Tracks

Tracks 21 Owlet Road, Shipley, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD18 2LU

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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 Inadequate

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The head of school and the executive headteacher have a very clear vision for the future of the school. Since the last inspection, leaders have introduced a wide range of systems and checks. These have brought about rapid improvement in the quality of teaching, learning and outcomes for pupils.  A new management committee has been appointed very recently. Its members have lost no time in starting to familiarise themselves with the school. Minutes from the inaugural committee meeting show leaders have already put in place a clear and ambitious plan of operation.  Senior leaders carry out exacting checks on the quality of teaching and learning within the school. Opportunities to work closely with staff from an outstanding secondary school have enabled staff to develop their practice further. As a result, the quality of teaching and learning has improved significantly since the previous inspection.  Pupils now make good progress overall. Senior

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

leaders have rightly focused upon ensuring that pupils leave with a range of qualifications which prepare them well for the next stage in their education.  Pupils say they feel safe. Staff and parents agree with this view. Staff ensure that the curriculum enables pupils to gain a knowledge and understanding of the current challenges of life in modern Britain. For example, pupils learn about the dangers of sexual exploitation and radicalisation through the well-balanced personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum.  The strong pastoral curriculum in place offers pupils a wide range of opportunities that support their identified mental health needs.  Pupils currently make stronger progress in mathematics and science than in English. This is because staff do not always give pupils sufficient opportunity to develop independent writing skills.  Middle leaders do not yet take full responsibility for the quality of teaching and learning within

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

their subject areas.  Pupils’ attendance is improving. However, attendance overall is lower than it should be. Senior leaders are aware of this and have recently appointed an attendance officer. However, it is too soon to measure the impact of her actions.

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Full report

In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, learning and pupils’ outcomes in English by: – making sure pupils receive sufficient opportunities to develop their independent writing skills.  Improve the quality of leadership and management by: – increasing the role played by middle leaders in monitoring the quality of teaching, learning and outcomes in their subject areas – continuing to improve attendance levels by fully implementing current approaches and introduce new strategies swiftly to improve attendance levels.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The head of school and executive headteacher have a very clear plan for the next steps in developing the school. Staff and pupils share their vision and values and are all working hard to bring about further improvement.  Senior leaders know the school well and have skilfully identified strengths and areas in need of improvement. This could clearly be seen in the quality of the self-evaluation document presented at the time of the inspection.  Since the previous inspection, leaders have introduced a dynamic new system for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning across the school. Leaders have also worked closely with leaders from an outstanding secondary school to carry out checks on the validity of teachers’ judgements of pupils’ work. As a result, teachers say they feel confident in their skills and knowledge and leadership data shows the quality of teaching and learning has improved.  Senior leaders have introduced a performance management structure for staff.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

Running alongside this is an array of opportunities for continuous professional development (CPD). Subjects for CPD are identified through effective analysis of the monitoring of teaching and learning. This bespoke system has contributed to the fast pace of improvement within the school.  Leaders have recently carried out an audit and overhaul of the curriculum. Discussions with pupils and the school’s guidance and transition adviser have enabled leaders to devise a curriculum which meets pupils’ academic and mental health needs. Pupils currently access up to eight GCSE options, which they study 75% of the time. The remaining 25% of curriculum time is used to support pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs. Pupils study subjects as diverse as ‘WRAP’ (wellness, recovery/resilience action plan) therapy, animal therapy, music therapy and outdoor adventure.  Pupils’ outcomes have also improved. Last year’s results demonstrated this well with

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

100% of pupils gaining levels of accreditation which enabled them to move to further education destinations of their choice. Leaders’ recent introduction of a Pathways provision which enables Year 9 pupils on home tuition to learn in school and experience the school setting is likely to increase attainment even further.  Staff and senior leaders are aware of the importance of ensuring that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Through lessons in religious education (RE) and the PSHE curriculum, pupils learn about British values. For example, pupils learn about the importance of consent and the link to the rule of law in sex and relationship education. Pupils also have visitors from different faiths and visit a range of different places of worship as part of their RE syllabus. This enables pupils to develop a strong spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.

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Governance of the school

 After the school’s last monitoring visit, all members of the management committee resigned. A new management committee has been formed with the help of the local authority.  The management committee comprises seven members, all of whom have previous experience of governance.  The committee held its first meeting in September 2018, where members’ roles and responsibilities were defined through a formidable agenda of priorities.  The speed at which these actions have taken place clearly defines the focus of the management committee and its future agenda.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders recognise the vulnerability of many of the pupils and ensure that there is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school.  Staff are very clear about the important role everyone plays in ensuring pupils’ safety and security. Recent training has ensured that staff have a good understanding of current legislation and are aware of what to do should a pupil raise a concern.  Safeguarding documentation is kept appropriately and all staff have access to the online system for recording safeguarding incidents. Training has ensured that entries are well written and that senior leaders action any concerns promptly.  The school works hard to build strong relationships with parents and carers. Regular sessions are held to discuss pupils’ progress and to develop and cement strong relationships.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Staff understand the needs of pupils well. They are sensitive to the health needs of pupils. As one teacher commented: ‘Recognising pupils’ demeanour each day enables me to plan appropriate learning.’ Relationships are strong between staff and pupils.  Many pupils have missed several years of education. They have often missed vital learning in key stage 3. Some do not arrive in school until late in key stage 4. Staff are particularly skilled at assessing pupils’ learning. They are also skilled at ensuring that pupils cover the work required for their key stage 4 accreditation as well as filling in the gaps of missed learning.  Teachers and teaching assistants work very closely as a team. This ensures that pupils who are in need of extra support either socially and emotionally or academically always have someone to turn to.  Teachers have high expectations for all pupils. Staff have very good subject knowledge

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

and this enables them to plan effective learning for a wide range of abilities.  Staff ensure that pupils’ medical needs do not interfere with learning, making sure that every minute in classrooms counts.  Work in books demonstrates the good progress pupils make. It also evidences the extensive and ongoing dialogue teachers have with pupils. This continuous feedback enables pupils to know exactly what to do next to bring about further improvement.  Pupils’ progress and attainment in English were less strong than in mathematics and science. Work in pupils’ folders shows that they have fewer opportunities to work independently in English, particularly when completing longer pieces of writing.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils who attend the school have a variety of different needs. Many of them are vulnerable. School leaders have clearly recognised the concerns in the area local to school. Through the PSHE and information technology (IT) curriculum, leaders make sure pupils are also made aware of how to keep safe.  Pupils spoken to during the inspection said they felt safe in school and acknowledged the importance of the learning they received from school on how to keep safe. They also commented on how they felt respected and, as a result, respected others irrespective of their culture or gender.  Pupils were also clear about the forms bullying can take. They were clear that there is no bullying within the school. They felt that if there were to be incidents, staff would deal with them very effectively.  Pupils spoken to also recognised the importance of the individual support they receive.

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Personal development and welfare

Those spoken to felt the role key workers played was important to their health and well-being.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils’ behaviour in school is often good and at times impeccable, both inside and outside the classroom.  Staff understand pupils’ needs well and put in provision which enables them to manage their own behaviour. For example, pupils who may be feeling stressed can go to the art room and draw until they feel better.  Attendance is improving overall. Clearly, pupils’ health issues affect their attendance. However, a 10% rise in the current attendance of Year 10 pupils is likely to be attributed to the school’s new Pathways scheme. This introduces pupils currently on home tuition in Year 9 to school and prepares them slowly and carefully to join classes full-time in Year 10.  School leaders are aware that attendance needs to be higher overall. Leaders believe their very recent appointment of an attendance officer will have a positive effect. However, it is too soon to measure the impact of the new strategies they have put in

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils often start at the school with levels of knowledge and skills below those of their peers nationally. Most leave having reached nationally expected standards. This represents good progress overall.  Last year, school leaders were justifiably pleased with pupils’ results at the end of Year 11. 73% of pupils obtained both mathematics and English passes with 72% achieving passes in science. Most pupils obtained strong passes despite the fact that two thirds of pupils did not join the school until Year 11.  Work in pupils’ books from across the curriculum demonstrates that pupils are on course to make similar gains this year.  Pupils feel the work of the guidance and transition adviser is invaluable. The adviser works with pupils offering them unbiased careers guidance and organises visits to a range of different work places, including the law courts. Further information is also available to pupils from a wide range of visitors including representatives from the

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Outcomes for pupils Good

armed forces and a range of other professionals who visit school. This bespoke approach ensures that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education or training.

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Appropriate authority Management committee

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School details

Date of previous inspection January 2016

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Information about this school

 Tracks is a pupil referral unit for vulnerable young people who suffer from severe anxiety and other mental health issues.  The school is located close to Shipley town centre.  The school is funded by the local authority.  Pupils usually start the school in Year 10 although last year approximately two thirds started in Year 11.  The school has developed a successful Pathways initiative which enables pupils who are currently on home tuition in Year 9 to access the school in groups. This has enabled this year’s Year 10 pupils to make a smooth transition and has increased their attendance rates.  Pupils eligible for pupil premium attend the school. However, the school does not currently receive funding for this group. Nevertheless, school leaders ensure that disadvantaged pupils receive extra provision commensurate with their needs.  The executive headteacher has been in post for 19 months. The head of school have

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Information about this school

been in post for 13 months. Many of the current staff are also new to post.  A new management committee was formed in July 2018. The committee took up post in September 2018.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed learning across the school. Several lessons were observed jointly with the head of school.  Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher, the head of school, members of staff, pupils, members of the newly formed management committee and a representative from the local authority.  The inspection team examined documents relating to governance, pupils’ progress, the curriculum and self-evaluation.  The inspection team took into account the responses from 11 parents who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors also considered responses from 17 staff from the online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Marian Thomas, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Diane Reynard 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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Inspection team

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

achieve 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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