Peregrinate Ltd.

Inspection of Peregrinate Ltd. 41 Liverpool Road North, Liverpool L31 2HE

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils who attend this school have been without education for some time. At Peregrinate School, pupils receive a fresh start. Pupils re-engage with learning because staff create a caring and safe environment. This helps pupils to put their past difficulties behind them. Pupils begin to enjoy attending school again.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils typically behave well. They can focus on their learning without disruption because of the calm environment that leaders create. The school applies its behaviour policy fairly and consistently. Pupils know what is expected of them. Most of the time, they rise to these expectations. If pupils behave less well, the school helps them to get back on track.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The progress pupils make in their personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education prepares them well for their next steps. Pupils enjoy the enriching activities that the school provides. For instance, they work with a local artist and visit the theatre and local restaurants. Pupils leave the school increasingly ready to lead independent lives. The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. However, some parts of the curriculum design do not help pupils learn new knowledge as well as they could. This is because the curriculum is not shaped to address pupils’ gaps in knowledge effectively. As a result, pupils do not achieve consistently well across the breadth of the curriculum.

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better?

The proprietor, leaders and staff share a vision for pupils to gradually increase their time in school so they benefit from a full-time education. Pupils have considerable gaps in their learning due to interrupted attendance at, or exclusion from, their previous schools. Many pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Some have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. Currently, the school does not use the information in these plans well enough to design learning that addresses gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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better?

In some areas of the curriculum, in particular PSHE education and pupils’ social and emotional development, the school has carefully considered the knowledge it wants pupils to acquire. Over time, this helps pupils be ready for learning in other subjects. However, in many of the academic subjects, the curriculum is still developing. The school does not check carefully enough that pupils understand new learning or have the prior knowledge needed to learn new things. Consequently, pupils learn new content before their previous learning is secure. In addition, some aspects of the curriculum are not taught effectively. As a result, some pupils struggle to make sense of new content.

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better?

Most pupils join the school with gaps in their reading knowledge. They are beginning to benefit from support designed to help them read and understand a variety of texts. However, the school does not have a reading programme to support pupils who are in the earlier stages of learning to read. Some pupils cannot access the 3 to 5 December 2024 curriculum because they have not developed a secure knowledge of phonics to help them decode new words.

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better?

Pupils are rightly proud of the improvements that they have made to their attendance. The school has a secure understanding of the many complex factors that influence pupils’ behaviour and attendance. Staff use a range of supportive strategies to encourage pupils to attend school more often. This is successful. Over time, pupils make considerable gains in their attendance. One pupil summed this up by explaining how they had attended their first full week in school for a number of years.

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better?

Pupils’ attitudes to learning improve during their time at the school. The support pupils receive from staff helps them to regulate their emotions and behaviour. Learning is rarely disrupted. Most pupils treat each other, and staff, with respect. When pupils behave less well, staff are very effective in helping them to get back on track.

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better?

Pupils’ personal development is of the highest priority. Staff provide a rich variety of opportunities for pupils to build confidence and develop independence. These are thoughtfully adapted to take account of the opportunities pupils may have previously missed out on. The school encourages pupils to contribute to discussions about matters that affect them, for example, by considering the safe use of social media and how to manage money and avoid problem gambling. Pupils learn about the signs that a relationship is unsafe, for example, when this includes abusive behaviour or sexual violence. This prepares pupils well for their future lives.

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better?

Pupils receive a comprehensive careers programme. They benefit from visiting local colleges to find out about courses and are given well-planned support to write application letters and attend interviews. As a result of this support, some pupils have secured part-time jobs. By the time they leave school, most have secured a full-time college place.

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better?

The proprietor has ensured that the independent school standards (‘the standards’) are met consistently. The school has started to draw on the expertise that exists in local schools. However, difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff have hampered this work. As a result, some of the school’s actions to improve the curriculum pupils receive are at an early stage of development. This has limited the school’s capacity to ensure that the curriculum is implemented in the way that leaders intend.

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better?

Policies, including a safeguarding policy that meets current statutory requirements, are available to parents and carers on the school’s website. The proprietor has ensured that the school meets the requirements of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 3 to 5 December 2024

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school does not use information from pupils’ EHC plans well enough to support their learning. These pupils have many gaps in their knowledge that are not addressed. The school should ensure that the curriculum is shaped for these pupils to address the areas identified in their EHC plans.  The school does not use assessment information well enough to identify the gaps in pupils’ learning and plan what they need to learn next. Some pupils have unidentified gaps in their knowledge, making it hard for them to acquire new knowledge. The school should make more effective use of assessment to pinpoint the gaps that pupils have so that these can be addressed ready for future learning.  Pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read do not benefit from a consistent and well-taught phonics programme. These pupils do not learn to read as well as they should. The school should implement a consistent approach to

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

teaching early reading.  The school has not ensured the curriculum is taught well in all subjects. This limits pupils’ learning and development in some areas. Leaders should ensure that staff receive the support they need to deliver all aspects of the curriculum effectively.

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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. 3 to 5 December 2024

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 to 13 October 2022 3 to 5 December 2024

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Information about this school

 The previous standard inspection took place on 11 to 13 October 2022.  The school received a material change inspection on 13 December 2023 as the school had moved to new premises.  Leaders do not use any alternative provision.  The school operates from one site based at 41 Liverpool Road North, Maghull, Liverpool, L31 2HE.  At the time of the inspection, Angela Mollan was listed as the proprietor on the Department for Education’s (DfE) ‘Get information about schools’ website. However, the proprietor registered with the DfE is Peregrinate Ltd. Peregrinate Ltd is registered at Companies House. The registered office address is the same as the school’s address. Angela Mollan is the sole director of Peregrinate Ltd. She is also the headteacher of the school.  The school provides alternative education provision for up to 60 pupils. The school caters for pupils who have been out of education for extended periods. All

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Information about this school

pupils are dual registered with a mainstream school. Some pupils attend the school on short-term placements. Most pupils attend the school for longer periods. A number of pupils have an EHC plan.  Pupils’ places are funded by their mainstream school or commissioned by the local authority.

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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

Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the proprietor, who is also the headteacher, the general manager and the office manager.  An inspector spoke with headteachers from local schools who have placed pupils at this school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, including early reading, mathematics and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions 3 to 5 December 2024 about the curriculum, considered curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also talked to leaders, staff and pupils about 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

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Information about this inspection

considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  During the inspection, inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including those relating to the standards and to safeguarding. They also looked at records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors took account of parents’ views through discussions with them.  Staff’s views were considered during discussions with them and through their responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. To gather the views of pupils, inspectors spoke informally with pupils throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Jen Sloan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jane Dennis His Majesty’s Inspector 3 to 5 December 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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