Francis Barber Pupil Referral Unit

Inspection of a good school: Francis Barber Pupil Referral Unit 287 Franciscan Road, Tooting, London SW17 8HE

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. Inspectors are recommending the next inspection to be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to attend this school and appreciate the work of all the staff team. It is a caring school, where staff make sure all are valued and respected. All staff have high ambitions and want all pupils to achieve.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the extra-curricular and enrichment activities that leaders organise. Leaders ensure that pupils experience a range of opportunities which encourage resilience, confidence and awareness of personal safety. This includes horse riding and working on a project with the police.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive help to understand their emotions. Pupils are taught how to regulate their behaviour for themselves. This ensures that pupils’ behaviour is mostly calm and orderly in and outside of lessons. They respect staff, their peers and are tolerant of differences. Incidents of bullying are rare, and should they occur, they are dealt with quickly by staff. Pupils are kept safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A range of subjects is taught at the school. Some, but not all, have been carefully thought through. Sometimes, teaching does not ensure that pupils have opportunities to build on and secure their understanding.

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

Leaders want all pupils to follow an ambitious curriculum. However, not all subject curriculum thinking matches leaders’ ambitions. In some subjects, leaders have thought carefully about what is taught, when it is taught and how pupils will learn more over time. However, in other subjects, leaders have not ensured that the curriculum is as carefully 21 and 22 March 2023

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thought through and sequenced, or when specific content should be taught. This hinders pupils from knowing and remembering more over time.

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Leaders measure pupils’ starting points. They check pupils’ knowledge and skills. In some subjects, leaders use this information well. Teachers amend the curriculum, correct pupils’ misconceptions, and teach missing knowledge to address any gaps in their learning. In other subjects, this is not as established or in the process of being embedded. Teachers who teach subjects outside of their subject specialism do not routinely have the relevant subject knowledge to do so. This means pupils are sometimes introduced to new and more complex ideas too quickly. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge that go unidentified and unaddressed.

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Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the support they need to access learning. Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND quickly and work effectively with multi-agency partners to ensure that pupils are prepared for adulthood.

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Leaders prioritise building up pupils’ reading. Leaders ensure that pupils are confident and resilient to benefit from extra help in reading in order to develop essential reading fluency. Leaders are ambitious to develop this work further to support them in identifying pupils’ reading and literacy needs.

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Leaders work successfully to improve pupils’ behaviour. They provide effective support for staff in supporting pupils to behave well. Leaders have ensured that all staff are trained to tailor approaches to pupils’ specific needs. Staff are quick to resolve any behaviour incidents, and they work with pupils to manage their emotions. Typically, pupils’ learning proceeds without disruption.

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School leaders work with a range of professionals to support pupils’ personal development. This helps pupils to move on successfully to the next stage of their education, whether in another school or in post-16 provision. Pupils participate in a range of enrichment learning that is relevant and tailored to their needs. Pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain, and they are encouraged to develop their character, including through partnership work with local primary schools.

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All leaders have high expectations for all staff. Leaders are reflective and have identified the appropriate priorities for development. Typically, staff feel that leaders take their workload into account and that their well-being is prioritised. There are no concerns in relation to gaming and off-rolling.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure there is a culture of safeguarding that does not normalise behaviours or concerns. Staff are trained to recognise signs of abuse and neglect and, where issues arise, they raise them swifty. Leaders have made sure that members of the safeguarding team are well trained and work closely with leaders with responsibility for pupils’ 21 and 22 March 2023

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behaviour and attendance. They work in close partnership to understand pupils’ needs and to identify the right support for them and their families.

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Pupils are taught about risks. Leaders work with a range of professionals to encourage pupils to keep themselves safe in and outside of school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Curriculum thinking in some subjects is in development. Leaders have not coherently sequenced essential knowledge that pupils should learn or clarified how pupils develop knowledge over time. As a result, pupils do not develop new knowledge and skills equally well across all subjects. Leaders should ensure that all subjects have coherently sequenced curriculum thinking which demonstrates progression of knowledge over time.  Leaders have not ensured that all teachers across different subjects check that pupils are following the subject curriculum. This means that, sometimes, teachers move pupils on to new learning before previous knowledge is secured. Sometimes, teachers do not address misconceptions or fill gaps in pupils’ learning. Therefore, pupils are not helped to know and remember more, or to develop some subject-specific skills well. Leaders should ensure that the implementation of all curriculums enables pupils to

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

retain the knowledge they need in their long-term memory before introducing more complex thinking.  In some subjects, staff do not have the subject knowledge expertise needed to present information clearly and address pupils’ misconceptions at the point in which they arise. Leaders need to ensure that all teachers have the subject knowledge expertise needed to identify the component knowledge and skills that pupils need to know and remember, as well as identify and rectify misconceptions.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually, this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2013. 21 and 22 March 2023

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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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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. 21 and 22 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255532 Type of school Pupil referral unit

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 December 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school operates in two sites: in Wandsworth, at 287 Franciscan Road, Tooting, London SW17 8HE, and 5 Westdean Close, SW18 2JX. Both sites cater for pupils in Years 7 to 11. Pupils are referred by the local authority or mainstream schools for short- or longer-term placements.  Many of the pupils have experienced disruption to their education before joining the school. Many have social, emotional and mental health needs and/or speech, language and communication needs.  At the time of the inspection, the school was making use of alternative provision for five pupils at Road 2 Success.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 21 and 22 March 2023

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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 and middle leaders in the school. Inspectors spoke with members of the management board and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also sampled curriculum thinking and spoke to leaders in other subjects.  During the inspection, inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including in relation to safeguarding, careers, reading and SEND.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors spoke with leaders and staff to understand how workload and well-being are considered in the school.  Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff and pupils. There were two responses to Ofsted’s survey for parents, Parent View.

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Inspection team

Kieran Bird, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gary Rawlings His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 March 2023

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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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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