Training and Skills Centre

Training and Skills Centre Office Suite 2/3, Accent Business Centre, 132 Barkerend Road, Bradford BD3 9BE

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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 Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher models her vision and ambition to foster pupils’ well-being and achievement in a safe environment in all aspects of her work. She ensures that the independent school standards are met consistently.  Staff are motivated by the headteacher’s example. They feel valued and supported by the headteacher and work closely as a team. They have a proper focus on the needs of each pupil.  The headteacher and staff have a detailed understanding of pupils’ learning and wider needs. They monitor pupils’ progress and development closely. The headteacher uses a wide range of information to personalise the curriculum, ensuring that pupils are well prepared for their next steps.  Pupils develop their personal skills very well. They get on with each other positively and show respect for adults in the school. Pupils behave well throughout the day. They have respect for others from different backgrounds.  Staff use assessment information about pupils

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

to plan lessons effectively and personalise learning. As a result, teaching is effective and pupils make strong progress across a wider range of subjects. However, staff miss some opportunities to challenge pupils’ learning.  Pupils develop their basic skills in speaking, writing and mathematics well. However, pupils do not develop their wider reading skills as well.  Staff establish very positive relationships with pupils. As a result, pupils come to value their education. They apply themselves to their learning with positive attitudes.  Pupils develop confidence and self-awareness. They feel safe and are cared for well. They are full of praise for the help they receive in re- engaging with their education.  Pupils improve their attendance once they join the school. However, some pupils do not attend regularly enough, despite the considerable efforts staff make to help them do so.

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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 using pupils’ responses to questions to reshape their learning and ensure that they are challenged to move on when ready, and so consolidate their skills and deepen their understanding.  Improve the quality of leadership and management by developing: – further the effectiveness of the school’s strategies to improve attendance and reduce the proportion of pupils who do not attend regularly enough – the school’s approaches to teaching reading and providing more frequent opportunities for pupils to read a wide range of materials.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher is determined to provide a fresh start to pupils, who have disrupted and often previously unsuccessful experiences of school. Her vision encompasses the provision of the very best opportunities possible for personal development and achievement. Underpinned by a constant focus on safeguarding pupils, the headteacher leads the school very effectively, ensuring that all the independent school standards are consistently met.  Staff are highly motivated. They, too, are committed to enhancing pupils’ development and learning to prepare them well as young adults as they leave the school. The staff share a strong sense of team endeavour and this benefits pupils. Staff commitment and care enable pupils to thrive. As a result, pupils re-engage with learning and grow in self- esteem because they experience success and a sense of achievement, in some cases, for the first time.  Staff feel motivated through their professional development because they know they are

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

making a difference to pupils’ well-being and achievement. They improve and develop their skills and knowledge to enhance the quality of their teaching. For example, in frequent briefing sessions, staff share effective practice that meets individual pupils’ needs. Work to develop staff skills in teaching spelling has led to a common approach, which has improved pupils’ accuracy in their written work.  The headteacher has detailed knowledge and understanding of pupils’ learning, social and personal needs, based on the information gathered when they join the school and the almost daily contact with parents and carers, as well as from pupils themselves. She monitors closely how well pupils learn through checks on their progress and daily visits to classes. She makes effective use of the information gained to personalise each pupil’s curriculum and provides counselling and support for pupils when they face difficulties. She

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

uses such information to support and guide staff in their work with pupils.  The headteacher ensures that the curriculum meets the requirements of the independent school standards. The strong focus on developing pupils’ skills in English and mathematics is matched by the constant focus on developing their interpersonal skills. The curriculum is shaped to meet the needs of pupils in key stage 4 so that that they have very frequent opportunities to place their learning into real contexts that benefit them as young adults. For example, they enjoy opportunities to engage in a range of physical education (PE) activities to enhance their understanding of how to keep well physically and the psychological benefits of sports activities. Similarly, pupils use learning through PE to develop their understanding of parts of their science course. The school has adopted a science course which also give emphasis to the application of science in everyday life.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

Pupils enjoy exploring their ideas creatively, for example, through drawing and knitting.  Pupils are well supported in their learning and achievement. The personal skills they develop and practise at school are linked to the curriculum’s focus on employability skills. Pupils develop a strong sense of right and wrong and understanding of the community and wider society they live in. They understand that people come a range of different backgrounds and have different beliefs and traditions. Pupils demonstrate respect for others whatever the differences to themselves. As a consequence, pupils are well prepared for life as young adults in modern Britain.

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Governance

 The headteacher is the sole proprietor of the school and is the designated safeguarding lead. She ensures that all the independent school standards and related requirements are met consistently.  The headteacher promotes pupils’ well-being and achievement by making sure that the requirement for PE and provision of changing facilities and showers that was not met at the previous inspection is now met.  The headteacher keeps a sharp eye on the effectiveness of the curriculum in preparing pupils for their next steps in education and training.  The headteacher checks regularly that pupils make good progress over time and works with staff and pupils to address any issues which hinder their progress.  The headteacher provides effective pastoral support when pupils face difficult circumstances.  The headteacher works effectively with teams and agencies, such as attendance teams and social services, to keep pupils safe and promote good attendance.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding pupils are effective. The school’s safeguarding policy takes full account of the current guidance of the Secretary of State. It is made available to parents on request and is discussed during induction interviews with parents and pupils. The headteacher ensures that the programme for personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education has a strong focus on keeping safe and well.  Staff are trained well to recognise the signs of abuse and neglect. They are vigilant and notify the headteacher immediately of any concerns they have so that early help can be provided as soon as it is needed. The headteacher ensures that all staff have completed pre-employment checks to ensure that only suitable adults work with pupils. These are recorded accurately on the single central register. The site is kept secure at all times. The headteacher and staff work hard with other teams and agencies to safeguard pupils.

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Safeguarding

 The trusting relationships that staff establish provide pupils with the confidence to talk with them about any concerns they have. The school works relentlessly to improve pupils’ attendance. In recent years, this has been a strength of the school. Among current pupils, almost all improve their attendance at the school in comparison to their previous schools and placements. Nevertheless, some current pupils still do not attend regularly enough.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Staff use their knowledge of pupils’ needs to plan learning effectively. Staff consider pupils’ prior learning and gaps in their education to set annual and shorter-term targets. These approaches support pupils well in understanding how their current work leads them to make strong progress over time.  Staff establish very positive relationships with pupils. This gives pupils the confidence to attempt tasks that they find difficult. Pupils also develop the confidence to ask for help when they are stuck and follow advice on how to improve their learning.  Staff model how to attempt tasks effectively and use pupils’ responses to questions to identify where pupils have misunderstood. Staff are adept at helping pupils make sense of their learning and correct their work. However, staff miss some opportunities to move pupils on when they are ready and so deepen their understanding and consolidate their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

skills.  Pupils’ work shows that they take pride in their learning and are proud of their achievements. As they complete units of work, pupils grow in confidence that their efforts have been recognised. Staff are successful in enabling pupils to move forward from acquiring knowledge to considering their personal responses to their learning. For example, in a unit of work in English and PSHE, pupils showed their ability to weigh up different points of views about abortion, recognise if and how they differed from their own and present a well-balanced summary.  Pupils develop their speaking and writing skills well. They make strong progress because they value the opportunities to learn and practise skills in real-life contexts that they know will help them in their future lives. Similarly, they appreciate the opportunities to use their mathematical skills in real-life situations. For example, the work done on planning a

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

holiday trip involved a range of mathematical challenges. These gave pupils opportunities to think through how to prioritise spending within a fixed budget. However, pupils do not engage in wider reading as regularly as they could.  Pupils’ learning in respect of their personal development is a strength. Staff ensure that they capitalise on the opportunities to develop pupils’ basic skills while addressing important aspects of their development. For example, the topic on grooming is used to both develop an understanding of how to keep safe and how pupils can get help if it is needed. It is also used to develop pupils’ thinking and their ability to articulate their own thoughts and record their responses.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. It is a strength of the school. Detailed understanding of pupils’ prior experiences of education and of their personal circumstances enables staff to tailor work to promote their personal development. As a consequence, although they lack self-assurance as learners, pupils develop greater self-confidence as they come to trust staff and enjoy successes in their learning.  Pupils feel safe in school. They know they can get help with any issue and that help is unconditional. This provides them with the confidence to talk with staff, contributes to their safety and promotes their emotional well-being and self-esteem. Pupils speak very highly of the effective support they receive. In discussion with the inspector, pupils were determined to emphasise that they have benefited from a new start. They say they have grown into ‘mature young adults’ and ‘have learned more in this school than in any other

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Personal development and welfare

they have attended’.  Pupils understand that bullying is unacceptable and is not tolerated. They say that there is no bullying in school but know that staff would address this, if needed. Pupils are able to apply their thinking about bullying to their understanding of prejudice in society, including against groups with protected characteristics. Pupils are respectful of others’ cultural backgrounds, beliefs and traditions, even if these are different from their own. This reflects the school’s work to promote diversity and meet the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.  Pupils learn about the dangers of the misuse of drugs and alcohol and understand how such misuse can increase their vulnerability to other risks. They know that digital technologies have the potential to increase risks and what they should do to minimise them. This awareness-raising contributes to pupils’ safety.  The curriculum elements that focus on employability support pupils well in developing an

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Personal development and welfare

understanding of the role and importance of public services.  Staff help pupils develop basic skills for living so that they understand the importance of eating well and engaging in physical activity to support their health and well-being.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils behave well during lessons and in social times. They have positive attitudes to learning. These attributes contribute well to the good progress pupils make and to their sense of self-worth.  Pupils show respect for the adults who work with them and for visitors to the school. They look after their school environment well.  Staff support pupils in developing the skills they need to manage themselves well. Pupils begin to recognise when they feel stressed and learn techniques to manage themselves well. When they need help to do so, staff act sensitively and effectively to support pupils to regain control of their emotions.  Pupils almost always improve their attendance at this school once they join. Overall, attendance is in line with the national average for pupil referral units. Most pupils on roll have spent time previously in the local pupil referral unit or have been at risk of exclusion

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Behaviour

from mainstream schools. However, despite the school’s unrelenting efforts, some pupils do not attend regularly enough.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils enter the school at the beginning of or during key stage 4. From their starting points on joining the school, pupils make good progress across a range of subjects. There is no discernible difference between the achievement of boys and girls.  Effective teaching in English and mathematics ensures that pupils develop important skills that enable them to achieve successfully across a range of external qualifications from entry level 1 to level 2. A small number of pupils make particularly strong progress in English, closing the gaps in their prior learning and achievement quickly.  Pupils’ work shows that they build on their achievements incrementally as they gain accreditations for each level of study. However, those who do not attend regularly enough do not make the same good progress as others.  The most able pupils in the cohort complete functional skills courses successfully at levels

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Outcomes for pupils Good

1 and 2, ensuring that they are able to access courses at the appropriate levels at local colleges of further education. Success in these courses builds their basic skills and also their confidence as learners so that they feel better prepared to study for qualifications with end-of-course examinations. Some pupils sit a selected range of GCSE examinations, usually in English, mathematics and science in their previous school, to build on their successful achievements during the course of key stage 4.  Pupils’ achievements in vocational courses relating to employability skills and personal development are highly successful. Once settled, pupils build a compelling portfolio of high-quality work to evidence their success in achieving a range of course units and, eventually, full course accreditation.  Pupils’ work shows good knowledge and understanding of important areas of science, ranging from the solar system to the use of DNA testing in society, and they can engage

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Outcomes for pupils Good

in discussion about the moral implications of such practices. Similarly, pupils learn that art can be used as a further way to express their ideas and feelings. The school’s work across the curriculum to develop pupils’ ability to reflect on their learning and experiences is enhanced through the opportunities they have to do so through drawing and knitting.  Pupils use their achievements and the independent careers advice they receive to plan for and secure places in further education colleges when they leave. Pupils are well prepared to take up these places with confidence.

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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

Proprietor Jacqueline Plumtree, Training and Skills Centre Limited Chair Not applicable

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28–30 June 2016

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Information about this school

 The Training and Skills Centre is an independent day school for boys and girls between the ages of 14 and 16. Pupils come from the local area.  The majority of pupils are of Asian heritage, with a small proportion coming from European and White British backgrounds.  Almost always, pupils join the school having attended the local pupil referral unit or a local secondary school. Pupils have been previously excluded from their school or have been at risk of exclusion.  Almost all pupils come from disadvantaged backgrounds. No pupils have an education, health and care plan or a statement of special educational needs.  The school does not make use of any alternative providers of education.  The school was last subject to a standard inspection by Ofsted in June 2016.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector held discussions with the headteacher and with all members of staff. He took account of their views expressed in meetings and in responses to the staff questionnaire. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View.  The inspector talked with pupils and scrutinised their work in their folders and in displays. He listened to some pupils read and listened to their views about their school. He read pupils’ responses to the school’s own questionnaire for pupils. No pupils responded to Ofsted’s questionnaire for pupils.  The inspector observed teaching and learning in lessons and considered the school’s information about pupils’ progress.  The inspector considered a wide range of documents, including how the school organises its curriculum, as well as its work to improve attendance. He also examined how the school makes arrangements to safeguard pupils.

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Inspection team

Chris Campbell, 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

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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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