Compass Community School South

Inspection of Compass Community School South Hilltop House, Palmerston Road, Newhaven, East Sussex BN9 0NS

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Inspection dates: 28 September to 2 October 2023

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy in school and form positive relationships with adults and their peers. They benefit from a strong focus on treating each other with kindness, respect and manners. When pupils need to be reminded about their behaviour, this is done consistently and effectively by staff. Pupils feel safe here and know that they can go to adults in school with anything which is worrying them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their learning, but the delivery of the curriculum means they do not make as much progress as they could. The work pupils are given is not always appropriate for their age and ability. Sometimes pupils are required to move too quickly between topics, meaning that they do not have the opportunity to develop their understanding fully. Leaders have identified this, but they have not made quick enough progress to address the issues.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are committed to understanding each pupil’s personality and interests and then helping them to develop these. Pupils benefit from opportunities such as visits to a local farm, tending to the school garden and football training at a nearby stadium. These activities help pupils develop their social skills and broaden their understanding of the world around them.

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better?

Pupils enrol at this school at different times throughout the year. Most have experienced significant disruption to their education. When pupils arrive, the staff here work quickly and effectively to create a nurturing environment and help them settle in quickly. They get to know each pupil and make sure that they feel safe and welcome in school.

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better?

Pupils do not learn as well as they could here. The school’s planned curriculum is well structured, broad and appropriately sequenced. However, the way that this curriculum is delivered in school is not always effective because it is not adapted to pupils’ abilities. Often pupils in different year groups are given the same work, which is not adapted for their different starting points. This means that pupils’ learning does not consistently build on what they already know.

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better?

Although teachers use assessment regularly, this does not routinely inform what they teach next. The school has recently introduced systems to identify and fill specific gaps in pupils’ learning, but these are very new. Clear information is provided to teachers on strategies which are likely to help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, teachers do not always make good use of this information to ensure that they are meeting pupils’ needs.

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better?

Leaders have identified weaknesses in the quality of education and started to make improvements. However, this work has not had as much impact as it should have. This is partly due to substantial staff turnover. Many leaders are also relatively new 28 September to 2 October 2023 to their posts. As such, their work is in its early stages. Teachers do not always receive the training and support they need to deliver the curriculum effectively.

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better?

The school’s work to improve pupils’ behaviour is effective. In general, pupils work hard and demonstrate that they want to do well. Staff apply the school’s behavioural systems with consistency to ensure that pupils stay focused and motivated. Pupils are rarely absent from school. The school works closely with other professionals, including carers and social workers, to make sure that pupils are supported to maintain their attendance.

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better?

The curriculum in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is suitably broad and is taught more effectively than other subject areas. As a result, pupils recall their previous learning in this subject well. They can talk about how it has helped them in their everyday lives. For example, pupils make links between their learning in PSHE and the way they approach interpersonal relationships. All pupils also receive therapeutic support from the school’s psychologist, where they make progress through a personalised curriculum. This is also effective, helping to equip pupils with the skills they need to keep themselves safe in the wider world. The school’s policy and delivery of relationships and sex education and health education comply with the Department for Education’s statutory guidance.

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better?

The school’s programme of careers education has been recently improved and meets the relevant statutory requirements and independent school standards. All pupils receive independent careers advice from Year 7 onwards. Pupils also benefit from opportunities to visit workplaces and colleges, led by their interests and ambitions.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that the school continues to meet the requirements set out in the independent school standards, including those relating to pupils’ welfare. There is an appropriate safeguarding policy, which is kept up to date and published on the school’s website. During the inspection, leaders recognised that there ought to be greater clarity in relation to how medication is administered if needed while pupils are in school. They addressed this immediately.

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better?

The chair of the proprietor body has overseen changes in leadership to ensure that the school has the capacity and support it needs to improve. The work of governors suggests that they are aware of weaknesses in the school and seek improvement by supporting and challenging leaders. Leaders are mindful of staff workload when introducing new changes and policies. They are proactive in considering and looking after the well-being of staff, for example by providing opportunities for formal supervision when required.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 28 September to 2 October 2023

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The curriculum is not successfully adapted for pupils of different ages and abilities. As a result, pupils do not learn as well as they could. There are curriculum plans and assessment tools, but the school needs to provide better training for teachers on how to use these. This will help to make sure that the delivery of the curriculum meets pupils’ needs so that they can learn more effectively.  Systems to monitor and improve the standard of education are not having their intended impact. As a result, improvements to the quality of education are slower than they could be. The school should ensure that where weaknesses are identified, this leads to swifter and more effective action. This should include better support and training for teachers. Governors should check the effectiveness of this work more robustly.

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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. 28 September to 2 October 2023

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 to 15 November 2018 28 September to 2 October 2023

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Information about this school

 Compass Community School South is a part of Compass Community Ltd, which runs independent schools and care homes for pupils across the country.  The school’s last standard inspection took place in November 2018. Since then, the school has received a material change inspection in October 2020 to increase the number of pupils on roll.  The school provides education for boys with social, emotional and mental health needs.  Pupils join the school at different times during the academic year. Their places are funded by the local authority. The duration of their stay at the school is dependent upon their needs.  Since the last inspection, there has been a change in headteacher and regional executive headteacher. A further change in headteacher was underway at the time of the inspection.  The school does not use 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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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 a range of senior staff about their areas of responsibility, including the school’s headteacher, the regional executive headteacher and the regional special educational needs coordinator. The lead inspector also met with the director of education, the chair of the proprietor body and the vice-chair of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, science and personal development. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at examples of pupils’ work in a range of other subjects

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Information about this inspection

28 September to 2 October 2023 and discussed this with leaders.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the school’s compliance with the independent school standards, which included a check of the premises, policies and other relevant evidence.  The inspectors only inspected the education provision at this school.

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Inspection team

Chris Ellison, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kate Fripp His Majesty’s Inspector 28 September to 2 October 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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