On Track Education Barnstaple

Inspection of On Track Education Services Ltd Narita House, Fishleigh Rd, Roundswell Business Park, Barnstaple, Devon EX31 3UD

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good 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?

Most pupils at On Track Education in Barnstaple have experienced difficulties in previous educational settings. At the school, they receive a fresh start. Staff know pupils and their backgrounds well. They care about each pupil as an individual. Most parents and carers appreciate this. As one parent said, ‘Since my child started at On Track, it has transformed their life. They feel safe and want to go to school.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ personal development is at the heart of the school’s work. Pupils learn how to understand their emotions. Staff encourage pupils to use this knowledge to communicate how they feel. Well-trained staff help pupils regulate their behaviour if they become anxious.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for pupils to engage in academic learning. This enables pupils to make up for learning lost through periods out of education in the past.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand what bullying is and why it is not acceptable. Pupils told inspectors that when bullying occurs, staff act quickly and effectively so that it does not continue.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that the school caters for pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. They ensure that staff meet pupils’ needs, as identified in their education, health and care (EHC) plan.

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better?

Leaders ensure that pupils, including post-16 students, benefit from a broad, well- planned curriculum that meets individual pupils’ needs and interests. The curriculum allows pupils to achieve GCSEs, functional skills and vocational qualifications. Leaders ensure that each subject curriculum identifies the essential knowledge that pupils should learn. Pupils at each site, and those who work off-site, access the same curriculum. As a result, all pupils have clear goals to achieve by the time they leave school.

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better?

Leaders identify the specific learning needs of pupils accurately. They train staff to support pupils’ social and emotional needs well. Leaders and staff regularly review and adapt learning for pupils. As a result, teachers know how to support pupils’ learning effectively. Teachers have appropriate knowledge of the subjects they teach. Leaders have established a system for teachers to check pupils’ understanding. However, teachers do not yet use this approach consistently to identify gaps in pupils’ learning and inform future teaching.

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better?

Leaders place a high priority on reading. Staff deliver phonics teaching to pupils at the early stages of reading. They use books that contain the sounds that pupils know. Pupils use their phonics knowledge to become more accurate readers. More confident pupils can choose books from the libraries at each site. This helps them become independent, confident readers. 4 to 6 October 2022 Pupils’ attendance and behaviour improve when they join the school compared with their previous school or setting. Leaders support and challenge parents appropriately if pupils do not attend regularly.

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better?

Most pupils show positive attitudes to their learning. This is because staff use a consistent, calm and positive approach to managing behaviour. Leaders place a high priority on staff building solid relationships with pupils. This helps staff know the potential triggers that may affect pupils’ behaviour. As a result, staff are frequently able to intervene before situations escalate.

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better?

Pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. In personal, social and health education (PSHE), pupils learn about diversity and equality. They know the importance of respecting those whose beliefs, opinions and values differ from their own. There are many opportunities for pupils to learn about the potential risks they may face in their lives. This includes issues around online safety, alcohol, smoking, drugs and extremism. Pupils also learn about different aspects of physical and emotional health and well-being. Leaders have developed an age-appropriate relationships and sex education and health education curriculum.

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better?

Pupils receive impartial careers advice and guidance. Pupils in key stage 4 and post- 16 students have opportunities for work experience. These pupils also have access to courses at a local college. This helps to prepare them for their next steps.

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better?

There have been several school leadership changes since the previous standard inspection. Staff told the inspectors that they understand and support the new headteacher’s ambitions for the school. Most staff said that leaders are supportive and considerate of their well-being and workload. They are proud to be part of the school.

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better?

The proprietor’s involvement supports leaders effectively to improve the school. The directors ensure that school leaders have the knowledge they need to be successful. Directors support and challenge leaders well. Their involvement has created stability during times of transition.

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better?

The proprietor ensures that the independent school standards and the requirements of schedule 10 of the 2010 Equality Act are met. Robust health and safety policies and procedures ensure the safety of all three school sites. The school’s website provides the information that parents and local authorities require.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritise the safeguarding of pupils. All staff have safeguarding training. Staff know how to recognise the signs of abuse. They know how to report any concerns about a pupil’s welfare. Leaders take appropriate actions to ensure that 4 to 6 October 2022 pupils are safe. They work closely with external agencies to provide support to families.

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Safeguarding

Pupils get regular information about safeguarding through the personal development programme. This includes learning about drugs and online safety.

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Safeguarding

The proprietor fulfils their safeguarding responsibilities well. Appropriate procedures are in place to manage allegations about staff conduct. They regularly check the effectiveness of the school’s safeguarding systems. The safeguarding and child protection policy adheres to the guidance in ‘Keeping children safe in education, 2022’ and it is published on the school’s website.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The use of assessment is not yet consistent. Therefore, gaps in pupils’ understanding are not always identified precisely and some misconceptions go unaddressed. This hinders pupils’ ability to learn more and remember more in some subjects. Leaders need to ensure that assessment in all subjects is effective in identifying what pupils have learned and remembered.

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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. 4 to 6 October 2022

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School details

Unique reference number 145181 DfE registration number 878/6071

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School details

Inspection number 10239792 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

Annual fees (day pupils) £27,284 to £64,277

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sixth form

Email address mroberts@ontrackeducation.com

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 10 to 12 July 2018 4 to 6 October 2022

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Information about this school

 The school is operated by On Track Education Services Limited. The proprietor has seven other schools.  The school is located over three sites: – Narita House, Roundswell Business Park, Barnstaple, Devon EX31 3UD – 16a Castle Park Road, Whiddon Valley, Barnstaple, Devon EX32 8PA – Saunders House, Northam, Devon EX39 1AB  The school caters for pupils who have a range of SEND, including autism spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. All pupils have an EHC plan.  All pupils are placed at the school through their local authority. The majority of pupils come from Devon.  The school’s previous standard inspection was in July 2018. At that time, all aspects of the school’s work were judged good and all the independent school standards were met.  The school has subsequently had two additional inspections. The school was judged to meet all relevant independent school standards at the time of these

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Information about this school

inspections in June 2019 and September 2020.  The school’s current headteacher was appointed in May 2022.  There is no governing body.  The school does not use any 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 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 headteacher, other senior leaders and other members of staff. The lead inspector met with a director who represented the proprietor and spoke to a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English (including reading), mathematics, computing and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to 4 to 6 October 2022 teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector toured each of the school sites to check that all the independent school standards relating to the premises were met.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors reviewed a range of documentation about safeguarding. The inspectors also spoke with staff to understand how they keep pupils safe and reviewed the school’s record of checks undertaken on newly appointed staff.  Inspectors took note of the responses received on Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, and considered the results of the Ofsted staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors met with several groups of pupils to gather their views.

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Inspection team

Mark Burgess, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Martin Greenwood Ofsted Inspector 4 to 6 October 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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