The Heights Burnley

Inspection of The Heights Burnley Burleigh Street, Burnley, Lancashire BB12 0DU

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Inspection dates: 20 and 21 February 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Natalie Lewis. This school is part of Education Partnership Trust, which means that other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Sharon Roscoe, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ian Brown. 20 and 21 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils quickly settle into this school. They forge strong relationships with staff. This builds a strong sense of community. Pupils appreciate the care that is shown to them by staff. Generally, pupils feel comfortable to ask for help when they need it. They are happy to attend this school. Many pupils told inspectors that the best thing about the school is the staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s ‘PRIDE’ values exemplify the high expectations that it has for pupils. It has designed an ambitious curriculum because it believes that pupils can succeed. The school understands each pupil’s needs and provides appropriate support. This helps pupils to achieve well. Many pupils successfully reintegrate back into mainstream schools.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Typically, there is a calm atmosphere in the school. Pupils behave well in lessons. They respond positively to the school’s routines. Most pupils are supported successfully to engage in their learning. On occasion, when pupils do not behave as the school expects, staff expertly de-escalate situations so that learning is hardly ever disrupted.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of physical activities, such as boxing sessions and indoor climbing. They represent the school in sporting tournaments. Visits by local employers inspire pupils’ future career choices. Pupils also enjoy attending an array of clubs, such as podcasting club.

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better?

The school has designed a high-quality curriculum. It has carefully considered the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn. Furthermore, the curriculum is designed to ensure that pupils on short-term placements can keep up with their learning. Pupils who attend the school for extended periods of time build up their knowledge over time. However, in some subjects, some staff lack suitable subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum successfully. They do not always design learning that helps pupils to know and remember more.

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better?

The school uses assessment strategies effectively to identify any gaps in pupils’ knowledge when they first arrive. Staff use this information to successfully shape pupils’ future learning. However, in lessons, some staff do not check how well pupils are learning. This means that they are sometimes unaware that pupils have developed misconceptions.

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better?

A high proportion of pupils arrive at the school having struggled with their learning in the past. The school has recently refined its processes for collecting information about pupils. This is so that it can swiftly identify any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) that pupils may have. Staff adapt teaching well for pupils with SEND. These pupils achieve well. 20 and 21 February 2024

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Reading is prioritised across the school. Pupils who struggle with reading are given the support they need to catch up quickly with their peers. Pupils read high-quality books that are closely matched to their phonics knowledge. They read often, growing in confidence as they do. Pupils who are still learning phonics are taught by well-trained staff. This support with reading helps pupils to achieve well in other curriculum subjects.

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Many pupils were regularly absent from their previous schools. When they join The Heights, staff precisely identify the barriers that these pupils have to attending regularly. Nearly all pupils’ attendance improves during their time at the school. Pupils told inspectors that the improvement in their regular attendance is one of the key successes of being in this school.

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Pupils experience a high-quality programme of careers education. This raises their aspirations and ensures that they are well prepared for the next stages of their lives. In addition, the school provides many opportunities to enrich pupils’ understanding of the world. For example, they visit local museums and beaches. Pupils also learn about keeping themselves safe in an age-appropriate way. For instance, key stage 2 pupils enjoy a visit from the fire service to learn about fire safety.

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Staff are well supported to manage pupils’ behaviour. The school considers staff workload and supports this by giving them time for trust-wide training. Some parents spoke candidly about how the school has changed not only their child’s life, but also that of the whole family.

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There is excellent communication between the trustees and the local governing body. Trustees have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Governors hold the school to account appropriately.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers do not have the subject knowledge that they need to deliver the curriculum in some subjects as intended. This means that they sometimes design learning activities that do not help pupils to know and remember more. The school should ensure that staff are supported to develop subject and pedagogical knowledge to deliver the intended curriculums successfully.  In a small number of subjects, teachers do not use assessment strategies effectively to check what pupils know. They are not always aware of when pupils have not understood their learning. The school should ensure that teachers systematically check whether pupils have learned the curriculum and use these checks to design future learning. 20 and 21 February 2024

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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). 20 and 21 February 2024

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School details

School category Free school - alternative provision

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post for one year. Since then, there have also been significant changes to the senior leadership team.  The school caters for pupils in key stages 1 to 4 who have been excluded or who are at risk of permanent exclusion. Some pupils are dual registered at a mainstream school. The school offers short-term respite placements in key stages 1 to 3 and long-term placements in key stage 4. At the time of the inspection, there were no pupils in key stage 1.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 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. 20 and 21 February 2024

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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 that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, art and design, early reading and English. 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.  The inspectors spoke to members of the board of directors, including the CEO and members of the local governing body.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation, development plan, minutes of the trustee and governing body meetings and records of behaviour and attendance.

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 The inspectors spoke to pupils about their experiences of school and their views on bullying and behaviour. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, on the corridors and at unstructured times.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff. There were no responses to the pupil surveys.  Inspectors spoke to parents and commissioning schools about their views of the school.  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

Jenny Jones, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Pippa Jackson Maitland His Majesty’s Inspector 20 and 21 February 2024

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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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