Lower Pastures

Lower Pastures

Address: Broadhead Road, Hoddlesden, Nr Darwen, BB3 3QP Unique reference number (URN): 142531

p.1

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, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

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

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Insufficient evidence: Inspectors were unable to gather sufficient evidence to judge whether safeguarding standards are met.

p.1

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils at the school have experienced extended periods of absence in the past. Despite this, pupils quickly settle into well-established routines. Leaders make sure that pupils attend school regularly, and on time. Pupil absence is rare. This enables pupils to make the most of the opportunities that the school provides.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations of pupils. Teachers understand and follow the school's behaviour procedures consistently well. Incidents of derogatory language or discrimination are rare and dealt with thoroughly. Staff provide effective support for those who struggle to manage their emotions. Pupils learn to approach lessons with a positive attitude. Over time, they develop useful techniques to avoid becoming overwhelmed. Pupils typically behave well during social times and while in the classroom. They focus on their learning during lessons. Pupils show respect towards their teacher and each other. The use of derogatory language or discriminatory behaviour is rare but dealt with thoroughly. As a result, pupils improve their ability to interact appropriately with others. In this aspect of their development, they are well prepared for their next stages of education, employment or training.

p.2

Inclusion Expected standard

All pupils at the school are disadvantaged. Many also have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders at all levels understand pupils’ differing circumstances and needs well. Staff make sure that the barriers that pupils face, including SEND, are minimised. Leaders liaise well with other agencies to make sure that pupils receive the support they need. For example, leaders liaise closely with virtual school staff, social workers and parents and carers. This helps teachers to understand what adaptations individual pupils might need.

p.2

Inclusion Expected standard

Teachers have a secure understanding of how to identify and meet a wide range of SEND and other barriers. Leaders make sure that teachers implement the school’s accessibility plan and other guidance that it provides. Teachers address pupils’ needs effectively, including those linked to their SEND. As a result, pupils settle quickly at the school due to the effective support that their teachers provide.

p.2

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders check regularly how well pupils are thriving at the school. They prioritise pupils' personal development and wellbeing. Leaders make sure that pupils benefit from the opportunities on offer at the school. If pupils do not engage or develop as they expect, leaders take swift and appropriate action. They adapt their plans or support accordingly.

p.2

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders place a high priority on pupils' personal development. Pupils flourish during their time at the school. They grow in confidence and resilience. Pupils develop many valuable skills and attributes. These should help them in later life to become increasingly independent.

p.2

Needs attention

Leaders provide a wide range of high-quality activities for pupils. They make effective use of the school’s local and wider community. Pupils learn how to stay safe and healthy. They take part in regular physical activity. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe when online or out and about with staff.

p.3

Needs attention

There is a suitable and effective personal development programme. Leaders ensure that all pupils take part in activities they might not have experienced otherwise, due to their disadvantages. Pupils benefit from the school’s relationships and sex education programme. They develop their ability to recognise, develop and maintain healthy relationships with others. Pupils learn how to recognise and deal with unhelpful emotions.

p.3

Needs attention

Pupils learn about a range of faiths and cultures. They are respectful of people who are different to themselves. Pupils have a secure understanding of which attitudes and values make a positive contribution to a harmonious and effective modern society. They learn about fundamental British values. Pupils use democratic processes to ensure that everyone’s opinion is heard. They develop their ability to wait patiently for their turn to speak. Pupils are considerate of other people’s views.

p.3

Needs attention

Pupils learn about different careers available to them, when they finish their compulsory education. However, their careers education does not help them as well as it could. Pupils are unsure about the steps that they need to take to achieve their aspirations. This means that they are not as well prepared as they could be when making decisions about their next stages of education, employment or training.

p.3

Achievement Needs attention

Pupils arrive at the school with significant gaps in their knowledge. They make progress in many areas of the curriculum during the time that they spend at the school. This includes in mathematics. However, pupils are not as well prepared as they could be for their next stages of education, employment or training.

p.3

Achievement Needs attention

Some pupils struggle to read fluently. These pupils find it difficult to read unfamiliar words. This is because they have unidentified or unaddressed gaps in their phonics knowledge. Weaknesses in their phonic awareness also makes accurate spelling more difficult. These add to some pupils’ difficulty in accessing the curriculum. It also makes it problematic to express their ideas in writing.

p.3

Achievement Needs attention

Pupils’ written work is often difficult to read. They do not have sufficiently well-developed handwriting skills to produce clear and legible written work. Pupils’ recall of their learning across the wider curriculum, especially in the topics that they study, is typically secure.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The curriculum is ambitious and is designed to prepare pupils to return to mainstream education as quickly as possible. This is partially successful. Pupils learn many useful things. However, there is variation in how well teachers identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge caused by erratic attendance at school in the past. This slows down the rate at which pupils make progress through the curriculum. This is because leaders do not provide enough guidance for teachers about how to develop some of the important knowledge that pupils need. This includes secure spelling knowledge or what they need to know about different career pathways available to them. In particular, leaders do not provide sufficient guidance about how to help pupils to develop clear and legible handwriting.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Reading is central to the curriculum. Teachers make sure that the high-quality texts that they use in class capture the interests of pupils. However, teachers’ knowledge about phonics is underdeveloped. As a result, they do not recognise when gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge are impacting on the accuracy or fluency of their reading or writing. This means that the support that they provide to pupils to improve their reading ability is not as effective as it could be.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

The school does not meet all of the independent school standards (ISS). The proprietor does not provide the school with sufficient challenge and support in this. They do not check that the ISS are maintained over time. For example, they rely on school leaders to check that the website is compliant.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

The proprietor does not ensure that they know how to hold leaders to account effectively for all aspects of their work. The checks of how well pupils achieve are underdeveloped. Academically, pupils do not make the progress through the curriculum that they are capable of.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

Processes for checking how the school ensures pupils’ safety and wellbeing are robust. This is also true for maintenance of the premises. As a result, the school building is clean, bright and inviting. Pupils are supported effectively in their welfare and personal development.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

The school supports teachers to access training or other activities that helps them to develop their practice. It supports staff effectively to manage their workload. However, the proprietor does not ensure the same level of support for school leaders. The demands placed on school leaders, at times, means that their workload is unsustainable.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders at all levels make decisions based on pupils’ best interests. They focus on making sure that the disadvantages that pupils face are minimised. This includes those related to pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

The school develops and maintains close working relationships with parents and carers. Parents are kept informed about how their children are doing at school. They understand how they can support their children by helping them to complete their homework.

p.4

What it's like to be a pupil at this school

The school is a welcoming and safe place for pupils. Leaders have high expectations. Pupils attend school regularly and on time. This is despite most pupils attending school erratically in the past. Pupils respond to their teachers well. They find their learning interesting and fun.

p.5

What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils typically remain at the school for a short time. During this time, they develop confidence and resilience. However, pupils do not achieve as well as they might. This is because they do not develop important knowledge securely enough, including in reading. Careers information, education and guidance is underdeveloped. Pupils are not as fully prepared for their next stages of education, employment or training as they could be as a result.

p.5

What it's like to be a pupil at this school

The school provides clear routines that pupils embrace. These help pupils to behave well. They are highly motivated to earn tokens, which they exchange for activities to enjoy during leisure time.

p.5

What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils develop effective social skills. They learn how to express their ideas and opinions respectfully. Pupils learn that democratic systems, such as school council meetings, make sure that everyone’s view is included. They are well prepared for living in modern Britain. Pupils embrace people's differences. Bullying is rare because leaders deal with any use of derogatory language swiftly and effectively.

p.5

What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Teachers get to know the individual needs of their pupils thoroughly. Pupils trust teachers to help them to resolve problems or worries. Leaders at all levels understand and minimise the difficulties that pupils may have in accessing the curriculum due to barriers that they face. They make sure that pupils receive the carefully tailored support that they need.

p.5

What it's like to be a pupil at this school

The school provides a wide range of high-quality opportunities to support pupils to develop new skills, talents and interests. For example, pupils learn how to cook, budget and launder their clothes in preparation for greater independence in later life. Through activities such as these, pupils learn how to maintain positive health and wellbeing.

p.5

Next steps

Leaders should make sure that teachers identify and address gaps in pupils’ foundational and other important knowledge, including in phonics, spelling and handwriting. Leaders should make sure that pupils develop the skills and knowledge that they will need to be fully prepared for their next step in education, employment or training. This includes knowing about the different careers options that they can chose from and what requirements that they are likely to need for these. Leaders should also ensure that pupils develop the fluency in reading and writing that they will need to be successful and independent in the adult world. The proprietor should ensure that they support leaders to make their workload more manageable. For example, the proprietor should uphold their responsibility of providing effective support and challenge for leaders about how well pupils achieve.

p.5

Independent school standards

Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category.

p.6

About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this standard inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, and checked the school’s compliance with the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

p.6

About this inspection

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

p.6

About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other leaders during the inspection. This included a representative of the proprietor.

p.6

About this inspection

Inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

p.6

About this inspection

The school is part of the Roaches School Network. The school caters for pupil who are living at Lower Pastures Farm Children's Home. These pupils typically have social, emotional and mental health difficulties. The school does not currently make use of alternative provision for pupils.

p.6

About this inspection

The name of the proprietor is Sean Fitzpatrick. The chair of the governing body is Diane Wood. Annual fees for the school are £46,800. The school's email address is dwood@caretodayparallelparents.net. The headteacher at the school is also headteacher at other schools within the group.

p.6

About this inspection

1. Quality of education provided Standards not met

p.6

About this inspection

The following standards have not been met:

p.6

About this inspection

The standard in this paragraph is met if–

p.6

About this inspection

(b) the written policy, plans and schemes of work– (i) take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those pupils with an EHC plan; and 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Standards met

p.6

About this inspection

3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Standards met

p.7

About this inspection

4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Standards met

p.7

About this inspection

5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Standards met

p.7

About this inspection

6. Provision of information Standards met

p.7

About this inspection

7. Manner in which complaints are handled Standards met

p.7

About this inspection

8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Standards not met

p.7

About this inspection

The following standards have not been met: Paragraph 34(1)

p.7

About this inspection

The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school–

p.7

Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

p.8

Our grades explained

(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; (b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and

p.8

Exceptional

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

p.9

Strong standard

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

p.9

Expected standard

The school 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.

p.9

Needs attention

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

p.9

Urgent improvement

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

p.9

Insufficient evidence

Inspectors were unable to gather reliable enough evidence to grade an evaluation area. This is rare and normally only happens if there are no pupils on roll at the school.

p.9

Insufficient evidence

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

p.9

Insufficient evidence

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 .

p.9

Insufficient evidence

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 .

p.9

Insufficient evidence

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Insufficient evidence

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

p.10