Anderida Learning Centre

Anderida Learning Centre Neville Mews, 6A Neville Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN22 8HR

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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 leads with total dedication. His productive partnership with school staff and other professionals has ensured that the school has improved since the last inspection.  Despite attending the school for relatively short periods of time, most pupils make good progress. This is due to the school’s personalised curriculum meeting their needs well.  Some pupils make very strong progress because teachers are successful at inspiring and motivating them to do their best.  Staff understand the importance of providing pupils with successful learning experiences. The development of pupils’ self-esteem and sense of self-worth is given a high priority.  Pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. Staff understand pupils’ vulnerabilities and work hard to break down the barriers to learning that many of them have.  Despite their complex needs, most pupils behave well. Staff deal with challenging

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

behaviour effectively, de-escalating most situations before they become serious.  Leaders and the proprietor have ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  Pupils’ attendance is good, especially for those who have settled into the school long enough to build trusting relationships with staff.  Safeguarding is effective. Promoting the welfare, health and safety of pupils is the number one priority of all staff.  Leaders have prioritised the creation of partnerships with other similar schools to share good practice and further develop staff professionally.  Self-evaluation of the school’s strengths and weaknesses is generally accurate, but improvement planning is not focused enough.  Although teaching, learning and assessment are good, leaders’ monitoring of the quality of teaching and the way it impacts on pupils’ outcomes is not sharp enough.  Governors know that their understanding of the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

quality of education provided by the school could be stronger.

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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.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Review systems to evaluate the school’s strengths and weaknesses and the way these inform improvement planning, so that: – improvement planning focuses more keenly on the key areas to develop the school – leaders and staff have a clearer understanding of the key priorities for improvement, particularly those relating to consolidating the good quality of teaching and learning – the proprietor and those in positions of governance are better equipped to hold leaders to account for the quality of education the school provides.  Introduce a degree of impartial moderation of the quality of teaching and learning, so that leaders at all levels can be more confident about the quality of education the school is providing.  Continue to develop partnerships with other similar school settings to share good practice, and to provide leaders and staff with wider opportunities for professional development.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The head of school is totally committed to the school and to improving the life chances of its pupils. His successful partnership with staff has ensured that the school has improved since the last full inspection.  Staff are motivated and enthusiastic about their work. They understand the complex needs of the pupils in their care. Communication is strong because the development of effective partnerships between teaching and support staff is seen as an ongoing key priority by the head of school.  The curriculum meets the needs of pupils well. It is constantly evolving. This ensures that pupils have a strong chance of accessing learning that interests and motivates them. This is especially the case for pupils who stay at the school for longer periods of time.  The curriculum is further enriched by activities that enhance pupils’ life skills and develop their confidence. Visits into the local community or further afield are common. Some of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

these focus on pupils’ personal interests. Often, these visits introduce pupils to new experiences, such as caring for animals or photography.  Much of pupils’ day-to-day learning is achieved in small groups or on a one-to-one basis. Pupils learn about democracy and the rule of law in planned classroom sessions, and also because staff are skilled at exploiting opportunities linked to events in real life outside the school.  Discussions about national and world news enable pupils to consider the world around them. Tolerance of the views and lifestyles of others is also seen as an important aspect of the development of pupils’ sense of belonging at the school. Learning about equality first hand helps pupils to understand the different backgrounds and cultures, both of pupils and staff at school, as well as in the world around them.  School leaders and those responsible for governance know the school well. They are

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

effective in ensuring that all the independent school standards are met.  Despite teaching, learning and assessment being good overall, due mainly to the good practice of current teaching and support staff, leaders’ systems to monitor the quality of teaching and the impact this has on pupils’ outcomes over time are still underdeveloped.  Leaders have identified that while partnerships with professionals from outside education are strong, links to similar school settings are less well established. Furthermore, leaders acknowledge that a degree of impartial, independent moderation of the quality of teaching and learning at the school would help them to be more confident about the quality of education the school offers.  Although self-evaluation of the school’s strengths is sound, leaders are less clear about the key areas that need to be developed to improve the school further. Because of this, improvement planning is neither as sharp as it could be nor given a high enough priority

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

by leaders and those in positions of governance.

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Governance

 Governance is a rapidly developing aspect of leadership of the school. The proprietor has fully embraced the findings of the previous full inspection. Consequently, a governing board is now in place and beginning to hold leaders to account for improving the school.  The chair of the governing board has a good understanding of the role that governors play in the strategic leadership of schools. Although in its infancy, the governing board is effective in maintaining an overview of the school, including all aspects of the independent school standards.  Governors have started to attend key training to help them in their roles. More is planned.  The chair of the governing board and the proprietor have an increasingly accurate view of the quality of education the school provides. However, shortcomings in the quality of self- evaluation and improvement planning mean that they are not as fully informed as they

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The head of school and all staff make this their number one priority. Staff know pupils well. They are very well informed about the potential risks faced by pupils, both in and out of school. As a consequence, the culture to keep pupils safe is strong.  Policies, procedures and systems to keep pupils safe are fit for purpose. This includes the safeguarding policy, which follows current guidance and is published on the school’s website.  All staff, including the school’s designated safeguarding leads, are trained appropriately. They know what to do if they have any concerns about safeguarding. Partnerships with outside agencies are well developed. Staff feel that pupils are safe at the school. Other professionals from outside of the school agree with this view. Pupils who talked to the inspector said they feel that the school is a safe place for them to be, but that some

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Safeguarding

pupils do not behave as well as they might.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers and support staff know pupils well. Staff are patient and persistent when they need to be. They work hard to provide pupils with successful learning opportunities. As a result, most pupils are making good or better progress at the school.  Staff understand that pupils have had major disruptions to their education prior to joining the school. Teachers waste no time in determining pupils’ strengths and personal interests as part of their induction. They use this information to design personalised learning programmes for each individual pupil.  Classroom visits during the inspection showed varying degrees of pupils’ engagement in learning. Overall, pupils were more motivated when they were learning about things that were more relevant to their futures. For example, one pupil revising for GCSE examinations was keen to explain to the inspector how teachers were helping him to remember key language as part of his revision work.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 On occasion, pupils are less inclined to participate in learning. This is especially true of pupils who have recently arrived at the school, some within a matter of weeks or days. When this is the case, staff are skilled at refocusing their teaching to explore different avenues or change the direction of learning entirely.  Support staff are used effectively. Learning mentors play a significant role in motivating pupils or keeping them on task when needed.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is generally put to good use. This is especially the case in science, mathematics and English. Specialist staff enable pupils to access successfully a growing range of other subject areas, including different strands of the school’s vocational education offer.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Due to the school’s context, staff are constantly looking at ways to provide pupils with successful learning experiences. As a result, most pupils’ attitudes to learning improve significantly during their time at the school.  Pupils join the school with a wide range of social and emotional needs. Most have been unsuccessful in mainstream education. Staff are mindful of this and treat each pupil as an individual. As a result, barriers to learning are removed, and pupils are provided with the focused support required for them to thrive in and out of school.  Pupils who talked to the inspector showed a keen awareness of the dangers that they face in and out of school. This included when using social media. They also acknowledged that bullying and the fear of intimidation are a continual worry for them, but that staff in

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Personal development and welfare

school are constantly vigilant and responsive to their concerns. They shared that ‘new’ pupils often come with ‘baggage’, but that problems are mostly quickly and successfully addressed.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Staff have high expectations and tackle poor behaviour in a consistent manner across the school. Pupils disapprove of poor conduct, but readily agree that when they struggle to control their emotions, their behaviour could be better.  Despite pupils’ complex social and emotional needs, staff are successful at not letting inappropriate behaviour get in the way of learning. They are skilled at de-escalating situations which might potentially lead to more problematic behaviour.  The school keeps detailed records of pupils’ attendance. Individual pupil profiles and the school’s monitoring records show that most pupils’ attendance improves dramatically after joining the school.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Most pupils make good progress from their very varied starting points. Some pupils make accelerated progress in a short period of time because staff are successful in restoring their confidence and hunger for learning.  Because most pupils stay at the school for very short periods of time, teachers give high priority to building self-esteem and improving pupils’ attitudes to school and learning. As a result, the school has a proven track record of successfully preparing pupils to return to mainstream education.  The school carries out comprehensive assessments of pupils as they join the school. Teachers use this information to plan learning which addresses the substantial gaps in knowledge and understanding that many pupils have, as well as building on what they already know. As a result, pupils’ work shows good progress over time. This is especially the case for pupils who have been at the school for longer periods.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Leaders measure outcomes in more ways than just pupils’ academic progress. Moreover, their expectation is that pupils will make progress in a range of subjects, even if the gains are small. This includes the development of pupils’ functional English and mathematics skills, as well as in more vocational subjects that equip pupils for life and future employment.  Some pupils arrive at the school having partially completed studies to prepare them for GCSE examinations. When this is the case, staff are successful in supporting them and prioritising the aspects of revision required to enable them to catch up.

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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

Type of school Other Independent Special School

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School details

Website www.anderidalearningcentre.co.uk

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School details

Email address office@anderidalearningcentre.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20–22 June 2017

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Information about this school

 Anderida Learning Centre is a small independent day school located in a residential area of Eastbourne, East Sussex. It opened in 2013. It is registered to take up to eight pupils.  The school’s last standard inspection took place in June 2017, when the overall effectiveness was judged to be inadequate and some independent school standards were found not to be met. The school was subsequently subject to a monitoring inspection in January 2018 when improvements were acknowledged, and most independent school standards were found to have been met.  The school is part of a wider company, Anderida Care, a company that runs a number of care homes. All pupils are placed in the school by local authorities.  Most pupils attending the school have an education, health and care plan. All have had significant disruption to their education before attending the school.  At the time of the inspection, there were no pupils in the school’s 16 to 19 provision.

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector carried out a number of classroom visits during the inspection. Some were accompanied by the head of school. The inspector also visited pupils attending an out-of- school setting. During these visits, the inspector assessed pupils’ work and talked to them about their learning.  A wide range of meetings were held during the inspection. These included meetings with: the head of school; members of the teaching and support staff; the proprietor; the chair of the governing board; pupils; a parent; and a representative of a local authority which places pupils at the school.  Emails were received from the manager of a care home and a named social care worker for one of the school’s pupils.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms, as they moved around the school, and at the start and finish of the school day.  Three responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire were taken into account, as well as two

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Information about this inspection

responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire.  The inspector scrutinised a wide range of documents, records and policies, including those regarding safeguarding and other aspects of the independent school standards. The head of school’s reports to the governing board were considered. Minutes of the governing board’s meetings, the school’s own self-evaluation, improvement planning, and information about pupils’ outcomes, behaviour and attendance were also considered.

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Inspection team

Clive Close, 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 .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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