sometimes low-level, not completed or is not completed to a high enough standard. Although this is challenged by teachers in their written feedback comments, there is little evidence of subsequent improvement.  Work is not always sufficiently challenging for the most able pupils in mathematics. This is evident in books where there are examples of pupils repeating work at the same level unnecessarily, and in lessons where pupils could already do much of the work set for them. This is limiting the progress of these pupils.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Not enough is done to check pupils’ understanding in mathematics lessons and to strengthen and deepen their learning. Teachers’ use of questioning to challenge pupils’ thinking and extend their understanding is inconsistent. This means that pupils’ understanding is not developed sufficiently and misconceptions are not always addressed. This limits pupils’ learning.  Work in pupils’ mathematics books shows that lower-attaining pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to solve problems for themselves or to develop and apply their mathematical reasoning skills. This is reflected in the negative outcomes for these pupils in mathematics.  Teachers use the behaviour management system effectively. Consequently, pupils’ conduct and levels of engagement in lessons is strong. No inappropriate behaviour was observed during this inspection.  Leaders have developed an assessment system which enables pupils’ skills to be assessed

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

on entry to the school and for academic targets to be set. Half-termly assessment activities are then carried out to check whether pupils are on track to achieve these targets. This information is used well to track progress and to identify pupils who may need further support. However, the targets set for lower-attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenging.  Teachers have a good understanding of the personal, social and emotional needs of individual pupils. They have established effective working relationships with pupils. This results in pupils confidently contributing in lessons.  The school provides regular, detailed information to parents and carers about their child’s progress.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  The school has ensured that pupils know how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations, including when using the internet. Pupils are safe and say that they feel safe and well cared for in school. They have a good understanding about a range of different types of bullying. They are confident in saying that there is no bullying in school and they know what to do should it happen.  Pupils talk confidently and knowledgeably about the importance of making healthy life choices.  The school’s support for vulnerable pupils is effective. Leaders work well with families and a range of agencies to ensure that appropriate support is provided as necessary. This support has contributed to the improved attendance and academic outcomes of a number of pupils.  Pupils are confident, self-assured and demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. They

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Personal development and welfare

are able to discuss their ideas and opinions confidently and listen respectfully to others.  Pupils recognise the value of education. They are aspirational for their futures and understand the role of education in helping them to achieve their ambitions.  Careers advice is effective and is provided to all pupils. Pupils are provided with opportunities to find out about a wide range of career options, opportunities for work experience and support for completing personal statements, application forms and managing finances.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Almost all pupils who attend Imedia School have a history of fixed-term exclusions in their previous setting due to inappropriate behaviour. The improved conduct of the pupils is a direct result of the actions taken by leaders and adults in this setting.  The school’s behaviour management systems are effective. Adults routinely challenge inappropriate behaviour. This has resulted in significant improvements in pupils’ behaviour during their time at Imedia.  Pupils conduct themselves well in lessons and around school. Behaviour logs show that staff respond to inappropriate behaviour quickly and effectively.  Promoting regular attendance and punctuality is a priority of the school. Overall attendance is improving as a result of the actions taken by the school and currently stands at 88%. Although below national expectations, this figure represents a marked improvement in attendance for almost all pupils. The majority of pupils’ attendance

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Behaviour

exceeds 90%. Leaders are continuing to develop effective ways to improve attendance further.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Outcomes for pupils are not yet good. Despite the school’s aim for all Year 11 pupils to achieve GCSE qualifications in English and mathematics, currently not enough lower- attaining pupils make sufficient progress to secure the skills necessary to achieve this standard. Of the 14 pupils in Year 11, eight pupils are taking GCSE English and mathematics.  The progress of the most able pupils in mathematics is not as strong as it might be because the work they are given is not consistently challenging. In addition, lower- attaining pupils are also not making good progress in mathematics because the support they receive in the classroom is not ensuring that they develop secure knowledge, understanding and skills. This is evident from the work over time in pupils’ books.  Progress in English overall is stronger than in mathematics. Some lower-attaining pupils develop their basic skills of reading and writing well, but too few of these pupils make

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

rapid enough progress to enable them to study a GCSE course in English.  The school’s own assessment information shows that the majority of pupils are making steady progress towards achieving the targets set for them by the school. The school’s assessment information and work in pupils’ books show that lower-attaining pupils are not making rapid enough progress in English and mathematics to achieve the standards they are capable of reaching. This is because the support for these pupils in lessons is not effective enough and the targets set for them are not sufficiently challenging.  When pupils arrive at the school some have significant gaps in their learning, knowledge and skills. Many have negative attitudes to learning. Initially, the school rightly concentrates on improving pupils’ attitudes to learning, self-confidence and behaviour. The school does this effectively and consequently pupils make good progress in their

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

personal development and in their ability to manage their own behaviour.  The school’s destination information shows that all pupils currently in Year 11 have secured the necessary training or education placement to enable them to pursue their chosen career path.

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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

Telephone number 0121 448 1727/07951 346623

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School details

Email address hussein@imediaschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Imedia School provides education for pupils between the ages of 14 and 16 and is registered by the Department for Education (DfE) to accommodate up to 40 pupils. It operates from a single site in Erdington, Birmingham. The school does not use any other premises.  Pupils are directed to the school by the local authority and local secondary schools. There are currently 18 pupils attending the school. Three of these pupils are on Imedia’s roll; the other 15 pupils remain on the roll of their maintained school.  Pupils attending Imedia School typically have a range of social, emotional and mental health difficulties and many have either been excluded or are at risk of exclusion from their previous setting. No pupils have a statement of need or an education, health and care plan.  Pupils come from a range of cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds; the school does not have a specific religious character or denomination.

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Information about this school

 The school aims to address the individual social, emotional and learning needs of its young people by developing their self-esteem and teaching them to make appropriate choices to enable them to reintegrate into school or continue on into further education and employment.  The school delivers functional skills and GCSE courses.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  The school was first registered by the DfE in May 2017.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out by one inspector over three days.  This was the school’s first full standard inspection since opening in May 2017.  The inspector observed teaching and learning and looked at pupils’ work in English and mathematics. The observations were carried out jointly with the school’s headteacher.  The inspector looked at the school’s own assessment information for pupils.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, the school’s designated safeguarding lead and a representative from the school’s governing body. The inspector also spoke with a group of pupils.  Questionnaires submitted by four members of staff were scrutinised.  No parents completed Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire.  A wide range of documents and policies were looked at, including health and safety checks, records of observations of teaching, safeguarding documentation and records of attendance. The records of the checks made on staff’s suitability to work with children

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Information about this inspection

and young people were scrutinised.  A check of the premises, including the facilities provided for pupils, was also carried out.

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Inspection team

Janet Satchwell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school— – 3(a) enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught; – 3(c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time; – 3(d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons; – 3(g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils’ work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress;

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school— – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and 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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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

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