Core Training and Development limited

Inspection of Core Training and Development Networks House, Whitehall Industrial Estate, Whitehall Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS12 5JB

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s curriculum is not well structured. In some subjects, pupils do not learn the intended curriculum well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not benefit from a good quality education. The curriculum does not support all pupils to achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend Core Training and Development as an alternative provision when their home school is unable to meet their needs. All pupils who attend this setting remain dual registered with their home school. Expectations of pupils’ behaviour and conduct are high. Pupils know what is expected of them. They can explain how the school’s behaviour approach is applied consistently and fairly. Poor behaviour rarely disrupts lessons in school. When incidents do occur, leaders and adults manage them sensitively and well, quickly de-escalating any difficult situations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults in school are passionate about creating a positive environment in which young people are able to flourish. Pupils understand the school’s systems and how these are designed to keep them safe. Relationships among pupils and staff reflect the positive, caring culture that has been established. This culture has led to significant improvements in the behaviour and attendance of all pupils in this setting. Many pupils explained to inspectors why they feel supported and cared for well. They are able to share examples of how they are thriving at Core Training and Development when their other school placements have failed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are extremely positive about this school. They recognise the improvements their children are making. Some parents spoke of the support they receive. They are pleased that their children are now able to plan for a future in education, employment or training. They had previously thought this impossible.

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better?

All pupils receive daily lessons in English, mathematics and science. Reading is prioritised by school tutors. Pupils enjoy the increased opportunity they have to access reading in school. They appreciate being able to speak to adults when they are unsure of the precise meaning of new vocabulary or to discuss their thoughts about the behaviour of a key character in a text. Tutors and learning mentors ensure that their own use of English supports pupils in developing their language and vocabulary well. However, the school’s curriculum offer is not considered carefully enough to ensure that it responds to pupils’ individual needs or builds on from their varied starting points.

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better?

The proprietor and school leaders have not appropriately considered what will be taught and when in core subjects. As a result, pupils experience a disconnected series of lessons. Pupils struggle to build new learning on their varying foundations of knowledge. In some lessons, tutors use incorrect subject knowledge. Assessment papers, linked to the previous national curriculum, are used to check pupils’ 7 to 9 February 2023 understanding. This means that pupils are tested on content that they have not been taught.

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better?

Some pupils are studying for bespoke qualifications. Their home schools plan the content of these pupils’ studies. The content is then delivered at Core Training and Development. Leaders have not ensured that they receive, in a timely manner, the precise curriculum information required from the home school for each pupil. This delay has led to pupils failing to access the full curriculum offer. Pupils shared their concerns about falling behind and how they might catch up with the inspection team. Pupils have access to limited resources to support them with their learning. They have no opportunity to use digital resources in school.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not make the progress of which they are capable. Leaders do not accurately identify or assess the needs of pupils with SEND. The school does not have a special educational needs coordinator. School leaders do not obtain the records for pupils with SEND from their home schools as a matter of course. In some cases, leaders are unaware of pupils’ prime category of need and when their education, health and care plan review is due. In some cases, leaders are unaware of the support previously available to pupils in their home school.

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better?

The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education offer pupils receive has been carefully thought through by school tutors. They understand the importance of making sure that the PSHE curriculum matches the needs of their pupils. Tutors have prioritised the specific areas of the PSHE curriculum, such as the characteristics of positive and healthy friendships. In addition to the daily PSHE lessons, carefully considered social times include a focus on developing positive characteristics, such as good manners, appropriate hygiene and respectful behaviour. Healthy relationships are also a priority. However, a parental consultation on relationships and sex education has not taken place. Parents have not been informed of their right to opt their child out of sex education. Leaders recognise the importance of this. During the inspection, the pupils’ induction process was amended to ensure that parents are consulted and the options available to them are clearly shared.

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better?

Leaders recognise the importance of improving their PSHE offer to include a greater understanding of digital safety and how to be physically healthy. Some pupils expressed their frustration about the lack of healthy food options available at lunchtime.

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better?

Pupils access careers guidance in Year 11. Adults work one to one with older students, providing them with bespoke support when applying for further education placements or apprenticeships. Further and earlier work is needed to develop pupils’ awareness of the different career opportunities available to them. There is no practical physical education (PE) offer on site or within the local area. A small proportion of pupils undertaking a PE qualification return to their home school to access the practical element of their qualification.

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better?

The proprietor and headteacher work closely with families and external agencies. Despite most pupils living out of area, senior leaders maintain a close relationship 7 to 9 February 2023 with parents and carers. They work collaboratively with families to support the pupils in their care. Leaders understand the pressures that their staff team face. Supporting staff with the management of their workload and well-being is a priority. Staff enjoy working at Core Training and Development and are proud to be part of the team.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

It is clear that all adults in this setting are passionate about supporting their pupils. They understand the pressures that pupils may face and identify those who may need prompt support. Safeguarding is built into the school’s curriculum. Pupils receive one-to-one sessions, as required, with their key worker. Leaders have clear entry and exit procedures in place for all pupils. Pupils say these procedures help them to feel safe in school at all times.

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Safeguarding

The proprietor and senior leaders conduct safer recruitment procedures with care. They ensure that references are received and other appropriate checks are undertaken. Safeguarding checks, including training updates, are followed up by the proprietor in termly progress meetings with all members of staff. Staff members also sign to confirm there have been no changes to their circumstances since the range of checks were carried out at their recruitment.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that daily attendance information is notified to a pupil’s home school. This means that non-attendance is followed up by the home school and Core Development and Training. Leaders are in the process of moving their safeguarding record-keeping onto an electronic management information system. They have planned further training to support them in making full use of the new system. At present, safeguarding records and pupil information are maintained in a variety of formats.

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Safeguarding

Leaders can access any information needed quickly. However, inspectors noted small errors in documents and some documents that were out of date. Leaders do not ensure that the school’s first-aid policy is implemented consistently. For instance, medications had been administered without being clearly recorded. In addition, some items in the first-aid boxes were out of date.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school’s curriculum is not mapped out clearly. Leaders have not thought about the key content that pupils need to learn and the order in which it should be taught. Pupils are unable to build on what they already know. Leaders must refine their curriculum thinking so that the curriculum for every subject clearly sets out the precise detail of what pupils need to know and in what order. 7 to 9 February 2023  The assessments used by tutors do not assess pupils’ knowledge of the curriculum being delivered. This prevents tutors from effectively checking what pupils know and remember. Leaders must ensure that purposeful assessment is used to check pupils understand what they are being taught so that they know and remember more.  School leaders’ induction processes for pupils with SEND are inefficient. Leaders do not obtain information about the additional needs of pupils with SEND in a timely manner. Leaders need to ensure that record-keeping processes are

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

formalised to support the gathering of detailed and robust information about each pupil.  The proprietor has not ensured that the school meets all of the independent school standards. They should take action to make sure that the school meets all standards in part 1, part 3, part 5 and part 8 of the independent school standards.

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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. 7 to 9 February 2023

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School details

Website www.coretraininganddevelopment.co.uk

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School details

Email address info@coretraininganddevelopment.org

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected 7 to 9 February 2023

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Information about this school

 Core Training and Development is an independent school for pupils who are at risk of permanent exclusion.  The school opened on 11 March 2022. Before the school opened as a registered independent school, it operated as an unregistered alternative provision and as a childcare provider. This is the school’s first standard inspection  Most pupils are referred to the school directly from a home school. They attend on a full-time or a part-time basis. All pupils remain dual registered with their home school.  The school is situated on an industrial estate on the outskirts of Leeds city centre.  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 has failed to meet the independent school standards. These are the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

This is the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken this into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, curriculum tutors, learning mentors and the administration manager. Inspectors also met with the proprietor and pastoral leader.  Inspectors looked in detail at English, mathematics, science and PSHE. They talked to leaders and tutors about their curriculum plans. They also talked to pupils about what they knew and remembered in these subjects. They looked at pupils’ work and visited lessons.  Inspectors met with leaders with overall responsibility for safeguarding and looked at school records. They also scrutinised the school’s single central record of recruitment checks.  Inspectors considered responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire, including free-text responses, and spoke with some parents on the telephone.  Inspectors talked to pupils to gather their views on school life. An inspector talked to some home schools on the telephone. 7 to 9 February 2023

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Inspection team

Zoe Lightfoot, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

James Duncan His Majesty’s Inspector 7 to 9 February 2023

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if-

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(1)(a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub-paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(1)(b) the written policy, plans and schemes of work-

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(1)(b)(i) take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those pupils with an EHC plan.

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(2) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are-

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(2)(a) full-time supervised education for pupils of compulsory school age (construed in accordance with section 8 of the Education Act 1996), which gives pupils experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education.

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2A(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor-

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2A(1)(b) ensures that every registered pupil who is provided with secondary education at the school is provided with relationships and sex education, except in so far as the pupil is excused as mentioned in sub-paragraph (2),

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2A(1)(f) consults parents of registered pupils at the school before making or revising a statement under sub-paragraph (e), and

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2A(1)(g) publishes a copy of the statement on a website and provides a copy of the statement free of charge to anyone who asks for one.

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school-

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(a) enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of 7 to 9 February 2023 lessons;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(e) demonstrates good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(f) utilises effectively classroom resources of a good quality, quantity and range;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils’ work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 13 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that first aid is administered in a timely and competent manner by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written first aid policy.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 29(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that suitable outdoor space is provided in order to enable-

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

– 29(1)(a) physical education to be provided to pupils in accordance with the school curriculum.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school-

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently;

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently. 7 to 9 February 2023 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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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