The Complete Works

The Complete Works Independent School 38 Commercial Street, London E1 6LP

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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 Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have a strong positive impact on the quality of provision at the school. As a result, pupils make good progress.  Safeguarding is effective. Pupils feel safe at all times. This contributes to the growing confidence that pupils show in their attitudes to learning and in developing positive relationships.  The headteacher and chief executive officer (CEO) have created a cohesive teaching team. The team’s skills in teaching, learning and behavioural support ensure that pupils make good progress.  All members of staff share high expectations for what pupils can achieve. They have created an effective, individual curriculum to meet the needs of each pupil.  Strong working relationships between staff, therapists, parents and carers enable pupils to develop trust and respect for adults. Pupils make good progress in their personal development and behaviour.  Pupils who have previously experienced long periods out of school have improved their

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

attendance and commitment to learning.  Leaders monitor the daily work of the school effectively. They ensure that all staff are suitably trained to fulfil their responsibilities, including all aspects of pupils’ safeguarding.  The trustees support and challenge leaders effectively. They have ensured that the school meets the requirements of the independent school standards.  Teachers question pupils about their learning regularly. Sometimes, however, they do not identify gaps in knowledge well enough. As a result, some pupils’ misconceptions are not fully addressed.  Leaders rigorously monitor the quality of teaching wherever it is taking place. However, they take insufficient account of pupils’ learning when evaluating the impact of teaching in lessons.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The 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?

 Further improve teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that all teachers: – structure learning activities effectively for pupils who have gaps in their knowledge and skills – use assessment information, including the outcomes from tests, to plan activities that help pupils to correct errors and misconceptions.  Further improve the impact of leadership and management on school improvement by ensuring that leaders place greater emphasis on pupils’ learning and progress when evaluating the quality and impact of teaching.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders have ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  The headteacher and CEO have been instrumental in raising the academic expectations of staff and pupils, particularly in English and mathematics. They understand that qualifications are vital to securing better opportunities for pupils in later life. Pupils who have previously been unable to work in other schools settle down to make good progress in a supportive environment.  Senior leadership has been strengthened since the previous inspection. The headteacher is well supported by four assistant headteachers. These leaders are clear about their roles and carry them out purposefully. In turn, they support other staff to be effective, for example the education support officers, who spend much of their time monitoring off-site placements.  Leaders know their school well. They take an honest, objective and accurate view of their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

work. Self-evaluation is perceptive and enables leaders to identify clearly the key areas for improvement. Consequently, leaders tackle weaknesses quickly and decisively.  Staff are creative and imaginative. They provide a suitable timetable for each pupil and work with persistence and patience to ensure that pupils fulfil their potential.  The curriculum promotes British values and contributes effectively to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. This is the case on the three sites and when pupils are taught flexibly in homes and libraries. The school pays careful attention to pupils’ diverse previous educational experiences and individual social, emotional and mental health needs.  The curriculum provides pupils with a broad range of experiences that are appropriate for their level of development. It is grounded in developing basic literacy, numeracy, social, motor and communication skills. The most able pupils take a more academic curriculum.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

This includes GCSE and functional skills examinations at a level and timing appropriate to pupils’ individual needs and responses.  The school keeps good records of all pupils’ individual needs. The majority of pupils come to the provision with an education, health and care plan. These are well documented and carefully followed. Records of each pupil’s behaviour and starting points are thorough and provide a reliable basis for discussion of their academic and social progress.  The provision is well regarded by other stakeholders. Local authorities who place pupils at the school have very positive views about the school’s work. They work closely with leaders to shape the right timetable for individual pupils. Placing authorities also receive helpful reports every six weeks for the pupils they have referred. Staff who responded to the staff questionnaire are also overwhelmingly positive in their views of the school.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The school’s teaching and learning officers undertake detailed evaluations of the quality of teaching in the three centres and off-site provision. All teachers are provided with specific areas for improvement supplemented by a weekly programme of training in effective teaching skills. However, leaders’ evaluations of the impact of teaching do not take sufficient account of pupils’ learning and progress. As a result, leaders’ views of the quality of teaching are sometimes overgenerous.

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Governance

 The board of trustees is the designated proprietor of the school. Trustees take an effective lead in the development of the provision and the evaluation of all aspects of its work. They are reflective and explore opportunities for improvement, for example providing not just pupils but their families with additional support.  Trustees are wholly committed to, and actively promote, the school’s vision to support vulnerable young people. They share leaders’ belief that the provision plays a crucial role in equipping pupils for life after school and helping them to become good citizens.  Trustees know the school well because leaders provide them with detailed and comprehensive information. This information is corroborated with information from other sources. Trustees use their relevant backgrounds and skills, such as in education and financial management, to ask challenging questions of leaders and hold them to account.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders have created a culture of shared responsibility for protecting pupils. A culture of vigilance applies equally to pupils educated off-site in libraries and community centres. These sites have been risk-assessed by the designated lead for safeguarding. Education support officers visit these sites on a regular basis to ensure that pupils are safe and well supported.  All staff are appropriately trained in all aspects of safeguarding. Leaders are tenacious in following up concerns and working with outside agencies to keep pupils free from harm. Staff keep appropriate records that detail safeguarding concerns and actions. Staff are well trained to recognise signs of extremism and radicalisation.  The health and safety officer regularly checks the buildings for fire risk and other hazards. Leaders rigorously maintain risk assessments for all aspects of school life and for

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Safeguarding

individual pupils where necessary, including those educated off-site.  The safeguarding and child protection policies meet current government requirements. Staff ensure that pupils educated off-site are well safeguarded.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers plan effective lessons from suitable schemes of learning. They make the objectives of the lesson clear to pupils and guide them systematically through appropriate tasks and activities which help them to achieve successfully.  Staff provide each pupil with a personal timetable tailored to their individual needs. Staff understand the barriers to learning previously experienced by pupils and help them to learn in ways that suit them individually.  Pupils enjoy learning and show respect for their teachers. Relationships are positive, and pupils take their learning seriously. For example, pupils worked confidently through revision activities, assigning character themes to quotations from ‘A Christmas Carol’.  Teachers usually communicate ideas and skills at a level appropriate to pupils’ abilities. This was evident in small-group learning sessions observed in the centres and one-to-one education in local libraries and community centres.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers use interesting illustrations to explain concepts, and everyday examples to aid pupils’ understanding. Pupils who have experienced significant periods of time out of formal education develop confidence in their teachers and re-engage effectively in learning.  Teachers and supporting adults help pupils in their understanding by asking appropriate, well-constructed questions. These questions encourage pupils to think around the subject and consider different viewpoints. Consequently, pupils are drawn into the subject matter, engage with their learning and deepen their thinking.  Therapy is used well to help those pupils that need extra support to cope with social, emotional and mental health issues. This has a positive impact on pupils’ personal development and helps pupils to access learning and cope with social situations more successfully.  Staff have appropriate expectations that, despite previous gaps in learning, pupils can

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

make up lost time and succeed. However, teachers do not structure learning activities consistently well for pupils with gaps in their knowledge and skills. As a result, some pupils take longer to grasp important concepts, thereby slowing down their learning.  Staff provide useful verbal feedback in line with the school’s policy, across different subjects. Pupils use this feedback to spot their mistakes and improve their work. However, assessment information is not used consistently well in lessons to plan activities that address pupils’ misunderstandings. In these instances, learning is not as strong as it might be.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils benefit from positive relationships with teachers and supporting adults. These relationships are a significant strength, considering many pupils’ high levels of disengagement and disinterest when they start at the school. Pupils trust staff because they are treated with patience, tolerance and respect. This has a very positive impact on their learning.  Pupils are provided with good support to meet their social, emotional and behavioural needs. For example, a good range of programmes and therapies help pupils to reflect on how they feel and find solutions to problems.  Pupils develop a good understanding of fundamental British values through the curriculum. The school’s own values align closely with fundamental British values, for example celebrating and valuing differences. Staff promote these values on a day-to-day

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Personal development and welfare

basis through their positive interactions with pupils.  Extensive work with a wide range of external agencies supports pupils’ well-being and helps to keep them safe. For example, pupils learn about the dangers and risks associated with knife crime, gang violence and child sexual exploitation. For pupils educated off-site, this information is provided through their personal, social and health education lessons. Education support officers arrange workshops for pupils, as well as individual support where necessary.  Pupils who spoke with inspectors said that there is very little bullying in the school and, if it does happen, ‘It’s sorted out quickly.’ Pupils taught off-site said they feel safe and respected as individuals. Partly as a result of this safe culture, pupils feel comfortable and free to express their individuality. This helps build their confidence and self-esteem.  The quality of personal support provided by staff, including careers advice and guidance,

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Personal development and welfare

is effective. Consequently, older pupils begin to reflect on their personal aspirations and to engage in future planning.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are well behaved around school. They show respect for each other, staff and the fabric of the school building. No vandalism or graffiti were seen by inspectors. Every part of the school building on the three sites is clean and looked after.  The school has a clear behaviour policy in place, which staff apply consistently. It carefully balances a range of rewards and sanctions in an effort to get the best from pupils. As a result, the school is a calm, orderly place for the most part. When incidents of poor behaviour do occur, they are dealt with appropriately, in accordance with the policy. Staff always endeavour to be fair, humane and restorative in their dealings concerning poor behaviour.  Many pupils have been permanently excluded from their previous school and very much value the second chance that the provision offers. Successful work with individual pupils

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Behaviour

has resulted in a fall in the number of fixed-term exclusions. The school’s records show that excluded pupils do not reoffend after they return to the provision.  Staff work hard to combat the impact of pupils’ poor attendance at previous schools. They use various means, such as working with outreach workers and the educational support officers, to improve attendance. Pupils are rewarded for good attendance in different ways. This has had a positive impact on improving the attendance of some targeted pupils, including those taught off-site.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Many pupils placed at the provision have a history of non-attendance or disrupted periods of previous education. Consequently, they have failed to thrive in previous placements. When they first arrive, many pupils do not display the skills that will enable them to learn. Leaders rightly focus on initially helping pupils to communicate so that they can be taught strategies that encourage learning behaviour.  Because of successful teaching strategies, pupils across all key stages make strong progress in speech, language and communication skills. These gains mean that they understand, and are understood, and so levels of frustration and undesirable behaviour are reduced and, in some cases, eradicated.  Staff help those pupils who have developed verbal skills to make sound progress in their understanding of a wide range of words and phrases. Early reading skills are developed well so that pupils quickly match sounds to letters. The few most able readers are

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Outcomes for pupils Good

encouraged to read widely and often, including at home.  Older pupils practise more advanced writing and make good progress in the acquisition of grammar and spelling skills. Increasingly, pupils are getting more opportunities to practise their writing skills across the curriculum.  The school has a clear definition of what constitutes good progress. Each pupil is entered onto a ‘progress tracker’ which sets out their expected progress over the course of a year. Staff regularly check pupils’ progress to see if they are on course and if adjustments are needed to accelerate progress.  Since the previous inspection, the most able key stage 4 pupils have achieved a range of nationally recognised qualifications. This includes GCSE passes in English, mathematics, science, food technology, history, Spanish and photography. Many pupils also achieve functional skills and entry-level awards. Almost all go on to further education,

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Outcomes for pupils Good

employment or training.  The majority of pupils make good progress in their learning, mostly from relatively low starting points. Once they have settled into the expectations and routines of the provision, many pupils make good progress towards standards expected for their age.  Pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities make progress in line with other pupils from similar starting points. The individualised approach to learning and the quality of relationships with staff ensure that pupils accelerate their progress.  Sometimes teaching is not successful in closing pupils’ gaps in learning fast enough. This happens, for instance, when teachers do not have a strong enough understanding of pupils’ prior misconceptions. On these occasions, learning activities are not planned sharply enough to address misconceptions that have crept in over time.

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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

Type of school Independent alternative provider

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11–13 February 2014

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Information about this school

 The Complete Works is an independent school which offers alternative provision for boys and girls aged between five and 16 years. These pupils are placed at the school by a variety of local authorities and schools. Current pupils are aged between six and 16 years.  Currently, there are 122 pupils on roll. The material change inspection of July 2017 recommended extension of the age range from 14 to 16 to five to 16 and a maximum of 194 pupils.  The vast majority of pupils have SEN and/or disabilities. These include social, emotional and mental health difficulties, and additional learning and/or medical needs.  The school operates from its registered head office at 38 Commercial Street, London E1 6LP. Pupils attend three sites: 58 Underwood Road, London E1 5AW; 43 Old Jamaica Road, London SE16 4TE; and 5 Thrawl Street, London E1 6RT.  The school accommodates up to 54 pupils across its three premises. It currently also

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Information about this school

provides placements for an additional 68 pupils more flexibly, for example in libraries or in pupils’ homes. Some of these pupils attend one of the three centres when deemed ready to integrate socially.  All pupils have their own individual timetable. The nature of provision for those taught off- site is usually one-to-one.  The school employs 116 teachers, of which 24 are salaried staff, and the majority are contracted through flexible contracts and work as required.  The school was last inspected in February 2014, when its overall effectiveness was judged to be good.  The school does not use the services of any other alternative providers.  The school’s aim is to educate young people creatively so as to improve their behaviour and attitudes to learning and thereby enhance their achievement and access to further education, employment or training.  The current headteacher and CEO have been in post for two years.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, CEO, senior leaders and a selection of other teaching and administration staff.  Inspectors observed teaching and learning in many lessons, both on-site in the centres and some in off-site provision. A few sessions were observed jointly with the school’s teaching and learning officers.  Inspectors held a telephone discussion with two trustees, including the chair of trustees. Telephone calls were also held with three representatives of local authorities that commission places in the provision.  Inspectors carried out a scrutiny of pupils’ work and photographic records across subjects. Inspectors sought the views of a number of pupils.  Inspectors considered 21 responses from staff to Ofsted’s questionnaire. Insufficient responses were received from Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents.  Inspectors looked at a number of documents, including: leaders’ evaluation of the school’s

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Information about this inspection

effectiveness; analysis of the school’s performance data; information relating to the attendance and behaviour of pupils; safeguarding and child protection records; and minutes from trustee meetings.

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Inspection team

Nasim Butt, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Jones Ofsted 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

excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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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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