Chaselea Alternative Provision Academy

Inspection of Chaselea Alternative Provision Academy Avon Road, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 1LH

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 October 2023

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The headteacher of this school is Paul Archer. This school is part of Manor Hall Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Richard Redgate, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by John Alexander. 10 and 11 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils who attend this school say they feel much happier now. They feel safe and have a trusted adult they can talk to if they are upset. Bullying does not worry them. If it happens, leaders deal with it quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils study a range of subjects, and many achieve well. In some subjects, teachers build on what pupils know effectively. However, in other subjects, the curriculum is not structured well enough to help pupils know and remember more of what they have learned.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils who attend alternative provision or have home tuition enjoy it. Leaders work hard to match programmes to pupils’ interests. However, leaders do not check the quality of these programmes carefully enough. This means that some pupils may not be achieving as well as they might.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In most lessons, pupils behave well. Staff work hard to build positive relationships with pupils. However, too many pupils choose not to attend lessons or leave partway through. This limits their progress.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders care about pupils and want them to do well. However, pupils do not get enough advice about their next steps and future careers. This means that they may not be as well prepared for when they leave school as they might.

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better?

Leaders have high expectations for what pupils can achieve. The school continually reviews the subjects pupils learn. For example, philosophy has recently been introduced into the timetable. These lessons are helping to improve pupils’ confidence to debate topics.

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better?

In some subjects, the school has sequenced the curriculum effectively. In other subjects, the curriculum is not ordered in a way that helps pupils build on their learning over time. Most teachers check what pupils are learning effectively. When done well, for example in English, teachers can identify the small steps in progress that pupils have made and where gaps in pupils’ knowledge exist. However, this is not consistent across all subjects. This hinders pupils’ progress.

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better?

The school prioritises reading. All pupils in the school have a reading lesson. Staff check how well pupils can read and provide extra help for those who need it. Pupils are encouraged to read regularly. They have read and relax sessions and ‘Book of the Month’. As a result, pupils are developing into confident readers.

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better?

Pupils who have a modified curriculum, either at school, at alternative provision or at home, study at least English and mathematics. The school plans this provision carefully and matches it to pupils’ individual needs and interests. The school also makes regular checks on pupils’ well-being. However, leaders do not routinely check 10 and 11 October 2023

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the quality of education that pupils have at alternative provision or when they have home tuition. This means that it is unclear what progress pupils are making.

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In the past, pupils’ education has been disrupted by poor experiences. Consequently, pupils struggle to re-engage with school, and for some, attendance is low. The school takes swift and effective action to deal with this. Attendance for these pupils over time shows signs of improvement.

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All pupils who attend the school have special educational needs and/or disabilities related to their social, emotional and mental health. The trust is supporting the school in managing pupils’ behaviour. This includes providing extra funding for additional staffing. The school has recently reviewed its behaviour policy with a focus on how staff can teach pupils how to self-regulate their behaviour. However, it is too early to see the difference this is making in reducing the number of incidents of inappropriate behaviour.

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The school provides pupils with a range of experiences beyond the classroom. This includes bowling and visits to the cinema. Visitors come into the school to teach pupils about potential risks in the local area and how to keep themselves safe online. However, pupils do not receive high-quality careers advice and guidance. Pupils are not given enough opportunities to find out about various careers and the different pathways that are available to them when they leave school. This means that they may not be as fully prepared for their next steps as they might.

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Leaders consider staff’s well-being and workload. All staff say they are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Not all subjects are coherently planned and sequenced. This means that pupils struggle to build on what they know and connect up new knowledge and ideas. The school should ensure that the curriculum in all subjects is well planned so that pupils develop the knowledge and skills they need to prepare them for future learning.  Some teachers do not check pupils’ knowledge and understanding effectively. As a result, not all staff know how well pupils are achieving across subjects and gaps in learning are not spotted quickly. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment effectively in all subjects so that teachers are well informed about pupils’ progress and are able to use this information to inform their teaching.  The school does not routinely check the quality of education pupils receive at alternative provision or home tuition. In addition, they do not check pupils’ 10 and 11 October 2023

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progress. This means that it is unclear how well pupils are achieving. The school needs to ensure that it routinely checks the quality of the implementation of the curriculum to ensure that all pupils achieve their full potential and are prepared for their next steps.  The school does not prepare pupils well enough for future success in education, employment and/or training. Careers provision in the school is underdeveloped and not enough pupils receive information about their potential next steps. The school needs to ensure that it continues to develop its careers provision so that pupils receive high-quality careers guidance and that pupils are fully aware of the further education, employment and/or training choices available to them.  The number of incidents of inappropriate behaviour in the school is high and too many pupils abscond from lessons. Most pupils are unable to self-regulate their behaviour. The school needs to continue to develop an effective behaviour

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management process that supports pupils to self-regulate their behaviour, so they become more committed to their learning.

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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.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 10 and 11 October 2023

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School details

School category Academy alternative provision sponsor- led Age range of pupils 11 to 16

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The academy is part of Manor Hall Academy Trust. The trust consists of 14 academies.  The academy uses one registered alternative provider and three unregistered alternative providers.  Most of the pupils attending the academy have been excluded from their previous school. Some of them have an education, health and care plan or are undergoing assessment for a range of needs.  The school does not meet 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.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 10 and 11 October 2023

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection 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 of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The lead inspector met with the executive school improvement officer, a school improvement partner and members of the local advisory board, including the chair.  The lead inspector spoke on the telephone to a representative from two of the alternative providers used by the academy and visited another alternative provider.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, reading, humanities and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors had discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils

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about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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.

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Inspection team

Lesley Yates, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Richard Winzor Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 October 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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