The ArtsXchange

Inspection of The ArtsXchange City Road, London EC1V 1JX

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Gosia Klosek. This school is part of T4 Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Jonty Clark, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tom Attwood. There is also an associate headteacher, Liam Collins, who is responsible for this school. 22 and 23 May 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils want to come to this school because they like what they are learning here. They really enjoy the creative media, music and arts subjects and they make the most of the great resources available to them. As a result, pupils are happy at school and get a positive experience of education, something that many have not had previously.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils. All pupils study a suitably ambitious curriculum offer, including English and mathematics as well as the specialist creative media, music and arts subjects. Pupils achieve well because staff tailor the courses and their teaching methods to meet the needs of the pupils. Pupils are proud of their work and enjoy opportunities to perform or present their final projects.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils may have found it hard to manage their emotions and behaviour at previous settings. They are well supported to understand their emotions and to work within the school’s rules and systems. The school’s policy to promote and secure positive behaviour is clear and pupils understand it. Pupils are regularly rewarded for following the school rules and expectations. They are motivated to achieve ‘positive points’ and go on reward trips, for example to places of interest in London.

p.2

better?

The school has designed programmes of study that engage pupils’ interest and motivate them to learn. The school is well resourced to provide its specialist creative curriculum and teachers are experts in their fields. Leaders have sequenced the learning in these subjects so that pupils build their knowledge and skills step by step. Pupils produce high-quality final pieces of work, confidently putting into use the knowledge and skills that they have been taught. Staff check pupils’ work carefully as they progress through learning in the creative subjects. They make sure that they are achieving well. For pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, staff also track carefully pupils’ progress towards achieving their personal targets. Sixth-form students also learn well overall, and can study creative courses up to the level 3 extended diploma qualification. The school supports students to be successful in progressing to their next steps, such as university, at the end of their

p.2

better?

In addition to creative courses, pupils also study a curriculum which includes English, mathematics and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education in all years through to the sixth form. Typically, these courses are well sequenced to build on pupils’ learning from their previous schools. Staff identify gaps in pupils’ prior learning and they sequence their programmes of study to fill missing knowledge. However, in some areas of subject curriculums, the school has not broken down the subject content into smaller parts so that pupils can fully achieve the intended curriculum end goals. It is sometimes not clear how parts of the curriculum develop for those pupils who stay at the school for more than one year. 22 and 23 May 2024

p.2

3

Leaders, supported by the trust, have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and the areas that they want to improve. Leaders make sure that staff have the training and support that they need to fulfil their roles. Staff are supported to manage their workload well and leaders are reasonable in their expectations of the work that staff do. Trustees make sure that the school meets its requirements with regard to safeguarding, the Prevent Duty and the Equalities Act.

p.3

3

All pupils in the school have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and the majority have an EHC plan. Leaders waste no time in assessing pupils’ prior knowledge when they join the school. Pupils are placed on a suitable programme of study and staff tailor their teaching to meet individual needs. Where pupils are still at an early stage of reading, the school provides them with the support that they require to learn the letters and their corresponding sounds. This helps their reading to improve. However, the school places less emphasis on creating a love of reading and ensuring that pupils access enriching wider reading opportunities.

p.3

3

Many pupils have not had a positive experience of education in the past and have missed a lot of school. The school supports them well in rebuilding positive attitudes to education. Leaders are relentless in their work to stress the importance of attendance. They work closely with families and outside agencies and their work has an impact. This can be seen in the improvement in attendance by the time pupils reach the sixth form. Leaders have implemented a new behaviour policy. They ensure that staff understand and apply the policy’s expectations fairly and consistently. Because of this, the school’s approach is effective at securing good behaviour.

p.3

3

The PSHE programme teaches pupils how to stay safe and maintain their physical and mental health. They also learn about the diversity of British society and the importance of everyone being treated equally. Leaders have built educational visits into the creative curriculum, such as to the Barbican Centre or the Miro Gallery.

p.3

3

Careers is at the forefront of the PSHE programme. All pupils receive one-to-one independent careers advice. Pupils have opportunities to meet people from the creative media industry as well as find out about other careers and qualifications in fields beyond this.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some parts of the school’s curriculum are not yet coherently planned and sequenced towards building pupils’ knowledge in all subjects. In a small number of areas, leaders have not thought through how they will break down knowledge into small chunks so that pupils can build on their prior knowledge or how what is 22 and 23 May 2024

p.3

4

learned will be developed in further years. As a result, some of pupils’ learning does not develop progressively, with gaps in understanding and knowledge not identified or closed. The school should ensure that all subjects are planned so that pupils build on prior knowledge year on year.  Reading for pleasure is not given a high enough priority. Pupils’ enjoyment of reading is not developed as well as it could be, with their reading in school mainly confined to course materials and text extracts in lessons. The school should ensure that students have regular opportunities to read widely and for pleasure.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 22 and 23 May 2024

p.4

School details

School category Academy alternative provision sponsor- led Age range of pupils 14 to 19

p.5

sixth form

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 December 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is currently part of the T4 Trust, along with one other school. The trust is partway through plans to join another multi-academy trust (MAT). The associate headteacher of the ArtsXchange works on behalf of the MAT that T4 trust intends to become part of.  The school provides education for pupils with a range of special educational needs and disabilities, including social, emotional and mental health needs. Most pupils have an EHC plan.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and 22 and 23 May 2024

p.5

6

engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

p.6

Information about this inspection

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

p.6

Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgment about the quality of a school’s education provision.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 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, the associate headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors also met with those responsible for governance, including the chair of T4 Trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, PSHE and creative media production and technology. Inspectors visited lessons, reviewed pupils’ work, met with pupils to discuss their learning and met with subject leaders and teachers. Inspectors also considered pupils’ learning in other subjects, such as mathematics.  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.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with groups of pupils. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at breaktimes was observed.  Inspectors spoke to a range of staff about safeguarding, pupils’ behaviour and staff workload. Inspectors looked at parent responses to Ofsted’s survey.

p.6

Inspection team

Mark Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Lisa Strong His Majesty’s Inspector 22 and 23 May 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7