Carrick Alternative Provision Academy

Inspection of Carrick Alternative Provision Academy Threemilestone Business Park, Cormorant House, Truro, Cornwall TR4 9NH

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Previous inspection grade Good 16 and 17 June 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school lacks direction. Weaknesses from the previous inspection have not been dealt with effectively. Pupils receive a poor quality of education. They do not learn well enough in many subjects, and leaders’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders do not promote the importance of good attendance effectively. For many pupils, poor or irregular attendance is a significant barrier to achieving the success they are capable of.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Although pupils report feeling safe in school, they are potentially at risk because leaders are not carrying out their statutory safeguarding duties. Incidents of pupils’ poor behaviour are increasing. Parents that inspectors spoke to expressed worries about the high rate of exclusions. However, they spoke highly of staff. In particular, parents value the relationships that staff have with them and their children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There have been substantial changes to leadership since the previous inspection. Staff and pupils have been through periods of significant challenge. The new principal knows what is needed to improve the school. However, she has only recently arrived and has not had enough time to put all of her plans into action.

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better?

Trust leaders, including governors, lack accurate information about the performance of the school. Their view is too generous, and they have not acted quickly enough to improve the school. Trust leaders have not held school leaders to account for the quality of provision well enough to lead to the necessary improvements. Consequently, safeguarding and the quality of education are poor.

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better?

Pupils’ behaviour is poor. Leaders have not put in place a curriculum that inspires pupils to do their best. Learning is not well matched to pupils’ needs. As a result, pupils become bored and restless. This hinders their learning. Too often, this results in pupils being excluded or placed on reduced timetables.

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better?

The literacy curriculum that aims to develop pupils’ reading and writing skills does not have the desired impact. Until very recently, leaders have planned activities for teachers to give to pupils without enough consideration of what they have already learned. Consequently, pupils do not learn to read and write well. Teachers know that pupils can do much more.

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better?

Leaders have not made the necessary checks to ensure pupils learn well across the curriculum. The range of subjects that pupils study is limited. In addition, checks on pupils’ progress are too inconsistent. This means leaders and teachers do not identify well enough what pupils understand and can do, and do not adjust lessons so that pupils build on what they know. Consequently, pupils are not well prepared for future employment or education. 16 and 17 June 2021

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The school’s personal, social, health and education (PSHE) curriculum is not effective. Leaders have not promoted pupils’ personal development well enough. Curriculum opportunities in and beyond the classroom are poor. Pupils do not have equal opportunities to attend activities away from school that inspire them. Leaders have not provided staff with sufficient training to support pupils’ well-being. As a result, pupils’ welfare is not promoted effectively. However, there are positive relationships between staff and pupils.

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The mathematics curriculum is better. Pupils learn content that builds towards defined end points in Year 11. Staff make appropriate checks on pupils’ learning. However, pupils have significant gaps in their mathematical knowledge and understanding. They are not catching up. This is because they do not attend school regularly enough.

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The new principal wants to improve the school. Staff are inspired by her high aspirations for pupils, and morale is rising quickly. Staff know what needs to improve. A programme of well-being support for pupils is now in place. Staff are signposted to professional support when required. However, it is early days. Significant work is needed to bring about the necessary improvements.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Senior leaders and governors do not have sufficient oversight of this vitally important aspect of managing pupils’ safety and welfare. Leaders and governors have not made sure that checks on the suitability of staff to work in school meet statutory requirements. Leaders do not report the number of pupils on reduced timetables accurately to the local authority. Risk assessments lack the important information needed to protect staff and pupils. This gives serious cause for concern and compromises pupils’ safety.

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Safeguarding

Leaders do not identify, assess or meet the welfare needs of pupils well enough when they first begin to attend the provision. Too often, information is not communicated effectively between the home school and the alternative provision. Important information is missed, including that relating to safeguarding and child protection. Staff do not receive the essential knowledge they need to keep pupils and themselves safe. This has placed staff and pupils at an unacceptable level of risk.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive safeguarding training and are vigilant to emerging risks to pupils’ welfare. They recognise and report safeguarding incidents promptly. Leaders make appropriate referrals to external agencies when necessary and follow up any concerns promptly. 16 and 17 June 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders, including governors, have not placed a high enough priority on safeguarding. Consequently, systems for gathering, recording and communicating important safeguarding information are not effective. Leaders need to improve their induction processes urgently so that, when new pupils join the school, all information is recorded, evaluated and communicated effectively. Risk assessments and statutory checks on staff suitability to work in schools must be more robust in order to protect pupils and staff from harm.  Trust leaders and governors do not have clear and reliable systems in place to check the quality of education pupils receive. Consequently, they are not fully aware of the extent of the school’s weaknesses and do not challenge leaders to address them. Trust leaders must work with leaders to identify important next steps and outline these in improvement plans, detailing who will check these.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is disorganised and narrow. Leaders need to improve the curriculum swiftly to ensure that it is suitably ambitious in all subjects. Improvements to the weak PSHE curriculum must be prioritised to ensure that pupils are prepared well, mentally and physically, for the next stage of their education or employment.  Too many vulnerable pupils are missing their statutory entitlement to a full-time education due to a high number of exclusions and reduced timetables. Behaviour systems must be reviewed to ensure that they are appropriate in supporting pupils effectively. Reduced timetables should be a short-term measure and monitored regularly, with clear plans for reintegration. Leaders must also ensure that they improve their communication about pupils placed on reduced timetables with the local authority.  Leaders have not done enough to improve pupils’ attendance. This means that many pupils have significant gaps in their knowledge and understanding. Leaders

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

need to raise their expectations and use appropriate professional support to challenge poor attendance more rigorously.  Leaders do not equip staff with suitable professional development. Staff do their best to support pupils with complex needs, but many are doing this without appropriate training. This has led to low morale among staff. Leaders must ensure that staff have the necessary knowledge and skills to help pupils overcome any social, emotional and mental health difficulties. 16 and 17 June 2021

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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 school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 16 and 17 June 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10189999 Type of school Alternative provision

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School details

School category Academy alternative provision converter

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current principal took up post in April 2021.  The vice-principal took up post in January 2020.  Since the previous inspection, a new chair of governors has taken up post.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school, and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

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 16 and 17 June 2021

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responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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 Inspectors met with the principal, the vice-principal, the executive principal, the temporary assistant vice-principal, the chair of governors, the trust’s director of school improvement, the trust’s chief executive officer and the chair of the board of trustees.  Inspectors focused in depth on literacy, mathematics and PSHE. Work in other subjects was also considered.  Inspectors met with the designated and deputy leads for safeguarding. The lead inspector met the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). An inspector met the family support manager and viewed safeguarding records.  Inspectors visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work as well as speaking with pupils. Discussions were held with subject leaders and staff.  An inspector met with pupils to talk about the quality of education and other aspects of school life. Teaching and support staff also met with inspectors as a group and individually.

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 Inspectors examined a range of documentation provided by the school, including the school’s development priorities, minutes from meetings, policies and documentation relating to safeguarding.  An inspector spoke with parents during the second day of the inspection.  The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with the local authority.

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Inspection team

Sue Costello, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Janet Fraser Social Care Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jen Southall Her Majesty's Inspector 16 and 17 June 2021

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regulates and inspects to 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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