Keresley College

Shaftesbury Extended Learning Centre The Keresley Centre, Bennetts Road North, Keresley End, Coventry, Warwickshire CV7 8LA

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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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 Inadequate

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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

 Teaching is not consistently good. As a result, pupils’ progress in all subjects is inconsistent.  Teachers do not make sure that pupils use the specific language needed to talk and write about their learning in different subjects. As a result, their vocabularies do not increase fast enough.  Teachers do not ask questions that deepen understanding often enough. As a result, pupils do not develop their thinking and reasoning skills well enough.  Teachers do not ensure that most-able pupils attempt work that challenges them. Consequently, they choose the easier work and do not make enough progress.  Teachers do not find creative ways to engage pupils and help them to understand difficult concepts in mathematics. As a result, pupils fail to make enough progress.  In mathematics, assessment criteria are not used accurately enough. As a result, teachers cannot be clear about the next steps that pupils need to make.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have systematically made significant improvements to address the weaknesses from the previous inspection. Consequently, all independent school standards are now met.  Leaders aim for excellence and act decisively to address any fall in standards. All staff appreciate the support to improve their teaching and behaviour management skills.  A wide range of opportunities to develop spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) understanding support pupils to develop their knowledge of the world.  Leaders tenaciously follow up safeguarding concerns. Pupils are safe in school.  There are trusting relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils are positive about school and care for the environment.

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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?

 Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that: – pupils develop a wide and specific vocabulary to use in their talk and writing across the curriculum – teachers give clear guidance to pupils about choosing work that is appropriately challenging – teachers regularly ask questions that encourage pupils to think more deeply about the subject – teachers find more creative ways of engaging pupils’ interest and explaining concepts in mathematics – the assessment and tracking system is further developed to make the tracking of mathematics progress more accurate.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders have ensured that all independent school standards are met.  There is a huge amount of dedication in the leadership team. The Head of Centre and the deputy headteacher have been effective in eradicating most of the inadequacies of the school since the last inspection. Improvement plans are clear. All staff have had appropriate training to manage pupils with significant behavioural difficulties. Leaders and all staff have been highly successful in ensuring that pupils understand and comply with behaviour expectations. All pupils have been unable to comply with rules in other schools but behaviour has improved markedly at this school. They respect each other and the staff.  Leaders assess, monitor and track pupils’ improvements in behaviour. They analyse behaviour patterns with a view to understanding the needs of pupils and groups. This close analysis has led to positive changes to the school day and management of pupils’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

individual needs. It has enabled them to be supportive both to individual pupils and to the teaching staff.  Leaders have ensured that significant changes have been made to the outside environment of the school. As a result, pupils benefit from a safe and welcoming environment where they can sit at benches to talk to one another or use the field to play games or use the gymnastics equipment. They have also vastly improved the indoor environment that is now colourful, bright and well maintained. As a result, pupils treat it with respect.  Leaders and staff have created a bright, attractive and supportive learning environment both in the classrooms and in the corridors. Many displays are clearly linked to SMSC education that pupils have been learning. They clearly focus on equality and learning to take part in life in modern Britain. They also include prompts to help pupils with their subject knowledge. Displays act as a constant reminder to pupils about important issues.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders ensure that they deliver a strong programme of continuous professional development for the adults in the school. Consequently, all staff benefit from opportunities to improve their practice. Staff also attend external training courses that are appropriate to the needs of the pupils. This has already had a positive effect on teachers’ planning processes. Due to the good training opportunities provided and regular monitoring of teaching, assessment for learning processes are securely in place. Effective use of the school’s marking policy ensures good feedback to pupils. There is also a whole- school format for the presentation of objectives to pupils on the board in each lesson. As a result, pupils are always clear about what is expected of them.  The Head of Centre sets annual targets for teachers and teaching assistants. These targets ensure that all adults know how they need to improve. They are linked to school

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

improvement priorities. As a result, leaders have been able to make whole-school improvements in the quality of teaching. However, recent staffing issues have caused difficulties in maintaining high-quality teaching in all areas.  Leaders have ensured that there is a broad and balanced curriculum so that pupils enjoy learning about a wide range of subjects. As well as learning English, mathematics and science they have a wide variety of other lessons, for example art, religious education (RE), personal, health, social and economic (PHSE) education, information and communication technology (ICT) and physical education (PE). Pupils are also able to choose from a wide range of vocational studies, for example motor mechanics, animal studies or boxing. A curriculum policy is available on the website. These experiences, combined with visits to places of interest, contribute well to pupils’ SMSC development.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders and keyworkers have an in-depth understanding of what is needed to support each pupil’s development. Before pupils start at the school, they carry out home visits to gather useful information which assists with the smooth transition process. They work closely with teachers and other external agencies to ensure that their needs are catered for effectively. This approach contributes well to sustainable improvements in pupils’ behaviour.  Parents and carers are most appreciative of the support that leaders give their children. Parents say that their children are safe and happy in the family atmosphere of the school. A typical comment from a parent was: ‘I think the school is absolutely brilliant! They are really understanding and have been very patient.’  Staff morale is high. All staff say that they are very well supported in their school roles and in their personal well-being by leaders. They are proud to work in a school where:

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

‘Responsibilities are shared and people support each other. Pupils enjoy coming to school.’  At the school’s last inspection, there was no reliable system for assessing pupils’ progress. Since then, leaders have put in place an effective system for assessing, recording and monitoring pupils’ attainment and progress. It is now detailed and enables leaders to identify pupils who fall behind and those pupils who could achieve more. This system is not yet detailed enough to ensure complete accuracy in mathematics.  Leaders monitor teaching regularly. They are clear in their feedback to teachers and in their expectations. There has also been an emphasis on teachers observing and commenting on each other’s lessons. There is a strong collegiate atmosphere in the school, where teachers support one another to improve. Recently, there has been a clear emphasis on the improvement of teaching in mathematics. Because of issues in staffing,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

this has not yet had sufficient impact on pupils’ progress.

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Governance

 The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Shaftesbury Young People keeps in close contact with the school and provides support to the headteacher. He is equipped with significant experience of working with disaffected young people. He visits the school at least termly. Along with the group of trustees who have expertise in health and safety, pastoral care and finance, he has a significant impact on strategic leadership in the school. Trustees have supported leaders with the many improvements made.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school has a detailed and appropriate safeguarding policy which takes into account the guidance issued by the Secretary of State. This is displayed on the school website.  Leaders have created a strong culture of shared responsibility for protecting pupils. Consequently, pupils are safe and well supported.  All staff are appropriately trained in all aspects of safeguarding. Leaders are tenacious in following up concerns and ensuring that they inform outside agencies when a pupil is at risk or missing from education. Staff keep appropriate records that detail safeguarding concerns and actions. Staff are well trained to recognise signs of extremism and radicalisation.  The building is well maintained and kept to an appropriately safe standard, with clear access to doors in case of fire. The health and safety officer regularly checks the building

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Safeguarding

for fire risk and other safety hazards. Leaders rigorously maintain risk assessments for all aspects of school life and for individual pupils where necessary. This includes detailed risk assessments of all off-site facilities that the pupils use. Pupils are well supervised and safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is variable and not yet consistently good. Not all teachers have accurate expectations of what pupils can achieve.  Pupils complete regular tests which are used to identify aspects of learning they are having difficulty with. Usually teachers use this information effectively to address gaps in their knowledge and understanding. At other times, teachers set work which is not as well matched to pupils’ needs. This is especially true of the most able pupils, who are sometimes asked to complete low-level worksheets which provide little in terms of challenge. Consequently, pupils do not progress as fast as they should.  In line with leaders’ guidelines for teaching, a uniform approach to the start of all lessons is maintained by all teachers. The presentation of the work for each lesson on the board includes appropriate learning objectives, sets out a series of tasks and includes the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

specific language for the lesson. As a result, pupils are clear about what they have to learn. The language of the subject is also displayed on classroom walls. However, teachers do not ensure that pupils use this language when talking about their learning. Pupils often answer questions using only one or two words. As a result, they do not develop their use of vocabulary to use in their talk and writing.  Tasks for the lesson written on the board include good questions that pupils should answer. However, often the teacher does not focus on these so that pupils are not challenged to deepen their thinking. Teachers and teaching assistants sometimes focus too much on the completion of tasks, rather than asking questions that deepen thinking around the subject. This means that pupils do not develop their thinking skills.  Teaching in mathematics sometimes involves good modelling of methods on the board.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

However, where pupils find it difficult to understand, the teacher fails to find other creative ways of explaining the concepts. Because pupils lose motivation and focus, they do not make enough progress. Sometimes, most-able pupils undertake tasks that are too easy for them because the teacher does not direct them to attempt the more challenging work. As a result, pupils do not make enough progress.  The school’s assessment and tracking system is used well in most subjects. However, in mathematics, it is not used accurately enough for leaders to be confident in the evidence.  Pupils are encouraged to develop their reading skills and learn to read quality texts closely. They are taught to find evidence in the texts to support their understanding of the subject. Teachers’ good subject knowledge supports them to develop their reading skills.  Teaching in science involves theoretical work in the mornings and is enhanced by

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

practical science in the afternoons. Pupils find practical science engaging and are therefore motivated to do well. In a practical science lesson, the teacher frequently used the specific vocabulary of science when explaining. To help the pupils, he also explained this language using more simple terms. As a result, the pupils were developing a good knowledge of the meanings of this vocabulary. However, they were not always expected to use the new words themselves. Consequently, they did not develop their own vocabularies fast enough.  Teachers and teaching assistants know their pupils extremely well. They know the problems that face each pupil and they know well the triggers that might cause emotional outbursts. They are well trained to manage classroom behaviour. Consequently, lessons are not disrupted and pupils are able to settle to learning. They know supportive ways of working with pupils so that they feel comfortable in the classroom environment. In an art

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

lesson, the teacher worked alongside the pupil to create a large collage, talking quietly about the artwork together with the pupil. The atmosphere was calm and purposeful so that the pupil was motivated to make good progress.  Teachers make most effective links to other subjects in their teaching. For example, in the English lesson the teacher made good links to British values when talking about the female author. The pupils were reading ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley. The teacher pointed out that she was a female author at a time when girls were not expected to go to school. She encouraged the pupils to say what they thought about girls being forced to remain at home. In the art lesson, the collage was a portrayal of pollution and made links to science while the science lesson made use of mathematics. Consequently, pupils’ development progressed in more than one subject in a lesson.  PHSE and RE lessons contribute strongly to pupils’ SMSC development. In an RE lesson

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

pupils were following up a visit to a church. They had also visited Coventry Cathedral and a local mosque. They have good opportunities to compare the use of these buildings for significant religious occasions. In this way, they deepen their knowledge of the world.  Pupils usually work in class groups of similar abilities. However, where teachers find that an individual pupil may work better one-to-one this is arranged. The timetable is extremely flexible so it can respond to the needs of individuals. The Head of Centre and deputy headteacher have frequent discussions about how the present group of students will be able to work the most productively. Pupils, therefore, work in groups where teachers think they can make the most progress.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Most pupils enter the school with poor attitudes to learning and low self-esteem. Staff work hard to help pupils identify their strengths, develop confidence and recognise the value of education. This has a positive effect on their engagement with school and learning.  When pupils arrive in the morning, they have a breakfast of their choice and the opportunity to talk to their peers and to the staff. They can play on the pool table or have discussions over a cup of tea. Newspapers are available so that staff and pupils can discuss topical issues. This is a welcoming environment where pupils experience a friendly start to each day. The same friendly atmosphere exists at lunchtime when they eat the meals that they have chosen themselves and helped to prepare. Pupils are involved in organising the monthly shopping expeditions when they have to make sure that everyone

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Personal development and welfare

at school is able to have what they would like to eat. As a result, they are prepared for their future independent lives.  Pupils begin to develop greater confidence in themselves as they spend more time in the school. Pupils spoke confidently to the inspector about their social development. They told the inspector that they enjoy the opportunity to work with a small group of people, as opposed to the larger numbers in a mainstream school. Keyworkers support pupils to become aware of their social and emotional development. They support them to be able to talk about it and to make positive choices when reacting to feelings. Pupils keep weekly ‘student voice journals’ where they log their thoughts and feelings. Keyworkers support them to recognise how to cope with difficulties and how to behave in positive ways. This support helps pupils to begin to self-regulate and settle down to positive learning.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school is a secure environment where the pupils say that they always feel safe. Pupils’ confidence grows as they become more accustomed to the fact that adults are all striving for their success and well-being. A typical comment from a pupil was: ‘The staff are easy to talk to. They are very caring people. I am doing my work now.’ Another said: ‘The school means a lot to me. It is helped me to change who I am. I have turned my life around.’  Teachers and keyworkers are highly skilled at recognising pupils’ emotions and are able to pre-empt any difficulties that might occur in lessons. Pupils are offered regular opportunities for counselling before their emotions escalate. Previous pupils are sometimes employed to work in the school as teaching assistants. Their experience of making positive changes in their own lives is of great value to present pupils who find their counselling valuable. Staff are vigilant at all times so that they can de-escalate any

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Personal development and welfare

possible difficulties. This vigilance results in a calm learning environment that promotes learning.  The school teaches the pupils how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations and online. They know that they should keep away from others who cause trouble and how to block unwanted communications.  All staff are aware that giving pupils their own choice about a variety of issues helps them to feel in control of their own lives. They exercise choice, for example in choosing their own meals, in the classroom and in the design of their own recreation room.  Teachers encourage pupils to raise issues that affect them. They have opportunities to vote for things that are important to them. For example, they voted for their preferences when raising money for charity and they voted for their choice in what kind of uniform pupils will wear from September 2018. In this way, they see how democracy works.

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Personal development and welfare

 Careers advice and guidance prepare pupils well for their future lives. Teachers provide this guidance in PHSE lessons. Pupils are also guided by visiting careers specialists. They benefit from college visits and ‘tasters’ where they have experience of different career directions. All pupils spoken to by the inspector had clear ideas about their futures.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural education effectively supports pupils to develop their relationships and understanding of the community and the world. Pupils have opportunities to learn about serving the community in fundraising events for charities and by volunteering, for example to help in the local food bank.  Educational visits support pupils’ educational and SMSC development. For example, they go by train to visit a variety of places, for example Birmingham Sea Life Centre, Coventry Cathedral and a camping trip to Blackwell Adventure Park. When they go out, leaders

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Personal development and welfare

ensure that they have a meal in a café or restaurant. In this way, they learn about how to behave in a variety of situations as well as widening their horizons and learning about the world.  The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. They learn about the law in relation to equalities. They learn about different religions and cultures and about democracy. A pupil told the inspector that people, ‘should treat everyone in a good way, whoever they are’.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Leaders have developed a strong behaviour code that all pupils understand and that is used effectively. Frequent rewards for good behaviour and good working attitudes motivate pupils to develop positive learning attitudes. On the rare occasions that pupils have been excluded for serious offences, they are supported to return to school and begin again.  Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They are courteous and respectful to staff and visitors. School logs of behaviour show that pupils’ behaviour improves the longer they are in the school.  The vast majority of pupils either attend regularly or have made marked improvements to their attendance since joining the school. The school works hard to improve the attendance and punctuality of the minority who do not attend regularly enough.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils come to this school not having been able to work in mainstream due to a variety of difficulties related to behaviour and emotional and mental health difficulties. Pupils join the school, often part way through the academic year, after a prolonged period of disrupted education. On entry to school, many pupils have low attainment compared to others nationally of similar ages. Outcomes are not consistently good because the quality of teaching is inconsistent.  While leaders make every attempt to collect pupils’ assessment information from placing schools, the information is often patchy because pupils have missed a lot of education. Staff carry out baseline assessments in English, mathematics and science on entry to the school to establish clear starting points.  Leaders use initial assessment information to determine the most appropriate learning pathway. All present Year 11 pupils are taking functional skills at level 1 in English and

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

mathematics. Some pupils also take GCSEs or equivalents in mathematics, combined science, motor vehicle studies, English and religious studies. Other qualifications are also taken in employability development skills and personal and social education.  The present Year 10 pupils have settled well into the school but have only recently arrived so it is not possible to establish the academic progress they may have made.  Scrutiny of pupils’ work indicates that not all Year 11 pupils make good progress over time in all subjects. They make good progress in reading. In science, most Year 11 pupils make expected progress from their starting points. However, in mathematics there is insufficient evidence to show that progress is good.  Pupils’ social and emotional well-being is effectively supported, which promotes levels of confidence and self-esteem. This enables pupils to continue into the next stage of their

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

education or enter the world of work successfully. All pupils who left the school in 2016 and 2017 took up places in further education, apprenticeships or the armed forces.  Staff help pupils to recognise the importance of reading for a purpose. Pupils have good opportunities to read in all lessons. They are able to cope with quality texts that are set for examinations, but do not always understand more difficult vocabulary. They recently became enthusiastic about the war poetry studied.

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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 Other Independent Special School

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School details

Email address cheryl.moulsdale@shaftesbury.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14–16 May 2014

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Information about this school

 Shaftesbury Extended Learning Centre opened in January 2013. It is an independent special school accommodated in a former pupil referral unit in Keresley, on the outskirts of Coventry. It specialises in providing alternative provision for students in key stage 4.  The school’s previous inspection was on 14–16 May 2014 when overall effectiveness was judged to be inadequate. Following this, a monitoring inspection took place on 26 March 2015 when all independent school standards were judged to be met.  The school is registered for up to 22 pupils. Currently there are 22 pupils on the school’s roll.  The school is registered for pupils in Years 10 and 11, almost all of whom have emotional and social difficulties. The school also caters for pupils with needs such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties or attention deficit and hyperactive disorders. At the time of the inspection, no pupils had an education, health and care plan and there were no pupils

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Information about this school

with English as an additional language.  Pupils on the roll of the school have often had severely disrupted education. Some have histories of poor attendance or of exclusion from school.  A Head of Centre oversees the work of the school. She is supported by the CEO of Shaftesbury Young People, who is directly responsible to the charity.  The school uses alternative providers to accommodate physical education and to extend the curriculum it offers. These activities usually take place in the afternoons. These are: Coventry Building Workshop, The AT7 Centre in Coventry, Brakes Mechanics Workshop, a local workshop, 90 One Driving in Coventry and Leamington Lamp. Pupils also go to City College, Coventry for plumbing, mechanics and construction.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning in five lessons for Year 10 pupils along with the head of centre or with the deputy headteacher and scrutinised examples of pupils’ work in a variety of subjects. It was not possible to observe lessons in Year 11 because the pupils were taking examinations.  The inspector scrutinised the books of both Year 10 and Year 11 pupils as well as undertaking a review of teachers’ planning and schemes of work.  The inspector interviewed five pupils and one previous pupil who was working in the school as a teaching assistant. She spoke to four parents and reviewed a survey completed by parents for the school as well as one response to the Ofsted survey, Parent View, returned by a parent. She also spoke on the telephone to the head of the virtual school for Warwickshire.  The inspector held meetings with the Head of Centre, with the deputy headteacher and with the CEO for Shaftesbury Young People. She gave feedback to teachers about their

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Information about this inspection

lessons.  The inspector observed pupils at breakfast time and briefly visited pupils at lunchtime. She observed the behaviour of pupils as they made their way around the school.  The inspector took account of the views of nine members of staff who returned Ofsted’s survey of school staff.  The inspector made a tour of the school premises and a review of the website. She also scrutinised a number of school policies, procedures and records in order to check the school’s compliance with the independent school standards.

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Inspection team

Mary Maybank, lead inspector 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

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