Big Picture Doncaster

Inspection of Big Picture Doncaster High Street, Bentley, Doncaster DN5 0BF

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is an unusual arrangement in place at this school. This is because Year 7 pupils attend the school at the Big Picture Doncaster site and pupils in Years 9 and 10 attend a variety of alternative education providers. Due to this, pupils have very different experiences of what it is like to attend this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is no question that Year 7 pupils at the Big Picture Doncaster site feel valued and supported. They are starting to attend school more often. They are given plenty of opportunities to learn about, and do things, which interest them. They are beginning to feel more successful. Bullying is not an issue. Although pupils receive one-to-one help with their work, they do not learn or make as much progress as they should. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not getting the help they need.

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What is it like to attend this school?

For the pupils who attend alternative education provision, their experience of school depends on whether they want to be doing the courses on offer or not. Some pupils do, and some do not. None of the pupils receive experience in a range of subjects as required by the independent school standards. They are all doing the most basic of qualifications in English and mathematics, even though some would be capable of more. The support of regular, structured help with growing up as young people is very limited.

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better?

The Big Picture Doncaster curriculum is an ambitious one. For pupils in Year 7, it puts them at the heart of their own education. It gives them responsibility. It encourages them to find things they are interested in. Pupils feel more valued and more successful as a result. Pupils in Year 7 behave better than when in mainstream schools. They also attend school more regularly. The Big Picture Doncaster staff are to be congratulated for this achievement.

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better?

Staff are fully committed to the Big Picture Doncaster approach to education. They are doing their best to teach the school’s curriculum to Year 7 pupils. However, staff need more support and training to help them to teach the curriculum more effectively.

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better?

Staff encourage pupils to follow their interests, but they do not have any ‘endpoints’ in mind when teaching pupils. When pupils join the school, staff do not accurately check their ability and knowledge. Teachers record what pupils have done and what tasks they need to complete. Teachers are not clear about the knowledge, understanding and skills that pupils learn in each subject. Therefore, teachers do not plan what knowledge and skills pupils still need to learn.

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better?

Teachers have the necessary knowledge to teach aspects of some subjects. However, the school’s curriculum requires them to have detailed understanding of a 11–13 December 2019

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wide range of subjects, at both key stage 3 and 4. Teachers do not have the necessary subject knowledge to help pupils make the progress they should.

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Pupils’ learning is disjointed because teachers do not have a clear sense of the direction they need to go in. As a result, pupils’ exposure to a broad curriculum is patchy at best. The school does not have a system to report to parents how well pupils are doing.

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Pupils who attend alternative education provision are well supported by Big Picture Doncaster staff. While attending alternative education provision, pupils follow courses including construction, motor vehicle maintenance and hair and beauty. They also study basic qualifications in English and mathematics. However, pupils do not study any other subjects. Their education is narrow. Pupils have access to little or no impartial careers advice, so it is not clear that they are following the right courses to get them where they want to be in their lives.

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Year 7 pupils’ behaviour is variable. They feel well supported by most staff, who are calm and patient when defusing challenging situations. Pupils said that some staff are more helpful than others. They said that some staff are good at stopping pupils from ‘winding up’ other pupils. However, pupils swear at one another and at staff frequently. Usually, staff challenge this.

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Pupils who attend alternative education provision behave well most of the time. They attend alternative education provision because their behaviour at Big Picture Doncaster was not under control. For the safety of pupils, staff and the soon-to- arrive Year 7 pupils, leaders made the decision to move these pupils out of the school. Leaders do not have plans in place to return these pupils to Big Picture Doncaster. This is because leaders believe that the behaviour of these pupils would lead to an unsafe environment. Although there is a behaviour policy, it is not effective in managing the behaviour of the pupils currently in alternative provision, when they are at the Big Picture Doncaster site.

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At Big Picture Doncaster, teachers support pupils well in their development as young people. The school gives them opportunities to learn about the world outside of school. Pupils are very proud of the work they do in their local community. For example, after the recent floods, they helped out with sandbagging for their neighbours. Staff are quick to spot opportunities to teach pupils about important issues. For instance, leaders invited the police and the fire service into school recently to talk to pupils.

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Older pupils in alternative education provision do not get many personal development opportunities. Pupils told inspectors that they sometimes talk with their tutors about various issues, such as what is in the news. However, this is unplanned, disjointed and irregular.

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The school does not meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This also applies to those attending alternative education provision. The individual needs of pupils with SEND have not been accurately assessed or identified. Where aspects of pupils’ needs are 11–13 December 2019

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known, leaders have not put the necessary support in place. For example, pupils who struggle with reading do not have a structured plan in place to support them.

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Leaders from XP School Trust have recently taken control of the school at the invitation of the proprietor and the local authority. They have started the process of improving the school. They have steadied the ship. They have a clear understanding of many of the problems facing the school. Many of the necessary steps to bring about improvement are underway or are planned. The XP School Trust leaders are committed to making the school better. They have the capacity to do so.

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Leaders ensure that the school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. However, despite the recent work of leaders from XP School Trust, many independent school standards are unmet.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are ineffective.

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Safeguarding

The processes for checking the suitability of staff to work in the school meet requirements. Staff respond quickly and appropriately when any potential safeguarding matters arise. For example, they make the necessary contact with other agencies. This ensures that pupils get the help they need. Leaders check that pupils are safe while attending alternative education provision.

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Safeguarding

While these aspects of safeguarding are strong, other aspects are not.

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Safeguarding

The proprietor has not made sure that the school meets some of the independent school standards relating to pupils’ welfare. A fire risk assessment was carried out before the school opened. This has not been updated now that pupils are in the building. The safeguarding policy does not include reference to the latest government guidance.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have not identified some risks to pupils’ welfare. They have not carried out risk assessments for potentially dangerous activities, such as the use of tools in some subjects. The space where this work takes place does not have lighting or soundproofing. It is not safely maintained for pupils to use.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The proprietor must take immediate action to address the unmet independent school standards relating to pupils’ welfare. Firstly, the proprietor must ensure that they are compliant with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, by commissioning an updated fire risk assessment. Secondly, the proprietor must ensure that they draw up and effectively implement written risk assessments in respect of pupils’ use of tools and other potentially dangerous equipment. Thirdly, 11–13 December 2019

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the proprietor must ensure that the premises used for working with tools, including potentially dangerous equipment, are set up with adequate lighting, heating, ventilation and acoustics.  The school follows the ‘Big Picture’ approach to the curriculum, which is a project- based, student-led approach. However, the curriculum is not coherently planned and sequenced. Teachers have no endpoints in mind, so pupils’ learning is disjointed. Leaders need to ensure that staff are clear about the important knowledge, understanding and skills that pupils must learn in each subject and the order in which it should be taught. Leaders need to think more about how to effectively implement the school’s ‘narrative’ and ‘next steps’ stages so that teachers are better able to meet pupils’ learning needs.  Teachers do not have the depth of knowledge required to teach the subjects they are required to do as part of the curriculum offer. The proprietor should take

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appropriate action to ensure that teachers are suitably trained in the national curriculum subject programmes of study so that they can exploit opportunities for learning across the breadth of the national curriculum, as set out in the proprietor’s curriculum policy.  The school is not meeting the needs of pupils with SEND. This means that these pupils do not achieve well. The proprietor should act quickly to make sure that the needs of pupils with SEND are effectively assessed and identified so that appropriate support can be put in pace.  Leaders took the decision to move 14 pupils out of the school and into alternative education provision. While these pupils are following vocational-related courses, their overall curriculum is narrow. Leaders should take action to ensure that these pupils experience a curriculum as required by the independent school standards.  The current behaviour policy is not fit for purpose, because when implemented it

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does not improve pupils’ behaviour. The proprietor should make sure that the school behaviour policy is fit for purpose and implemented effectively so that the school is safely able to admit the number of pupils it is registered for.  The personal, social, health, careers and economics programme is variable and ad hoc for the pupils who attend alternative education provision. This means that pupils do not know about the careers they can work towards. Leaders should take action to make sure that pupils attending alternative education provision have access to a good-quality programme for personal development.  At present, the school is entirely dependent on the support of the XP School Trust. The proprietor should take the necessary action to further develop leadership and teaching capacity so that the school is able to stand on its own two feet.  The proprietor should take action to provide additional training for staff in

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safeguarding awareness. At present, while staff have at least a basic understanding of the signs to look out for, and what to do should they be worried about a pupil, their understanding is variable and would benefit from being refreshed. 11–13 December 2019

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the provider and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 11–13 December 2019

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School details

Unique reference number 146805 DfE registration number 371/6003

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School details

Inspection number 10110733 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Email address schooladmin@bigpicturedoncaster.org

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school has undergone significant change since the pre-registration inspection in March 2019. The headteacher and two of the school’s three teachers left the school shortly before the summer holidays. The chair of the board of trustees and several trustees resigned their positions. The local authority and proprietor asked the XP School Trust to provide leadership support for the school. At the point of inspection, XP School Trust were continuing to provide substantial support. A new headteacher was appointed in September 2019, along with two new teachers and an office manager. A new chair of the board of trustees, several new trustees and an interim chief executive officer of the proprietor body were appointed a few weeks before the inspection took place. 11–13 December 2019

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 During the summer term of 2019, the local authority, the proprietor and the leaders of XP School Trust took the decision to move all Year 9 and 10 pupils (14 pupils) out of the school and into full-time off-site alternative education provision. These pupils remain on the roll at Big Picture Doncaster. Only Year 7 pupils attend at the Big Picture Doncaster site. There are joint plans with the local authority to move the Year 9 and 10 pupils out of full-time alternative education provision and into a second Big Picture Doncaster site, for some of the school week.  This is the school’s first standard inspection as a newly registered school. The school was registered by the Department for Education on 3 April 2019.  The school uses several alternative education providers: More Than Ed, Enhancement Training, Ignition Training, Cirque, Ad Astra and Independent Training Services.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection 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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Information about this inspection

The school has failed to meet the independent school standards. These are the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with the executive trust officer from XP School Trust, who is leading the support being provided to the school. We met the coordinator for pupils with SEND for XP School Trust, also providing support to the school.  An inspector spoke on the telephone to the headteacher, who was out of the country on school business.  An inspector met the chair of the proprietor board of trustees and the interim chief executive officer of the proprietor body.  An inspector spoke with representatives of the local authority.  We visited several lessons and observed what was taking place. We spoke to teachers and pupils. We looked at examples of pupils’ work. We scrutinised teachers’ records of pupils’ learning. We did this as part of ‘deep dives’ in lessons where pupils were learning about history, geography, design technology and science.  To check safeguarding arrangements, we considered the processes leaders use to

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Information about this inspection

check the suitability of staff to work at the school. We looked at an example of a case file to check how leaders work with other agencies to keep pupils safe. We reviewed the school’s processes for the checks it makes on the safeguarding arrangements for the alternative education provision used by the school.  We scrutinised a wide range of documentation, including that relating to attendance, behaviour, pupils’ welfare, the school premises and the curriculum.  An inspector visited two of the alternative education providers used by the school. 11–13 December 2019

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While there, the inspector spoke to the proprietors and pupils.

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Inspection team

Steve Shaw, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Steve Rogers Ofsted Inspector 11–13 December 2019

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if– – 2(1)(a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub-paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and  2(2) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are– – 2(2)(a) full-time supervised education for pupils of compulsory school age (construed in accordance with section 8 of the Education Act 1996), which gives pupils experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education; – 2(2)(d) personal, social, health and economic education which– – 2(2)(d)(i) reflects the school’s aim and ethos; and – 2(2)(d)(ii) encourages respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act [9]; – 2(2)(e) for pupils receiving secondary education, access to accurate, up-to-

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

date careers guidance that– – 2(2)(e)(i) is presented in an impartial manner; – 2(2)(e)(ii) enables them to make informed choices about a broad range of career options; and – 2(2)(e)(iii) helps to encourage them to fulfil their potential; – 2(2)(h) that all pupils have the opportunity to learn and make progress.  3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school– – 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; – 3(b) fosters in pupils self-motivation, the application of intellectual, physical and creative effort, interest in their work and the ability to think and learn for themselves; – 3(c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time; – 3(d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons; – 3(e) demonstrates good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter 11–13 December 2019

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being taught; – 3(g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils’ work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress; – 3(h) utilises effective strategies for managing behaviour and encouraging pupils to act responsibly.  4 The standard in this paragraph is met where the proprietor ensures that a framework for pupil performance to be evaluated, by reference to the school’s own aims as provided to parents or national norms, or to both, is in place.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 7 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that– – 7(a) arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school; and – 7(b) such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.  9 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor promotes good behaviour amongst pupils by ensuring that– – 9(b) the policy is implemented effectively.  11 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that relevant health and safety laws are complied with by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written health and safety policy.  12 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005[12].  16 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that– – 16(a) the welfare of pupils at the school is safeguarded and promoted by the

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

drawing up and effective implementation of a written risk assessment policy; and – 16(b) appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 25 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the school premises and the accommodation and facilities provided therein are maintained to a standard such that, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of pupils are ensured.  26 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the acoustic conditions and sound insulation of each room or other space are suitable, having regard to the nature of the activities which normally take place therein.  27 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that– 11–13 December 2019

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– 27(a) the lighting in each room or other internal space is suitable, having regard to the nature of the activities which normally take place therein.

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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– – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and – 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils. 11–13 December 2019

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