Bradford District PRU

Bradford District PRU Anerley Street, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD4 7SY

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have not ensured that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is consistently strong.  The curriculum does not provide enough opportunities to help all pupils make the progress of which they are capable.  Staff do not make use of all the information they have to plan lessons precisely to meet pupils’ needs. They miss opportunities to challenge pupils’ learning. As a result, pupils’ learning and progress are variable.  Too many pupils do not attend regularly enough. Some pupils do not behave as well as the school expects. Pupils are sometimes slow to start their lessons and can give up too easily.  Occasionally, staff do not insist that pupils adhere to the school’s expectations of pupils’ behaviour.  Leaders do not use monitoring information with precision to improve pupils’ learning across all parts of the provision.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The management board has developed skills in monitoring and evaluating performance. They challenge leaders increasingly effectively. They take decisive action when needed.  The strong subject knowledge of staff at the main site in art, food technology, English and mathematics helps pupils make good progress.  Staff are highly committed to supporting their pupils. Pupils recognise the care shown to them and, very largely, they respond positively.  Safeguarding arrangements are effective. Pupils feel safe in the care of their staff.

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Full report

In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment further by: – developing staff skills to adjust learning tasks during lessons so that pupils maximise their progress – building staff skills to develop pupils’ resilience so that they arrive promptly for lessons and stick at their tasks – giving staff further training on how to plan engaging and challenging lessons to meet different pupils’ needs so that all lessons are of the same high standard as the best.  Improve the quality of leadership and management further by: – developing the range of subjects offered for accreditation at different levels to meet all pupils’ needs, especially the most able – implementing the full range of monitoring and evaluation activities developed to check pupils’ achievement and well-being with all partners providing education for pupils – re-establishing arrangements to manage pupils’ behaviours so that resilience and

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

self-management become the norm – continuing to develop ways to improve the attendance of pupils who do not attend regularly enough.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Considerable staffing turbulence since the previous full inspection has slowed the school’s efforts to improve effectiveness. As a result, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is not yet consistently strong. The changes to the curriculum have strengthened achievement but some pupils’ needs are not fully met and so they do not make all the progress they are capable of.  Leaders do not ensure that the well-considered, sensible approaches to managing behaviour are consistently applied. As a result, some pupils are slow to adhere to expectations, for example they do not move to lessons quickly.  In recent months, leaders have not maintained the rigour with which they quality- assure the work of partner providers. As a result, teaching is not planned precisely enough to meet the needs of all pupils in some lessons at the main site and at times at other sites.  Current senior leaders and the management committee have a very well-considered

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

framework to check the quality of teaching, learning and pupils’ progress. Under the leadership of the recently appointed acting headteacher, high expectations of staff and pupils are beginning to be reinforced. As a consequence, leaders and the management committee have regained an accurate picture of the school’s performance and are able to make well-informed decisions.  Since the previous full inspection, senior leaders and the management committee have brought clarity to the roles and responsibilities of all members of staff. Combined with a programme of training and development, this has led to a significant improvement in pupils’ learning and the progress they make. However, challenge to make consistently strong and better progress has not yet been effective.  Leaders have refocused the curriculum on those areas that will best serve the needs of pupils, particularly through access to a range of vocational courses and qualifications.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

This has led to a strong improvement in attainment and progress. However, the curriculum for some of the most able pupils does not enable them to achieve accreditation in a broad range of subjects that fully support their aspirations.  By aligning therapeutic support to academic achievement more closely, leaders have ensured that pupils are now well supported in their emotional and personal well-being. However, some pupils, while becoming more confident overall, struggle to be resilient when they find learning difficult or when inappropriate behaviour is challenged.  Leaders take steps to keep pupils safe and plan the personal development programme to help them recognise and deal with risks to their well-being. Leaders provide frequent opportunities for staff to keep their knowledge of risks to pupils’ safety up to date.  Safeguarding leaders have established effective working relationships with other

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

agencies and teams to ensure that any concerns about pupils are recorded in detail and that appropriate help is put in place. They ensure that staff have a good awareness of issues such as child sexual exploitation, neglect and abuse, and radicalisation and extremism.  Staff are motivated and determined to do their best for their pupils. Very recent changes in senior leadership are giving leaders confidence that they can make further improvements to the quality of teaching and learning and to pupils’ progress and well- being.  Despite moments when pupils struggle to manage their own behaviour well, they show respect for others from different backgrounds to their own. This is because leaders and staff model positive attitudes towards others. Staff help pupils to learn about the rule of law and equality.

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Governance of the school

 The management committee has developed its growing strength to support and challenge leaders by ensuring that the arrangements to monitor and evaluate school performance are rigorous. Based on the evidence they gather, they take decisive action when performance falls below the standards they require. They have taken prompt action to address the short-term decline in the school’s performance since the monitoring inspection in December 2018.  The management committee ensures that safeguarding remains the school’s first priority.  The management committee challenges leaders to put in place a curriculum that better meets pupils’ needs.  The management committee ensures that additional funding for disadvantaged pupils leads to stronger progress and attainment that open the doors for pupils to access further educational and training.  The management committee challenges leaders to ensure that pupils’ personal

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Governance of the school

development and well-being are central to the school’s day-to-day work.  The management committee engages external support appropriately and reviews its effectiveness.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The management committee and senior leaders ensure that safer recruitment procedures are followed so that only suitable adults work with pupils. They make sure that the required pre-employment checks are carried out and recorded.  Safeguarding leaders are well trained and knowledgeable about the risks pupils face. They take appropriate action when they have a concern about a pupil and work with other services to make sure that pupils get the help they need. Safeguarding leaders check that staff have up-to-date training so that they can use the referral system effectively if they have a concern about a pupil.  The programme for personal development enables pupils to understand risks to their well-being. The strong relationships between staff and pupils give pupils confidence that they can turn to a member of staff if they have a concern.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is variable.  Staff miss opportunities to adjust learning tasks in lessons to move pupils on as soon as they are ready. They do not plan precisely to meet the different needs of pupils fully, taking into account the full range of information available to them. As a consequence, pupils do not make all the progress of which they are capable.  Staff do not reinforce their expectations to get a prompt start to lessons. However, once started, most pupils remain engaged in their learning and see the value of it in their preparation for the next steps in their education and training.  Staff develop and consolidate pupils’ knowledge and skills but do not consistently develop pupils’ understanding so that they can link different aspects of their learning together.  The effective use of questioning, seen for example in English lessons, was not seen as consistently in other subject areas and with all providers. As a result, there are missed

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

opportunities to check the depth of pupils’ knowledge and understanding to identify how pupils can be challenged further.  Where staff recognise that pupils have grasped basic concepts and challenge pupils effectively, pupils learn quickly and progress is strong. For example, in a mathematics lesson, pupils were challenged to apply their understanding of the internal angles of a variety of shapes to calculate the external angles too.  Insightful assessment of pupils’ written work in English helps pupils understand exactly what they need to do to improve their work. This contributes effectively to the strong progress pupils are now making. The focus on teaching basic skills linked to vocational as well as academic course accreditation is improving pupils’ learning and achievement. Staff make good use of ‘on entry’ assessment to plan work to improve pupils’ performance quickly, especially in literacy and numeracy skills.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Strong subject knowledge in some areas enables pupils to produce high-quality work because they are fully engaged and motivated. Where this is combined with precise planning for learning, pupils develop their skills markedly, step by step. For example, in art, pupils built their composition from early sketches to sophisticated use of different media to refine their images and make their models in three dimensions.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  A significant number of pupils struggle to manage themselves well and regularly need staff support to enable them to regain control of their emotions. Staff do so effectively at moments of crisis.  Some pupils are reluctant to move to lessons promptly. Pupils understand the importance of their studies to help them take the next steps in their education and training but some lack the resilience required to face challenges in their learning and to complete tasks.  Where pupils become motivated by their lessons, they apply themselves very well and make very strong progress as a result. In these cases, pupils grow quickly in their confidence as learners.  Pupils, who very often have disrupted histories in education, are supported soundly to re-engage with education. Effective arrangements to support their emotional health

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Personal development and welfare

contribute successfully to their well-being.  Pupils have good knowledge of risks to their health and well-being. They know they can rely on staff to help them if they have a problem. Pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of the dangers of smoking and the misuse of drugs for example. They know that there are potential risks to their well-being when they use digital technologies.  Pupils who attend an alternative provision are very well supported to develop the personal skills and attitudes they need for their future study and employment.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Pupils’ behaviour is variable. Pupils do not consistently choose to adhere to the school’s expectations. They need staff to remind them of expectations of conduct around the school and in lessons. Staff do not do so consistently. As a consequence, pupils do not adopt appropriate conduct as well as they could.  Too many pupils do not attend regularly enough, despite the school’s efforts to help pupils to get to school. Some pupils arrive late for school because their transport is delayed due to the unwillingness of some pupils to be ready for pick-up on time. The irregular attendance of some pupils limits the progress they make. Nevertheless, many pupils have responded well to the school’s support and have improved their attendance notably, often from very low starting points.  Some pupils have not developed the skills they need to manage themselves

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Behaviour

appropriately when faced with challenges. At times, they resort to the use of inappropriate language. Pupils who have acquired the skills to manage themselves well display positive behaviour, which contributes well to the progress they make.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils do not make all the progress they could because the quality of teaching and learning is too variable. Some pupils do not apply themselves well enough to their learning. Others do not attend regularly enough.  Some pupils, especially the most able, are not supported well enough to gain accreditation at higher levels in a full range of subjects.  Students who attend well with an alternative provider make strong progress, as do those who attend well at other schools specialising in specific vocational courses, for example relating to the motor industry.  Pupils make stronger progress in basic skills in literacy and numeracy than in the past. As a consequence, pupils leave with qualifications that enable them to embark on courses in further education or training. Pupils are increasingly well prepared for the next stages.  Progress in both mathematics and English is beginning to accelerate. An increasing

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

proportion of pupils are achieving accreditation at levels 1 and 2.  In some subjects, pupils make very strong progress, for example food and nutrition and art.

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Email address admin@districtpru.bradford.sch.uk

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Information about this school

 The pupil referral unit provides full-time education for pupils aged 14 to 16 from the immediate and surrounding areas who are unable to sustain their education in mainstream schools.  Since the previous inspection, there have been a number of changes in the senior leadership of the school. The school is currently led by an acting headteacher.  Middle leadership has been introduced in both academic and pastoral areas of the school’s work. A new designated safeguarding leader has taken up post.  The school currently makes use of two providers of alternative education: Prism and On-Trax, both located in the town. A small number of pupils are placed in two other local independent schools offering lessons in specific-subject areas. Twenty-two pupils attend a local college of further education full-time.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited the main site of the pupil referral unit, and visited a local college of further education, two other independent schools and an alternative provider during the course of the inspection.  Inspectors observed lessons, scrutinised pupils’ work and talked with pupils informally and in meetings.  Inspectors held discussions with senior leaders of the pupil referral unit and some of the leaders involved in providing education on the other sites.  Inspectors held discussions with representatives of the local authority.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those relating to the school’s arrangements to keep pupils safe, records of achievement and attendance and the school’s plans for further improvement.  Inspectors took into account the views of a small number of parents and carers who contacted them.

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Inspection team

Chris Campbell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jen Cave 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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Inspection team

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

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

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Inspection team

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

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