Invested Education

Inspection of Invested Education Hall Close, Marske-by-the-Sea, Redcar, Cleveland TS11 6AB

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is not consistently well supported across the school. There are differences in how behaviour is managed and in the types of behaviour expected from pupils. Pupils know that in some classes, and areas within school, the expectations of their behaviour are much lower. This impacts upon how pupils choose to behave and, consequently, upon how well they learn. The school’s work to develop the approach to behaviour and improve consistency in expectations is at the earliest stages of implementation.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have positive relationships with their key staff. The school has raised its expectations for what pupils can achieve. The curriculum has been broadened over time so that pupils can achieve more accreditations and qualifications by the time they leave. Pupils rise to this challenge.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The offer beyond classroom learning gives pupils a range of wider experiences. Pupils engage with local charities, places of interest and places of work to broaden their horizons. However, the curriculum to raise awareness of different faiths, cultures and the arts is not as well established.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The proprietor body does not ensure that it consistently meets the independent school standards. As well as the impact on behaviour in school, this impacts on some aspects of welfare for pupils. Several independent school standards are unmet.

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better?

Interim leaders have developed high expectations for all pupils linked to their behaviour and attitudes to learning. This work is in a very early phase and is not consistently implemented in school. Pupils say that there are differences between how different members of staff support them with their behaviour. They see some actions taken by the school as unfair. On inspection, the school’s approach to dealing with derogatory language was not consistent. While some pupils were held to account on this promptly, others were not. Some pupils do not participate in the learning offer that is available to them and miss lessons or parts of lessons. This impacts on pupils’ academic progress. Recently, the school have begun to use procedures to monitor behaviour across school. The school recognises there is more work to do on this. They know there are inconsistencies to how pupils are awarded positive behaviour points in each lesson. The school does not analyse how well the

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better?

points system is working. Therefore, this has had limited impact on improving pupils’ behaviour.

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better?

The proprietor body has not ensured ongoing and effective compliance with the independent school standards. Some standards relating to aspects of the curriculum, behaviour, welfare of pupils and accommodation are unmet. The proprietor body and school team, including the interim leadership team, are dedicated to supporting pupils back into education, when previously pupils may have found accessing 14 to 17 May 2024 education a challenge. Leaders’ recent focus on shared values and educational vision is beginning to develop across the school community.

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better?

Pupils who are still at the earliest stages of reading do not receive the support needed to develop their reading skills promptly. This slows the progress that they can make with their reading development and impacts on their learning more widely. Reading has an increasingly high priority across the school. The development of online learning opportunities linked to reading and events like World Book Day help raise the profile of reading further. The school has further developed the curriculum in core subjects, such as English and mathematics. This is also seen in the curriculums for personal, social and health education (PSHE) and physical education (PE). Pupils now benefit from a sequenced curriculum that breaks down learning into manageable steps of progress. Pupils in English lessons show a sound understanding of key texts that they have read. Other pupils recall the different books that they have read as part of the curriculum. Pupils talk about the checks

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better?

that staff make on their learning in these subjects. This helps pupils remember what they have previously learned.

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better?

Other aspects of the curriculum are not as well developed. Pupils access learning linked to art and religious education through the school’s’ ‘breaking barriers’ curriculum offer. This is an off-site offer for pupils linked to other areas of the curriculum. These subjects do not show how pupils build and deepen their knowledge over time. This results in pupils having gaps in their knowledge in these subject areas.

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better?

All pupils who attend here have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Almost all have social, emotional and mental health needs. Pupils have had varying experiences of school before attending here. The school focuses on understanding pupils’ individual needs. Some pupils reflect that they are supported well through a bespoke approach to their learning. They like to come to this school. Some pupils have increased their attendance significantly.

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better?

The school offers pupils different opportunities to undertake learning beyond the classroom. Many aspects of this are linked to the ‘breaking barriers’ curriculum. Pupils access this once a week. Pupils encounter the world of work experience and further education institutions through this. This helps pupils to make informed choices about their next steps in learning. Pupils talk positively about these opportunities. Some experiences are well linked to pupils’ ambitions, such as work opportunities with a private day nursery. Pupils visit places of historical importance and look at how Britain has changed over time. A progressively planned PSHE curriculum and opportunities for pupils to study citizenship help pupils to understand aspects of life in modern Britain. Pupils use their citizenship work to play an active role in school life. For example, pupils talked about how approaches to school lunches are currently under review and how they are playing a part in this work. The

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better?

teaching about different faiths and cultures is less well developed. Aspects of the arts are also less well developed, meaning some pupils’ talents and interests are not well supported. 14 to 17 May 2024 Staff are proud to work at this school. They feel well supported by leaders. Their well-being is a high priority. Daily meetings across the staff team help them to reflect on the day and pupils’ needs.

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better?

Following the previous standard school inspection in September 2022, the school addressed the unmet independent school standards. These standards were met at a progress monitoring visit in July 2023. However, this work has not been sustained. The proprietor body does not systematically check the school’s compliance against the independent school standards. There are no mechanisms to ensure and assure themselves that the standards are met consistently and securely. Some unmet independent school standards were addressed during this inspection. However, several remain unmet. These relate to aspects of behaviour, welfare and accommodation within the school site.

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better?

The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 High expectations for behaviour are not commonly understood nor implemented consistently across the school. Pupils receive mixed messages about what type of behaviour is acceptable. This results in pupils experiencing poor behaviour which disrupts learning. It does not prepare them well for their next stages in development. The school must ensure that there are shared high expectations for behaviour and that the school’s strategies to improve behaviour are implemented fairly and consistently for all pupils.  Pupils who require support to develop their reading skills, including in phonics, do not receive this support promptly. This impacts on the progress that pupils are able to make in reading and how well they access the rest of the curriculum. The school must further develop early reading strategies, including in phonics, to ensure pupils can read with increasing fluency and automaticity.  Some aspects of the curriculum are not sufficiently developed. The planned

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

progress that pupils should make linked to learning in these subjects is not clear. The school must ensure that all curriculum areas are precisely planned and the steps of progress pupils are expected to make over time are clear.  The proprietor body does not ensure that the independent schools standards are met consistently. The school is not effectively ensuring that pupils are well supported to demonstrate high standards of behaviour in readiness for learning or in preparedness for adult life. Aspects of the school building and the approaches taken to assess and manage risk mean that the school does not ensure the welfare of pupils is of the highest priority. The proprietor body should enable 14 to 17 May 2024 suitable systems and procedures to assure themselves that the independent school standards are routinely and consistently met.

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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. 14 to 17 May 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 148729 DfE registration number 807/6005

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School details

Inspection number 10322534 Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Headteacher Emily Carr (Interim Headteacher)

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £25,700 to £61,800

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School details

Email address information@invested-education.com

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 to 23 September 2022 14 to 17 May 2024

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Information about this school

 The school’s last standard inspection took place in September 2022. One monitoring inspection took place in July 2023.  An interim headteacher took up their post in February 2024.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.  Almost all pupils have an education, health and care plan. The school educates pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.  The school offers alternative provision places to other schools who commission a place at Invested Education. There are currently some pupils who are dual registered and accessing this offer.  The number of pupils on roll increased from five pupils at the time of the monitoring inspection in July 2023 to 16 pupils currently on roll.

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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 has failed to meet the independent school standards. These are the requirements of 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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with those responsible for the leadership and management of the school, including the interim headteacher and the proprietors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, including reading; mathematics; PE; and PSHE, including citizenship. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspection started on 14 May 2024. It was paused in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: Deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy. Inspectors returned on 17 May 2024 to complete the inspection.  Inspectors completed some inspection activities with the school remotely.

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Information about this inspection

 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and 14 to 17 May 2024 considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s policies and documentation relating to pupils’ welfare and to their education. They talked with staff and pupils about pupils’ personal development and pupils’ behaviour and attitudes. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.  Inspectors checked the school’s compliance with the independent school standards. As part of these checks, an inspector had a tour of the school’s premises, accompanied by school leaders.  Inspectors considered the views of parents through phone calls and responses to Ofsted Parent View. The views of staff were considered through Ofsted’s online

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Information about this inspection

surveys and through meetings. The views of pupils were considered through pupil discussions and some views that had been captured by school leaders. In pupil voice meetings, adults from the school were present.

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Inspection team

Emily Stevens, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jenny Thomas His Majesty’s Inspector 14 to 17 May 2024

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if- – 2(1)(a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub-paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and  2A(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor- – 2A(1)(b) ensures that every registered pupil who is provided with secondary education at the school is provided with relationships and sex education, except in so far as the pupil is excused as mentioned in sub-paragraph (2), – 2A(1)(d) in making arrangements for the purposes of paragraphs (a), (b) or (c), has regard to any guidance under section 80A of the Education Act 2002 that applies in relation to the provision of education by maintained schools,  2A(2) Arrangements made by the proprietor for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(b) must ensure that where a pupil’s parent requests that the pupil is wholly or

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

partly excused from sex education provided as part of relationships and sex education, the pupil is so excused until the request is withdrawn, unless or to the extent that the head teacher considers that the pupil should not be so excused.  3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school- – 3(h) utilises effective strategies for managing behaviour and encouraging pupils to act responsibly.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 9 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor promotes good behaviour amongst pupils by ensuring that- – 9(b) the policy is implemented effectively; and  16 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that- – 16(a) the welfare of pupils at the school is safeguarded and promoted by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written risk assessment policy; and – 16(b) appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 23(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), the standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that- – 23(1)(a) suitable toilet and washing facilities are provided for the sole use of pupils;  24(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that suitable accommodation is provided in order to cater for the medical and therapy needs of pupils, including- – 24(1)(a) accommodation for the medical examination and treatment of pupils; 14 to 17 May 2024 – 24(1)(b) accommodation for the short term care of sick and injured pupils, which includes a washing facility and is near to a toilet facility; and  24(2) The accommodation provided under sub-paragraphs (1)(a) and (b) may be used for other purposes (apart from teaching) provided it is always readily available to be used for the purposes set out in sub-paragraphs (1)(a) and (b).

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Part 6. Provision of information

 32(1) The standard about the provision of information by the school is met if the proprietor ensures that- – 32(1)(i) where a pupil with an EHC plan wholly or partly funded by a local authority or other body through public funds is registered at the school, such information as may reasonably be required for the purpose of the annual review of the EHC plan is provided to the responsible local authority.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school- – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently. 14 to 17 May 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

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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