Ealing Alternative Provision

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Ealing Alternative Provision Compton Close, Ealing, London W13 0LR

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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Outcome

Ealing Alternative Provision has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Ealing Alternative Provision benefit from a wealth of opportunities to learn what they need to be successful. They typically meet the schools’ high expectations. Pupils make the most of attending school and are optimistic about their futures. This is because the school gives them the chance to have a fresh start with a personalised curriculum and therapeutic support to help their mental health and well-being. This includes an extensive outdoor space, which is used well to help pupils build confidence as well as life and social skills.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Transition, both into and out of the school, is managed effectively. Pupils settle quickly and develop positive relationships with staff and one another. In lessons and around the school, behaviour is calm and orderly. Pupils are supported by expert staff, who maintain a highly positive atmosphere. This helps pupils to flourish and develop a sense of belonging and trust. Pupils rightly regard the school as a safe space.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have many opportunities to learn about themselves and their world. This is supported through workshops in school as well as residentials, visits to museums, banking institutions, careers fairs and universities. This means pupils are well prepared for their next steps, whether this is school, college or training.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school ensures pupils learn a broad and ambitious curriculum that is highly tailored to their interests and needs. In addition to what pupils learn on site, the school works with a range of other settings, so pupils can study a broader range of subjects that interest them, including motor mechanics, construction, horticulture and hair and beauty. The school ensure these providers are of high quality so that pupils get the maximum benefit 25 and 26 February 2025

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from working with them. The targeted use of alternative provision helps pupils to feel motivated in coming to school and has had a positive impact on pupils’ overall attendance.

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Pupils produce work of good quality and achieve well from their individual starting points. This is because teaching is well structured to support learning. Teachers are knowledgeable, and present information clearly. They use a range of resources and activities effectively to help pupils access the learning and rehearse and recap knowledge. This helps pupils remember important ideas they need for future learning. Assessment is used well to check what pupils have learned. Any errors or misconceptions are identified and addressed as they occur. Sometimes, pupils struggle to answer questions about their learning verbally. This is because there is not sufficient opportunity for pupils to practise talking through their ideas and expressing their thoughts more fluently.

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When pupils first join the school, leaders work carefully with families to ascertain what support is needed. This helps to identify any undiagnosed special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or other barriers to learning. The school works effectively with a range of specialists, including educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, mentors and health practitioners, to ensure these needs are met. Consultants and educational experts have supported leaders to refine their reading provision. This helps to ensure that pupils develop as confident and accurate readers.

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Across the school, behaviour is managed very well. Pupils are well supported to identify and manage their emotions through interventions, such as art and drama group therapy, emotional literacy, mentoring and counselling. However, pupils are not routinely aware of their targets and how these are designed to help them. For example, some pupils are unsure of their specific aims in relation to returning to mainstream education or their next educational provision.

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The provision for pupils’ personal development is of very high quality and links carefully with the broader curriculum offered to pupils. For example, pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe in school, the community and when online. They learn how to keep physically and emotionally healthy. Pupils build understanding of managing their finances and the importance of respectful and consensual relationships. Pupils enjoy many opportunities to celebrate diversity and develop their individual talents and interests, such as music and drama. There is a robust approach to careers and work experience.

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There have been recent changes to the leadership of the school. New leaders have quickly identified the school’s strengths and priorities for improvement. They have taken swift and decisive action to address these priorities. Staff are very proud to be part of this school and value the recent changes that are being implemented. They feel well supported and report high levels of consultation and collaboration with leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 25 and 26 February 2025

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What does the school need to do to improve

 Sometimes, pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to practise and develop fluency in their oracy. This means that they do not acquire the confidence to offer opinions, explanations, contribute ideas or demonstrate their learning. The school should ensure teachers maximise opportunities for pupils to practise and develop their speaking.  There is variation in how well pupils are supported to understand their targets. As a result, some pupils are not aware what they need to do to achieve their current goals or when these will be reviewed. The school should ensure pupils are fully involved in understanding the rationale for their targets, how they might be achieved and when they will be reviewed.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in July 2015.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 25 and 26 February 2025

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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Website www.ealingalternativeprovision.org.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Ealing Alternative Provision provides bespoke provision for pupils aged 12 to 16. Pupils have either been permanently excluded from their school or have a diagnosed mental health condition.  The current headteacher took up their post in September 2024.  The school uses four registered alternative provisions, two tuition companies and four unregistered alternative provisions. Most pupils attend these part-time and attend the school for the rest of the time.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of the 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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation. 25 and 26 February 2025

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 Inspectors met with school leaders, including the headteacher, deputy headteachers, and the co-chairs of the management committee. Inspectors spoke with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors visited lessons, met with some pupils and looked at samples of their work. They also observed routines at the start of the school day and at breaktimes.  Inspectors scrutinised documentation relating to the curriculum, pupils’ outcomes and assessment, including education, health and care plans.  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 and open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupil’s interests first.

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Inspection team

Una Buckley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Colenso Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 February 2025

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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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