Community-Ed Academy

Inspection of Community-Ed Academy Trafalgar Road, Gorleston-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR31 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 thrive at this school. They overcome previous negative experiences of education. The school takes time to get to know pupils really well before they even start. This means that pupils succeed right from the beginning. They like school and want to be there. As a result, they are in school full-time and have good attendance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school aims to provide ‘person-centred education’. Pupils say that the school does this successfully, adjusting provision to meet their individual needs. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. The school works very closely with parents and carers. They help pupils develop positive attitudes to both school and life. The school dogs are also a large part of the school community, welcoming pupils individually each day. They help many pupils settle and are a calming presence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is aspirational for what pupils can achieve. Pupils enjoy their lessons and talk with interest about topics covered. They become motivated to read and more confident to write. Pupils are proud of their work. For example, the whole school has worked together to create an award-winning garden and artwork to display at the Royal Norfolk Show.

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better?

The school has carefully considered how pupils will progress through their curriculum. It is designed so that pupils will be able to progress to GCSE level in each subject if appropriate, but also meet individual’s starting points.

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better?

The school provides plenty of training for staff and time to prepare lessons. As a result, teachers have good knowledge of what they teach, and deliver it in a way that engages pupils. Staff make use of lots of visitors in and trips out, for example meeting a Buddhist monk and visiting a church, to further bring the curriculum to life. Pupils start learning and become motivated to learn more.

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better?

Regular assessments are part of English and mathematics. In other subjects, there are ongoing written assessments against the planned objectives. This information is used to adapt new learning more effectively in some subjects than others. The way that leaders systematically track attainment and progress over time is at an early stage.

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better?

All pupils are expected to read daily, and they do. Staff are skilled at getting pupils interested in reading, helping choose books that will interest them. They provide catch-up phonics work for pupils who need it. Pupils are proud of their progress in reading and share how they have used their skills out of school as well.

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better?

The therapy team works closely with parents and carers to work alongside the school to improve pupils’ behaviour and attitudes. Every pupil has a highly individualised reward and consequence system, and for some these directly tie into 19 to 21 June 2024 systems at home as well. The school listens to pupil voice, introducing the ‘EAB’ devised by a pupil to reward those who have excellent ongoing attitudes to school. Pupils access a range of therapeutic counselling and other activities with trained staff. As a result, they develop greater resilience and coping strategies.

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better?

The school finds lots of ways to help develop pupils’ individual interests, for example around circus skills and carpentry. They are encouraged to be healthy, with home- cooked lunches; all pupils regularly use the local gym and swimming pool. These mean that pupils are further engaged in their education.

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better?

Detailed support plans for each pupil are implemented well and regularly updated. This means that precise aspects of their individual special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are addressed. The whole staff meets twice daily, focusing on how they can give pupils the greatest chance of engagement and success.

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better?

Careers education has been introduced and will develop further as the school has its first key stage 4 pupils. The teaching of key British values is woven through the day- to-day life of the school. Pupils learn and show respect and tolerance. Social and moral aspects are regularly added to lessons, for example using role play to encourage debate.

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better?

The senior leadership team has a clear vision for the school, holding the pupils at the centre of everything they do. They are working with other teachers to share more leadership responsibilities over time. The school values external development opportunities: staff are undertaking relevant leadership training. They understand the positive ethos of the school well and show this in the way they communicate with pupils and each other.

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better?

The proprietor body established the school as a non-profit-making company, with all available funding benefiting the pupils. A volunteer governing body brings additional expertise and holds school leaders to account. They, and school leaders, have ensured that the independent school standards are met. They ensure that all relevant aspects of the Equality Act 2010 are addressed.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school gathers assessment information on an ongoing basis in all subjects. However, the way that this information is used to plan for future learning varies. The school does not yet have systems in place so that leaders can use assessment information to track progress and attainment across the school. This means that there are aspects of pupils’ education that are not as precisely matched to their personal next steps academically as they could be. The school 19 to 21 June 2024 needs to ensure that assessment information is used effectively to plan for pupils’ learning.

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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. 19 to 21 June 2024

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School details

Inspection number 10321489 Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Email address sally@community-ed.co.uk 19 to 21 June 2024

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Information about this school

 The school opened in September 2023 with six pupils and has grown steadily to the current 16. The school has capacity for 20 pupils. It is registered to take pupils aged 11 to 16.  This is the school’s first standard inspection.  All pupils have an education, health and care plan and are funded by their local authorities.  Pupils have a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities, including social, emotional and mental health needs.  The school makes use of the premises for the unregistered alternative provision owned by the same proprietor. This includes facilities for catering education.  The school does not make use of other alternative provision.  The school is owned by Community-Ed, a community interest company.

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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, other school leaders, the chair of the proprietorial body and members of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, history, physical education and personal, social and health education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and pupils’ work, and spoke with leaders about some other subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and 19 to 21 June 2024 considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors undertook a site tour and scrutinised documents relating to health and safety to ensure compliance with the relevant independent school standards. The inspectors visited the alternative provision site used for catering and life skills education.

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Inspection team

Tessa Holledge, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nathan Lowe His Majesty’s Inspector 19 to 21 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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