Trident Alternative Provision Ltd

Inspection of Trident Alternative Provision Ltd 58 Lincoln Road, Solihull, West Midlands B27 6NX

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils who have been out of education for long periods of time enjoy coming to this school. Pupils say that this is the best school that they have ever been to because teachers know how to help them and make them feel safe. Leaders want all pupils to experience success. This ethos is shared by everyone who works at the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school focuses on teaching basic skills in English and mathematics. Pupils achieve well in these subjects. Pupils who are still at the early stages of learning to read are given the support they need to develop their skills successfully. This increases their confidence in reading.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well and attend school regularly. There are high expectations of what is expected of them. Pupils say that staff resolve any issues, including bullying and acts of unkindness.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The taught curriculum is enriched with lots of other experiences. Pupils enjoy visits to places of worship and taking part in community activities that develop their social and cultural awareness. Pupils are well prepared for their future choices through a carefully planned careers education.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. They want them to experience success and leave with qualifications in English and mathematics. The curriculum prioritises the basic skills in English, mathematics and reading. These subjects are taught effectively. Pupils do well in these areas because teachers know what to teach and when to teach it. This means that new learning builds on what they already know. Over time, pupils develop mathematical skills that enable them to solve more complex problems. Pupils know how to use grammatical features to enhance their writing. Teachers make sure that these skills are revisited regularly so that knowledge is committed to long-term memory. Frequent assessments help pupils to practise their skills. Teachers use this information well to plan future learning.

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better?

Pupils arrive at school as reluctant readers. Leaders work hard to identify texts of interest and encourage reading at every opportunity. Support for pupils who struggle with reading is appropriate, helping them to build confidence in areas such as phonics. Pupils enjoy reading across a range of genres. They read often and develop their fluency well.

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better?

A few areas of the curriculum are less well developed. In some subjects, learning is not planned in a logical order, which makes it harder for pupils to build on what they already know. As a result, pupils do not learn and remember key knowledge well enough in these areas.

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better?

All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and all have education, health and care (EHC) plans. Staff make sure that learning is adapted so 4 to 6 June 2024 that pupils can access tasks within lessons. The high levels of support in the school mean that pupils benefit from learning that is personalised to them.

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better?

There are high expectations around behaviour. Pupils know what is expected of them. Staff follow the behaviour policy consistently and pupils understand this. They say that bullying and unkindness are rare because teachers would not tolerate it. Pupils are confident that teachers would resolve any problems.

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better?

The curriculum for personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education considers the needs and vulnerabilities of pupils at the school. Leaders make sure that pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They know about healthy relationships and how to use the internet safely. Pupils learn about respect and tolerance of different beliefs and cultures through visits to their local community and places of worship.

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better?

Pupils are well prepared for their next steps. They learn about a range of careers and visit local colleges. This helps them to make informed decisions about their next steps. Pupils say that the school helps them to think about their future.

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better?

The work of the school is overseen by the proprietor. They are aware of their responsibilities within the Equality Act 2010 and have produced a detailed accessibility plan outlining the school’s inclusivity. Through regular checks on compliance, they make sure that the independent school standards are met consistently.

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better?

A few aspects of the school’s work are less developed. Processes around self- evaluation and action planning are in the early stages of development. This means that leaders’ assessment of some elements of their work could be more accurate.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In some areas of the school curriculum, lessons do not connect together well and pupils do not build on what they already know. As a result, pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that the curriculum is set out in a logical sequence so that pupils can learn and remember more in each subject.  A few aspects of the school’s work are less well developed. For example, processes around self-evaluation are in their infancy. This means that leaders do not have an accurate view of all aspects of their work. Leaders should review their self-evaluation processes to ensure they are evaluating all aspects of their practice effectively. 4 to 6 June 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. 4 to 6 June 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 149913 DfE registration number 334/6011

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School details

Inspection number 10322628 Type of school Other Independent Special School

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £55,000 to £95,000

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School details

Website www.tridentalternativeprovision.co.uk

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School details

Email address info@tridentalternativeprovision.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected 4 to 6 June 2024

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Information about this school

 The school was registered with the Department for Education in July 2023. This is the school’s first standard inspection.  Trident Alternative Provision is an independent day school located in Solihull. The school offers places to pupils who have complex needs and social, emotional and mental health difficulties.  The school does not make use of 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 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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. A meeting was also held with the proprietor.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, including reading, mathematics, science and PSHE. 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 samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  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.  To check for compliance with the independent school standards, the lead inspector reviewed a number of policies, including curriculum, behaviour, admissions, complaints and anti-bullying. Key documents relating to health and safety were also scrutinised. The lead inspector also toured the premises to check that it met with regulations. 4 to 6 June 2024

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Inspection team

Melanie Callaghan-Lewis, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jonathan Leonard His Majesty’s 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

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

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