Abbey View

Inspection of Abbey View Gloucester Road, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire GL20 5SW

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The headteacher of this school is Dale Hills. This school is part of CCT Learning, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees. The interim chair of trustees is Jonathan Clamp. 8 to 10 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive effective pastoral support. Staff support pupils to learn the importance of following the school rules and respect one another and themselves. In time, this helps most pupils reintegrate back into their home secondary school or transfer to college or employment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Nonetheless, there are weaknesses in the quality of education that pupils receive. Teaching is not tailored to pupils’ needs closely enough, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff supervise pupils well at social times. Pupils enjoy ‘chilling out’ in the common room and playing games, such as table tennis. Pupils learn about keeping safe online, managing money and healthy relationships. Pupils talk openly with staff about any concerns or worries they have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The wider curriculum broadens pupils’ horizons well. For example, pupils visit sculpture parks and a regional film festival and complete community art projects. Pupils learn how to box, play golf, garden and cook. Weekly visits to the youth centre are a highlight for many.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils on long-term placements report that behaviour at the school is improving. Many pupils appreciate the ongoing praise they receive. However, low-level disruption in some lessons and incidents of poor behaviour are still prevalent. When bullying happens, staff follow this up appropriately.

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better?

The trust has developed a new strategy, purpose and vision for Abbey View which it is currently implementing. Trust and school leaders are working systematically to bring about necessary improvements to the school. Recently, the trust has sought external evaluations of the school’s effectiveness. This is bringing clarity about the further actions that leaders need to put into place. Nonetheless, the remaining weaknesses in the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, including rates of pupils’ attendance, are preventing some pupils from achieving well.

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better?

A substantial review of the school’s curriculum has started. Leaders are revamping subject-specific curriculums to ensure that they meet the needs of pupils on short- term, medium-term and long-term placements. However, this work is at an early stage. There are weaknesses in the teaching of the English, mathematics and science curriculums. Staff do not use the information they have to plan sequences of work that build on pupils’ starting points sufficiently well. Some pupils find it difficult to concentrate when teaching is not well directed to what is important for them to learn. When teaching addresses pupils’ needs, they learn more successfully.

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better?

The school has recently introduced a new behaviour strategy. As a result, staff’s expectation of pupils’ behaviour is on the rise. Most pupils understand that they 8 to 10 May 2024

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must adhere to the school’s behaviour policy. The school has used its oversight of patterns of behaviour and rewards to reduce occurrences of serious incidents. Nonetheless, suspensions for the use of derogatory language are still frequent. Typically, staff apply their behaviour training to prevent situations from escalating. The introduction of a ‘reflection room’ helps some pupils to self-regulate their behaviour, for example. However, the comings and goings of such pupils to and from lessons makes it difficult for them to receive a cohesive curriculum. It also disrupts the learning of other pupils.

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Pupils’ absence from school is too high. Although staff make phone calls to check that pupils are safe, the reasons why pupils are absent is not known in too many cases. A minority of pupils also have regular suspensions and unauthorised absences. The trust does not hold the school to account for challenging poor attendance sufficiently. Some pupils’ absence is getting worse this term.

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The school is making inroads to identify, assess and meet the ongoing needs of pupils. However, the communication and review of specific targets for pupils with SEND are not fully effective. Although provision is in place to help pupils catch up with reading and mathematics, some pupils refuse to engage or are absent from school. There is not sufficient oversight by the school to check the implementation of the full curriculum.

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The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum covers everything it should. Pupils learn about the risks of child exploitation, knife crime and consent. The curriculum focuses on helping pupils to understand why reforming their behaviour in school is important to be successful citizens. Pupils on long-term placements benefit from an impartial careers programme.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Work to revamp the school’s curriculum is not yet complete. Pupils do not learn the core curriculum consistently well. The school must ensure that the school’s curriculum supports pupils to learn the English, mathematics and science curriculums successfully.  There are weaknnesses in how well staff check what pupils know and remember. Pupils’ misconceptions are not addressed when they arise, so teaching does not deepen pupils’ understanding over time. The school must ensure that staff’s use of assessment is strong, so that pupils progress through the curriculum successfully. 8 to 10 May 2024

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 The school does not challenge pupils’ non-attendance stringently. Some pupils’ attendance is showing decline. The trust must ensure that leaders are doing everything they can to ensure and assure themselves that pupils attend well.  While suspensions are decreasing overall, incidences of suspensions because of disrespectful behaviour and offensive language are still too prevalent. Pupils miss far too much learning time as a result. The school and trust must ensure that pupils understand the importance of respecting others.  There are weaknesses in the education that pupils with SEND receive. Pupils’ specific targets to help them learn are too broad or staff do not take these into account when planning their teaching. Some pupils refuse to accept the support in place to remedy gaps in their learning. Senior leaders do not have sufficient oversight of this. The school must ensure that all pupils with SEND receive a

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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). 8 to 10 May 2024

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School details

School category Academy alternative provision

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 May 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Abbey View School is a single academy trust. All pupils who attend have previously been excluded or at risk of permanent exclusion.  The vast majority of pupils are registered with both Abbey View and their home secondary school throughout their placement.  Pupils either attend on short-term placements of up to four weeks, on medium- term placements, or stay at the school for extended periods and complete their GCSEs at Abbey View.  The school has regular reviews with the referring school, parents and carers and other external agencies to check the suitability of placements and plan for pupils’ reintegration back to their home secondary schools.  There has been a large influx of pupils into key stage 3. Years 7, 8 and 9 learn together in vertically grouped classes. There are separate classes for Years 10 and 11. There are vertical tutor groups for enrichment actvities.  Pupils are referred from 12 secondary schools and two local authorities.

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Information about this school

 The school uses one unregistered alternative provider. Staff attend the alternative provider with the pupils, who attend one afternoon a week as part of an enrichment activity. 8 to 10 May 2024

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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.  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 principal, assistant principals and other staff during the inspection. They met with trustees and the school improvement partner from Gloucestershire local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English (including reading), science and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum planning, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  In addition, inspectors also reviewed the impact of the mathematics and PSHE curriculum.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

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.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. There were no responses to the online surveys for pupils and staff. Inspectors held meetings with school staff and groups of pupils during the inspection to gather their views.

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Inspection team

Julie Carrington, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

James Oldham His Majesty’s Inspector 8 to 10 May 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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