Central Birmingham Education Centre

Central Birmingham Education Centre George Street West, Hockley, Birmingham, West Midlands B18 7HF

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The proprietor, leaders and managers have not ensured that all the independent school standards have been met.  Leaders, including the proprietor and governors, do not have an accurate view of the school’s weaknesses. Their evaluation of how well the school is performing is overgenerous. Governors do not contribute effectively to the school’s improvement.  Governance is ineffective. Leaders have not been held to account for the many shortcomings in the school.  Leaders are not doing enough to improve attendance for those pupils whose attendance remains low.  Pupils’ behaviour often prevents them from learning effectively. At times, pupils are openly rude to adults. Adults’ expectations of behaviour in lessons are sometimes too low.  The school’s curriculum policy is not implemented effectively. Pupils are not able to study a broad range of subjects and important aspects of their cultural development are not

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

properly addressed.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate. Leaders have not had sufficient impact on ensuring that teaching is effective and leading to improved outcomes for pupils.  Pupils do not achieve well enough overall. They are not developing their basic mathematical and English skills well enough to enable them to make sufficient progress from their starting points.  Leaders and managers are not able to demonstrate that their actions have resulted in improved outcomes for pupils.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 A vigilant safeguarding culture is evident. Pupils say they feel safe in school. However, record- keeping could be more organised.  The head of school has a good understanding of the challenges faced by pupils and engages well with professionals to provide appropriate support.  The individual support provided by learning mentors for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective. Consequently, these pupils engage well with the activities they are given to complete. Learning mentors know the pupils well and develop supportive relationships with some. Compliance with regulatory requirements

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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?

 Improve the impact of leadership and management on the quality of provision and outcomes for pupils by ensuring that: – leaders’ self-evaluation is based on a clear and accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and informs subsequent action plans – leaders use the action plan to implement effective actions that address the school’s key weaknesses – governors check and thoroughly evaluate the school’s work and hold leaders to account for the outcomes pupils achieve – the school’s curriculum meets the independent school standards and provides for all areas, including technology and human and social education – more is done to develop pupils’ awareness of, understanding of and respect for diversity, including different cultures and the range of protected characteristics – leaders record the actions taken to improve the attendance of pupils whose attendance is low, and monitor the impact of these actions

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– leaders, including governors, draw up an appropriate accessibility plan that sets out how the school will be more accessible for pupils and others with a disability – pupils’ records are suitably organised and stored in one location – all the independent school standards are met.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that pupils make consistently strong progress from their starting points by ensuring that: – teachers, particularly those of English and mathematics, have the appropriate skills and knowledge to enable them to deliver effectively the subjects they teach – leaders challenge and support teachers to become more effective through a system of appraisal that links teaching and learning to pupils’ progress – all adults have high expectations of pupils’ learning, progress and behaviour – the curriculum and teaching timetables provide sufficient time and opportunities for

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

pupils to develop secure basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics – the school’s assessment system includes robust baseline assessments, provides a reliable way of tracking individual pupils’ progress and enables teachers to plan lessons that help pupils to learn well – leaders have a clear understanding of pupils’ progress from their starting points in all areas of learning, including social, emotional and personal development, and use this information to pinpoint and address any underachievement.  Improve the personal development, behaviour and welfare of pupils by ensuring that: – all staff are supported and enabled to confidently and consistently implement the school’s behaviour policy – clear routines and expectations for pupils’ engagement and behaviour in lessons are established and consistently reinforced by all adults – leaders monitor the impact of their actions on improving pupils’ behaviour and attitudes

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

to learning – leaders make sure that safeguarding documents are organised appropriately and that records of training are up to date.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders have not ensured that the school meets the independent school standards. There are a number of unmet standards relating to pupils’ welfare, academic and personal development, the promotion of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and the quality of teaching and learning.  Leaders have not ensured that the school is meeting its core purpose of enabling its pupils to overcome their barriers to learning and acquire the basic knowledge, skills and understanding they need to achieve their academic potential.  The school does not have an accessibility plan. Consequently, it is not meeting its statutory duties under Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.  Leaders do not carry out thorough monitoring and evaluation. As a result, they do not have an accurate view of the quality of the school’s provision and of the impact of that provision on outcomes for pupils. Consequently, they have not identified appropriate

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

improvement priorities to ensure that the school improves quickly enough. Furthermore, leaders are unable to provide evidence of actions they have taken to improve provision for pupils.  The curriculum offered is too narrow. It does not allow pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding in human and social and technological education sufficiently. There are no additional extra-curricular activities or experiences. Consequently, pupils do not develop as wide a range of skills, or the depth of knowledge, that they should.  The curriculum does not adequately support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils’ understanding of different cultures, faiths and the protected characteristics, such as age, disability and race, is underdeveloped. Staff do not give pupils opportunities to contribute to, or learn about, the lives of those living in or near the school community. These weaknesses in the curriculum significantly narrow pupils’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

preparation for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in British society.  Leaders are not doing enough to improve the attendance of some pupils. When pupils do not attend school, their referrer school or the local authority are informed. Staff do not provide enough support to pupils or their families to ensure that attendance improves. Consequently, the attendance of too many pupils is showing no sign of improvement. Leaders are aware of this but have not taken effective action to remedy the situation.  Leaders have not ensured that the school’s behaviour management strategies are fit for purpose. Staff do not apply strategies consistently because many of them say they do not feel confident in using them. Leaders were unaware of this.  Currently, there is no system of measuring whether the behaviour of individual pupils is improving over time. Leaders do not know if their behaviour management systems for

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

improving behaviour are effective.  Leaders have not made sure that the quality of teaching and learning secures improvements in pupils’ personal and academic development. There is no planned programme of staff training and development. Leaders do not deploy staff well. They use agency staff to teach English and mathematics without checking to see if this arrangement is helping pupils learn and make progress.  Leaders have not established suitable systems to monitor and evaluate pupils’ behaviour, attendance, attitudes to learning and academic progress. Leaders do not routinely identify and address underperformance. As a result, pupils’ outcomes are inadequate and many do not attend or behave well.  The vast majority of members of staff who completed the staff survey hold negative views about the leadership and management of the school. They say they do not feel valued or supported in their roles. This is having a negative effect on the morale and

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Governance

 The governing body meets termly to discuss the work of the school. However, governors have not had any involvement in the monitoring and evaluation of the school, so do not have a clear understanding of its strengths and weaknesses.  Governors do not hold the head of school sufficiently to account for how well the school is performing. Leaders do not provide governors with enough information about pupils’ progress and other aspects of the school’s performance. Consequently, governors are unable to provide the level of challenge and support needed to secure school improvement.  Notes from governors’ meetings show that information requested by the governing body is not always provided by the head of school. This has not been subsequently followed up or challenged by governors. For example, at the beginning of this academic year, the chair of the governing body requested a plan identifying the school’s improvement

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Governance

priorities. No plan was drawn up and there was no further reference to this made in subsequent governing body meetings.  The governing body shares the head of school’s aim of improving the lives of vulnerable young people. However, they have not done enough to ensure that the school achieves this aim.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  There is a culture of safeguarding within the school. Staff are knowledgeable about safeguarding policies and are clear about the procedures they need to follow if they have any concerns about pupils’ welfare.  The most recent government guidance informs the school’s safeguarding policy. The policy is available on the school’s website.  Leaders follow safer recruitment guidelines. The required checks on staff’s suitability to work with children are completed and recorded accurately on the single central record before staff are appointed.  The school implements its anti-bullying and health and safety policies appropriately. As a consequence, pupils are safeguarded well.  The designated safeguarding lead works well with other agencies and professionals to provide appropriate support to potentially vulnerable pupils and their families.  Some safeguarding practices are not as robust as they need to be. For example, although

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Safeguarding

records held are sufficiently detailed, they are not organised and stored in one location. This could result in important information being overlooked. Leaders do not record the safeguarding training undertaken by individual members of staff.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 The school is not achieving its aim of supporting pupils who have become disengaged from education. Leaders and staff are not successfully ensuring that pupils make sufficient gains in their personal and social development. As a result, pupils are not making the academic progress of which they are capable.  Pupils experience a high turnover of staff, particularly in English and mathematics. This results in low levels of engagement from pupils. Teachers do not have high enough expectations of the quality of work produced by pupils. This is evident from the work seen in pupils’ books, which is not challenging and is often poorly presented. Although there are learning mentors in each lesson, they are not supported well enough by leaders to ensure that they can effectively contribute to pupils’ learning.  Teachers in English and mathematics do not match the work to pupils’ aptitudes or needs. All pupils from Year 8 to Year 11 are taught in one class. Teachers do not adapt learning

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

to ensure that it is challenging enough for the most able pupils or appropriate for lower- attaining pupils. Consequently, pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable.  Work in books shows that pupils are not developing their basic mathematical and English skills well enough. The time given to English and mathematics does not enable pupils to complete the school’s functional skills curriculum in these subjects. This means that pupils do not acquire the depth of knowledge and understanding they need to gain these qualifications.  The school’s assessment system is unreliable and does not provide leaders with a robust source of evidence about pupils’ progress from their starting points. Consequently, leaders are unclear about how well pupils achieve over time. Information obtained from pupils’ baseline assessments is not used effectively to inform teaching.  Learning mentors are used during lessons to support the minority of pupils identified as

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

having a special educational need, including those who have an education, health and care plan. This support is effective at helping these pupils to successfully complete their work and deepen their understanding.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate.  As a result of their previous educational experiences, pupils typically enter the school with negative attitudes towards education and learning. The school is not effectively supporting pupils to overcome these negative attitudes. As a result, pupils do not engage well with the learning in lessons and do not value the opportunities they are given.  Pupils’ lack of engagement in lessons is contributing to their overall lack of progress.  Pupils do not demonstrate self-discipline or respect for all adults in the school. They are frequently openly rude to, and about, adults.  Pupils’ cultural understanding and respect for others are not well developed. Behaviour logs show that a significant proportion of pupils demonstrate racist views and openly make derogatory remarks related to religion and culture. Although these are challenged

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Personal development and welfare

by staff and appropriately responded to, leaders acknowledge that they have not done enough to reduce the frequency of these behaviours.  Pupils say bullying in school is rare. This view is supported by the school’s bullying logs.  Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe when using the internet and of the importance of making healthy life choices.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is inadequate.  Views expressed by the majority of members of staff indicate that behaviour in school is not well managed. Systems for managing behaviour are not used consistently by all staff. Several members of staff do not feel confident enough to challenge some pupils’ inappropriate behaviour.  Attendance remains low for too many pupils. Actions taken by leaders have not had a demonstrable impact on improving attendance for these pupils.  Pupils’ inappropriate behaviour disrupts and interrupts learning. Adults generally respond appropriately to these incidents. However, pupils’ behaviour is not improving over time.  Leaders are not able to demonstrate that their behaviour management strategies are effective as they have not yet established a system that enables them to monitor and analyse pupils’ behaviour.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Outcomes for pupils are inadequate because they are not developing the core mathematical, English and communication skills they need for them to succeed at the next stage of their education.  When pupils arrive at the school, many of them are disaffected and disengaged with education. The school is not successful at achieving its aim of helping these pupils to overcome their negative attitudes to learning and make strong gains in their personal and social development.  Leaders have devised a system to monitor how well pupils develop their personal and social skills. However, as no information has yet been collected or recorded, leaders are unable to demonstrate how well pupils are developing in these areas. In addition, this lack of information is not helping teachers to understand how to nurture and improve pupils’ social skills and personal development.  Although leaders set academic targets for pupils across a range of subjects when they

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

enter the school, very few pupils achieve these targets.  Pupils are not able to apply their learning, deepen their understanding and attain the standards of which they are capable in English and mathematics.  The school’s own progress information does not enable leaders to demonstrate that pupils make consistently strong progress from their starting points. It is incomplete for most of the pupils. The assessment information that is available indicates that progress from starting points for the majority of pupils in English and mathematics is weak. This is supported by the quality and quantity of work in the pupils’ books.  The small proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan are well supported to achieve the targets on their individual education plans.

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School details

DfE registration number 330/6034 Inspection number 10045273

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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

Proprietor The Rock Central Birmingham Education Centre Chair Nigel Oram

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School details

Email address julia.johnson@trcbec.bham.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Central Birmingham Education Centre (CBEC) is run by NTCG The Rock, who are the trustees of the school. The proprietor is Julia Johnson, who is also the head of school.  Until February 2017, the school was run by the Transforming Lives for Good group.  There is a separate governing body that is responsible for providing governance of the school.  The school is located in a church building in central Birmingham. It provides education for pupils between the ages of 11 and 16 and is registered by the Department for Education (DfE) to accommodate up to 10 pupils. The school does not use any other premises.  Pupils are referred to the school by the local authority and local secondary schools. There are currently 10 pupils on roll. All pupils are dual-registered with their referrer school.  Pupils attending CBEC typically have a range of social, emotional and mental health difficulties and many have either been excluded or are at risk of exclusion from their

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Information about this school

previous setting. A minority of pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The school aims to address the individual social, emotional and learning needs of its young people. It aims to do this by developing their self-esteem and teaching them to make appropriate choices so that they can reintegrate into school or continue into further education or employment.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  This is the school’s first inspection since it was registered by the DfE in July 2017.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out by one inspector over three days.  The inspector observed teaching and learning and looked at pupils’ work in English and mathematics. The observations were carried out jointly with the head of school.  The inspector looked at the school’s own assessment information for pupils.  Meetings were held with the head of school, the school’s designated safeguarding lead and a representative from the governing body. The inspector also spoke with a group of pupils.  Questionnaires submitted by seven members of staff were scrutinised.  No parents or carers completed Ofsted’s Parent View survey.  A wide range of documents and policies were looked at, including health and safety checks, safeguarding documentation and records of attendance.  A check of the premises, including the facilities provided for pupils, was also carried out.

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Inspection team

Janet Satchwell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if-

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 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.

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(2) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are-

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 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;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(2)(d) personal, social, health and economic education which-

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(2)(d)(ii) encourages respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act[9];

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(2)(i) effective preparation of pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in British society.

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school-

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(a) enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(b) fosters in pupils self-motivation, the application of intellectual, physical and creative effort, interest in their work and the ability to think and learn for themselves;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(c) involves well-planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils’ work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(h) utilises effective strategies for managing behaviour and encouraging pupils to act responsibly.

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 4 The standard in this paragraph is met where the proprietor ensures that a framework for pupils’ performance to be evaluated, by reference to the school’s own aims as provided to parents or national norms, or to both, is in place.

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Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

 5 The standard about the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils at the school is met if the proprietor-

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Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

– 5(b) ensures that principles are actively promoted which-

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Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

– 5(b)(i) enable pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence;

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Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

– 5(b)(iii) encourage pupils to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative and understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality in which the school is situated and to society more widely;

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Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

– 5(b)(v) further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling pupils to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures;

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Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

– 5(b)(vi) encourage respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 9 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor promotes good behaviour among pupils by ensuring that-

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 9(b) the policy is implemented effectively.

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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-

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently;

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 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

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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, 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

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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