Southwark Inclusive Learning Service (Sils)

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Ms Yomi Adewoye Headteacher Southwark Inclusive Learning Service (Sils) 2 Davey Street Peckham London SE15 6LF

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Short inspection of Southwark Inclusive Learning Service

Following my visit to the school on 5 June 2018 with Kanwaljit Singh, Ofsted Inspector, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in January 2015.

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Short inspection of Southwark Inclusive Learning Service

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

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Short inspection of Southwark Inclusive Learning Service

You have created a culture of high expectations across all aspects of the school’s work. Staff and pupils value your direct and honest leadership. You have focused on developing middle leadership since the previous inspection and this has led to improvements in the quality of teaching.

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Short inspection of Southwark Inclusive Learning Service

You and your team provide a calm, safe and welcoming environment for the pupils. Many pupils join the school following a period of disrupted education and settle quickly when they start. Staff and pupil relationships are trusting and positive. This allows pupils to improve their attitudes, behaviour and personal development during their time at the school.

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Short inspection of Southwark Inclusive Learning Service

You and your senior leaders have been highly successful in reintegrating pupils back into mainstream schools. Effective partnership working with other agencies is a strength of the school.

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Short inspection of Southwark Inclusive Learning Service

Staff enjoy working at the school and are very supportive of one another. They say that the pupils feel secure and are able to be themselves when they are in school. Teachers appreciate the training that leaders provide for them and are confident that it has improved their practice. Governors know the school well and have an accurate view of its strengths and areas for development. They provide an effective balance of support and challenge to senior leaders.

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Short inspection of Southwark Inclusive Learning Service

Pupils said that they feel safe in school. They are aware of potential dangers in the local community and are taught how to keep themselves safe through personal, social and health education lessons and additional workshops. Pupils have learned about risks from gang affiliation, drugs and knife crime. Staff are also aware of potential dangers to pupils in the local community, including spotting signs of grooming.

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Short inspection of Southwark Inclusive Learning Service

Pupils know about different types of bullying and say that bullying is not a problem within the school. Staff and pupils said any incidents of bullying are dealt with straight away. Staff receive regular training in safeguarding, including in the ‘Prevent’ duty. There is a strong safeguarding culture within the school and staff are highly vigilant in recognising any possible risks to pupils.

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Short inspection of Southwark Inclusive Learning Service

Pupils are kept safe through highly effective partnership working and information sharing between the school and outside agencies. Positive and trusting relationships mean that individual pupils always have a member of staff to talk to about any safeguarding concerns they may have.

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Short inspection of Southwark Inclusive Learning Service

Leaders have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Record keeping is detailed and of high quality.

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Inspection findings

 At the start of the inspection, we agreed on the key lines of enquiry. First, we looked at what leaders had done to improve the quality of teaching since the last inspection.  At the previous inspection, leaders were asked to ensure that staff challenge pupils routinely to extend and deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding of their work. As a result of high-quality training, teachers use effective teaching approaches that enhance pupils’ learning across subjects. Pupils are supported to give their opinions in lessons through teachers’ questions that encourage them to talk about their work. They are able to give extended answers and demonstrate their knowledge.  Middle leaders have a direct impact on improving the quality of teaching through coaching and supporting teachers. Teachers make sure that work is well matched to pupils’ abilities. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and give clear explanations of tasks in lessons. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is attentive and

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Inspection findings

calm. They show a high level of interest in their learning. Pupils enjoy lessons and listen intently.  Next, we looked at how well pupils make progress as they move through the school. Leaders track each pupil’s progress carefully and in detail. Teachers set ambitious academic targets for pupils using assessment information. Most pupils make strong progress. Work in pupils’ books is well presented and shows clear progress over time.  Absence from school is the biggest factor that limits pupils’ progress. Many pupils join the school with a history of poor attendance. You and your team work hard to improve the attendance of individual pupils. Leaders have robust procedures in place to tackle poor attendance and work effectively in partnership with other agencies. You recognise that strengthening work with individual families may improve the attendance of pupils causing most concern.  At the previous inspection, leaders were asked to ensure that pupils have

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Inspection findings

opportunities to use their mathematical knowledge and skills in a range of curriculum subjects. You and your staff have worked hard to identify opportunities for numeracy activities across the curriculum. In addition, you have made sure that the same mathematical terms are used in all subjects to aid pupils’ understanding. Pupils regularly practise their mathematical skills in subjects across the curriculum. Attainment in mathematics has risen and is now closer to the attainment reached by pupils in English.  Finally, we looked at how well the curriculum prepares pupils for the next stage of their education or training. Pupils are well prepared to return to mainstream settings and are mostly successful in their reintegration, particularly in key stage 3. The curriculum provides a wide range of vocational courses available in key stage 4 and an emphasis on acquiring English and mathematics qualifications.

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Inspection findings

You have established strong links with other providers and mainstream schools. You are currently reviewing the curriculum offer for key stage 4 and have plans to introduce additional subjects in the next academic year. You are also making more use of the local and wider community by increasing the number of off-site visits and working with other organisations including art galleries.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 attendance continues to improve through further strengthening partnerships with families and other agencies  the quality of teaching, learning and assessment continues to improve  the curriculum offer is reviewed as planned, particularly at key stage 4, to ensure that it meets the needs of the pupils. I am copying this letter to the chair of the management committee, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Southwark. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

The inspection team met with you and your senior team, middle leaders, teachers, teaching assistants and other support staff. Inspectors met with the school’s improvement partner and a representative from the local authority. They also met with members of the school’s management committee including the chair, one parent and two external partners working with the school. Inspectors visited classes at both the key stage 3 and key stage 4 sites accompanied by senior staff to gather a range of evidence relating to teaching, learning and assessment. They met with pupils from the school council to talk about their experience of school and aspects of safeguarding. Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of the school’s documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation, development plan, assessment and progress records, individual plans and work in pupils’ books. Inspectors took account of the 18 responses to the staff questionnaire. There were no responses to the pupil

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