Progress Schools - Wolverhampton

Inspection of Progress Schools - Wolverhampton The Way Youth Zone, School Street, Wolverhampton WV3 0NR

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

This caring school has high aspirations for every pupil who walks through its doors. Pupils know that staff value them and expect them to work hard and do well. This helps pupils to be positive and feel happy. As a result, pupils usually enjoy coming to school and work hard in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils settle in quickly. This is because staff act swiftly to help pupils overcome the difficulties that they experienced before they joined Progress Schools Wolverhampton. Strong relationships between pupils, families and staff are at the heart of this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a warm, family atmosphere, where everyone works hard together. All staff are thoroughly invested in supporting pupils to achieve the best that they can. They work hard to help pupils regain their confidence and restore their faith in education. Part of this involves encouraging and supporting pupils to behave well. Some pupils do not find this easy at times. Staff work with pupils to help them manage their feelings and encourage them to focus on their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel that school is safe and free from bullying. They know they can share any worries with a trusted adult, who will help them.

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better?

The proprietor body provides effective leadership and monitoring of the school and ensures that the independent school standards (the standards) are met. Leaders have a clear vision for the school. This starts with developing relationships between home and school and setting clear expectations of behaviour and engagement.

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better?

Leaders have carefully reviewed and developed the curriculum over the past year. It is ambitious and designed to give pupils what they need for their next steps in education. In core subjects such as mathematics and English, the curriculum is carefully planned and sequenced, which enables pupils to build successfully on their prior learning. Across the wider curriculum in the ‘My World’ units, staff are refining the key knowledge they expect pupils to know. In some cases, there is still too much content to cover and opportunities to make links with learning may be missed.

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better?

Pupils begin school with very different starting points. The school prioritises English and mathematics so that pupils catch up on missed learning in these subjects. Many pupils have considerable gaps in their learning because of their disrupted education prior to joining the school. Leaders have ensured that teachers use assessment strategies effectively in the classroom to check that pupils understand and remember important knowledge within a topic.

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better?

Teachers have good subject knowledge and present information clearly to pupils. They check pupils’ understanding and give pupils clear feedback so that they know how to improve. 23 to 25 January 2024 Reading is a priority, and staff encourage pupils to read widely and for pleasure. Staff use reading assessments to identify where pupils have gaps in their phonics knowledge and plan appropriate support and interventions if required. There is a focus on vocabulary, and staff work with pupils on carefully selected texts to help pupils expand their vocabulary and gain confidence with their reading.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive good support and are fully included in school life. Staff understand pupils’ particular circumstances and match effective learning to meet these needs. This inclusive culture supports pupils with SEND to achieve well.

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better?

Lessons in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education ensure that pupils understand the importance of healthy lifestyles and relationships. Pupils learn about different religions and cultures through the curriculum. This helps prepare them for life in modern Britain.

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better?

The school is led and managed well. Leaders take care to support staff and manage their workload. Due to recent staff changes, some staff are new in their curriculum leader roles and benefit from continued support and guidance. Staff are proud to be part of the Progress School’s family and work together well in the best interests of all pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Some parts of the curriculum are at an earlier stage of being reviewed and refined. At times, some units of work contain too much content that can be taught within curriculum time. As a result, pupils may not remember the intended learning in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that all areas of the curriculum make clear the important knowledge they want pupils to learn.  Some curriculum leaders are still relatively new to their post. As a result, they are in the earlier stages of developing their role. Leaders should ensure that curriculum leaders have the opportunity to access support to be able to effectively lead their curriculum area and evaluate the impact of their subject over time.

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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. 23 to 25 January 2024 The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 23 to 25 January 2024

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £17,500 to £54,000

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School details

Email address wolverhamptonps@progress-schools.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 to 14 July 2022 23 to 25 January 2024

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Information about this school

 Progress Schools Wolverhampton is an independent school that caters for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.  The school is registered to provide full-time education for up to 30 pupils, aged 11 to 16 years.  A new head of school started in May 2023.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school has received two progress monitoring inspections since the last standard inspection. These took place on 17 March 2023 and 17 October 2023.

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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.  The lead inspector met with a representative of the proprietor body, the director of schools and the director of teaching, learning and assessment.  Inspectors also met with the headteacher, teachers and pastoral staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, PSHE and creative arts. For these deep dives, inspectors carried out a range of activities including discussions about the curriculum and looking at curriculum documentation, visiting lessons, speaking to teachers and pupils and looking 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

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Information about this inspection

considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector toured the premises to check for compliance with the standards. A number of key documents were also reviewed, including policies relating to admissions, behaviour, curriculum, complaints, health and safety and safeguarding. 23 to 25 January 2024  Inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Emma Gater, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Russell Hinton Ofsted Inspector 23 to 25 January 2024 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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