The Key Education Centre

Inspection of The Key Education Centre Tukes Avenue, Gosport, Hampshire PO13 0SG

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 9 and 10 July 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school gives pupils a fresh start and the opportunity to re-engage with their education. Pupils appreciate that staff here listen to what they have to say and support them to improve their behaviour. Pupils benefit from the positivity and encouragement of their teachers, which helps to foster a safe and secure learning environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend this school because they are at risk of permenant exclusion, have been excluded, or are unable to attend a mainstream school for medical reasons. After joining The Key, most pupils improve their attendance quickly and engage more positively with their education. The success of this work results in many pupils making a quick return to mainstream or specialist school settings. Unkind behaviour between pupils is not common and is addressed quickly and effectively by the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Although most of the pupils here are on short placements, the school is determined that they should all feel part of a community. Pupils benefit from a broad range of enrichment activities which enhance the curriculum and help to expand their understanding of the world around them. This includes educational visits such as a geography field trip to Durdle Door and a food tour of East London.

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better?

The school has planned an ambitious curriculum in a broad range of subjects. Pupils who attend the school in Year 11 complete a selection of GCSE and functional skills qualifications to enable them to access the next stage of their education or training. Since developing this curriculum, there has been an increase in the proportion of the school’s pupils being referred during key stage 3. In the short term, the school has adapted successfully. However, the curriculum does not make it clear enough what the school expects pupils in key stage 3 to learn in each year group.

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better?

The school assesses the ability of each pupil when they join. Staff identify those who need help with their reading and ensure that they receive effective support. The school uses information from pupils’ previous settings as well as their own assessments to identify any special educational needs and/or disabilities. Information from these assessments is used by teachers to adapt their lessons and the resources they select for the classroom. Although generally successful, there is some variability in how well teachers design learning activities to ensure that all pupils make progress.

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better?

Staff here are highly skilled at supporting pupils to behave well. Although learning is sometimes disrupted, staff use their expertise and knowledge of each pupil to de- escalate situations quickly. This ensures that pupils refocus on their work and negative impact on learning is minimised. 9 and 10 July 2024

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Pupils’ personal development is a priority at The Key. They are provided with a range of opportunities to learn about citizenship and life in modern Britain. Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Many of the pupils who attend this school have particular social, emotional and mental health needs. The school has ensured that opportunities to learn about relationships, social interactions, mental health and neurodiversity are at the centre of the curriculum. This work helps pupils to understand how to manage their behaviour and talk about the things they sometimes find challenging.

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The school ensures that all pupils receive independent advice and guidance about their next steps. This is part of a thoughtfully developed careers programme that includes opportunities for pupils to connect with employers and learn about the world of work.

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Staff are committed to the school and appreciate the opportunities they receive to continually learn and develop. They value leaders’ commitment to supporting a positive work-life balance. Governors also prioritise workload and well-being because they understand the importance of retaining and developing teachers and support staff. Over the last few years, the school has developed new approaches to quality assurance. However, leaders and governors are not always strategic when checking that the curriculum is having its intended impact.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s current curriculum does not reflect recent changes to its cohort. There is not a clear enough distinction between what pupils should learn in different year groups at key stage 3. The school should continue with their plans to develop this curriculum, working across both school sites, so that it meets the needs of the school’s changing cohort.  There is some variability in how well the curriuclum is delivered. Teachers’ choice of pedagogical approaches is not always as effective as it could be. The school have provided training for staff on how pupils learn, and they should ensure that pedagogical approaches are applied consistently well.  Leaders, including governors, are not always strategic enough in checking that the curriculum is having its intended impact. There is not enough focus on whether the curriculum and its delivery results in pupils knowing and remembering more. Leaders should ensure that their quality assurance, and

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

discussions at governance level, focus on the impact of the curriculum on pupils’ learning. 9 and 10 July 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.

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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). 9 and 10 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The local authority

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 May 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The Key Education Centre is a pupil referral unit and caters for pupils who are unable to attend mainstream school. This is because they have been, or are at risk of, permenant exclusion, or because they are unwell.  There are currently 36 pupils on the school’s roll as well as 68 who are dual registered.  The school is situated across two sites. One site is at Tukes Avenue, Gosport, Hampshire PO13 0SG. The other is at Park House Farm Way, Havant, Hampshire PO9 4AJ.  The school uses two unregistered alternative providers.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 9 and 10 July 2024

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 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.  The inspectors spoke with the school’s headteacher, heads of school for each site and a range of other senior leaders about their areas of responsibility. The lead inspector also spoke with representatives of the governing body and the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, food, mathematics and personal development. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also visited lessons and looked at a range of pupils’ work in other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single

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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.

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Inspection team

Chris Ellison, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Bagust Ofsted Inspector 9 and 10 July 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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