Broadwood School

Broadwood School 252 Moorend Road, Pellon, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX2 0RU

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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 Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The proprietor and school leaders have ensured that full compliance with the independent school standards has been maintained.  School leaders have addressed well the areas for improvement from the previous inspection, relating to teaching and learning, by ensuring that there is a framework to assess pupils’ progress from their individual starting points and also by increasing the level of challenge for pupils.  Governors know the school well and contribute effectively to the school’s improvement because of the wide range of skills and experience on the governing board.  Parents and carers are very positive about the school. Parents who contributed to the inspection say that they feel well supported by school leaders and their child has made obvious improvements since joining the school.  Pupils who made their views known during the inspection say they feel safe in the school and appreciate the positive relationships they have

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

with staff and the well-established systems that help them settle to learning.  The personal development of pupils is a strength of the school. School leaders ensure that there are activities available that build pupils’ self-confidence and social skills.  The proprietor has invested in well-qualified teachers and specialist facilities for practical subjects. As a result, pupils have access to a curriculum which provides recognised qualifications that support pupils’ progression to further education and training when they leave the school.  School leaders have ambitious plans to improve outcomes for pupils. The positive effect of their work to improve teaching and learning can be seen in the outcomes in nearly all subjects. School leaders are aware, however, that teaching and learning in some science-based subjects remain underdeveloped and this is affecting pupils’ attainment in some qualifications.  Since the previous inspection, school leaders

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

have improved the amount of information they gather on pupils’ achievement. However, the analysis of this information is not informing well enough plans for the future learning of some pupils with additional needs.  Pupils are proud of their school and the majority have attitudes to learning that lead to improved outcomes over their time in the school. However, a minority of pupils do not attend well enough and this limits their progress. Compliance with regulatory requirements

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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?

 Improve pupils’ outcomes by: – ensuring that all teachers have accurate and detailed information on pupils and are able to use this to plan for the future learning of individual pupils, particularly those with additional learning needs – increasing attendance, especially for the small number of pupils whose attendance does not improve once they are settled in the school, through evaluating the different approaches currently being used to improve pupils’ attendance so as to inform future strategies – improving teaching and learning by continuing to develop staff expertise equally across the curriculum, especially in science-related subjects.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 School leaders have ensured that all of the independent school standards are met. They have made progress against the areas for improvement from the previous inspection through implementing a framework for assessment, ensuring that pupils’ attitudes to learning are consistently positive across the school and increasing their overall attendance.  The proprietor has a clearly articulated vision of the importance of ‘stability, education and empowerment’. These core values are embedded in school systems and published on the school’s website.  School leaders have high expectations of pupils and staff and lead by example, creating a culture of pastoral care while ensuring that a well-managed plan is leading to improvements in teaching and learning.  The proprietor has appointed a team of experienced operational managers who visit the school regularly and also receive daily notifications of any concerns and weekly reports on

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

key performance indicators.  Staff appreciate the continuing professional development they receive from the proprietor. The proprietor group has its own training centre and provides training programmes to support staff at all stages in their development. The proprietor has high expectations of staff and carefully monitors their engagement with mandatory and optional training programmes.  Staff in the school speak highly of the school’s leaders and, in particular, the revised approaches to the personal development and management of pupils and the positive effect this has had on pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning. Staff have confidence in school leaders and report that they feel well supported and have access to professional development which is helping them to improve.  School leaders know their school well and have established an effective evaluation and monitoring framework. The governors have an appropriate skill set to support the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

continuing improvement of the school.  School leaders have designed a framework for assessment of pupils’ skills and understanding which incorporates initial assessments of pupils upon starting at the school, individualised targets and termly tracking of progress. Governors are receiving more detailed information on pupils’ progress in the school and school leaders are able to use this information to identify areas for intervention support. However, some teachers’ application of this information to the planning of future learning for pupils with additional needs or specific learning difficulties remains underdeveloped.  Staff have very positive relationships with pupils. This is consistently modelled by the headteacher and is part of the school ethos.  School leaders have developed a broad curriculum which leads to an increasing range of opportunities to gain formal qualifications, as well as ensuring that attention is given to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and an understanding of the world around them. School leaders are aware that not all of the subjects in their curriculum are equally well developed and they have clear plans to continue to improve teaching and learning, especially in science-related subjects.  School leaders have invested in training and resources to develop the teaching and learning in English and this can be seen in the whole-school focus on reading. Pupils are now keen to read at the start of the day and have been motivated by the reading programme designed by the staff and the modelling of reading by all staff in the school.  Parents speak highly of the day-to-day communication and the end-of-year reviews but some parents who made their views known would like more frequent written feedback.

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Governance

 The proprietor continues to invest in the school, ensuring that all aspects of the independent school standards are met. The school buildings are well presented and provide welcoming and well-resourced learning spaces.  The proprietor has established a governing board made up of managers and directors from the proprietor group who have a range of expertise from education, legal and financial backgrounds. This governing board provides support and challenge to the headteacher through half-termly performance management meetings and a termly governing board meeting. The reports and minutes from these meetings show evidence of detailed scrutiny of school information.  The proprietor has invested in well-qualified staff and staff appreciate the professional development routes offered to them. The proprietor has also invested in the school’s leadership, which has led to more capacity to improve the school further.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. School leaders have ensured that information about safeguarding and pupils’ welfare, such as the school’s safeguarding policy, is available from the school website and is compliant with current statutory guidance.  The headteacher has developed well-organised systems to foster and monitor the safety and well-being of pupils and she ensures that these systems are implemented carefully by all staff.  The headteacher knows her pupils well and the detail in child protection files shows the level of care and diligence taken with every concern raised by pupils.  The headteacher works closely with local authority partners to ensure that there is adequate support and involvement from other agencies if pupils need it.  The positive relationships between staff and pupils that are evident around the school contribute to the safety of pupils.  The proprietor provides staff in the school with high-quality training in safeguarding and

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Safeguarding

child protection, and audits the staff’s training profiles frequently. This ensures that all staff are up to date with their training and meeting the expectations of the governing board.  The proprietor group ensures that all appropriate pre-employment checks are completed and deliver an induction programme to all new staff that communicates the high expectations they have of staff with regards to safeguarding.  Safeguarding is a strength of the school and the headteacher models very effective practice and high expectations in this area.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers in the school model high expectations to pupils and provide well-managed learning environments and resources that communicate an ethos of respect for learning and further reinforces the positive pupil attitudes seen around the school. The pupils are taught subjects which are well matched to their interests and aspirations and this is having a positive effect on broadening pupils’ understanding of their world, as well as increasing their resilience for further study and future employment. For example, in a construction lesson, pupils were working on a project to improve the garden area and were using what they had learned about bricklaying, as well as skills such as teamwork and numeracy.  The teachers’ secure subject knowledge and effective planning lead to lessons which engage and stimulate pupils and develop positive attitudes to learning in lessons. However, teachers’ knowledge about how to teach pupils with additional or specific

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

learning difficulties is inconsistent and this means that the additional needs of some pupils are not being met fully in some subjects.  Teachers of English and mathematics develop the pupils’ functional literacy and numeracy skills through well-structured lesson activities and examination preparation tasks that are linked to a publicly recognised qualification.  Teachers make the most of cross-curricular themes to support the spiritual, moral, social and cultural education of pupils and there are many opportunities for pupils to develop an understanding of the world around them through the school’s curriculum. For example, in art, pupils were learning about Australian aboriginal art and the teacher had sourced artefacts that they were able to handle and play with in preparation for creating their own spot paintings.  Teachers at the school use questioning well in lessons and, as a result, can identify gaps

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

in the pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Consequently, they then make appropriate adjustments to tasks throughout the lesson, with the well-judged support of teaching assistants, who are confident about their role in the class and know what is expected of them.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils take pride in themselves, their school and their work.  Parents have confidence in the school and those parents who contributed to the inspection through the online survey and direct conversations said their child was happy at school, settled and eager to attend.  Pupils behave well in the school and display attitudes to learning that are having a positive effect on their progress in lessons.  The headteacher has developed a calendar of learning opportunities, including activity days, assembly programmes and invited speakers, which focus on respect and citizenship. Pupils spoken with say they like the opportunities to learn about their local community and wider world that the school offers them.  The headteacher commissions an external careers adviser who provides one-to-one guidance sessions to pupils. The written action plans that come from these meetings

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Personal development and welfare

show that pupils discuss a wide range of opportunities for further education, training or employment. Pupils are able to talk with confidence about their plans for life after school and speak warmly of the support they have had to apply to local colleges and try out different employment routes.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils in the school is good and their positive attitudes to learning contribute to calm and orderly lessons. Teachers provide start-of-day activities which are well managed and support the pupils’ transition from home into school and, as a result, pupils are better able to focus on their lessons.  Staff ensure that school routines are maintained in a consistent fashion and foster a sense of safety and well-being in the pupils.  School leaders have introduced a school uniform since the last inspection, which has been well received by pupils and is worn consistently by pupils.  Pupils are courteous and considerate in their behaviour to each other. They encourage each other during lessons and in whole-school activities, for example during the daily walk around the school’s grounds called the school’s ‘daily mile’.  Pupils’ attendance has risen steadily since the last inspection and, while the majority of

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Behaviour

pupils increase their attendance significantly over their time in the school, poor attendance is still a feature of a minority of pupils’ behaviour.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 School leaders have developed a curriculum offer that allows pupils to study for a wide range of recognised public qualifications. This has led to the majority of pupils completing examination courses by the end of key stage 4.  Pupils’ attendance has improved since the last inspection but still remains low for a minority of pupils and this is affecting the academic progress for these pupils.  Most pupils make progress rapidly from their individual starting points once they join the school. However, their attainment at the end of key stage 4 is still low in comparison to the national benchmarks at the end of this key stage.  Pupils’ moves into future education or training are well supported and no pupils left the school in the preceding full school year without a successful post-16 destination.

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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

Email address debranash@keyschildcare.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24–26 May 2016

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Information about this school

 This is a special school for pupils aged seven to 16 with social, emotional and mental health needs. Some pupils have additional learning or neurodevelopmental needs.  All pupils have an education, health and care plan and this is a requirement to be admitted to the school.  The school has capacity for 45 pupils, with 36 on roll at the time of inspection. There were no primary pupils in the school at the time of inspection.  The school has a staff team of 22, comprising the headteacher, 10 teachers, one pastoral manager, eight teaching assistants and two administrative and site staff.  The school’s last standard inspection was on 24 to 26 May 2016. There has been no change of headteacher or chair of the governing body since the last inspection.  The proprietor group has formed a governing board that meets with the headteacher every term. In addition to the termly meetings, the headteacher sends monthly

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Information about this school

performance monitoring reports to the governing board.  The school has no specific specialism or religious affiliation.  The school is based on one site.  The school does not use any alternative education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector toured the school, visiting all classrooms and social areas.  The inspector checked the school buildings against the independent school standards.  The inspector observed parts of lessons and the routines at the start of the school day and breaktime.  The inspector scrutinised pupils’ work in all subjects. She also examined the school website and checked documentation.  The inspector held meetings with staff, the headteacher and governors. She had a telephone conversation with local authority commissioners.  The views of parents were considered through face-to-face meetings, telephone calls and their responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire.  The inspector met with pupils.  The inspector analysed the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Patricia Head, lead inspector 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

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.

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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

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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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