Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators

Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators

Address: Laser House, Waterfront Quay, Salford, M50 3XW Unique reference number (URN): 150042

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, learners are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect providers for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The provider has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The provider has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have designed effective support for learners who have significant challenges in their daily lives. Many learners have been out of education for a substantial amount of time. Staff use their training alongside their own experiences of vulnerability to work sensitively with learners, taking their time to get to know them. They use the information they gain to build trust, provide stability and become a valuable point of contact for learners in crisis.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have recently broadened their processes to identify learners’ needs. They have sharpened their focus on learners’ academic skills, alongside their behaviour and underlying emotional needs. Staff gain insights into learners’ family circumstances and lifestyles through home visits. They consider the needs outlined in learners' education, health and care plans to develop a tailored approach to support learners. When necessary, staff quickly make referrals to services and put in place safeguarding and pastoral support to ensure learners are well supported and remain in learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff help learners to manage their medication and develop strategies to improve self- regulation during times of anxiety. When necessary, they liaise with therapists to develop strategies, such as social stories, to manage learners’ behaviour. Staff work together to improve learners' understanding of coercive behaviours to ensure they stay safe.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Following the monitoring visit, leaders have successfully sustained improvements to safeguarding. However, they have not ensured that the quality of teaching is consistent across the different curriculum pathways.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Most governors are still new to their role. Governors have identified that the information they receive does not enable them to challenge leaders and drive improvement. Leaders rightly celebrate the individual successes of learners. However, this often masks their analysis of the quality of provision for all learners.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders are highly responsive to requests to work with vulnerable young people in Greater Manchester. They work with partners including local and combined authorities to plan curriculums for learners with complex backgrounds. Leaders are ambitious to be part of the solution for reducing the proportion of learners who are not in education. They recognise the need to improve the quality of provision before considering meeting this increasing demand.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders have significantly invested in experienced and trained staff. They have purchased and remodelled learning environments as part of their strategy to widen the curriculums they offer. In Bolton, they have built individual workstations for construction learners to enable them to work at their own pace and quickly gain the practical skills and knowledge they need.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Most staff work with learners in community locations due to learners’ prior experiences of education. Leaders ensure that risk assessments and systems are in place to keep staff safe, including the use of apps and equipment when working remotely. Most staff value leaders’ approach to considering their work patterns and wellbeing.

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Achievement Needs attention

Although the number of learners moving on to further study is improving, too many learners do not achieve their qualifications. Leaders have identified that many learners are not ready to take qualifications, including in English and mathematics and have redesigned their curriculums in response. However, it is too early to see the impact of these changes.

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Achievement Needs attention

Staff design individualised learning plans and set targets to reflect learners' starting points, including those with complex learning needs. They have developed a system to track learners' progress against their targets. However, they do not routinely monitor and identify learners’ small steps of improvement to ensure learners progress as quickly as they are capable.

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Achievement Needs attention

Staff teach learners the practical skills they need to demonstrate the standards of work required in the sector. In hairdressing, staff teach learners basic skills in cutting hair. Learners are proud of their work and the new skills they develop.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The quality of teaching is too variable and, in many instances, is not of a high enough quality. Although leaders have developed training for staff to improve their coaching and teaching skills, it is too early to see the impact of this. In a few sessions staff do not use resources that are age-appropriate. Too often, learners do not progress as quickly as they could.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Staff are improving the information they gather on learners' starting points to encourage learners who have previously struggled in English and mathematics to engage with these subjects. Experienced staff have started to use their knowledge in these subjects to design helpful resources for learners to improve their skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

In most lessons, staff sequence learning well, ensuring that learners improve their skills. They teach vulnerable learners the basics of staying safe first. Staff teach learners about having a bank account before moving on to the risks of credit and pay day loans. Staff ensure that learners quickly reduce their vulnerabilities.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

In most lessons, staff successfully encourage learners to problem solve and work independently. They use effective questioning when introducing new topics. Staff give learners time to process questions and respond. They check what learners have learned, providing constructive feedback to help them improve.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Staff teaching learners with complex needs carefully design activities to support learners to become more independent. They plan activities such as recognising signs and symbols. Staff support learners to develop their dexterity, including holding pencils to complete written work. Most learners become more confident over time.

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Participation and development Needs attention

Leaders have recently developed a strategy to provide careers advice and guidance tailored to learners’ interests. However, this is not yet fully implemented. Most learners have not received the information they need to consider their next steps.

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Participation and development Needs attention

Staff do not consistently ensure that learners have the skills needed for life after college. Too few learners undertake work experience or travel training. On a few occasions, staff lack the confidence to challenge learners’ bad language or poor behaviour.

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Participation and development Needs attention

Staff work with learners initially in one-to-one sessions to help them build their confidence. They take time get to know learners and the barriers they face. Through this approach, staff quickly build the trust and respect of learners. They act swiftly to put in place support when needed. Most learners improve their attendance.

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Participation and development Needs attention

Staff design personalised programmes to teach learners the skills they need to improve their health and wellbeing. They teach learners how to be more independent, through topics such as money management, healthy eating and healthy relationships. Staff support learners to develop strategies to manage their complex lives. They ensure that learners understand the risks of drug use and being involved in crime. Many learners improve their resilience and personal safety.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Learners value the effective support they receive from staff. For many learners, this is the first opportunity they have had to develop positive and sustained relationships with adults who care about them. Learners feel welcome, valued and respected. This motivates them to continue with their education.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Learners follow an individualised curriculum designed to match their support needs, long- term interests and aspirations. However, too few learners achieve the qualifications that they need, including in English and mathematics. Staff do not routinely identify the smaller steps of progress that learners make. They do not celebrate these achievements sufficiently to inform what they will teach next to improve learners’ skills. Leaders and governors do not have the oversight they need to drive improvements and ensure that all learners receive high-quality teaching and achieve their qualifications.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Too few learners have access to the information that they need to make informed choices about their next steps. Staff have not ensured that learners who are ready to take part in work experience and travel training do so. They do not ensure that all learners have access to the careers advice and guidance they need. Learners do not develop the skills and knowledge that they need for life after college.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Learners benefit from the understanding that staff have of the challenges they face daily. Staff support learners to develop routines, initially providing transport to sessions. They work with learners on a one-to-one basis in settings in community venues to reintroduce them to more formal learning environments. Learners who have been out of education, often for significant periods of time, improve their attendance.

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Next steps

• Leaders should continue to implement the processes they have put in place to enable the early identification of learners’ support needs. • Leaders should provide staff with the training and support they need to ensure that the quality of teaching and resources is consistently high. • Leaders should improve the monitoring and assessment of learners’ progress to ensure that learners work towards their education, health and care plan outcomes and achieve their qualifications, including in English and mathematics. • Leaders should ensure that learners who are ready to take part in work experience and travel training have access to these opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge they need for life after college. • Leaders should ensure that all learners have access to careers advice and guidance in preparation for their next steps. • Leaders and governors should improve their analysis and oversight of the quality of

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Next steps

teaching and outcomes for learners to drive and secure improvement.

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Lead inspector:

Andrea Dill-Russell, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Steve Kelly, His Majesty's Inspector Jane Young, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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About this inspection

Following our updated inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty's inspectors (HMIs) or Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspection activities: Inspectors spoke with learners, parents/carers, leaders, governors, staff, employers and other stakeholders during the inspection.

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About this inspection

Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators is an independent specialist college based in Salford, Greater Manchester. It provides education and training to young people who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and social, emotional and mental health needs. Many of the learners have not attended formal education settings for some time or have significant barriers to taking part in education.

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About this inspection

At the time of the inspection, there were 149 learners studying individualised programmes at community venues across Greater Manchester. All learners have an education, health and care plan. There were 118 learners studying on the passport to work pathway, 12 learners studying on the preparation for adulthood pathway, and 11 studying on one of the vocational pathways in construction, motor vehicle maintenance, hairdressing or fitness. Eight learners were studying on a pathway designed for learners with complex learning needs.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other providers can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The provider reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The provider is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The provider needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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