Craven Pupil Referral Service

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

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Mr Nicholas Bell Headteacher Craven Pupil Referral Service The Snaygill Centre Keighley Road Skipton North Yorkshire BD23 2QS

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Short inspection of Craven Pupil Referral Service

Following my visit to the school on 18 September 2018 with Michael Wardle, Her Majesty’s 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 March 2014.

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Short inspection of Craven Pupil Referral Service

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You have successfully continued the good work this small school does to meet the needs of your pupils. Pupils enjoy attending the school. They appreciate the broad range of opportunities that are available to them.

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Short inspection of Craven Pupil Referral Service

You have worked closely with your assistant headteachers to make improvements, despite the uncertainties regarding the local authority’s plans. Strong practice is now in place to ensure continuous improvement. This is particularly apparent in safeguarding and the recording and analysis of behaviour and attendance.

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Short inspection of Craven Pupil Referral Service

Alongside the management committee, you have accurately identified the school’s strengths and priorities. You have developed appropriate actions in the school development plan.

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Short inspection of Craven Pupil Referral Service

As this is a small school, you and your staff know each pupil very well. You understand their individual needs and put measures in place to effectively support them. Thorough planning, in consultation with pupils and parents, ensures that pupils’ needs are well met. Pupils thrive and can fully concentrate on their academic study. Extremely positive relationships with staff support this. Pupils work well with each other, supporting and helping where there is a need. Pupils welcome collaborative working.

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Short inspection of Craven Pupil Referral Service

Good teaching enables pupils to make good progress. Staff use questioning effectively to engage and include pupils in lessons. However, you do not always assess pupils accurately enough when they arrive at the school. Often, due to the difficulties pupils have had, information from their previous school may be out of date and inaccurate.

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Short inspection of Craven Pupil Referral Service

The school environment is secure and very well looked after. Facilities for pupils are of a high quality. You do your utmost, under difficult circumstances, to make as many of these available to pupils as you can.

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Short inspection of Craven Pupil Referral Service

The school’s work to promote personal development and welfare is excellent. Pupils enjoy school and the very large majority have significantly improved their attendance. Pupils’ positive attitudes and behaviour in class and around school reflect the work the staff have done in these areas. Pupils understand the high expectations of behaviour. They enjoy working to achieve the rewards that are available to them.

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Short inspection of Craven Pupil Referral Service

The management committee have a generally secure strategic overview of the school. They are proud of the school. They are ambitious for their pupils and seek to continue to provide a good service for schools in the local authority.

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Short inspection of Craven Pupil Referral Service

You have yet to fully address some areas that were previously identified as areas for improvement at the previous inspection. Pupils all have learning targets but not all are sufficiently challenging. The effectiveness of how leaders hold teachers to account for pupils’ progress can be overcomplicated.

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Short inspection of Craven Pupil Referral Service

The leadership team have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose.

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Short inspection of Craven Pupil Referral Service

There is a strong safeguarding culture at the school. The leadership team are diligent in their recording of reported concerns. They take swift action when necessary. They continue to build positive relationships with outside agencies. Staff are clear about how to report concerns and are knowledgeable in the identification of abuse or neglect. They receive appropriate training and understand their roles in keeping pupils safe from harm, including from the risks of radicalisation and extremism.

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Short inspection of Craven Pupil Referral Service

Communication with parents is good. The school works closely with and is supportive of parents and their pupils. Parents are kept up to date with all aspects of their children’s progress and well-being.

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Short inspection of Craven Pupil Referral Service

Staff use de-escalation processes effectively when needed. They are proactive in their approach to ensure that they minimise situations that trigger inappropriate behaviour.

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Short inspection of Craven Pupil Referral Service

Pupils report that they feel safe at school and like attending. They feel the staff are ‘easy to talk to’ and support them well. Pupils do not feel bullying is an issue.

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Inspection findings

 You and your staff are dedicated and ambitious for pupils at your school. You have made sure that procedures and practices are in place to track pupils’ progress. However, baseline assessment arrangements are not robust enough to provide accurate starting points.  Leaders ensure that records of attendance and behaviour are kept in detail. Leaders use their careful analysis of the information gathered to help them to support good attendance and behaviour further. Practice is exemplary. Each pupil has personalised behaviour targets which identify and support their needs.  The majority of teaching is good. Teachers plan lessons that are enjoyable and engaging. This quickly develops pupils’ good attitudes to learning. Positive relationships between staff and pupils support learning well. Most of the work seen in books is of a good standard, with some of a high standard. The teaching in science and art is particularly strong. Pupils enjoy these subjects and become

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Inspection findings

animated when talking about them. They enjoy the practical aspects of science. Academic targets are not specific enough in identifying next steps to support progress.  You use available resources to plan a curriculum that enables pupils to obtain a range of accreditations and skills. Pupils receive accreditation in English and mathematics before they leave the school. Many complete a range of GCSEs, BTEC National Diplomas and functional skills awards.  Pupils are prepared well for their next stage of education, employment or training. Where it is appropriate, staff support pupils with reintegration to a mainstream school.  Members of the management committee support the school well. They bring a range of experiences that enhance and promote school systems. Members who have experience of schools share good practice. The management committee provide a strong level of challenge and support.  Some pupils access an alternative provision on a part-time basis. The type of

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Inspection findings

provision chosen considers the interests and needs of the pupils. Procedures for monitoring the quality of the provisions are of a high standard. The use of alternative provisions develops pupils’ confidence and employability skills. The school carries out a safeguarding audit on all alternative provisions they use to ensure that pupils are safe from risk of harm. The school’s evidence shows that the use of alternative provision has a positive impact on the attendance of pupils and their attitudes and engagement with learning.  Key stage 4 pupils have opportunities for a wide range of work experience. These include dry stone walling, wedding dress fabrication and alteration, and fish farming.

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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

 academic targets are sharply focused on individual pupils’ next steps in reading, writing and mathematics and teachers check pupils’ progress to ensure that work is challenging for all pupils  they improve methods of tracking progress from starting points.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the management committee, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for North Yorkshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, the inspectors discussed the work of the school with you, the assistant headteachers and the designated safeguarding lead. Inspectors also talked to the local authority school improvement partner and two members of the management committee. We examined information about pupils’ progress and looked at pupils’ workbooks carefully. The inspectors checked a range of documentation, including leaders’ evaluation of the school’s effectiveness, their priorities for the future, external evaluations of aspects of the school’s work and minutes of meetings of the management committee. I considered one written response to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Parent View, and the school’s own survey. The inspectors visited classes to observe teaching, learning and assessment. A formal discussion was held with pupils.

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