Progress Schools - Stockport

Inspection of Progress Schools - Stockport Belgrave House, 211 Chestergate, Stockport SK3 0AN

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the strong relationships that they form with staff at this school. Many pupils come to this school after they have struggled to engage with education previously. Here, they know that adults will listen. This helps pupils to feel happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the school and central team working tirelessly to build positive, mutual respect. Pupils understand that the school expects them to attend regularly and be on time. As a result, most pupils rapidly improve their rates of attendance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive an increasingly ambitious curriculum. This helps more pupils to move successfully into post-16 education, employment or training opportunities. However, the curriculum is not implemented consistently well. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are helped to behave well. There is a sharp focus on pupils understanding how their behaviour impacts others. The school has high expectations for all pupils and most live up to these expectations. Pupils reported that they are more able to settle to their learning due to the support provided by the school.

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better?

The proprietor has developed an interesting and ambitious curriculum which supports pupils well. The well-thought-out curriculum helps pupils to achieve well and helps to fill any gaps in pupils’ learning. Staff receive training to help them to understand how to deliver the curriculum. However, there is still an inconsistent approach in how well the curriculum is delivered across subjects and classes. In addition, in some subjects, staff’s subject knowledge is not secure. This means that some pupils do not make as much progress as they should. The school and proprietor have not established effective systems to check on the quality of education that pupils receive. They have therefore not recognised the variability in what some pupils experience in school.

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better?

The school prioritises reading and provides opportunities for pupils to enjoy being read to. Typically, skilled staff engage pupils well and draw them into the magic of enjoying a book. Pupils have their say about which books they want to study. They receive effective support to catch up quickly with their reading knowledge.

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better?

When pupils join the school, staff use an effective range of assessments which ensure that teaching can be tailored to meet pupils’ individual needs. The school uses pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans and further specialist assessments to support pupils’ progress well. The school works closely with other agencies to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the help that they need to do well. 23 to 25 April 2024 Many pupils have struggled to demonstrate positive behaviour at their previous schools. The school has established a strong focus on improving pupils’ behaviour. Pupils strive to earn rewards, for example when they make the right choices such as concentrating and joining in with lessons. Over time, the school has a marked effect on improving pupils’ behaviour and conduct.

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better?

The school has made changes to the curriculum this year which included entering pupils for GCSE qualifications in some subjects. This change is in the early stages of development. However, the change is broadening pupils’ prospects so that they can attend further education courses more easily. Pupils told inspectors that they value this broader range of qualifications.

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better?

The school has developed a suitable curriculum to teach personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) well. Pupils receive unbiased and independent careers education, information, advice and guidance. They receive useful information about healthy relationships. However, pupils do not experience a broad range of experiences which go beyond the academic curriculum. Consequently, they do not develop their talents and interests as well they should.

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better?

Staff are very positive about working at the school and appreciate the support that they receive to fulfil their roles. Staff reported that the school considers their workload and well-being when making decisions which affect them.

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better?

The proprietor has not ensured that the independent school standards (‘the standards’) are consistently and securely met. The school has failed to ensure that the standards regarding the quality of education provided at the school have been met. The proprietor’s arrangements for quality assurance are in the early stages of development.

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better?

The school has ensured that it meets health and safety requirements. For example, the school has established suitable risk assessments for a range of activities. Classrooms are bright, clean and well resourced. Policies are made available to parents and carers on the school’s website and also on request.

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better?

The school has ensured that it complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The proprietor has not established suitable systems to ensure that the standards are consistently met. As a result, there are weaknesses in how well staff deliver the curriculum. The proprietor should ensure that it monitors and provides 23 to 25 April 2024 suitable support and challenge to the school so that the standards are met consistently.  The school has not ensured that some staff have received the support that they need to deliver the curriculum well. Staff’s subject knowledge is not always secure. This means that some pupils do not learn the curriculum as well as they should. The school should further refine the support and training given to staff so that they can deliver the curriculum confidently and effectively.  The school does not check how well the curriculum is delivered. As a result, pupils do not learn and remember key knowledge as well as they should. The school should make effective checks on how well the curriculum is being delivered, so

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

that pupils achieve well in a range of subjects.  The school has not ensured that some pupils experience a broad range of activities beyond the academic curriculum. As a result, some pupils do not develop their wider skills and abilities as well as they should. The school should ensure that pupils have opportunities to develop their talents and interests.

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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. 23 to 25 April 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 147235 DfE registration number 356/6013

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School details

Inspection number 10322513 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Chair Charlotte Charnley (also known as Charlotte Barton) Headteacher Catherine Davis

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School details

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

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School details

Email address admin@progress-schools.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 to 6 February 2020 23 to 25 April 2024

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Information about this school

 There have been considerable staff and leadership changes at the school since the last inspection. The current headteacher has been in post since January 2024.  The school provides longer-term placements for pupils who are disengaged from education, have been permanently excluded or are at risk of exclusion from education.  Most pupils join the school with significant gaps in learning. Many have not engaged in education for a long period of time prior to joining the school.  The school is based at Belgrave House, 211 Chestergate, Stockport SK3 0AN.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.

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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

The school has failed to meet the independent school standards. These are the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection that the school has received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other staff during the inspection.  The lead inspector met with the chair of the proprietor body. The chair of the proprietor body is also the chair of the governing body.  Inspectors held meetings with other leaders, including those responsible for SEND, pupils’ behaviour and attendance, and staff training.  The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative of Stockport local authority who is responsible for placing pupils at the school.  The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with the leader of the

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Information about this inspection

alternative provision used by the school.  Inspectors checked the school site for compliance with the standards. As part of these checks, the lead inspector toured the school premises, accompanied by a school leader.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics and PSHE. For each deep dive, they held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of 23 to 25 April 2024 lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects. They looked at curriculum documentation, considered samples of pupils’ work and spoke with pupils about these 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 culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors spoke to pupils about their experience of the school and their views on behaviour and bullying. They also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at break times.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation. This included documentation and information relating to the standards and the school’s improvement plans.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, and the responses to the online pupil and staff surveys. Inspectors also spoke to some parents during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Sarah Barraclough, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school- – 3(c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time; – 3(d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons; – 3(e) demonstrates good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school- – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently. 23 to 25 April 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

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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