Newhaven Pupil Referral Unit

Inspection of Newhaven Pupil Referral Unit Newhaven Gardens, Eltham, Greenwich, London SE9 6HR

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 29 and 30 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school puts the well-being of pupils at the heart of all decisions made. The school has high ambitions to prepare pupils for their futures. Staff get to know pupils very well. Pupils say that the staff ‘understand us and listen to us’. Because of this, they feel happy and safe and trust that the adults will help and support them. Consequently, pupils’ behaviour is mostly calm, and lessons proceed uninterrupted.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school encourages pupils to develop the ‘relationships they need for life’. Through personalised mentoring, staff encourage pupils to be aspirational for themselves. Pupils are given opportunities to give back to their local community, such as working with residents at care homes on computer skills or helping to renovate local buildings. Pupils take part in a range of social activities, including sporting competitions, visiting the theatre or taking part in talent shows. As a result, for many pupils, their engagement with education and their social skills improve over time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school prepares pupils for adulthood well. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for themselves and others. Students in the sixth form are supported to take their driving test and to find paid employment. Pupils are taught about the dangers of substance misuse, knife crime and joining a gang. The student council help make decisions about school improvement and sit on interview panels to recruit new staff.

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

The academic curriculum is enhanced by an extensive personal development offer. Both have been carefully considered to help pupils achieve their end goals. This could include returning to mainstream school or moving on to college or employment.

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

Across the different services and campuses, there is a range of complexity of learning and emotional needs of pupils. The school thoughtfully balances how pupils interact with learning and how they can demonstrate their knowledge and skills. For example, the curriculum in the sixth form has recently been refined and extended. This ensures that a broader offer of qualifications can be achieved without the pressures of sitting exams.

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

Subject curriculums are mostly ordered so that pupils build on their prior knowledge. Lessons are structured to enable pupils to rehearse what they know and can do. This enables teachers to check pupils’ understanding. However, there is some variability in the way teachers carry out these checks. This means that, sometimes, teachers do not have a clear idea of pupils’ gaps in their knowledge or what each pupil precisely needs to learn next.

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

The teaching of reading is prioritised across the curriculum to ensure that pupils can read fluently and understand what they have read. When pupils join the school, staff ensure that pupils’ reading skills are checked. Where gaps are identified, pupils are given support to help them to catch up. 29 and 30 April 2025

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The school ensures that staff have the knowledge and skills to identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly. They work alongside SEND experts to ensure that the right provisions are in place so that all pupils with SEND benefit from all that the school has to offer.

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Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. The school works with a range of professionals, including therapists, to develop staff expertise. They deliver training on understanding and managing the contextual behaviour needs of pupils. Many staff said this training has impacted positively on their working relationships with pupils and their own well-being. Pupils are provided with strategies to manage their emotions and frustrations. Consequently, behaviour incidents are resolved quickly.

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The school encourages pupils and students in the sixth form to think carefully about their next steps in education, training or employment. Students are supported to develop important life skills, such as being able to travel independently, sewing and budgeting. Staff introduce pupils from across the school to a range of opportunities, including internships at local hospitals and business and construction skills. This all helps pupils to develop their independence and be readied for their futures.

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Many pupils have missed significant amounts of schooling prior to joining the school. Staff take time to understand why some pupils struggle to attend school regularly. They work with them, their families and other professionals to find solutions to help them re-engage. One parent typically commented, ‘They turn children around and help them to enjoy school again and succeed with their lessons.’ For many pupils, their attendance at school improves from their starting points.

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The governing body assure themselves of the school’s effectiveness. They scrutinise and challenge the actions of school leaders. They ensure that there is a sharp focus on the workload and well-being of all staff, including school leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The effectiveness of teachers’ checks on pupils’ learning is variable. Sometimes, gaps in pupils’ understanding and are not identified or addressed. Consequently, a few pupils are moved on to more complex learning too quickly and next steps are not precisely set. The school should ensure that it supports all staff to routinely check pupils’ understanding effectively, so that pupils are helped to achieve as well as they can. 29 and 30 April 2025

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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.

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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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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form

Chair of governing body Joseph Turner-Wing

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form

Dates of previous inspection 20 and 21 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school operates across three campuses: Newhaven School, including the NEST, Newhaven Gardens, London, SE9 6HR; Kings Park Campus, Eltham Palace Road, London, SE9 5LX; and Hospital School Room, Safari Ward, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Stadium Road, Woolwich, SE18 4QH.  The school also operates an outreach service that provides a blended education offer of remote and in-person teaching.  The school makes use of three unregistered alternative provisions.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 29 and 30 April 2025

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, including early reading; mathematics; and PE.  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.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with senior leaders, teachers and the wider school team.  Inspectors met with the chair of the governing body and other governors.  Inspectors met with the representatives from the Local Authority.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents and staff. They also spoke with pupils.

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Inspection team

Kieran Bird, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Teresa Neary Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 April 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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