Thamesfield College

Inspection of North East Surrey Secondary Short Stay School 174 Molesey Road, Hersham, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey KT12 4QY

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Inspection dates: 14 to 15 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 14 and 15 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Each morning, pupils are welcomed by kind and considerate staff. Time is taken to help every individual settle and get ready to learn. For some pupils this is not always easy, particularly for those whose education was disrupted before they joined the school. In response to any poor behaviour, staff show patience and care. This helps pupils know they are safe and that they can learn, once they are ready.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a calm learning environment across both school sites. Pupils value their bespoke timetables that focus on the education and support needed in readiness for the next stage of education. Older pupils talk confidently about how their vocational courses are preparing them for different training opportunities available to them when they leave school. For younger pupils, well-trained staff provide thoughtful teaching and therapeutic support to help pupils move into a specialist or mainstream school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The personal development of pupils is of equal importance as their academic education. A wide variety of opportunities help pupils explore their own identity and their place in their communities. Pupils keenly describe how their learning, such as through the carefully planned personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum, helps them know the actions they must take to stay safe.

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better?

Significant improvements have been made to the school since the last inspection. These have been led by a relentlessly ambitious headteacher and senior leadership team, who have the needs of each pupil at the heart of all decision-making. Regular collaboration with staff and the school’s management committee ensures a focus on embedding the school’s values of ‘integrity, respect and perseverance’. This is evident to see in how positively many pupils approach their learning and in their conduct, both in and outside of classrooms.

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better?

Much of the school’s curriculum is ambitious and thoughtfully planned. The individual pathways in each subject have been constructed based upon pupils’ different starting points. Leaders are rightly proud of how these improvements can be seen in the achievement of pupils who completed their key stage 4 studies this year. The school recognises, however, that a small number of subjects have not been as fully redeveloped as intended. Ongoing improvements are currently taking place to ensure learning is securely and consistently embedded across the full curriculum.

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better?

When pupils are referred to the school, staff prioritise exploring why pupils have not been able to learn effectively in a mainstream setting. Pupils’ individual SEND needs are swiftly identified and shared with staff. Where needed, education, health and care (EHC) assessments and plans are completed for those pupils who have the most complex needs. While staff are given ‘student profiles’ that highlight some of these needs, staff are not always clear on how to precisely adapt learning. As a 14 and 15 November 2023

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result, staff do not consistently have the appropriate knowledge and expertise required to help pupils achieve well across every aspect of the curriculum.

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Pupils know they are expected to attend school regularly and behave well throughout the school day. When pupils do not meet the school’s high expectations for behaviour and attendance, staff follow clearly set out procedures. Immediate discussions with parents take place to put in additional support when required. Staff encourage pupils to see the value of attending school, learning important skills and spending time with friends. This includes valuing the daily lunchtimes, where pupils and staff come together to eat and share their views.

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Opportunities to develop pupils’ character, alongside their individual talents and interests, are thoughtfully provided. Specific lessons, assemblies and ‘personal development’ days encourage pupils to explore topics, such as heathy relationships, equality and diversity, and the importance of being physically and mentally healthy. A particular strength of this provision is the careers education and guidance. This is meticulously planned to help pupils positively plan for and follow their future aspirations.

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Staff work closely with appropriate education staff, multi-agencies and with parents as they provide the support each pupil needs to experience a positive education. Parents particularly value the dedicated support the school provides, with one stating: ‘I’m so proud of the boy my son is becoming, and I owe this all to the school and the amazing staff in it.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school is continuing to implement the redeveloped curriculum pathways. As a result, some activities do not always closely match the intended outcomes, meaning pupils are not always learning as much as they could. The school should continue to monitor the full implementation of the curriculum to ensure it is securely and consistently embedded across all subjects.  Written documentation around the individual needs of pupils with SEND does not always give staff the detailed information they need to successfully adapt learning. In addition, the school recognises that all staff do not always have the appropriate knowledge about the different, and often complex, needs of the pupils who now attend the school. Consequently, learning is not always as sharply focused as it could be. The school needs to continue to implement their planned improvements and training to build the expertise of staff.

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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). 14 and 15 November 2023

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 28 to 29 September 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is split across two sites in Hersham and Staines. Both sites provide an education for pupils who have been referred to the school by the local authority or by mainstream schools.  Pupils who attend have either been permanently excluded from another school or because they may be at risk of permanent exclusion.  At the time of the inspection, 53 pupils were attending the school, 26 of these were on the school’s roll. A further 27 were dual rolled with their mainstream school.  Almost all pupils have SEND. A very small number of pupils also have EHC plans.  The school offers an outreach service to local schools to pupils in mainstream schools.  The school currently uses one registered provider and nine unregistered providers of alternative provision. These weekly sessions form part of the current timetables in place for approximately half of the pupils who attend the school.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which

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Information about this school

requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 14 and 15 November 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  The lead inspector met with representatives from the management committee and spoke to a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, food, and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work where appropriate.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

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.  The inspectors considered the responses to the confidential Ofsted surveys for staff, pupils and Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also spoke to pupils throughout the inspection.  An inspector also visited some of the alternative provision used by the school.

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Inspection team

Aimee Floyd, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Ellison His Majesty’s Inspector 14 and 15 November 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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