Woodlands Education Centre

Woodlands Education Centre Park House Farm Way, Havant, Hampshire PO9 4AJ

p.1

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

p.1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

p.1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

p.1

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and members of the management committee have not taken effective action to improve the school. Progress since the last inspection has been too slow. As a result, standards have declined, and the provision is inadequate.  Safeguarding is not effective. Leaders have not done enough to ensure that pupils are on site during the school day, where they are safe.  Weak leadership for a sustained period has led to poor oversight of the quality of teaching. Too many staff lack the subject knowledge they need to teach effectively.  Teaching, learning and assessment are inadequate. Work is often too easy. Teachers’ planning does not take into account what pupils are capable of.  Pupils do not attend school regularly enough. Actions to improve attendance have had too little impact.  The curriculum is not broad and balanced. It is not matched well enough to pupils’ needs.  Leaders’ oversight of pupils’ behaviour,

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

progress and attendance is weak. Leaders do not have the performance information that they need to bring about sustained improvement.  Transitions between lessons and activities are not always managed well enough. At times, pupils’ disruptive behaviour occurs during these transitions.  Leaders do not understand the needs of disadvantaged pupils clearly. Additional funding is not being used effectively to improve these pupils’ outcomes.  Pupils’ progress is too slow, including that of the most able pupils. As a result, pupils do not achieve the outcomes of which they are capable.  Subject leadership is underdeveloped and does not have sufficient impact on improving teaching and raising achievement.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils value the typically warm and positive relationships that they have with staff.  The school’s contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong.

p.1

Full report

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Urgently review and sharpen safeguarding processes so that pupils attend school regularly to protect them from potential increased risk of harm during the school day.  Improve the quality of leadership and management, and governance, by ensuring that: – a range of school performance information is reviewed and evaluated regularly to inform school improvement planning – effective systems are in place to monitor the progress and outcomes of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and the most able pupils, so that it is clear what is working and what is not – the curriculum meets the needs of pupils more effectively – middle leaders have a positive impact on teaching and learning – leaders and staff are held to account for pupils’ progress and behaviour – leaders reliably analyse information about pupils’ behaviour and attendance to inform their actions – additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils is used effectively to improve

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

the progress and outcomes of this group.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that pupils, including the most able pupils and those who are disadvantaged, make consistently good progress in all aspects of learning, by ensuring that: – all staff have consistently high expectations of pupils’ learning and achievement, particularly for the most able – teachers have reliable subject knowledge in the subjects that they teach – teachers make effective use of information to provide suitably challenging teaching that builds on pupils’ prior learning and matches their needs.  Improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare, by ensuring that: – pupils attend school regularly – fixed-term exclusions reduce – pupils’ behaviour during transition times between lessons is calm and well managed, so that learning time is maximised. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Over time, leaders and the management committee have not taken effective action to ensure that the school improves. Since the previous inspection, the school has been through a difficult time. There have been several changes to leadership and the pace of improvement has been too slow. Consequently, since the previous inspection, standards in the school have declined further.  Plans to develop the school are not clearly established. Over time, leaders’ monitoring and evaluation of the impact of their work have not been rigorous enough to bring about the improvements urgently required. As a result, there are many weaknesses in the quality of provision.  The two assistant headteachers are starting to gather better information about pupils’ progress, behaviour and attendance. New systems have been introduced in the last few weeks. However, it is too soon to see the impact of this work.  The efforts of leaders and staff are not focused sharply enough on improving pupils’

p.4

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

learning. Staff care about pupils and work hard to support their behaviour, and social and emotional needs. However, too often, they lose sight of pupils’ learning goals.  The curriculum is not planned well enough to meet pupils’ needs effectively. While the core subjects of English, mathematics and science are taught, together with some vocational subjects, there are also gaps in the school’s programme. For instance, no humanities subjects or modern foreign languages are taught. Pupils have limited choices of what they can study in Years 10 and 11.  Monitoring of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is weak. Staff do not receive enough advice about how to improve their teaching. Over time, leaders have not focused carefully enough on the impact that teaching is having on pupils’ progress and attainment.  Leaders do not use additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils effectively. They

p.4

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

do not have an accurate understanding of the needs of these pupils to be able to plan improvements effectively. The external review of the use of pupil premium funding, recommended at the previous inspection, was carried out. However, there is little impact on improving the progress and outcomes of disadvantaged pupils.  Monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning across subjects is not effective. Newly identified middle leaders do understand some of the school’s priorities for improvement and are beginning to formulate their own development plans. However, leaders’ plans are at the very early stages and there is no impact of this work yet.  Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is developing well because of the work of the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). This leader is knowledgeable and has ensured that staff are well trained. She has a clear understanding of where further improvement is needed. The SENCo has

p.4

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

accurately identified that the impact of support offered to pupils with SEND is not evaluated thoroughly enough to ensure that they make secure enough progress.  Staff promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Staff organise many trips and outings that contribute to pupils’ overall social development, such as to paddle-boarding. Pupils value the visitors who come to the school. For example, visits from the police help pupils develop their moral understanding.  It is recommended that the school should not appoint newly qualified teachers.

p.4

Governance of the school

 Over time, members of the management committee have not held leaders to account rigorously enough for the school’s performance. The management committee has not ensured that the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection have been tackled with enough pace and rigour.  Management committee members do not focus their efforts sharply enough on improving pupils’ outcomes. Committee members visit the school regularly, carry out monitoring visits and write action plans. However, their action planning focuses on the completion of tasks rather than evaluating the impact of their actions on improving pupils’ outcomes.  Members of the management committee acknowledge that, until very recently, they have not had a close enough relationship with school staff to know what is working and what is not. The management committee is now building better links with staff. Improved communication routes are being established so that staff can easily approach

p.5

Governance of the school

the committee to share concerns, or successes.

p.5

Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.  Leaders have not done enough to ensure that pupils are in school, where they are safe from harm, during the school day. Leaders have accurately identified that many pupils are at risk of criminal and sexual exploitation in their community. However, numerous pupils are absent from school, either through exclusion or poor attendance, and the proportion has been increasing. As a result, too many pupils are exposed to an enhanced level of risk during school hours.  Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe. For example, pupils can describe how staff have taught them about the dangers of gangs, knife crime, drug use and sexting. However, scrutiny of the school’s safeguarding records reveals that many pupils often engage in, or are exposed to, activities that place them at risk of harm. As a result, pupils are very vulnerable.  Staff have received helpful training and regular updates about keeping pupils safe.

p.5

Safeguarding

Staff know pupils well and understand the signs to look out for that may indicate that a pupil is at risk. Staff report their concerns promptly to leaders, correctly following the school’s procedures. The acting designated safeguarding lead ensures that referrals are made appropriately to external agencies, when necessary.  The school’s single central record is well maintained. All safeguarding and recruitment checks are carried out carefully when staff are appointed.

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Teaching over time has not been good enough. As a result, pupils’ progress is too slow, and pupils often do not achieve the standards of which they are capable, particularly in English and mathematics.  Staffing arrangements are too fragile. High levels of staff absence and unfilled vacancies contribute to inconsistent teaching arrangements. Temporary and cover staff are often not specialists in the subjects that they teach. Consequently, teachers’ subject knowledge is often weak, and pupils’ learning is poorly organised.  Teachers do not have consistently high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve. Where this is the case, tasks and activities are not sufficiently challenging for all pupils, including the most able pupils, and this hinders their progress.  Teachers’ assessment of pupils’ learning is weak. Teachers’ planning does not consider sufficiently what pupils already know, understand and can do. Frequently, pupils are

p.6

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

provided with easy tasks that do not relate closely enough to the focus of the lesson, particularly in English. As a result, pupils produce very little work and their progress is slow.  Teaching does not meet the needs of disadvantaged pupils well enough. Pupils’ individual needs are not known clearly. Consequently, disadvantaged pupils are not receiving the support that they need to achieve well.  In mathematics, work seen in pupils’ books shows that work is frequently incomplete. Pupils are regularly given calculations to complete that often lack challenge. Pupils are rarely given opportunities to apply their mathematical skills to reasoning and problem- solving activities. As a result, pupils are given insufficient opportunities to think hard and develop their mathematical understanding.  Individual pupils often receive helpful support from additional adults. Skilfully guided by the school’s SENCo, additional adults provide useful in-class support to help pupils

p.6

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

regulate their behaviour and focus on their tasks. As a result, disruptive behaviour in classrooms is rare.  Effective learning happens in art and vocational programmes. In these subjects, knowledgeable staff have high expectations and ensure that learning is carefully planned and sequenced. For instance, in food technology, pupils’ portfolios are well presented and clearly demonstrate strong progress in cooking skills and the use of techniques.

p.6

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate.  Typically, the personal circumstances of the pupils attending the school make them highly vulnerable. Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe when they are in school and said, ‘Staff look out for us.’ However, too many pupils are absent because they have been temporarily excluded, or because they do not attend school regularly enough. Leaders have not done enough to tackle this weakness, which was identified at the previous inspection. As a result, too many very vulnerable pupils are at risk of harm when they are absent during the school day.  Pupils enjoy a positive and relaxed start to the day. Many pupils arrive hungry or have had unsettling experiences overnight. Staff provide pupils with breakfast and pupils socialise happily with each other and staff. As a result, pupils are welcomed warmly by staff and there is a positive community spirit at the start of the day.

p.6

Personal development and welfare

 Pupils report that there is little or no bullying at the school. They say that sometimes there is ‘banter’ that can get out of hand. However, pupils are confident that staff will deal with bullying effectively and said it is not something that worries them.  Pupils like the way that staff are readily available to talk to them. Pupils value the way that staff are interested in them and what they do. As a result, pupils told an inspector, ‘We like our school.’

p.7

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is inadequate.  Pupils’ attendance is poor. Too many pupils are persistently absent from school. Leaders neither monitor nor evaluate pupils’ attendance closely enough. Leaders’ actions to improve attendance have not been effective. Consequently, too many pupils have frequent, and sometimes extended, gaps in their education.  Pupils’ punctuality is not promoted effectively. Too often, pupils arrive at school or to lessons late. As a result, these pupils frequently miss the start of their lessons, contributing to pupils’ typically slow progress.  The rate of exclusion is too high. Although no pupils have been permanently excluded this year, there has been a significant increase in the rate of fixed-term exclusions. There are no clear plans in place to reduce the rate of fixed-term exclusions so that more pupils are in school and learning.  Leaders’ oversight of behaviour is weak. Record keeping is ineffective and does not

p.7

Behaviour

provide leaders with the management information that they need to identify clearly enough where improvements are needed.  Transitions between lessons and activities are not always managed well enough. At these changeover times, disruptive behaviour, such as verbal and physical altercations between pupils, sometimes occurs.  During the inspection, behaviour in classrooms was calm and respectful. Pupils told inspectors that other pupils’ behaviour rarely disturbs their learning when they are in class.  Leaders receive regular updates from off-site alternative providers about pupils’ attendance, behaviour and progress. Risk assessments are completed for off-site activities. However, planning for the management of risk is not always specific enough to be useful to staff in preventing risks that have been identified.

p.7

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Pupils joining the school have typically missed periods of their education. Pupils have either been excluded, are at risk of exclusion, or have other vulnerabilities that have caused discontinuity in their learning. Consequently, there are gaps in their knowledge and understanding. The school’s assessment systems are not rigorous enough for leaders and staff to identify precisely enough pupils’ starting points in a range of areas.  Leaders do not have meaningful information about the progress that groups of pupils make. Assessment systems are patchy and do not provide staff with the specific information that they need to provide the teaching and support that pupils require to enable them to catch up and make good progress.  The learning needs of disadvantaged pupils are not identified sharply enough. Leaders do not have the information that they need to evaluate the progress of these pupils.  The most able pupils do not make good progress because teaching and work set for

p.8

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

them are not matched well enough to their needs. As a result, too many pupils are underachieving.  Pupils’ progress is too slow in English and mathematics. Typically, pupils who join the school with low starting points do not catch up. Leaders have not done enough to ensure that teaching is sharply focused on enabling pupils to make faster progress.  In 2018, in English, most pupils who were entered for the GCSE examination achieved a grade. In mathematics, just over half of the pupils who were entered for the GCSE examination achieved a grade. Only three pupils left the school without any qualifications, which was an improvement on the previous year. However, the grades achieved are low and not all pupils are entered for the examinations.  Pupils typically make better progress in food technology and art than in other areas. In these subjects, teachers have high expectations for pupils’ achievement, and learning

p.8

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

is carefully planned. As a result, pupils make strong progress from their starting points.  Pupils are not well prepared for the next stage of their lives. Too many leave the school with low levels of literacy and numeracy. Pupils do receive helpful practical and emotional support to plan their next steps. However, approximately a third of the pupils who left last year were not in education, employment or training.

p.8

School details

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

p.9

School details

Email address a.gibbs@woodlands.hants.sch.uk

p.9

School details

Date of previous inspection 11–12 October 2016

p.9

Information about this school

 Woodlands Education Centre is a pupil referral unit for boys and girls aged 11 to 16.  Approximately a third of the pupils are registered only at Woodlands because they have been permanently excluded from other schools. The remaining two thirds of pupils are dual registered at other secondary schools in the local area.  Some pupils are taught individually, and off-site, by the school’s own tutors.  The school uses part-time alternative provision for some pupils at Oarsome Chance and Music Fusion. A few pupils attend part time at South Downs College.  Since the previous inspection, there have been seven changes to senior leadership. The two assistant headteachers are currently assuming the role of headteacher, with support from the local authority, during the absence of the headteacher from the school. This arrangement began during the spring term 2019.  Over half of the pupils are disadvantaged.

p.9

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning throughout the school. In the current absence of the headteacher, inspectors worked closely throughout the inspection with the two assistant headteachers, including when visiting teaching and looking at pupils’ work.  All observations were carried out with the two assistant headteachers.  Inspectors held meetings with the two assistant headteachers, subject leaders, a group of teaching staff and a group of support staff.  The lead inspector met with representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors met with some pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to pupils informally about their work and to gather their views.  An inspector heard some pupils read.  There were insufficient responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, to making any informed response to how parents view the school.  Four pupils responded to the online pupil survey.

p.10

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors took account of 17 survey responses submitted by staff.  Inspectors scrutinised records and documentation relating to safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and pupils’ individual records.  Safeguarding procedures were reviewed.  Inspectors reviewed the checks made on staff about their suitability to work with pupils.

p.10

Inspection team

Claire Prince, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.10

Inspection team

Ross Macdonald 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 .

p.10

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 .

p.11

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.

p.11

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 .

p.11

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.

p.11

Inspection team

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspection team

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.11

Inspection team

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

p.11