Aspire AP School 2

Inspection of TLG North Birmingham Six Ten Youth & Community Centre, 610 Kingstanding Road, Kingstanding, Birmingham, West Midlands B44 9SH

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Inspection dates: 23 to 25 November 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management 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 who attend the school have experienced disruption to their learning. Many of them have not attended previous schools for a considerable period of time. Pupils say that this school is different because the staff understand them. Staff treat pupils as individuals and genuinely care about them. Parents and carers cannot praise staff enough for the care they provide for their children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Although pupils are placed at the school for a short time, aspirations are high. Leaders and all staff want the best for pupils. They aim to equip them with the skills they need to re-engage with mainstream education. The school achieves this for most pupils. However, in subjects taught by non-specialist staff, pupils are not achieving as well as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils attend well and engage with their learning. The school has processes to promote good attendance. However, for a few pupils, irregular attendance affects how much they learn and remember.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Christian values are woven into the school’s work. The school gives pupils the opportunity to pause and reflect. Pupils think about what has gone wrong previously and how to put it right. Bullying is rare. Pupils are confident that if bullying did occur, teachers would resolve it.

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better?

Pupils attend the school for a maximum of three terms: on rare occasions, they may stay longer. The curriculum focuses on reading, English and mathematics. Leaders’ aim is for pupils to catch up on missed learning and develop the skills they need to move back into mainstream education. For most pupils, the school does this well.

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better?

Where subject specialists deliver learning, it is well planned and well ordered and meets pupils’ needs. In most subjects, teachers check pupils’ learning to find out what they can remember and what they need more help with. Where staff do this well, it informs pupils’ next steps. Staff support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Teachers know the content of the pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans. Staff make necessary adaptations to help pupils with SEND access the curriculum. Therefore, learning builds on what pupils already know and helps them to learn new knowledge and skills.

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better?

In subjects taught by non-specialist teachers, teaching does not stretch the most able pupils. This is because non-specialist teachers do not have sufficient subject knowledge and expertise. In these subjects, the most-able pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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better?

Leaders have carefully planned a curriculum to make sure that pupils access a breadth of experiences during their limited time in the school. Leaders have made 23 to 25 November 2021 careful choices about curriculum content to support pupils back into a mainstream education. This approach works for most pupils.

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better?

Pupils read with confidence and are happy to read aloud. Teachers provide support where needed and carefully check pupils’ understanding. Staff encourage pupils to read throughout the curriculum. Alongside English and mathematics lessons, pupils study a range of texts based on key themes such as the Holocaust or social deprivation. Pupils engage in the chosen text, as well as learning about historical events and religious themes. Pupils can recall key learning and make links back to the text. Pupils help one another with challenging vocabulary. This is notable, as most pupils arrive in the school as reluctant readers.

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better?

The curriculum extends beyond the academic, with specific lessons focused on behaviour, choices and self-regulation, and making positive changes. The school’s work around pupils’ behaviour is impressive. Pupils engage well with their learning. They reflect on past experiences and learn how they can make more appropriate decisions now and in the future. Pupils say that the school has helped them to improve their behaviour.

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better?

Pupils learn about respect for, and tolerance of, backgrounds and beliefs that are different from their own. They celebrate these differences. The school actively engages with members of the local community. Pupils plant flowers and bake for local elderly residents. They are proud of these achievements. Pupils are prepared for their next steps in education and employment. They consider their career paths and receive independent advice to help them with their choices. Pupils who left the school last year moved on to appropriate college placements.

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better?

The relationships and sex education (RSE) curriculum is not yet fully embedded. The proprietor organisation has produced an appropriate long-term plan. Some curriculum content has been delivered. However, leaders have not yet adapted this to meet the needs of the pupils currently in school.

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better?

The proprietor and those responsible for governance support school leaders in setting the strategic direction of the school. They make frequent checks on all aspects of the school’s work. The proprietor makes sure that the school complies with the Equality Act 2010 and that all the independent school standards are met.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school has a designated safeguarding lead, and a deputy safeguarding lead. They have completed appropriate training. Safeguarding leads take their responsibilities seriously. All staff know how to spot when a child may be at risk of harm, abuse or neglect. Staff take quick, decisive action when required and leave nothing to chance. 23 to 25 November 2021 The safeguarding policy reflects current government guidance. A copy is available on the school’s website and as a hard copy.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to stay safe through a carefully constructed curriculum. Pupils learn about risks in the community and online.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In classes taught by non-specialist teachers, the work is not challenging enough for the most able pupils. This is because the staff do not have the appropriate subject knowledge and expertise to make sure that the work is suitably demanding. Leaders need to provide training and support, so that non-specialist teachers can meet the needs of all pupils.  The RSE curriculum is not fully embedded. Therefore, pupils have not accessed key learning to prepare them for entering into healthy relationships. Leaders need to make sure that organisational curriculum plans are adapted to address the individual needs of pupils currently attending the school.  Attendance for some pupils is too low. While the school has processes in place to promote positive attendance, some pupils are missing learning. This is reflected in their work. Leaders need to make sure that pupils who miss work are supported to catch up, so that they can learn as much as possible in the short time they

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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.

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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 . 23 to 25 November 2021

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 to 5 October 2017 23 to 25 November 2021

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Information about this school

 TLG North Birmingham is an independent day school situated in Kingstanding, Birmingham. This is a school of religious character with a Christian ethos.  Places are offered to pupils with social and emotional difficulties. The school also offers places to pupils who are at risk of permanent exclusion. Pupils are referred from local schools across several local authorities including Birmingham, Solihull, Sandwell and Staffordshire.  The school is housed within a community centre, with access to a spacious learning area and a smaller classroom. Shared outdoor space is also available.  The school was last inspected in October 2017, when it was judged to be good.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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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 routine inspection the school had 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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy centre manager and the school development manager. The lead inspector met with the proprietor, who is also the director of education.  The lead inspector toured the premises and reviewed key documents relating to health and safety. Several policies were examined, including those for admissions, behaviour, bullying and complaints.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics and humanities, including history and religious studies. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors looked at plans for the wider curriculum including science, art, and personal, social, health and economic education.  The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead and deputy

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Information about this inspection

safeguarding lead, and examined records kept by the school. The safeguarding policy was reviewed. Inspectors spoke with staff about safeguarding processes 23 to 25 November 2021 and practice. Inspectors discussed safety with pupils. The lead inspector also checked the single central record.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s survey for gathering the views of parents. Responses to the pupil survey and staff survey were also considered.

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Inspection team

Melanie Callaghan-Lewis, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Janet Satchwell Ofsted Inspector 23 to 25 November 2021 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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