Andover Education Centre

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

p.1

Mrs Amanda Edney Headteacher Andover Education Centre Smannell Road Andover Hampshire SP11 6JP

p.1

Short inspection of Andover Education Centre

Following my visit to the school on 6 December 2018 with Helen Johns, Ofsted 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 2015.

p.1

Short inspection of Andover Education Centre

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You and other leaders provide pupils with a friendly, welcoming and calm environment in which to learn. The work of pupils is displayed and celebrated with pride. The high aspirations that staff have for all pupils are clear and the mutual respect between pupils and staff is evident throughout the school. Pupils behave well, work very hard and are keen to learn. They are engaged during their lessons and are positive about the future. In the words of one of your pupils, they appreciate how ‘teachers talk to you about goals’. You and other leaders are passionate about striving to improve the future life chances for all pupils. Your staff know and understand the individual needs of pupils very well. The effective work of your wellbeing and outreach teams has a positive impact on the social and emotional wellbeing of pupils and their families.

p.1

Short inspection of Andover Education Centre

Leaders are insightful and reflective and have an accurate view of the effectiveness of the school. You have successfully introduced a number of new strategies, including those that have addressed the main areas for improvement from the last inspection, which were attendance and punctuality and increasing the number of younger pupils who return to their mainstream school. You recognise that there is still more work to be done to further improve teaching, learning and assessment so that all pupils are given the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

p.1

Short inspection of Andover Education Centre

Members of the school’s management committee are very well informed. Their regular visits provide them with an in-depth understanding and knowledge of the school, and they share your commitment and drive to improve the life chances of pupils. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about staff, with one parent stating, ‘They have nothing but respect for pupils and parents.’

p.1

Short inspection of Andover Education Centre

Leaders have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements in the school are fit for purpose. Records are very thorough and detailed. You have effective communication systems within the school, between your school and the pupils’ mainstream schools, and with outside agencies. As a result, any concerns are identified and acted on swiftly so that pupils remain safe. Leaders are tenacious in ensuring that appropriate support is provided wherever and whenever necessary.

p.2

Short inspection of Andover Education Centre

This is a caring, nurturing school. Staff work closely to fully support families, and the wellbeing team go above and beyond their statutory duties to ensure that pupils are in school and safe. As a result, pupils’ attendance is well above average for pupil referral units, and punctuality is excellent. Pupils feel safe and have a good level of awareness of how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

p.2

Inspection findings

 Pupils make good academic progress during their time at the school. Staff have very positive relationships with pupils, and they use praise and encouragement well to keep pupils engaged in their learning. As a result, pupils make rapid progress in mathematics, English and Science and are able to successfully gain qualifications in these subjects at the end of year 11. Your new assessment system allows teachers to effectively and consistently monitor the progress of pupils. This information informs their lesson planning so that teaching can successfully meet the varied individual needs of pupils. You recognise that there is still more work to be completed in this area to ensure that all pupils receive the appropriate level of challenge in lessons.  The curriculum you offer to pupils reflects your high aspirations for them and provides them with interesting and varied opportunities, such as the chance to

p.2

Inspection findings

regularly work alongside visiting artists. You feel very strongly that your pupils should have the chance to study the same content as their peers in mainstream schools. As a result, all pupils study English language and English literature, mathematics, statistics, science and additional science. You ensure that pupils leave school with a healthy range of qualifications, with the majority achieving at least 5 GCSE examination results and, from this academic year, potentially at least 6 GCSE examination results. These qualifications help them to proceed successfully on to the next stage in their education, employment or training and greatly improve their future life chances. Along with leaders, you successfully ensure that, wherever possible, every pupil leaves school with an appropriate college or work placement.  As a result of the work of your early intervention, outreach and wellbeing teams, pupils make excellent progress with their social and emotional wellbeing,

p.2

Inspection findings

behaviour, attendance and resilience. These dedicated teams work closely with the families and mainstream schools of the pupils. As a result of this early help and support, almost all pupils are able to successfully remain in or return to their mainstream school or transfer to a more appropriate specialist setting.  Pupils behave very well. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour, and the behaviour-tracking system for individual pupils is personalised and effective. The system fully involves parents and encourages pupils to manage their own behaviour well, which they do. The school ethos focuses on being kind, and this can really be felt around the school.

p.2

Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

p.3

Next steps for the school

 all teachers use assessment information effectively to inform planning so that all pupils are provided with a consistently appropriate level of challenge in lessons.

p.3

Next steps for the school

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

p.3

Information about the inspection

My colleague and I met with you and other leaders and visited lessons with you and one of your deputy headteachers. We spoke to pupils during breakfast club, at lunchtime and in class, and we looked through their work in lessons. We held meetings with key staff about the progress of pupils, about their attendance and also about behaviour and safeguarding. Some members of your wellbeing team and your early intervention and outreach team met with us to explain their work. We met with two of your governors and spoke with a representative from the local authority. As part of the inspection, we considered staff’s responses to Ofsted’s staff survey, parents’ responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for parents, Parent View, and we spoke to a number of parents on the phone. We checked your single central record of recruitment checks and scrutinised a range of the school’s documentation and a selection of pupils’ work.

p.3