Taliesin Education Ltd

Inspection of Taliesin Education Ltd Loveny House, 10 Miller Business Park, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 4DA

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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 Requires improvement

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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?

Taliesin Education provides many opportunities for pupils to thrive and be successful. Typically, pupils who join Taliesin have been excluded from their previous schools. The bond between staff and pupils motivates pupils to give their very best in all that they do. Pupils know that staff care deeply and support them well to reach their full potential. They rise to staff’s high expectations with enthusiasm. All pupils who completed Ofsted’s survey would recommend the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is calm. Pupils describe the school as a ‘safe place’. They are adamant that there is no bullying. Pupils are polite, courteous and eager to catch up on any lost learning. Consequently, gaps in pupils’ learning are closing quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The well thought out personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum is fundamental to pupils’ success. The bespoke curriculums ensure that pupils have their individual needs met well. Through the PSHE curriculum, pupils overcome the challenges that have previously hampered their time in school. This ensures that they are ready for the next stage of their education.

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better?

School leaders and the proprietor have worked effectively to improve the quality of education. They have ensured that the independent school standards are met in full. This includes Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. All pupils at the school have an education, health and care plan. Equality of opportunity is an integral feature of the school. Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. Pupils are at the forefront of all decisions that leaders make.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading. They have successfully fostered a love of reading. Some pupils told inspectors that when they joined the school they could not read, and this is all that they wanted to be able to do. Dedication from staff and commitment from pupils has ensured that these pupils have achieved their aim. In most cases, these pupils can now read fluently. Leaders check pupils’ reading knowledge as soon as they start. This enables staff to identify and plan a bespoke curriculum to meet pupils’ specific needs. However, as pupils progress through their curriculums, ongoing checks of what they know and understand are not precise enough. This leads to some pupils spending too much time learning sounds that they already know.

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better?

Leaders have revised their approach to the curriculum. In nearly all subjects, the curriculum is well sequenced. Pupils focus well during lessons, and incidents of poor behaviour are rare. Staff are knowledgeable about the subjects that they teach and the specific needs of their pupils. In these lessons, teachers check precisely what pupils know, understand and can do. They use this information well to either revisit or plan the next steps. Pupils embrace learning due to the tenacious efforts of staff. Pupils typically learn the curriculum well. However, some curriculum thinking in key 4 to 6 May 2022 stage 2 is not as well considered as it needs to be. In a small minority of subjects, it is not clear what pupils need to learn and when.

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better?

Pupils have many opportunities to develop and be ready for life in modern Britain. Through the well-designed PSHE curriculum, pupils gain a secure understanding of what constitutes an appropriate relationship. Pupils have a strong sense of right and wrong. They learn about leading a healthy lifestyle and what it means to be a good citizen. Leaders encourage pupils to make positive contributions to society. This includes raising money for local and national charities. Recently, pupils organised collections for the victims of the war in Ukraine.

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better?

Pupils feel strongly that the wider curriculum prepares them well for the next stage of their education. Pupils are particularly positive about how the outdoor education curriculum supports them to be resilient, and why teamwork is important.

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better?

Leaders ensure that appropriate careers provision is in place. Pupils have access to impartial advice. Staff work closely with pupils to build on their talents and interests. Pupils are all positive about their futures.

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better?

Staff morale is high. Staff feel that leaders, including the proprietor, ensure that their well-being is a high priority. Many members of staff describe the school as ‘one big family’. All staff who completed Ofsted’s survey said they enjoy working at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a strong safeguarding culture. Leaders ensure that staff have the appropriate recruitment checks before they start to work with pupils. Staff have regular training to ensure they fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities. They know the risks that pupils might face. Leaders work closely with external agencies to ensure pupils get the support they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe. They say that there is always an adult available. Pupils are positive that they have someone to contact day or night should they have a concern.

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Safeguarding

An up-to-date safeguarding policy is on the school’s website.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 A small minority of pupils who join the school with gaps in their reading knowledge are not catching up as quickly as they could. This is because some staff do not use assessment information as well as they could. This means that some pupils spend too much time learning sounds that they already know. 4 to 6 May 2022 Leaders need to ensure that all staff use assessment information effectively, so that all pupils reach their full potential.  Some subjects in the key stage 2 curriculum need to be strengthened further. Curriculum thinking does not always consider well enough the knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. This leads to some pupils not learning the subject content as well as they could. Leaders must ensure that they continue to improve the curriculum.

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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 . 4 to 6 May 2022

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Website www.tpluscentres.co.uk Email address barry.coppins@tpluscentres.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16–18 October 2019 4 to 6 May 2022

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Information about this school

 Taliesin Education Limited is an independent special school. It specialises in supporting vulnerable pupils with complex social, emotional and mental health needs.  The school uses one alternative provider to provide some specialist education, training and opportunities.

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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

 This was the first routine 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.  The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders, curriculum leaders and teaching staff. The lead inspector had a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  The lead inspector met with the proprietor remotely.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, PSHE and history. 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, looked at samples of pupils’ work and listened to

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Information about this inspection

pupils read.  Inspectors examined a range of documentation provided by the school, including leaders’ self-evaluation, improvement plans and documentation relating to behaviour and attendance.  The lead inspector toured the site with the headteacher to evaluate the suitability of the premises and the arrangements for the welfare, health and safety of pupils.  Inspectors scrutinised safeguarding records, spoke with staff about safeguarding and spoke with pupils. The lead inspector also met with the designated safeguarding leader.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration the responses to the staff and pupil surveys. 4 to 6 May 2022

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Inspection team

Matt Middlemore, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tracy Hannon Ofsted Inspector 4 to 6 May 2022 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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