Brenkley School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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ID Academy 3–5 Brenkley Way, Blezard Business Park, Seaton Burn, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE13 6DS

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a–b)  The school has a safeguarding and child protection policy, which is up to date with the latest government guidance and is available on the school’s website. Leaders ensure that the staff are vigilant and that up-to-date safeguarding training is undertaken.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraph 15  During the previous inspection, the inspector identified that at the start of the inspection the admissions register was incomplete. During the inspection, school leaders had begun to act to complete the register.  Following the previous inspection, the headteacher quickly put in place a single electronic version of the admissions register. This correctly records the necessary information for the pupils on the school roll and for those who have left the school. The admissions register records the name, address, year group, date of birth, admission date, ethnicity, special educational needs and/or disability status, whether the pupils are looked after by the local authority, gender, key contact, contact phone number and the placing local authority. The register also records the leaving date and destination for pupils who have left the school.  The headteacher maintains an electronic attendance record for each pupil. This is fully

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Main inspection findings

up to date. The headteacher is fully aware of the necessary coding to be used to complete registers.  Leaders have ensured that this standard is now met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraph 29(1) and 29(1)(b)  During the inspection in October 2018, the inspector identified that the designated play area described in the pre-registration inspection had not been completed, meaning that opportunity for pupils to access outdoor areas at breaktime and lunchtime was restricted.  The proprietor has now completed the arrangements described in the action plan. There is now a range of seating and suitable recreational resources for pupils to play with.  The outdoor space has new hedges planted to the two open sides, which clearly mark the play area boundaries. These hedges do not yet provide a physical barrier that would prevent a pupil from absconding. Consequently, the proprietor has appropriate control measures in place, set out in a risk assessment. This document states that pupils’ access to the outdoor space is staggered by age group and that pupils will always be supervised

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Main inspection findings

by a member of staff when in the play area. The document states that the headteacher has responsibility for managing supervision arrangements on a day-to-day basis. The risk assessment states that trespassers will be immediately challenged. If a pupil were to choose to leave the school site, they would be followed by the member of staff who is supervising. This is consistent with the school’s health and safety policy. The risk assessment also states that pupils will be instructed in the safe use of play equipment.  During this inspection, supervision arrangements that were observed were in line with the risk assessment’s requirements.  Pupils are also taken to other sites for recreational purposes, such as the use of a climbing wall and swimming on a weekly basis. The range of external sporting provision has increased since the last inspection. The school has suitable risk assessments in place for each venue used.

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Main inspection findings

 The proprietor has placed photographs of the outdoor play area on the school’s website.  Leaders have ensured that these standards are now met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1)(a–c)  At the previous inspection, the inspector identified that leaders had not ensured that all the independent school standards were consistently met. The inspector also identified that leaders and managers did not monitor the quality of teaching and learning effectively enough and that records of safeguarding training were not always recorded appropriately.  The Department for Education asked the school to submit an action plan setting out how and by when the unmet standards would be addressed. The action plan was judged to be acceptable with modifications because the action plan did not include the date when each action would be completed. Leaders subsequently added these dates.  The unmet standards described in paragraph 15 and paragraphs 29(1) and 29(1)(b) are now met. As a result, paragraphs 34(1)(a–c) are also now met.

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Main inspection findings

 The headteacher acted quickly after the last inspection to put in place an annual monitoring calendar. This includes activities such as lesson observations, book scrutiny, pupils voice activities, learning walks and interim reviews. Records show that monitoring activities are taking place in accordance with the calendar. Monitoring records show that leaders are now systematic in checking the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and that feedback from their findings is having a positive effect. Teaching is increasingly meeting the needs of pupils. Records show that pupils currently in the school are making good progress.  The headteacher also has an appraisal policy in place which is being delivered effectively. The proprietor sets the headteacher’s objectives. The headteacher sets the objectives for the other teacher. Both have objectives linked to the effective implementation of the curriculum. Both have had mid-term reviews following formal

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Main inspection findings

lessons observations, and records have been updated.  The headteacher has created an electronic matrix for recording all safeguarding training undertaken by the staff. The matrix records the nature and type of safeguarding training, who did the training and the date when training was completed, together with the date when the training needs to be renewed. The headteacher diligently ensures that each training activity is certificated and that all certificates are dated and filed.  Leaders are making good progress with the areas for improvement set out in the previous inspection report.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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The school now meets the following independent school standards

 Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils (Paragraph 15).  Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools (Paragraphs 29(1) and 29(1)(b)).  Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools (Paragraphs 34(1)(a–c)).

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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 gordonquince@idsupport.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 16–18 October 2018

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Information about this school

 The school caters for up to 10 secondary school pupils with identified social, emotional and mental health needs. Pupils come from across North Tyneside and the surrounding area.  The school does not use any alternative education provision.  The school does not have a religious character.  The school was registered by the Department for Education in November 2017.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  The last standard independent inspection of the school took place in October 2018 and judged the school to require improvement overall.  This inspection was undertaken without notice.  The inspector met with the proprietor and the headteacher to discuss the effect of actions taken to address the unmet independent school standards and the areas for improvement.  The inspector scrutinised documents including the school development plan, the admissions register, attendance registers, the single central record, safeguarding training records, records of checks on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and staff

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Information about this inspection

appraisal information.  The inspector visited the outdoor play area and looked at risk assessments associated with its use.

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Inspection team

Chris Smith, 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

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 visitwww.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

achieve 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.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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