Compass Community School Victoria Park

Inspection of Compass Community School Victoria Park Victoria Road, Tipton, West Midlands DY4 8SW

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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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?

Compass Community School Victoria Park is a school driven by its vision. This is to help pupils engage with education and overcome barriers to learning. Pupils have struggled to engage in education in the past and many have had negative experiences at their previous settings. The staff have significant expertise in helping pupils through a caring, therapeutic and highly personalised approach to education. This is a small school with a big heart.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is not tolerated. Many pupils struggle to regulate their behaviour and emotions when starting at this school. Staff are skilled in helping pupils to understand and overcome these difficulties. They carefully build highly positive relationships with pupils, taking into account each pupil’s individual needs and ways of learning. Typically, this results in pupils developing positive attitudes to school and towards others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lessons are calm and purposeful. Teachers want and encourage pupils to do well. As a result, pupils work hard across the curriculum, supported by committed staff. The quality of work in pupils’ books reflects their positive attitudes and the extent to which they want to do well.

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better?

Pupils access a range of subjects and qualification pathways. The school sets out clear sequences of learning and a coherent structure in each subject. Pupils often come to this school with gaps in learning because of significant disruption to their education. Because of this, teachers carefully adapt the curriculum to make it appropriate for each pupil. This bespoke provision ensures that all pupils can and do access the curriculum in a way that suits them. As a result, the work pupils are asked to complete is purposeful and achievable.

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better?

Teachers have strong subject knowledge and typically implement the curriculum effectively. Occasionally, how adults model expectations, including in writing, does not impress on pupils the school’s expected high standards. At times, mistakes in pupils’ writing are perpetuated because adults do not draw pupils’ attention to them.

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better?

There are many strengths in the curriculum. A well-structured mathematics curriculum is in place and teachers implement it well. Pupils hone their mathematical skills through regularly revisiting and practising previously taught concepts. Through the English curriculum, pupils read and discuss high-quality literature, working towards their GCSE examinations. They demonstrate a secure understanding of the literature they study. When studying ‘Blood Brothers’, for instance, pupils talk confidently about subtext and inference as well as wider themes in the story, such as social injustice. 2 to 4 July 2024 The curriculum in personal, social and health education (PSHE) is key at this school. It is well organised and the school has been diligent in deciding which elements are most important. Pupils learn a great deal about healthy relationships and sensitive topics, including consent.

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better?

The PSHE curriculum is just one strand of the impressive approach to promoting pupils’ personal development. The school also provides an extensive therapeutic offer that is tailored to each pupil. There are also regular trips to other places to enrich the experience of pupils. These are matched carefully to a pupil’s individual needs. There are no limits to providing pupils with enrichment that is just right for them.

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better?

There is zero tolerance across the school for any discriminatory language or behaviour. Teaching pupils to understand and be respectful of individual differences is exceptionally strong. Objective, effective guidance on careers for pupils and supporting them in their next steps in education help prepare pupils for life in a modern, diverse Britain.

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better?

The school works hard to encourage and support pupils to attend regularly. Despite leaders’ efforts, some pupils miss too much of their education. This means they do not benefit fully from the curriculum and therapeutic practices provided. The school makes thorough checks to ensure that absent pupils are safe.

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better?

Staff regularly check the school premises to ensure it is safe and secure. The building is kept clean, comfortable and welcoming. Classrooms are spacious, appropriately lit and well stocked with quality resources. Pupils benefit from learning in a suitable and enabling environment.

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better?

The proprietor body is well established and experienced in providing for pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) difficulties. This shows in the quality of oversight staff across the company have of this school. The proprietor body holds the school to account for the quality of provision; it supports the school to meet securely all the independent school standards. Checks and balances happen at every level of governance to ensure that practice is secure and consistent. The school has a suitable accessibility plan and meets schedule 10 of The Equality Act 2010.

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better?

The proprietor and school leaders have been particularly successful in supporting and developing staff. There is a range of professional development provided in school and by the company. Staff value this training and feel very much a part of a coherent team. They are well supported in terms of their well-being; workload is considered a priority by leaders at all levels. This collegial care and consideration results in the school team being extremely proud to work here.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 2 to 4 July 2024

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school tracks and challenges all pupil absences. However, levels of absence for some pupils remain too high, so they are not able to take full advantage of the curriculum on offer. The school should explore alternative ways to engage with pupils, parents and carers to improve attendance so that pupils get the best chance to be successful in their education.  Occasionally, adults do not implement the curriculum as intended in terms of pedagogical choices they make or how they model expectations. This means that sometimes pupils get mixed messages about expectations and their work does not improve as well as it could. The school needs to develop teachers’ and staff’s understanding and practice so that agreed approaches are consistently adopted and pupils’ learning is maximised.

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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. 2 to 4 July 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 148064 DfE registration number 333/6017

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School details

Inspection number 10322606 Type of school Independent special school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £71,700 to £141,759

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School details

Email address victoria.park@compass-schools.org

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 28 to 30 September 2021 2 to 4 July 2024

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Information about this school

 This school is run by Compass Community Schools Limited and opened to pupils in November 2020.  The school caters for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, specifically, SEMH difficulties.  All pupils are placed at this school by local authorities.  Most pupils have an education, health and care plan.

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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.  Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  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.  To check compliance with the independent school standards, the lead inspector walked around the school site and reviewed associated documentation with leaders.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, art and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum documentation, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to

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Information about this inspection

teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with leaders, spoke to the proprietor, the deputy director of education and members of the governing board.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and throughout the day. They spoke formally with pupils, as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around school.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. Inspectors also took account of responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys. 2 to 4 July 2024  The lead inspector reviewed a range of documents, including governors’ minutes, school improvement plans and the school’s website.  An inspector spoke to a member of staff from the alternative provision used by the school.

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Inspection team

Gareth Morgan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Huw Bishop Ofsted Inspector 2 to 4 July 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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