Raise Education and Wellbeing School

Inspection of Raise Education and Wellbeing School 54–56 Holmeswood Road, Great Lever, Bolton BL3 3HS

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this school. They like the wide range of experiences in which they can participate and the way staff help them to succeed. Pupils work hard in lessons to meet the high expectations of their teachers. They study a wide range of subjects and have many opportunities to achieve nationally accredited qualifications. Pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They know that there is always a trusted adult with whom they can share any worries or concerns. Pupils behave well. They are confident that staff would act quickly to stop any bullying that might occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the excellent support they receive to promote their personal development. They are delighted with, and enthusiastically participate in, the extensive range of activities, events and educational visits planned by staff. For example, pupils take part in discussion groups and collaborative work with museums and galleries which help to develop their knowledge of fundamental British values. Other activities such as charity work and work experience strongly promote pupils’ self-esteem, confidence and teamwork.

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better?

The school’s curriculum is ambitious for all pupils and reflects the school’s ethos. It has been designed to help pupils to overcome their considerable barriers to learning. Curriculum subjects are suitably planned to enable pupils to complete GCSEs and other accredited awards by the time they have reached the end of Year 11. In the sixth form, students can choose from an extensive range of courses and complete GCSEs, A-levels and vocational qualifications.

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better?

Pupils are well prepared for the next stages of education. Pupils, including those in the sixth form, achieve well. This is because the content in the curriculum plans in most subjects builds on what pupils already know and can do. However, some curriculum plans do not precisely identify the key pieces of knowledge that pupils must know before moving on to new learning. This means that while pupils enjoy learning about new topics they sometimes do not achieve as well as they should.

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better?

Teachers routinely check pupils’ understanding of the planned curriculum. They use this information to ensure they plan sequences of lessons in most subjects that build on what pupils already know.

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better?

Pupils develop a love of literacy. They become confident and fluent readers because of the support they receive from well-trained, knowledgeable staff. High-quality reading resources are available and used effectively to engage reluctant teenage readers. Pupils study a wide range of texts as part of the curriculum.

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better?

Expert staff swiftly identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders work closely with local authorities to ensure that pupils with SEND 2 to 4 November 2021 receive the support they need. The school’s special educational needs coordinators help staff to make amendments to the curriculum to enable pupils with SEND to learn as well as their classmates and to succeed. Leaders have ensured that the school sites are accessible, where possible, to those with disabilities. Step-free access and appropriately accessible toilet facilities are in place to meet the requirements of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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better?

Pupils’ personal development is nurtured strongly. Expert staff carefully assess pupils’ social and emotional needs when start at the school. They use this information extremely effectively to plan an extensive range of opportunities which promote pupils’ confidence and self-esteem. These activities include charitable events in the local community and opportunities to undertake adventurous activities. Pupils develop their understanding of relationships, including the importance of consent, because of the high-quality teaching they receive. Sixth-form students gain accredited qualifications as peer mentors. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders provided pupils with an immense range of educational and cultural experiences. The safe reintroduction of these activities has boosted pupils’ cultural and social development.

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better?

Leaders ensure that pupils receive appropriate impartial careers advice that helps them to make informed choices about the next stages of their education, employment or training.

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better?

Leaders have established clear expectations of behaviour. Typically, pupils behave well and concentrate in lessons. However, occasionally pupils’ emotions can get the better of them. This results in pupils disengaging from learning and having emotional outbursts. Skilful staff use effective strategies to help pupils overcome these points of crisis. Leaders use exclusion only when pupils’ behaviour is dangerous. The rate of exclusion is falling rapidly, following a spike when COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.

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better?

Leaders have well-established procedures in place to record pupils’ admission and attendance at the school which adhere to the most up-to-date regulations. Leaders carefully monitor pupils’ attendance. Their use of a range of effective strategies to help pupils’ attendance means that pupils considerably improve in their attendance over time.

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better?

The proprietor has ensured that all the independent school standards are met. The proprietor and governors demonstrate a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Governors hold leaders closely to account for the impact of their actions. The proprietor has strengthened the leadership and management of the school through recent appointments to the school leadership team. Leaders have consulted with parents and carers before implementing the school’s relationship and sex education policy.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that the school’s safeguarding and relationship and sex education policies are published on the school website. 2 to 4 November 2021 Staff are proud to work at the school. Staff say that the proprietor and leaders are considerate of their well-being and workload when introducing new developments. Teachers have secure knowledge of what they teach. However, the opportunities for them to keep their subject knowledge up to date are more limited. This is because leaders have prioritised training in areas such as personal development and strategies to support pupils with SEND.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff and leaders are knowledgeable about their role in safeguarding pupils. They undertake regular training to ensure their knowledge of how to identify potential abuse and neglect is up to date. Staff use well-established systems to routinely share information with leaders. Leaders frequently analyse the information they receive to help them spot any emerging concerns. They work effectively with other appropriate authorities to help to keep pupils safe.

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Safeguarding

The proprietor has ensured appropriate monitoring and filtering of the school’s internet connections to protect pupils from harm originating from the online environment.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In a small number of subjects, the curriculum plans do not carefully sequence the key pieces of knowledge that pupils need to be taught. This means that in some subjects, pupils do not achieve as well as they could because they do not build on what they already know. Leaders must ensure that the planning of all subjects in the curriculum clearly outlines the essential knowledge that pupils must learn and the steps in which it should be taught.  Some teachers have not had opportunities to attend training to keep their subject knowledge up to date. As a result, some teachers are unaware of recent developments in educational research and the pedagogy of the teaching of their subjects. Leaders should ensure that they enhance the training opportunities for staff to undertake professional development activities relating to their subjects.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 2 to 4 November 2021 If you are the provider and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 2 to 4 November 2021

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School details

Unique reference number 143026 DfE registration number 350/6004

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School details

Inspection number 10203840 Type of school Independent school

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School details

School category Other independent special school

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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sixth form

Annual fees (day pupils) £ 20,475 to £ £90,909

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sixth form

Website https://raise- educationandwellbeing.co.uk/ Email address Office@raisetheyouth.co.uk

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 4 to 6 July 2017

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Information about this school

 A new deputy principal joined the school staff in September 2021. She was subsequently promoted to acting principal in November 2021.  A new assistant principal was promoted to the senior leadership team in September 2021.  The school does not use any alternative provision. 2 to 4 November 2021

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors 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 meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first standard inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors spoke with pupils about their work and school life. Inspectors spoke with the proprietor and governors. Inspectors also spoke with the acting principal, and other senior staff. The lead inspector visited the school’s two sites to evaluate compliance with the independent school standards.  The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors conducted deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, history and personal, social, health and economic education. For each deep dive, an inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons, spoke with teachers and spoke with some pupils about their learning. Inspectors

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Information about this inspection

also looked at pupils’ work and listened to pupils read in class.  Inspectors also scrutinised curriculum planning from other subjects.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation related to the work of the school, and scrutinised documentation relating to safeguarding.  There were too few responses to Ofsted Parent View to undertake any evaluation. There were no responses to the pupil or staff online questionnaires.

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Inspection team

John Nixon, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mavis Smith Her Majesty’s Inspector 2 to 4 November 2021 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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