Manorway Independent School

Manorway Academy 18 New Road Avenue, Medway, Chatham, Kent ME4 6BA

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and those in positions of governance have not ensured that safeguarding is effective. The culture to keep pupils safe is not strong enough.  Checks on the suitability of adults to work at the school are not carried out as rigorously as they should be.  Training for staff has not been effective in enabling them to understand their responsibilities to keep pupils safe.  Procedures to keep pupils and staff safe in the event of a fire are inadequate.  Some pupils do not conduct themselves as well as they could, because staff do not always have high enough expectations of behaviour.  The school’s premises lack adequate provision and resources to meet the welfare, health and safety needs of pupils.  Leaders do not have a clear enough understanding of the independent school standards. Policies and records are not maintained adequately or with rigour.  Governance of the school is ineffective. The management committee does not hold leaders

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

to account. As a consequence, not all of the independent school standards are met.  Leaders’ impact on improving the quality of teaching and learning is minimal, because their monitoring is not consistent or thorough enough.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Teaching and learning is good. Teachers plan learning that meets the needs of individual pupils well.  Although pupils stay at the school for relatively short periods of time, most make good progress in a range of subjects, including in mathematics and English.  Parents are positive about most aspects of the school.  Notwithstanding the problems highlighted with aspects of pupils’ welfare, health and safety, pupils’ social and emotional needs are met well and they enjoy coming to school.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

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

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Review all aspects of safeguarding as a matter of urgency, so that the culture to safeguard pupils improves rapidly, and that ensuring the welfare, health and safety of pupils and staff becomes of paramount importance to leaders and those in positions of governance.  Conduct a review of governance, so that the rationale for the management committee is clearly understood, and that its work to hold school leaders to account for the quality of education and the welfare, health and safety of pupils is fit for purpose.  Develop the way leaders monitor the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, so that inconsistency in the quality of teaching and learning reduces and pupils’ outcomes improve further.  The school must meet the independent school standards, as set out in the annex of this report.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 The headteacher has a vision for the school which has not yet been realised. While some aspects of the school have improved since the last inspection, some key aspects have not. These include the effectiveness of safeguarding and the school’s ability to meet the independent school standards. As a consequence, not all of the independent school standards are met.  Leaders and those in positions of governance do not understand the independent school standards well enough. Key documents such as the single central record of checks on staff and the curriculum and safeguarding policies were not of an acceptable standard when first checked by inspectors. Subsequent revision of these documents during the inspection did not convince inspectors that the updated versions were fit for purpose, or known and understood by staff, because they appeared to have been produced hastily and without wider consultation.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 The majority of staff who work at the school do not have permanent contracts of employment. Most are self-employed or engaged through agencies. Despite this, staff work as a team and are motivated and dedicated. It is clear that they want to provide the best possible provision for the school’s pupils, many of whom have had unsuccessful experiences in their previous schools.  Leaders’ monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning is sporadic and not well- established. Records are incomplete and do not confirm the headteacher’s opinion that leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.  The first curriculum policy submitted to inspectors was not fit for purpose. It gave limited information about the breadth of curriculum and provided insufficient clarity regarding the development of literacy and numeracy skills. Despite this, teachers have ensured that the curriculum meets the needs of pupils well. As a consequence, most pupils enjoy coming

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

to school and are becoming successful learners once more.  Pupils follow a bespoke curriculum offer which is adjusted by teachers to meet individual pupil’s interests and needs. In key stages 1 and 2 this broadly follows the national curriculum. In key stages 3 and 4 the curriculum is equally well-suited to pupils’ needs, but is more bespoke in nature.  Leaders have ensured that pupils can access a range of enrichment activities, most of which take place off site. These include weekly horse riding and trampoline sessions. Pupils spoke very positively to inspectors about their ‘forest school’ activities. Younger pupils were particularly motivated during their preparation for their visit to the woods during the inspection.  Helping pupils to better understand society and its conventions is given a high priority. Respect and tolerance for others is an important aspect of the day-to-day work of the school. Most pupils have a highly developed understanding of right and wrong. Older

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

pupils are challenged to follow national and international current affairs. Pupils learn about world religions and cultures during religious education and topic lessons.  At the time of the inspection, the school had one pupil on roll outside of its registered age range of eight to 16. Inspectors also noted that, although not included on the school’s admission register, one pupil was attending the school who was registered at another school, meaning Manorway Academy is being used as an alternative provision.

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Governance

 The school’s model of governance is based on a management committee which meets three times a year. The only written records available during the inspection regarding the work of the management committee were the headteacher’s brief reports produced for these meetings. During a telephone call with the lead inspector, the chair of the management committee confirmed that documents such as agendas or minutes are not produced and that no other records were available.  Although the chair of the management committee reported that a ‘nominated governor’ for safeguarding did check the school’s safeguarding arrangements, she was not able to supply any documented evidence of this, nor any information about the findings of these checks, or their impact on ensuring that safeguarding was effective in the school.  No terms of reference exist for the management committee, nor any written information about the roles or responsibilities of members of the committee. The links between the

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Governance

proprietor, who is the headteacher, and the management committee, are not well defined. Inspectors could find no evidence of any impact of the committee in holding the headteacher or other leaders to account for any aspect of the school.

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Safeguarding

 Safeguarding is not effective. The culture to keep pupils safe is not strong enough because leaders and staff do not understand their responsibilities regarding keeping children safe. Staff have not received timely or effective training. During conversations with inspectors, it was clear that the designated safeguarding leads and other teaching and support staff did not have a clear understanding of recent guidance or up-to-date information about key issues regarding the safeguarding of pupils.  At the start of the inspection, the safeguarding policy published on the school’s website was outdated, with conflicting dates in different parts of the policy. It did not take into account current guidance issued by the Secretary of State. The first version of the single central record shown to the lead inspector contained omissions and was not fit for purpose. Subsequent checks revealed that school leaders had not carried out checks on

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Safeguarding

staff with regard to disqualification by association.  During checks on premises and accommodation, the only emergency fire exit other than the main stairwell was found to be locked while staff, inspectors and a pupil were in the building.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The quality of teaching and learning is good. Teachers understand the needs of their pupils well. This includes nurturing pupils’ social and emotional needs, which is given a high priority by all staff.  Teachers and support staff work hard to provide pupils with opportunities to be successful learners. They understand the fine balance between providing appropriate levels of challenge and setting tasks which are achievable. As a consequence, most pupils develop positive attitudes to learning, take a pride in their work, and make good progress.  Lessons are often interesting and engage pupils’ interests because of the bespoke nature of the curriculum and small class groups. Teachers are not afraid to adjust their teaching to meet the individual interests of pupils. As a result, pupils generally participate enthusiastically in discussions and enjoy the individual attention that they receive from staff.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Where teaching and learning are stronger, relationships are positive and pupils engage with learning well. When relationships are not so well established, or staff are not equipped with the tools to de-escalate situations or bring pupils back on task, learning slows.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate. Although meeting pupils’ social and emotional needs is a constant focus for staff, arrangements to safeguard pupils and aspects of the school’s provision to ensure the welfare, health and safety of pupils are not strong enough.  Not all aspects of the independent school standards regarding the school’s premises and accommodation are met. Currently, accommodation for the short-term care of sick or injured pupils does not provide an adequate washing facility.  The school’s facilities do not provide an area for pupils to play outside. The school is situated on a busy main road. Pupils and parents commented negatively about this aspect of provision. One parent thought that the school’s premises were too small. The headteacher and chair of the management committee indicated that they are currently seeking better premises for the school.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils are emphatic that bullying is very rare at Manorway. They told inspectors they understand what bullying is and trust staff to deal with problems should they occur.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Some staff are accomplished at managing pupils’ conduct and de-escalating situations. However, on occasion expectations are not high enough, and not all staff are equipped to deal with the conduct of pupils. This includes pupils swearing at staff without being challenged, which leads to disruptions in classrooms and to pupils’ learning.  Leaders track the attendance of pupils well. Due to the context of the school, leaders understand the importance of working closely with parents and other agencies to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy coming to school and are proud of their progress and achievements since starting at Manorway.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Most pupils make good progress from their very varied starting points on joining the school. This is particularly the case in mathematics and English, where some pupils make rapid gains within a short period of time after joining the school. This is also true across all year groups, although progress is stronger in key stages 1 and 2 than it is in key stage 3.  Teachers know that most pupils will stay at the school for less than a year. Consequently, they waste no time in establishing strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ academic ability. They use this information to plan learning which develops pupils’ strengths, as well as addressing the substantial gaps in knowledge and understanding that many of them have.  Classroom visits and scrutiny of pupils’ work showed appropriate levels of challenge for pupils of all abilities. Teachers’ specialist subject knowledge, in mathematics and English for instance, helps to ensure that most-able pupils receive additional levels of challenge

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Outcomes for pupils Good

when required.  Leaders measure pupils’ outcomes in a variety of ways. The school’s main aim is to provide pupils with positive learning experiences while building their self-esteem and confidence. As a result, many return to mainstream education successfully after relatively short stays at Manorway.

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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

Annual fees (day pupils) £15,000–£23,000

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14–15 June 2016

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Information about this school

 Manorway Academy is a small independent day school located on the first floor of a three-storey building in the centre of Chatham, Kent. The headteacher is also the proprietor of the school.  The school was last inspected in June 2016 when its overall effectiveness was judged to require improvement. At that time, all of the independent school standards were judged to have been met.  The school does not use alternative providers.  The school is registered for up to 15 boys and girls who have behavioural, social and emotional difficulties. It provides alternative full-time education for ‘pupils who are at risk of exclusion’. Pupils attend the school for varying lengths of time until permanent placements can be found in mainstream or specialist provision.  Currently, there are no pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan. On entry to the school, many pupils are

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Information about this school

underachieving and have low attainment due to their disrupted previous educational experience.  The academy does not have any religious affiliation. A management committee is in place to oversee the work of school leaders.  At the time of the inspection, the school had one pupil who was below the registered age range of eight to 16.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors carried out a number of classroom visits during the inspection. Some visits were accompanied by the headteacher. During classroom visits, inspectors assessed the quality of pupils’ work and talked to them about their learning.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms and as they moved around the school site.  A number of meetings were held with the headteacher to discuss all aspects of the quality of provision, as well as the independent school standards. Inspectors also met formally with teaching and support staff, as well as with two pupils. A telephone conversation was held with the chair of the management committee.  Inspectors took into account one response to Ofsted’s online parent questionnaire. They also talked to two different parents on the telephone. No staff or pupil questionnaires were returned to inspectors.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents and policies, including those regarding

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Information about this inspection

safeguarding, behaviour and attendance, and aspects of the independent school standards. Pupils’ files and examples of their work were also scrutinised. The school’s self- evaluation document, improvement planning and information about pupils’ outcomes were also taken into consideration.

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Inspection team

Clive Close, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Dom Cook, team inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if– – 2(1)(a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub- paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and – 2(1)(b) the written policy, plans and schemes of work– – 2(1)(b)(i) take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those pupils with an EHC plan; and  2(2) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are– – 2(2)(a) full-time supervised education for pupils of compulsory school age (construed in accordance with section 8 of the Education Act 1996), which gives pupils experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education; – 2(2)(b) that pupils acquire speaking, listening, literacy and numeracy skills.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 7 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that– – 7(a) arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school; and – 7(b) such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.  12 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005[12].

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

 18(2) The standard in this paragraph is met if– – 18(2)(b) no such person carries out work, or intends to carry out work, at the school in contravention of a prohibition order, an interim prohibition order, or any direction made under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act, or any disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in either such direction;  20(6) The standard in this paragraph is met in relation to an individual ("MB"), not being the Chair of the school, who is a member of a body of persons corporate or unincorporate named as the proprietor of the school in the register or in an application to enter the school in the register, if– – 20(6)(a) MB– – 20(6)(a)(ii) does not carry out work, or intend to carry out work, at the school in contravention of a prohibition order, an interim prohibition order, or any direction made under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act or any disqualification,

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in either such direction.  21(3) The information referred to in this sub-paragraph is– – 21(3)(a) in relation to each member of staff ("S") appointed on or after 1st May 2007, whether– – 21(3)(a)(iii) a check was made to establish whether S is subject to any direction made under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act or any disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in such a direction.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 24(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that suitable accommodation is provided in order to cater for the medical and therapy needs of pupils, including– – 24(1)(b) accommodation for the short-term care of sick and injured pupils, which includes a washing facility and is near to a toilet facility.  29(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that suitable outdoor space is provided in order to enable– – 29(1)(b) pupils to play outside.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school– – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently. guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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