Teenage Kicks

Inspection of Teenage Kicks 4a Partington Street, Failsworth, Manchester M35 9RD

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Inspection dates: 26 to 28 November 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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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?

This small, friendly school is a beacon of light for the pupils who come here. Most have experienced considerable barriers and disruption to their earlier education. The school marks a welcome turning point. Once they join, pupils rediscover their appetite for learning. They thrive and blossom because of the strong relationships that they build with staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils who attend the school have a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has high expectations for what they can achieve. Pupils take pride in their success. They know that staff will help them if there is anything that they do not understand. Pupils typically achieve well from their starting points.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to consider the impact that their conduct may have on others. This helps them to make appropriate choices about how to behave. Pupils generally show respectful attitudes towards staff and towards each other. Their behaviour typically improves over time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the activities that the school provides beyond the academic curriculum. For example, pupils participate in football coaching sessions with professional clubs. They relish the trips and visits to museums, theatres and places of interest. These activities enrich pupils’ personal development as well as their life at school.

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better?

The school is ambitious for pupils’ success. It has created a broad and challenging curriculum that spans a range of academic and vocational subjects. This curriculum lays out the most important knowledge that the school wants pupils to learn by the time that they leave. All pupils learn this strong curriculum, regardless of their individual SEND.

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better?

In almost all subjects, the curriculum is well organised. Key concepts have been broken down into carefully ordered steps. Pupils learn these steps in a logical sequence in order to build a secure body of knowledge. In a very small number of subjects, some of these steps are less clearly defined for key stage 4 than they are for key stage 3. Where this happens, it makes it more difficult for staff to ensure that pupils in key stage 4 learn the essential knowledge that they need to know in readiness for the next stage in their education.

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better?

The school makes appropriate use of information from assessments. For example, it uses this information to identify and address shortfalls in pupils’ knowledge, should they exist. Any additional SEND that pupils may have, beyond those written in their individual education, health and care (EHC) plans, are identified promptly. Skilled staff make thoughtful adaptations, where necessary, to ensure that these pupils with SEND access the curriculum successfully. The school communicates effectively with 26 to 28 November 2024 parents and carers, and professionals to secure expert support for pupils if it is needed.

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better?

Staff use their strong subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum consistently well. For example, they explain new learning clearly so that pupils understand it. Staff check regularly to ensure that pupils’ knowledge is secure. This helps staff to identify and to remedy any misconceptions before moving on to the next step.

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better?

The school has placed reading at the centre of the curriculum. Pupils have a wide variety of high-quality books and texts to read. Staff ensure that pupils receive prompt help if they need to catch up on any missing phonics knowledge. Over time, pupils develop confidence and fluency in reading, even where they have found it challenging in the past. Pupils’ reading knowledge contributes well to their achievement in subjects, and to their success in examinations such as those for GCSEs and functional skills.

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better?

Many pupils have a history of poor attendance. However, their attendance improves rapidly once they join this school. The proprietor has put in place a policy that sets clear expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils try hard to follow the rules and routines each day. Disruptions to learning are infrequent. Where they do occur, they are addressed quickly and successfully, so that learning can continue.

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better?

Pupils receive a programme of careers advice and guidance from Year 7 onwards. There are opportunities to visit colleges and to experience the world of work. Pupils learn about diversity among people in the wider world. For example, they learn about a range of world cultures and faiths. Pupils receive relationships, health and sex education that is appropriate for their age and stage of development.

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better?

The proprietor ensures that the learning environment is well maintained and adequately resourced. For example, classrooms are bright and welcoming. Pupils access books, stationery and technology to support their learning. They have ample space in which to exercise and play outdoors. Pupils also enjoy their regular visits to a local sports centre for physical education.

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better?

Staff are deployed effectively, for example, in classrooms and at break times. This has a positive impact on pupils’ welfare and safety and upon the quality of education that they receive.

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better?

The proprietor holds leaders to account for their work effectively. Leaders, including the proprietor, take due account of the impact that their decisions may have on staff’s workload and well-being. Staff feel well supported and enjoy working at the school. Together with the school, the proprietor makes sure that the independent school standards (‘the standards’) are met securely.

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better?

The proprietor has ensured that there is a suitable accessibility plan that meets the requirements of paragraph 3 of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. 26 to 28 November 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In a very small number of subjects, the curriculum does not contain sufficient information about the key knowledge and concepts that pupils should learn in key stage 4. This makes it difficult for staff to ensure that pupils learn the important subject content that they need to know well in these subjects. The school should ensure that in all subjects the curriculum sets out clearly all of the important knowledge that pupils should learn in order to develop sufficient knowledge by the time that they leave the school.

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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. 26 to 28 November 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 149857 DfE registration number 353/6020

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School details

Inspection number 10342199 Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Email address colin.phillips@teenagekicks.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected 26 to 28 November 2024

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Information about this school

 The school was registered by the Department for Education (DfE) on 4 October 2023. It opened in January 2024. This is its first standard inspection.  The school is located in former industrial premises at 4A Partington Street, Failsworth, Manchester M35 9RD.  The school makes regular use of Oldham Greenhill Community Sports and Recreation Club, Havelock Street, Oldham OL8 1JR for the delivery of physical education. The school is currently using classrooms at the same premises, on a short-term basis, for a small group of pupils who are being supported to re-engage with education.  Since the school opened, a new headteacher and a new executive headteacher have been appointed.  The school caters mainly for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. Some pupils also have autism and/or other learning needs. All pupils have an EHC plan.  The school is registered to admit 45 pupils.  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, executive headteacher, deputy headteachers and with other school leaders.  The lead inspector met with the chair of the proprietor body. She spoke on the telephone with a representative from the local authority. She also spoke on the telephone with the headteacher of a local secondary school with which a number of pupils are on dual roll.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, including early reading, mathematics, and information and communication technology. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum

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Information about this inspection

26 to 28 November 2024 plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also listened to some pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  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.  The lead inspector had a tour of the school and reviewed a range of documents, including those relating to health and safety, in order to check the school’s compliance with the standards.

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The school’s proposed change to the maximum number of pupils

The school has applied to the DfE to make a ‘material change’ to its registration. At the DfE’s request, we checked whether the school is likely to meet the relevant independent school standards if the DfE decides to approve the change. This part of the inspection was carried out under section 162(4) of the Education Act 2002.

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The school’s proposed change to the maximum number of pupils

 The outcome of this part of the inspection is: the school is likely to meet the relevant independent school standards if the material change relating to the school provision is implemented.  The school has requested to increase the number of pupils for which it is registered from 45 to 60.  The proprietor has created additional classroom space at the school. These classrooms are well lit and have acoustics that are appropriate for the learning that will take place in them. In addition, the proprietor has made available at the school a further extensive space for physical education and for sports such as martial arts.  The proprietor has ensured that there will be sufficient staff for the proposed number of pupils to be supervised safely. The proprietor intends to continue to recruit additional staff as necessary, in accordance with pupils’ needs.  The proprietor and leaders at the school demonstrate the expertise to manage

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The school’s proposed change to the maximum number of pupils

the proposed change.  It is the recommendation of inspectors that the increase to the school’s admission number from 45 to 60 should be approved.

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Inspection team

Mavis Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kevan Naughton Ofsted Inspector 26 to 28 November 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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