Delta Independent School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Delta Independent School Parliament Street, Consett, County Durham DH8 5DH

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraph 2(1) 2(1)(a) 2(1)(b) 2(1)(b)(i)  At the time of the previous inspection, school leaders did not have in place a curriculum that met the needs of pupils.  Discussions with leaders during this inspection showed that the school had given much thought to the development of a new curriculum. After consulting the schools where the pupils are also registered, leaders have now put in place courses which are accessible to pupils from lower starting points, while retaining the option to move higher-attaining pupils to GCSE options.  The curriculum policy reflects this change and is supported by schemes of work which outline the new levels of accreditation. These include functional skills levels 1 and 2 in mathematics, English and information technology. Entry level accreditation is also being offered in history, geography, art and design as well as personal social and health

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Main inspection findings

education (PSHE).  Leaders have worked closely with staff to ensure that they have started to develop an understanding of the importance of ascertaining pupils’ starting points when planning learning. Most staff now use learning objectives to meet the needs of higher-attaining pupils, middle-attaining pupils, and lower-attaining pupils. Inspection observation showed that there was still some inconsistency in staff use of the system. However, work in pupils’ books confirmed that the majority of staff are now using the system effectively.  The standards in this paragraph are likely to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraph 2 (2), 2 (2)(b)  Since the previous inspection, school leaders have improved the quality of the curriculum. However, leaders have not made as much progress in developing the quality of pupils’ learning over time.  The quality of work seen in pupils’ books and observations of learning show that not all pupils are making effective progress in developing speaking, listening, literacy and numeracy skills.  This standard is unlikely to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraph 3,3(a),3(c),3(d)  At the time of the previous inspection, the quality of teaching was found not to be enabling pupils to make effective progress.  During this inspection, lesson observations and a scrutiny of pupils’ work were conducted with the headteacher. Books scrutinised showed that not all pupils are currently making consistently good progress. Often, this was because learning set for pupils was not sufficiently challenging for the most able or was too hard for those pupils with lower starting points. Lesson observations also confirmed that staff were not yet consistently preparing work which matched pupils’ needs.  At times during lessons, pupils were left waiting when work was finished. At other times, books showed that staff had too low expectations of the volume and quality of work that pupils could achieve in the time available.  Discussions with pupils also confirmed that they felt that work was sometimes too easy

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Main inspection findings

and at other times too hard.  While relationships between staff and pupils are a strength, work set for pupils does not always indicate that staff are as aware as they should be about pupils’ previous knowledge and skills. As a result of this mismatch, pupils’ progress is sometimes slower than it should be.  The standards in this paragraph are unlikely to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a)  During the inspection, the school’s safeguarding policy was scrutinised. The policy met current requirements. Discussions with staff indicated that they had received recent and relevant training. Staff also confirmed that school leaders have ensured a strong ethos of the need to safeguard and protect all pupils.  This standard remains met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraphs 18-21  At the time of the inspection, leaders had ensured that all required checks had been carried out to ensure that adults working with children are safely recruited.  The standards in this part remain met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 6 Provision of information Paragraph 32(1),32(1)(c)  The school website has been revised since the previous inspection. At the time of the inspection, it had yet to go live. However, leaders were able to demonstrate that relevant documentation, including the safeguarding policy, was available to parents and carers on request.  This standard remains met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8 Quality of leadership and management Paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b)  At the time of the previous inspection, leaders were not meeting the leadership and management standards, because they had failed to ensure that the curriculum matched the needs of pupils, and the quality of teaching and learning was not good enough.  The findings of this inspection were that the leadership team had made significant progress in improving the quality of the curriculum offered to pupils by introducing a wider range of qualifications which met the needs of current pupils.  Because of the timing of the inspection, it was not possible to ascertain how well pupils had achieved in external qualifications this year. However, staff and leaders were hopeful that an improvement had been made on last year’s results.  Although teaching has improved, the impact on pupils’ learning has yet to be assessed. Currently, pupils’ progress, as seen in books, is not as strong as it could be. However, it

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Main inspection findings

is possible to see some improvement in some areas, for example PSHE and history.  As a result, the standards in this part remain unmet.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet 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, as set out in the annex of this report. This included 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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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

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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School details

Of which, number on roll in sixth form 0

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School details

Website Not available at the time of the inspection

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School details

Email address helen.delta.school@gmail.com

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 27–29 November 2018

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Information about this school

 Delta Independent School opened in October 2015. It is registered by the Department for Education as an independent school for up to 80 boys and girls aged between 13 and 16 years. The proprietor is Mr William Robson.  The last standard inspection of the school took place in December 2016.  The school is housed in the former Consett YMCA building. Pupils can access a range of activities after school that operate from the building.  The school offers part-time or full-time provision to local maintained schools for pupils who are at risk of permanent exclusion. All pupils currently on roll attend full time and are dual-registered with their mainstream school.  A small number of pupils have been identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities. No pupils currently have an education, health and care plan.  The school aims to create a: ‘dynamic, vibrant and welcoming learning environment that

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Information about this school

will give rise to a life-long love of learning for all’.  The school does not use any off-site alternative education provision.

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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 inspection was carried out without notice.  The lead inspector analysed a range of documents, including the school’s development plan, curriculum plans, schemes of work, safeguarding policy and register of employment checks carried out to ensure that adults are safely recruited.

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Inspection team

Marian Thomas, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards

Standards that were not met at the previous inspection and remain unmet at this inspection

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(2) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are–

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(2)(b) that pupils acquire speaking, listening, literacy and numeracy skills;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school–

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(a) enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons;

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school–

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently;

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; 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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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