Brickyard Barn Outdoor Learning Centre

Brickyard Barn Outdoor Learning Centre Brickyard Barn, Mallory Road, Bishop’s Tachbrook, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV33 9QD

p.1

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

p.1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

p.1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

p.1

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The proprietor has created a culture where all staff have the very highest aspirations for pupils and a determination to help them develop into confident and independent adults.  Staff gain a comprehensive understanding of pupils’ social, emotional and academic needs through the use of a bespoke assessment system, and provide high-quality learning experiences precisely matched to these needs. As a result, pupils make outstanding progress in all areas.  Staff develop highly individualised programmes of learning carefully crafted around pupils’ interests. Consequently, pupils are eager to learn and engage fully in all aspects of learning.  While the curriculums are of the highest quality and matched to pupils’ current interests, leaders recognise that they need to be regularly reviewed and adjusted in response to pupils’ changing needs over time.  The proprietor has a clear understanding of the strengths of the school and how to enhance the

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

quality of the provision even more.  Staff are highly vigilant towards pupils’ safety. They ensure that pupils know how to keep themselves safe, and recognise potential dangers and how to avoid them. Safeguarding is very effective.  Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable and reflects their joy of learning and being part of the school. Currently, all pupils have full attendance, further reflecting their desire to learn.  Staff work closely in partnership with a range of agencies to support pupils’ needs. Staff use specialist advice and guidance extremely well to further support pupils’ social and emotional needs.  Staff benefit very well from excellent training and expertise from the Woodside Group. This further supports the development of teaching and learning, which are of a high quality.  Staff support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development extremely well. They provide learning experiences that enable

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupils to make rapid progress and prepare them well for life in modern Britain.

p.1

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.

p.1

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Owing to the ever-changing needs of pupils, maintain the high focus on reviewing and refining the curriculum to ensure that it continues to be matched precisely to their needs.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

 The proprietor and headteacher have ensured that the school meets all the independent school standards.  The newly appointed headteacher and staff have embraced the ethos of the school established by the proprietor. All share the same determination to provide the pupils with the best possible education to help them live successfully as independent adults.  Leaders provide professional development of the highest quality, which has developed the quality of teaching and learning rapidly to reach the current very high standards across the school. Staff feel highly valued and welcome the many opportunities leaders provide them with to develop their skills.  Leaders have developed a ‘matrix’ for each member of staff to assess the quality of their current practice. They use this information to identify and provide training and support to further enhance staff’s skills. Leaders also utilise expertise from across the Woodside

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

Group to supplement staff training. Staff continue to take every opportunity to develop their skills and regularly seek out new ways to improve their practice even further. Staff strive to achieve their very best to enable pupils to achieve their full potential. This has led to pupils making exceptional progress since the school opened.  The director of education has worked alongside the headteacher to develop a curriculum that is precisely matched to the individual needs of each pupil. The comprehensive assessment system reviews pupils’ academic attainments across all areas of the curriculum, their social and emotional needs, and also their life skills needs. In addition to this, leaders review key development areas related to pupils’ autistic spectrum disorder. Leaders use the outcomes of these assessments, intertwining all the different elements, to develop a highly bespoke curriculum for each pupil.

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

 Staff enhance the curriculum by utilising additional resources from another school in the Woodside Group. This provides pupils with the opportunity to participate in activities such as horse-riding and technology lessons, further enriching their learning experiences.  The headteacher and staff are quick to identify where pupils’ SMSC learning needs further development. For example, the headteacher recognised that pupils required further support in developing respect for the views and opinions of others. Staff provided pupils with the opportunity to visit a range of places of worship to experience different cultures and religions. This has successfully improved pupils’ knowledge of how people have different beliefs from their own. Pupils now understand, and talk confidently about, why it is important to respect these different beliefs, opinions and values. This is helping pupils to prepare for life in modern Britain.

p.3

Governance

 There is no governing body at Brickyard Barn Outdoor Learning Centre.  The proprietor’s vision for the school is shared by all staff. The proprietor has an unwavering determination to provide pupils with an education of the highest quality. To ensure that this happens, the proprietor has a clear understanding of how many pupils can be supported effectively at any one time in the school.  The proprietor has an incisive understanding of the school’s strengths and how it has developed rapidly since opening earlier this year. However, he has also set challenging goals to develop the school further.  The proprietor utilises the resources from the Woodside Group very efficiently. For example, staff benefit from sharing expertise from another school which has rapidly developed the quality of teaching.

p.3

Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The school’s safeguarding policy reflects the latest government guidance and is available on the school’s website.  All staff have a strong focus on safeguarding pupils. They go to great lengths to make sure that pupils are as safe as possible. All staff receive comprehensive safeguarding training before starting work at the school, and continue to receive training updates to check that they fully understand their roles and responsibilities.  Leaders ensure that staff are confident to share any concerns about pupils. Any concerns are responded to swiftly by the leader responsible for safeguarding and the director of safeguarding. Staff work closely with parents and carers and external agencies when pupils require additional support.  All staff are acutely aware of pupils’ vulnerabilities and the additional support they need to help them understand how to keep themselves safe. They provide pupils with guidance

p.4

Safeguarding

and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) teaching of the highest quality. As a result, pupils develop their understanding of situations that are not safe and how to protect themselves.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

 The quality of teaching at Brickyard Barn Outdoor Learning Centre is of an exceptionally high standard. All staff have a precise understanding of each pupil’s complex social and emotional needs. They use this knowledge skilfully to plan and provide highly individualised learning programmes to enable pupils to access academic learning. In a very short space of time, this has enabled pupils to re-engage with education and is supporting their rapid progress across all elements of the curriculum. As one parent stated, ‘Staff have created an environment where children can overcome their fear of school and embrace the joy of learning.’ Another parent commented that her child’s ‘spark’ in education has been re-ignited.  Each pupil receives one-to-one support of a high standard. Relationships between pupils and staff are very strong. Because staff know the pupils so well, they can identify pupils’ mood changes quickly. They respond to these changes instantly to ensure that pupils

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

remain focused and engaged in learning. Staff expertly encourage pupils to focus, work hard and attempt activities that they have previously refused to try. One parent stated that, ‘Our child now wants to learn and is learning without even realising it while doing practical activities that interest him.’ This support and guidance are successfully raising pupils’ self-esteem and helping them to make excellent academic progress.  All staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve, and high aspirations for their future. They have an unwavering belief that pupils can live a successful and independent life in adulthood.  Staff supplement the curriculum with opportunities such as sports days to enhance pupils’ physical development. Staff skilfully plan the activities to encompass as many learning opportunities as possible. For example, on one sports day, pupils served ice-creams and socialised with pupils from another school, as well as taking part in the physical aspects of

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

the day. As well as developing pupils’ physical skills, these activities supported pupils’ social and emotional needs extremely well.

p.5

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. All staff ensure that pupils’ personal development and welfare are at the forefront of everything they do.  Pupils speak highly of their school. They appreciate the way staff, ‘work the timetable around you,’ to enable them to learn in a supportive environment. There are exceptionally positive relationships within the school and pupils have a high level of trust in the staff who work with them. This further helps to develop pupils’ confidence and enthusiasm for learning.  Staff work closely with external agencies to ensure that pupils’ complex social and emotional needs are understood and supported. External agencies appreciate the way the school communicates with them. Additionally, these agencies also report that the school responds positively and swiftly to any suggestions and advice they make to help pupils

p.5

Personal development and welfare

address some of their additional needs.  Staff ensure that pupils’ dignity is maintained at all times, both inside school and out. Staff are highly vigilant of pupils’ safety and ensure that support and guidance are provided swiftly when they spot that a pupil could be exposing themselves to danger. For example, they place a high priority on ensuring that pupils know how to keep themselves safe when using the internet. Pupils develop their understanding of how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations.  Staff place a very high focus on preparing pupils for adulthood. The life skills curriculum pinpoints key learning skills that will enable pupils to live independently in society. For example, pupils are encouraged to re-fuel a car, take part in work experience activities in residential homes, and prepare budgets to care for animals. Staff develop the life skills curriculum progressively to build pupils’ confidence in a wide range of activities that

p.5

Personal development and welfare

prepare them well for the future.  Staff use the excellent school pupil forum to further extend pupils’ life skills. For example, pupils express their opinions about how they would like to improve the school through the forum. They decided that they would like to have a gaming console and staff have given them the responsibility for raising the money to buy it through events such as a sponsored car wash and a walk. This and other activities contribute to helping pupils to become responsible citizens and understand the concept of working to raise money.

p.5

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils clearly enjoy and value the educational experiences they receive. This is reflected in their 100% attendance at the school since it opened. Pupils who previously did not attend school now regularly engage eagerly in education and show a desire to learn. This is because leaders and staff carefully match the learning to pupils’ social, emotional and academic needs. This is enabling pupils to close the gaps in their learning from previous absences from education.  Staff expertly spot and respond to pupils’ changing emotional needs almost instantly. This means that any anxiety is quickly dispelled and it enables pupils to be calm throughout the school day. As a result, pupils now have positive attitudes to learning and no learning is disrupted by poor behaviour. All parents say that their child’s self-esteem has grown significantly since starting at the school.

p.6

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

 Following prolonged periods out of education, pupils have significant gaps in their learning, and also have complex social and emotional needs. Staff initially place a high priority on creating a climate where pupils feel safe and want to learn, and focus on breaking down pupils’ barriers to their learning. Staff have been remarkably successful in this area and pupils now show a true desire to learn. Pupils’ social and emotional progress and their growth in confidence and self-esteem are remarkable.  To address the gaps in pupils’ academic learning, staff match learning opportunities to pupils’ interests, such as topics on the Titanic, cooking and animals. These projects cover all aspects of the curriculum, including English and mathematics. Staff plan sequences of learning carefully to build on pupils’ skills and knowledge. As a result, pupils engage fully in the learning and receive a well-rounded education. This is helping pupils to rapidly

p.6

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

close the gaps in their learning.  Pupils make excellent progress in all aspects of their education. The holistic approach to teaching and learning at Brickyard Barn Outdoor Learning Centre, including a focus on developing pupils’ life skills, academic learning and supporting their social and emotional needs, is helping to prepare pupils extremely well to become independent and successful adults in the future.

p.6

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.

p.7

School details

Type of school Other independent special school

p.7

School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.7

Information about this school

 Brickyard Barn Outdoor Learning Centre is an independent special school for pupils who have autistic spectrum disorder.  This is the school’s first inspection since it opened in March 2018.  All the pupils at the school have education, health and care (EHC) plans.  The school provides education for pupils aged between 9 and 19.  The school does not use any alternative providers for its pupils.  The school works with the Woodside Group, which is linked to Woodside Lodge Outdoor Learning Centre.

p.7

Information about this inspection

 The inspector toured the site fully to check the facilities against part 5 of the independent school standards.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation relating to the school, including a range of policies, behaviour and attendance analysis, pupils’ EHC plans, pupils’ attainment, safeguarding documentation and the quality of teaching. The inspector also checked the school’s single central register.  The inspector observed learning at various points in the day during the inspection.  The inspector reviewed pupils’ work folders, which covered learning in a variety of subjects, including English and mathematics.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour and spoke to pupils informally during social times.  The inspector met with the proprietor, the director of education, the headteacher, two further members of staff and a member of staff from the local authority’s support services.  The inspector met with two parents and considered four responses to the free-text

p.9

Information about this inspection

service. There were too few responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, for the inspector to analyse.

p.9

Inspection team

Ann Pritchard, lead inspector Her Majesty’s 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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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 .

p.10

Inspection team

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.

p.10

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 .

p.10

Inspection team

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspection team

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

p.10