Voyage Learning Campus

Inspection of a good school: Voyage Learning Campus Unit 1, Crown Works, Ashcroft House, Oldmixon Crescent, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset BS24 9AX

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Outcome

Voyage Learning Campus continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Voyage Learning Campus have often had a negative experience of education before they arrive. Staff are determined that pupils leave the school in a very different place. There is clear ambition for all pupils across the two sites. Pupils show respect for the key staff they work with. Staff model positive interactions and relationships. This encourages pupils to rise to the high expectations that leaders have of them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff get to know the pupils well. In line with the campus vision, leaders ensure that pupils have what they need to ‘thrive personally and academically’, ‘to achieve more than they believe is possible’. Pupils know that staff are invested in them and interested in what is important to them. Staff are creative in their approaches to get the best from the pupils. Pupils respond positively to this. They are encouraged to be aspirational about what comes next.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are not concerned about bullying or the behaviour of their peers. Pupils have trusted staff that they can talk to if anything worries or concerns them. The small number of parents who shared their views on the school were positive about the impact it has had on their child.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The determination for pupils to succeed is clear from the time they start at Voyage Learning Campus. Leaders ensure that there are well-established routines and expectations. They place a high importance on identifying gaps in pupils’ learning and addressing these quickly. This is underpinned by securing key relationships between staff and pupils. Staff are creative in adapting learning to overcome any barriers pupils may have so that they can experience success. This is evident in the personalised ‘meet and greet’ and settling routines each morning. 12 and 13 July 2022

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Basic skills in mathematics and English are a whole-school focus. Leaders prioritise pupils learning to read. Staff have the expertise to teach phonics so that pupils can read increasingly complex texts. Leaders are developing a culture where an enjoyment of reading is promoted. Leaders have identified the important knowledge in mathematics that they want pupils to learn and remember over time. Pupils learn through a bespoke and individualised approach. This enables teachers to effectively address gaps in learning and do so in a way that engages pupils. This is effective because staff know pupils well. However, some teachers do not always adapt learning to precisely meet pupils’ specific special educational needs and/or disabilities. When this is the case, pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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Pupils’ wider development runs through every aspect of school life. High-quality personal, social and health education (PSHE) complements this work. Pupils learn about risks they are vulnerable to and how to keep themselves safe. Leaders focus on preparing pupils for the next stage in their education. Staff develop pupils’ character and resilience. Pupils learn to be reflective and how to express their opinions appropriately. Leaders support this through regular social interaction games, debates, challenges and quizzes as well as through academic learning. The impact of this can be seen in the conduct and attitudes of pupils in lessons and around the two sites.

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There has been a shift in culture to impact on pupils’ behaviour. This is improving behaviour over time as it becomes more embedded and widespread. Staff show empathy towards pupils and support them to positively re-engage when managing dysregulated behaviour. The work already done in this area is reflected in how pupils interact with adults and each other.

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There is some collaborative work happening across the three phases. This has been effective in improving aspects of the curriculum and pupils’ wider development. However, there is important work, that leaders carry out within their areas of responsibility, which is not shared. There is not a clear overview and structure for this process to further strengthen the outcomes for pupils.

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The management committee has an informed and accurate view of the school. Staff are proud to work at the school. They state leaders have consideration for staff well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that safeguarding is a high priority. It is fundamental in the regular communication around pupils to ensure that everyone knows their responsibility to keep all pupils safe. All staff are knowledgeable and receive frequent and up-to-date safeguarding training. Leaders know the challenges faced by pupils and are proactive in managing these. External agencies are used effectively to support this work.

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Safeguarding

The school’s single central record of staff is maintained well. Appropriate recruitment processes are in place. 12 and 13 July 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have started to work collaboratively across the three phases and two school sites. However, there is not a strategic oversight of this work. Leaders do not maximise the sharing of effective practice across each of the phases. As a result, leaders are not fully aware of how important knowledge such as prior learning and awareness of final outcomes can strengthen what pupils learn over time. Leaders should ensure that there is a clear and intentional approach to collaborative working across the three phases to impact positively on learning for all pupils.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not always address specific learning needs when teaching the tailored and individual approach to learning. Consequently, pupils do not always learn as well as they could. Leaders need to ensure that staff have the right knowledge and understanding of pupils’ specific needs so that they are more precise in the adaptations they make to learning. This will further reduce barriers to learning so that pupils learn and remember more over time.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 14 and 15 November 2013.

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How can I feed back my views?

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 school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 12 and 13 July 2022

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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. 12 and 13 July 2022

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School details

School category Maintained pupil referral unit

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School details

Appropriate authority Management committee

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School details

Chair of governing body Karen Worthington

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Date of previous inspection

10 January 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Pupils who attend the pupil referral unit in phase 1 and 2 have been or are at risk of being permanently excluded. Pupils in phase 3 attend for medical or health reasons which mean they are unable to access education in a mainstream provision.  The pupil referral unit uses alternative providers.  The pupil referral unit has experienced significant changes in staffing since the last inspection in 2017.  Since the previous inspection, the pupil referral unit has closed one of its sites and now operates across two sites.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the principal, assistant vice-principals, senior and middle leaders and the chair and vice-chair of the management committee. In addition, an inspector talked to a representative from the local authority. 12 and 13 July 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and PSHE. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector listened to pupils read to an adult.  Inspectors considered how well the school protects pupils and keeps them safe.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  Inspectors analysed school documentation, including leaders’ evaluations and plans for improvement, and paperwork relating to the work of the management committee. Inspectors scrutinised a range of policies and procedures, including those that relate to the curriculum.  An inspector spoke with an alternative providers used by the school.  There were limited responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. However, six free-text responses were considered along with the responses to the pupil survey and

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Inspection team

Leanne Thirlby, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Teresa Hill Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 July 2022

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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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