On Track Education Northampton

Inspection of On Track Education Centre Northants Unit 6, Quarry Park Close, Moulton Park, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN3 6QB

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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 are very proud of this friendly school. They are very well cared for. They are confident to share any worries with trusted staff. They feel safe. Staff know pupils and their backgrounds well. They go the extra mile to support pupils. Staff make a difference to the lives of all pupils. Pupils appreciate the dedication of staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are ‘supported, nurtured, inspired and empowered’. Staff live out the school’s values daily. They have high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour. Relationships between pupils and staff are respectful and positive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get on well with each other. The school is calm and orderly. Most pupils’ behaviour improves the longer they are at the school. Staff deal quickly with bullying. There is little bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils gain from a range of activities. They enjoy a variety of sports, trips and clubs. For example, pupils persevere to be successful in kickboxing, swimming and climbing. Pupils like their small classes, and having the school dog, Diego, around.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Overwhelmingly, parents and carers speak highly about the school. Typically, a parent commented, ‘Fantastic school. My son feels cared for and feels valued. They support the whole family to give our son the best future.’

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better?

Leaders and staff focus on providing the best for each pupil. They are committed to the school’s vision and are proud of pupils. They are highly ambitious for all pupils. Leaders support staff. There is a strong team spirit. Staff look out for, and support, each other. They put pupils first. Pupils appreciate what staff do for them. One pupil commented, ‘Words cannot explain how proud we are of the staff.’

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better?

Leaders have developed a curriculum that is broad and ambitious. Subject leaders ensure that their curriculums are well planned. They identify the key knowledge that they want pupils to learn and when. Learning is ordered so that pupils build knowledge and skills over time. For example, in construction, pupils build their knowledge and plumbing skills. Teachers revisit previous learning to make sure pupils learn well. Staff continually check pupils’ learning. They skilfully change the activity or task to make sure pupils remain engaged and learn well.

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better?

Staff support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. They adjust the curriculum to meet these pupils’ additional needs. They ensure that the provision meets pupils’ education, care and health (EHC) plan targets. Many pupils succeed in gaining a range of accredited courses. They are successful in functional skills, vocational qualifications, and GCSE English and mathematics. Pupils with SEND know more and remember more over time. 12 to 14 July 2022 Leaders are building a strong culture of reading. They provide targeted support for pupils who are at an early stage of reading. Staff are trained well to use age- appropriate phonics to help pupils read fluently and confidently. Pupils choose from a huge range of books, magazines and texts. Many spoke about their favourite books and authors. Pupils develop their reading in their English lessons. They read a range of literature, including Shakespeare’s plays.

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better?

Leaders and staff know each pupil well. They build strong and trusting relationships. They continually support pupils to reflect and develop positive attitudes and behaviours. Pupils learn to understand and regulate their own behaviour. Staff help pupils to restore trust when their behaviour does not meet the school’s high expectations. Pupils learn to put things right.

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better?

Staff develop pupils’ positive attitudes to school. Many pupils have had high absence at their previous school. Most pupils attend regularly. However, some pupils do not attend regularly enough. They miss out on the good quality care, support and learning that the school provides.

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better?

Pupils’ personal development is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. Pupils gain confidence, resilience and independence. Staff provide a high quality of pastoral care. Leaders provide pupils with opportunities to engage with the local community. However, pupils are not provided with sufficient opportunities to develop their understanding of those with different faiths and beliefs.

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better?

Leaders have developed a personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum that is well structured. It includes appropriate relationships, sex and health education. Pupils learn about physical health and mental well-being. Leaders have developed a careers programme that enables pupils to explore the choices available to them for their next steps in education or training.

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better?

Leaders provide sixth-form students with a curriculum that meets their needs. This prepares them well for their next steps. Students develop self-confidence and resilience. For example, they recently returned from an exhausting and successful overnight expedition. Staff and students are proud of these achievements.

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better?

Leaders build strong relationships with parents and with pupils’ families. Parents are exceptionally positive about the school. They value the support that staff offer. They are glad that their children attend this school. All parents who responded to Ofsted’s survey would recommend the school. Many wrote positively about the impact the school is having on their children and family.

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better?

Directors know and understand their responsibilities well. They know the school’s strengths and priorities for improvement. They check the school’s work regularly. They work well with leaders, supporting and challenging them appropriately. Leaders and directors work strategically to improve the school’s provision. 12 to 14 July 2022 Directors and leaders ensure that the school meets the independent school standards securely and consistently. Leaders make sure they comply with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. The premises are well maintained. Leaders make sure that policies and key information are on the school’s website, including the safeguarding policy. Risk assessments reflect the school’s policy.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff understand their responsibilities regarding keeping pupils safe. They pass on their concerns quickly. Leaders’ response to any concerns about pupils’ welfare are timely and appropriate. They work well with, and challenge, a range of external agencies to provide help when needed.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding records are orderly and detailed. Directors regularly review the effectiveness of the school’s safeguarding systems. They fulfil their responsibilities well.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn to recognise risk in different situations in the community. Parents and staff say that pupils are safe in school. Pupils agree.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Leaders have not ensured that the school’s work to enhance pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is of a consistently high quality. They provide too few opportunities for pupils to learn about different faiths and religions. Pupils’ knowledge of different faiths and beliefs is not as developed as it should be, particularly to understand fully when and how to demonstrate respect for those whose beliefs are different to their own. Leaders should ensure that there are opportunities for pupils to develop mutual respect for those of different faiths and beliefs.  Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. They do not benefit from the good quality of education and pastoral support that all staff provide. Leaders need to ensure that those pupils who require it receive the necessary challenge and support so that they attend school regularly.

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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. 12 to 14 July 2022 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 . 12 to 14 July 2022

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School details

Unique reference number 136227 DfE registration number 941/6073

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School details

Inspection number 10232284 Type of school Other Independent Special School

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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sixth form

Proprietor On Track Education Services Limited

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sixth form

Email address pdavies@ontrackeducation.com

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 14 to 16 November 2017 12 to 14 July 2022

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Information about this school

 The school provides for pupils who have social, emotional, behavioural and mental health difficulties. Almost all pupils have an EHC plan. Many have not been successful in their previous schools.  On Track aims to ‘restore young people’s self-confidence, self-esteem, self-control and self-motivation through a flexible, personalised, needs-led programme with unconditional care, nurture and support.’  The previous standard inspection of the school was in November 2017, when it was judged to be good.  Following the school’s material change inspection in August 2019, the Department for Education approved an increase in the school’s capacity to a maximum of 48 pupils.  Sixth-form students study a curriculum that is appropriate to their stage of education. For many, this can involve embedding what they have learned in their previous years at the school or at other schools. They also undertake studies to

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Information about this school

prepare them for independent living.  The school does not use the services of alternative providers.

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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 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 and school manager. They met with other leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator and those responsible for safeguarding. They met one director.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics; science; PSHE; construction; and engineering. For each deep dive, inspectors met with the subject leader, looked at curriculum planning, visited lessons, spoke with the teachers, met with pupils about their learning and reviewed samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors looked at a range of other subjects, including reading, cooking, computing, art and English. 12 to 14 July 2022  Sixth form students were not available during the inspection. Some have left the school having completed their learning. Others were absent following an expedition.  Inspectors met with staff both formally and informally.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents. These included policies related to:

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Information about this inspection

health and safety; complaints; curriculum; behaviour; and attendance.  Inspectors toured the premises to review the suitability of the accommodation.  Inspectors considered the parental responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey. They considered the eleven written responses submitted.

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Inspection team

Chris Davies, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Paul Lowther Ofsted Inspector 12 to 14 July 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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