The Park Education Support Centre

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

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Mr Matthew Slater Interim Head of School The Park Education Support Centre Field View Road Potters Bar Hertfordshire EN6 2NA

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Following my visit with John Craig, Ofsted Inspector, to your school on 12 and 13 February 2019, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken since the school’s recent section 5 inspection.

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The inspection was the first monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection that took place in January 2018.

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Having considered all the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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leaders and managers are not taking effective action towards the removal of special measures

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the local authority’s statement of action is fit for purpose

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the school’s improvement plan is fit for purpose.

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The school may not appoint newly qualified teachers before the next monitoring inspection.

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

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place in January 2018

 Urgently improve the quality of leadership and management by: – ensuring that there is clarity about the roles and responsibilities of the management committee and the local authority, so that they work together effectively to support the headteacher and her senior team to rapidly improve standards – formally clarifying the purpose of the school with all stakeholders, including local providers, so that there are shared expectations about the admission and reintegration of pupils into mainstream provision – continuing to work with the local authority on the backlog of pupils who require specialist education so that these pupils swiftly get appropriate provision that meets their needs – continuing to work with the local authority on developing appropriate transportation for pupils to the key stage 3 site to support pupils’ good attendance – further ensuring that pupils receive a tailored, well-monitored pathway that

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place in January 2018

suits their needs, aspirations and interests, so that more access full-time education on a systematic and sustained basis – ensuring that all leaders and staff understand and engage with the school’s strategic vision and improve their work with the required urgency.  Continue to develop pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare by: – further developing attendance strategies so that they attendance of pupils increases more rapidly, and the rate of persistent absence reduces significantly – continuing to increase the provision for the social, emotional and health needs of pupils, as well as for their complex learning needs, so that pupils develop better relationships and interact more effectively – establishing greater consistency between staff in how they deal with and improve pupils’ poor behaviours and inappropriate language.  Raise the quality of teaching and improve pupils’ learning and achievement by:

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place in January 2018

– further establishing and embedding the support and strategic monitoring of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities – embedding the ongoing work in key stage 3 short-term provision, so that interventions support pupils to improve their behaviour, attend full-time provision and learn effectively – further developing the ongoing monitoring, support and intervention for pupils so that they make better progress, catch up rapidly and, subsequently, achieve appropriate qualifications. The school should not appoint newly-qualified teachers. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Evidence

Inspectors observed the school’s work, scrutinised documents and met with you and the executive principal, middle leaders, a group of pupils, the chair of the interim governing board, and two representatives of the local authority. I also met with the chair of the Links Academy Trust.

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Context

Following the last inspection, an external review of governance was no longer needed as all members of the management committee resigned. An interim governing board was established in April 2018. At the same time, an action group was formed by the local authority to oversee the school’s improvement. In December 2018, the headteacher and deputy headteacher left the school. Since January 2019, the school has been led by the Links Academy Trust, based on a memorandum of understanding agreed with the local authority. A head of school has been appointed by the trust to lead the school on an interim basis. It is anticipated that the school will become an academy sponsored by the trust later this year.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Since the last inspection, changes in senior leadership and governance have slowed the school’s improvement. The local authority’s statement of action has informed suitable plans for improvement, and some gains have been made. Monitoring of the school’s work by school leaders and the local authority has identified where most of the strengths and weaknesses lie. Action has been taken to make improvements. However, monitoring has not ensured that weaknesses in pupils’ behaviour and attendance have been tackled with sufficient urgency to bring about significant improvements. These key weaknesses continue to undermine your efforts to raise achievement.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Local authority representation on the interim governing board and routine monitoring and support provided by advisory staff and the local authority’s action group have helped to clarify joint roles and responsibilities. Less progress has been made in clarifying the purpose of the school with local school leaders. Until very recently, arrangements for admitting pupils into the school and reintegrating others back into mainstream schools remained unaltered. Your recent work in sharing your expectations with local providers is helping them to understand the school’s revised aims and the shared responsibilities of all stakeholders.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Changes made to provision by timetabling lessons for pupils on both school sites have improved pupils’ access to specialist facilities for physical education, hair and beauty, food preparation, art and design and construction. The length of the school day has been extended to increase pupils’ access to full-time education. Despite these changes, not all pupils follow tailored, well-monitored pathways that suit their needs, aspirations and interests. Too many of them remain on part-time timetables. Arrangements made to educate pupils off-site have not been monitored systematically to ensure that pupils achieve well enough.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Teaching varies widely. Not all staff are suitably qualified or experienced. Staff unable to meet your raised expectations have left the school recently. Your recent monitoring has identified a significant proportion of teachers who need further support to increase their effectiveness.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Most staff are effective in forging good relations with pupils, often working with them on a one-to-one basis. They welcome pupils into school, show interest in their welfare and encourage them into learning. They are much less effective in getting them to apply themselves in lessons and work hard. Expectations of pupils are often too low. Poor attitudes to learning and off-task behaviour are not challenged early enough.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Some improvements have been made. All teachers use an agreed format for planning learning. Where teaching is most effective, teachers plan different tasks for each pupil, depending on their needs. Staff are usually well organised and ready for pupils as they enter classrooms. Interactive whiteboards are used effectively to illustrate learning. ‘Blue forms’ provide pupils with regular feedback about their work and how to improve in most subjects. Systematic assessments provide teachers with an overview of how well each pupil is progressing.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

These improvements are undermined by pupils’ regular absence. Too many of them do not attend often enough or have insufficient curriculum time in school to benefit from the improvements made to teaching. Not all pupils show positive attitudes towards learning. They easily disengage and often leave lessons without permission. Invariably, teachers work harder than pupils in lessons, often completing the work for them. This limits pupils’ ability to learn new skills and develop the resilience to work by themselves for sustained periods of time.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Progress has been made in supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). A recently trained coordinator has identified the specific social, emotional and learning needs of each pupil and shared this information with relevant staff. Monitoring of their individual progress and welfare has improved. These procedures are new. Pupils’ individual learning plans have not yet been reviewed to check that they are effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Not enough has been done by school leaders and the local authority to provide the small minority of pupils with SEND who have education, health and care plans with suitable specialist provision. These pupils remain on the school roll even though they do not attend because the school is unable to meet their complex needs.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Despite its unsuitable location in the middle of town, the High Street site is well- maintained and provides pupils with good facilities. The Field View Road site is not fit for purpose. It is an austere environment in which to learn. Derelict buildings nearby and recently constructed fencing do not enhance pupils’ personal development and welfare or promote their positive behaviour. These buildings present a risk to the safety of a minority of pupils who leave the school site at lunchtimes.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

The location of the school makes it difficult for some pupils to get to school each day, or arrive on time. Minibuses provided to transport pupils to and from the local railway station are helping to raise attendance, but current attendance rates remain significantly below average.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Staff training has enabled them to manage more effectively those pupils displaying challenging behaviour. This has led to a reduction in the proportion of pupils excluded from school. However, overall exclusion rates remain too high. Pupils with complex social and emotional needs regularly disrupt the learning of others. Despite one-to-one support for these pupils, their lack of engagement and a curriculum that does not meet their needs and interests often leads to poor behaviour.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Staff have worked hard to make the most of the facilities available, and provide pupils with a quality environment to work in. For example, on the Field View site the hair and beauty salon and construction room are positive environments for pupils to engage in vocational learning. Limited catering facilities prevent staff from providing pupils with good-quality food on arrival or at lunchtimes. Pupils told inspectors that they would like to see this aspect of the school’s work improved.

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Outcomes for pupils

At the time of the last inspection, too many pupils in both key stages underachieved. Outcomes achieved in examinations in 2018 showed some improvement. The majority of key stage 4 pupils who attended regularly attained qualifications in GCSE English and mathematics. Pupils also attained a mixed range of vocational awards in sport, cookery, construction, hair and beauty and preparation for working life.

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Outcomes for pupils

Currently, those willing to attend regularly, engage in learning and behave themselves are making some progress. Pupils’ books show that they complete suitable work in food preparation and science. In key stage 4, effective teaching and improved attitudes to learning in art, hair and beauty, and BTEC National Diploma sport are enabling pupils to tackle challenging work and collate suitable notes for revision.

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Outcomes for pupils

Pupils’ work also shows that too many of them are not making sufficient progress. This is because some are not in school often enough and when they are some of them misbehave and easily disengage from learning. High absence rates and insufficient time allocated for learning remain significant barriers to pupils’ learning and progress.

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Outcomes for pupils

Gaps in pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills are not being filled. Pupils are not helped to catch up rapidly because not enough time is allocated to teaching these basic skills. Most pupils get a minimal amount of English and mathematics lessons in school. Some pupils are taught these subjects off-site. This includes a significant proportion of pupils with SEND who are taught in alternative provision for most of their education. The quality of this provision and its impact on their learning and progress is unclear because it is not monitored rigorously.

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External support

In a short space of time, you and the executive principal have quickly determined what needs to be done to secure improvements. Discussions between you and the local authority are ongoing. There is a common consensus among trust leaders, governors and local authority representatives that the school’s conversion to an academy will enable you to accelerate the rate of improvement and provide pupils with a better education.

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External support

Leaders of the academy trust provide a clear, coherent vision for the school’s development. Proven, experienced school leaders on the trust board know exactly what actions are needed to bring about improvement. The current memorandum of understanding agreed between the trust and the local authority to enable the school’s transition to academy status was implemented in January 2019. It is dependent on two key factors, controlled by the local authority: the funding of a staffing restructure and the relocation of the school to a new, single, site. These important issues need to be resolved promptly before significant improvements can be secured and the school is fully prepared for its next inspection.

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Priorities for further improvement

 Trust leaders, governors and the local authority should act quickly to secure the school’s long-term, permanent leadership and management, and enable new leaders to hasten much-needed improvements.

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