On Track Education Silverstone

Inspection of On Track Education Silverstone Pitts Farm, Towcester Road, Silverstone, Northamptonshire NN12 8UB

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the positive and strong relationships they have with staff. Most pupils are positive about attending the school because they know that they are looked after and are kept safe. The school understands pupils’ individual needs well. It is very aware of the difficulties pupils experience. It offers a personalised nurturing approach to help pupils understand themselves.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are supported to regulate their emotions. This proactive approach helps pupils to manage their anxieties. As a result, the number of incidents when pupils express their frustrations through outbursts are reducing. Most of the time, pupils learn in a structured and calm environment. A good majority of pupils show respect to their peers and adults. Most pupils say that bullying is dealt with promptly when it happens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high aspirations for all pupils to fulfil their personal potential. The ambition of the school’s curriculum encourages pupils to work hard towards recognised qualifications. Pupils who struggle with the formal curriculum are supported well on the newly established ‘Restore’ curriculum pathway.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils gain from a range of experiences and activities that provide opportunities for personal development. Pupils particularly appreciate the options available to them to develop their talents and interests.

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better?

The school has improved in many areas since its last inspection. The curriculum is well structured and offers a wide variety of subjects that pupils enjoy. Pupils benefit from carefully planned lessons that build their knowledge and skills in most of the subjects they study. For example, in physical education (PE), pupils use what they have learned previously about body position to help them understand how best to perform an athletic technique, such as throwing. However, in some subjects, it is unclear exactly what pupils need to know and remember. While these subject curriculums are ambitious, they are not delivered consistently. Some of the learning activities and work given to pupils do not always support them to learn the intended curriculum. As a result, some pupils struggle to recall the important knowledge they need.

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better?

Pupils who follow the less formal ‘Restore’ curriculum are supported well. Most complete meaningful activities, for example cooking. These activities help these pupils to develop the personal and learning skills they need to move on to their next stage. Other pupils benefit from a bespoke curriculum comprised of work experience, outreach tutoring and alternative provision placements that meet their needs.

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better?

In most lessons, staff use their good subject knowledge to present information clearly and engage pupils in interesting learning activities. They are skilled in using 4 to 6 June 2024 questioning to identify exactly what pupils have understood from the lesson.

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better?

The school has made reading a high priority. There are several opportunities for pupils to engage in independent reading. Pupils are read to at the start of the day. Those who need more support with reading benefit from regular, carefully structured catch-up sessions.

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better?

Information about each pupil’s needs is shared through a variety of documents. However, these do not always contain the precise targets and success criteria that staff need to know to build pupils’ learning. It is not always clear how some targets build towards the larger outcomes outlined in pupils’ education, health and care plans (EHC plan). This limits how the school checks that these pupils are learning and making the progress that they should.

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better?

The school is working closely with parents, carers and pupils to highlight the importance of being at school and to address any barriers to good attendance. There has been a significant investment to provide effective support for families, including outreach teaching for those pupils who are too anxious to attend the school. As a result, those pupils who can attend well.

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better?

High-quality pastoral care and support for pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs underpin everything the school does. Pupils appreciate the many opportunities they have to talk to a trusted adult. Pupils visit places of interest. For example, the ‘faith tour’ widened their experiences and expanded their worldview. Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities to learn about options for future study and careers. They are well prepared for their next steps to adulthood. Pupils learn to respect those who are different to them. They are involved in charitable activity and support the work of a local animal shelter. However, they do not have enough opportunity to learn about fundamental British values.

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better?

Leaders, including the proprietor, have focused their improvement efforts on the areas that will have the most impact, particularly in improving the quality of education. They know the school well. They understand their statutory duties and have a good understanding of the independent school standards (the standards). These standards are met securely and consistently. The premises are well maintained. Thorough checks ensure that all the health and safety and fire safety regulations are met. Risk assessments are routinely updated. Policies are up to date and reflect the latest national guidance.

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better?

Staff know that leaders are mindful of their well-being. They appreciate leaders’ support and the opportunities they have to work together to manage their workload. Staff are proud to work at the school.

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better?

The school meets the requirements of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. The policies for relationships and sex education and safeguarding are available on the school’s website. 4 to 6 June 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In some subjects, it is not clear what the important knowledge and skills are that pupils are expected to know and remember. The implementation of the curriculum does not always lead to pupils knowing and remembering more in these subjects. The school should ensure that in all subjects, the curriculum clearly defines the knowledge and skills pupils need to know and remember. The school should also make sure that the curriculum is implemented well, thus enabling pupils to know and remember more in all of the subjects that they study.  Some targets set for pupils lack precision. They do not consistently identify what success looks like for each pupil. This limits the school’s ability to know how best to check that pupils are making as much progress as they should, including when considering the outcomes stated in pupils’ EHC plans. The school should ensure that pupils’ targets are easily accessible and have the necessary precision and

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

focus to support pupils to achieve as well as they can.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to learn about British values. They do not understand well enough, for example, why it is important to have regard for the rule of law or the democratic process. As a result, pupils are less well prepared for life in modern Britain than they could be. The school should ensure that pupils are taught what they need to know and remember about British values.

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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. 4 to 6 June 2024

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

School category Independent special school

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School details

Proprietor On Track Education Services Limited

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £39,115 to £80,764

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School details

Email address silverstoneoffice@ontrackeducation.com

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 to 15 September 2022 4 to 6 June 2024

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Information about this school

 The school is based at Pitts Farm, Towcester Road, Silverstone, Northamptonshire, NN12 8UB.  The school is registered to provide full-time education for up to 40 pupils. There are currently 31 pupils on roll.  All pupils have an EHC plan. Many pupils have social, emotional or mental health needs. Some also have a diagnosis of autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Some pupils have been excluded permanently from their previous schools.  Pupils travel to the school from a wider range of local authorities than at the previous inspection.  The school uses three unregistered alternative provisions for pupils to receive some of their education.  The school introduced a new ‘Restore’ curriculum pathway in April 2024 for pupils who are not currently able to access the school’s formal curriculum.  Since the school’s standard inspection in September 2022, there has been a progress monitoring inspection of the school on 21 March 2023.

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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

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

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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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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 held meetings with the headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team. The lead inspector met with a director of the proprietor body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, reading, mathematics and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered curriculum plans for personal, social, health and economic education and reviewed the provision for pupils following the ‘Restore’ curriculum. 4 to 6 June 2024  Inspectors considered a wide variety of school documents, including the school development plan.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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 took note of parents’ responses to Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s survey of school staff. Inspectors met with pupils to discuss different aspects of the school’s provision.  Inspectors toured the premises and reviewed the school’s facilities.

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Inspection team

Dave Gilkerson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Deirdre Duignan Ofsted Inspector 4 to 6 June 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 for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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