Central Hub Brighton

Inspection of Central Hub Brighton Lynchet Close, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 7FP

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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 26 and 27 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Individual pupils really matter here, and the school knows each pupil well. It works tirelessly to remove barriers to pupils’ learning and ensures that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are supported effectively and therefore progress well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They know whom they can talk to if they have any concerns. The school is calm and uses clear routines to help pupils to feel at ease. Pupils usually behave well in lessons and during breaktimes. Most pupils attend this school more often than they attended their previous school. There are positive and mutually respectful relationships between staff and pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a curriculum designed to help them rediscover their love of learning. Staff are experts at understanding the wide range of reasons that mean pupils have found it difficult to learn in the past. They inspire pupils to have the confidence to express themselves positively. This includes, for example, many opportunities to read out loud.

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better?

The school is highly inclusive, and staff are rightly determined to meet the needs of all pupils. The school has developed an ambitious curriculum focused on helping pupils to re-engage with their learning. It provides pupils with knowledge that prepares them well for their next steps. Staff are quick to establish what individual pupils need. The school identifies pupils with SEND swiftly as well as others who require extra support. Leaders rightly prioritise building trust between staff and pupils. As a result, pupils gain confidence.

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better?

Staff develop pupils’ reading through the consistent delivery of specific sessions. In the primary setting, teachers track the phonics that pupils learn carefully. Staff provide suitable support for pupils who struggle with reading. Pupils enjoy reading to adults. They read books that match the sounds that they know. In the secondary settings, staff prioritise reading well and also ensure that older pupils have opportunities to read out loud. This improves pupils’ fluency and confidence in reading. They show perseverance when they meet challenges. By doing this, the school prepares pupils for transitions to their next stages of education and training.

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better?

At the primary (called ‘CHB Primary’) and Lynchet Road (called ‘CHB Key Stage 3 and 4’) settings, the curriculum is sufficiently broad to ensure pupils study a wide range of suitable subjects that are geared specifically to their needs. However, pupils at ‘The Connected Hub’ provision do not experience as much breadth in the curriculum because they attend part time. Although leaders have made efforts to mitigate this with cross-curricular days, there is not sufficient focus given to crucial wider learning, for example in information technology. 26 and 27 March 2024

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The school has a clearly understood behaviour policy that helps pupils to improve their conduct. While some low-level disruption occurs in lessons, staff use high levels of expertise to quickly support pupils effectively. Staff are typically consistent in managing pupils’ behaviour. This ensures that pupils feel a sense of fairness in how they are treated.

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Pupils’ attendance is a key issue. Leaders have rightly prioritised this and devote considerable resources to supporting pupils to come into school. They work hard with other agencies and are tenacious when following up on agreed actions. As a result, most pupils attend school more now than at their previous settings. The school rightly recognises that it needs to continue this crucial work to ensure pupils get to school more often.

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Each pupil’s personal development is addressed carefully. Pupils learn how to keep themselves and others safe, including online. The school’s careers programme is equally well designed, and pupils are being very well prepared for their next steps.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel well supported and access a range of opportunities to support their professional development, which meets their individual needs and strengthens their work in class. Those responsible for governance fulfil their statutory responsibilities well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Levels of pupils’ absence and persistent absence are relatively high, although improving. Some pupils are missing a significant amount of their education and have gaps in their knowledge and understanding. The school should continue its effective work with parents, outside agencies and the local authority to improve pupils’ attendance further.  Pupils attending ‘The Connected Hub’ do not experience a curriculum that is as broad as it could be. This means they are not learning some aspects which would improve their achievement further. The school should ensure that pupils are provided with a curriculum which meets the breadth of their needs. 26 and 27 March 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). 26 and 27 March 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 29 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Central Hub Brighton is a pupil referral unit for pupils aged between 4 and 16. It opened in this current form in August 2019. Previously, the provision was called Brighton and Hove Pupil Referral Unit.  The school is made up of three provisions that were formerly separate schools. It is based across three sites: ‘CHB Primary’, ‘CHB Key Stage 3 and 4’ and ‘The Connected Hub’.  Pupils join the school throughout the academic year. Many have had low attendance at their previous schools and arrive having experienced gaps in their education.  Some pupils attend other alternative education providers as well. Four of these are unregistered.

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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. 26 and 27 March 2024

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 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 met with the co-chairs and members of the management committee, a local authority representative, the headteacher, senior leaders and a range of staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in: reading, English, mathematics and personal, social and health education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and considered pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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

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culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the views of parents, pupils and staff, including through Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Gary Tostevin, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Caroline Clarke Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 March 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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