On Track Education Mildenhall

On Track Education Mildenhall

Address: 82e & F Fred Dannatt Road, Mildenhall, Suffolk, IP28 7RD Unique reference number (URN): 127003

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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, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

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

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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.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders identify pupils’ individual needs with care and precision. They use detailed information from previous settings, parents and carers and a thorough analysis of education, health and care plans to understand the needs of all pupils. This ensures that support is personalised and responsive. Expertly constructed support plans are in place for each pupil. They are extremely well aligned to pupils’ needs. Reasonable adjustments and extra support put in place for pupils by staff are precise and expert. They help pupils to take part in all aspects of school life.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff have been expertly trained to understand pupils' needs well. They use this knowledge to build trusting relationships that help pupils feel secure and ready to learn. Thoughtful changes to teaching approaches and learning environments are well matched to pupils’ needs. Leaders work closely with families and external professionals to craft the individualised provision in place. Families are regularly and meaningfully involved in the review of their child’s education, health and care plan outcomes through the school year.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders monitor the impact of specialist interventions carefully. Multidisciplinary and whole- staff ‘focus’ meetings are used extremely well to refine support and evaluate what is working well. Pupils known to social care are supported closely, with purposeful collaboration with the virtual school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have established a coherent and well ‑ sequenced personal development curriculum that reflects pupils’ needs and aspirations. The personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) and relationships and sex education and health education curriculum is comprehensive. It teaches pupils about online and offline risks, as well as important concepts such as consent and healthy relationships.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The PSHE curriculum provides structured knowledge that prepares pupils extremely well for life in modern Britain. Specialist teaching ensures consistency and expertise across the school. This includes well-adapted learning for the most disadvantaged pupils.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very well considered. Daily opportunities to discuss current events help pupils to reflect on beliefs and ethical issues. They learn about democracy, human rights and cultural diversity. The impact of this is clear in how pupils engage respectfully with visitors and community settings.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Preparation for adulthood is a notable strength. Transition planning begins early. It involves close collaboration with parents and carers, pupils and external agencies. The school supports pupils’ ongoing success in post-16 with contact and guidance after they have left. Destination outcomes are positive, with the vast majority of pupils sustaining appropriate post ‑ 16 placements. Pupils develop independence through well ‑ sequenced life skills teaching. This includes planning meals, managing money and accessing community spaces safely. All pupils access a well-considered careers programme. The school’s work to provide appropriate and well-matched work-based experience is extensive and highly personalised.

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Expected standard

The school’s work to promote wellbeing is excellent. Individual plans informed by assessments have led to improvements in pupils’ engagement, conduct and social interactions. Pupils access enrichment and personalised opportunities that build their confidence and resilience. These opportunities truly reflect the talents, interests and goals of pupils. Furthermore, they provide these highly vulnerable pupils with valuable experiences that they have never had. Across all aspects of personal development, pupils are extremely well prepared for adulthood and life in modern Britain.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils generally progress well through the curriculum. Learning is ambitious and well sequenced. This enables pupils to build knowledge securely from their starting points. This is reflected in the bespoke range of accreditations that pupils access and complete successfully. As a result, pupils move on to suitable destinations in education, employment or training, with very few not in education, employment or training.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils typically achieve well. Robust checks when pupils arrive identify gaps in knowledge quickly. This includes phonics checks. Precisely targeted phonics activities help pupils to secure essential reading knowledge. Pupils' mathematical knowledge is secure. They consistently use knowledge of place value and number to gain additional mathematical knowledge. Typically, pupils’ literacy knowledge is improving. However, some pupils continue to have gaps in spelling and grammar. Staff are currently receiving training to develop pupils’ literacy knowledge further.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils’ personal achievement in their independence, interaction and engagement is excellent. Pupils arrive here having missed lengthy periods of education. Additionally, they are often unable to work alongside others effectively. The focused pastoral and nurture work that takes place has had a notable positive impact on pupils. Pupils work together well and demonstrate interest and engagement in their learning and their futures.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders’ work to improve attendance is effective. The school identifies individual barriers to attendance and puts in place bespoke support, such as the introduction of a family liaison worker who provides specialist guidance and support to pupils and their families. This support has reduced attendance barriers for many and strengthened relationships with parents and carers. Many pupils attend far more regularly than they did before joining the school. Despite this, leaders recognise the need for deeper analysis to refine their already extensive work. This is to ensure that the attendance of the most absent pupils continues to improve.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Behaviour across both sites is calm, orderly and purposeful. Staff know pupils well and create an environment where pupils feel secure. Pupils respond positively to consistent routines and expectations. This is reflected in their positive attitudes to learning. Staff make appropriate adaptations to behaviour support for pupils with more complex social and emotional needs.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Any incidents of discrimination or challenging behaviour are dealt with quickly and effectively. Suspensions have reduced in number and are used proportionately. Leaders’ recent work to analyse patterns in behaviour demonstrates their intent to refine practice further.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have constructed a coherent and ambitious curriculum. It is personalised and reflects pupils’ complex needs. The curriculum has been well designed to ensure pupils are ready for their next stage. Staff understand pupils’ needs well. They use this knowledge to shape learning that is purposeful and appropriately challenging. Generally, teachers help pupils effectively to make sense of new learning by making links to what they already know.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Typically, pupils develop secure early literacy and numeracy knowledge. This is most evident in mathematics, where pupils demonstrate consistent confidence with number and place value. Leaders are now focusing on ensuring this same level of precision is applied with early literacy. While this is mostly well considered through teaching, there is some more work to do to ensure consistency across the curriculum. Recent training and targeted support for staff are already strengthening practice. A few pupils require support with phonics. These pupils are well identified and provided with expert phonics teaching. Phonics interventions are well resourced and support pupils to learn to read well.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Assessment is used thoughtfully to identify pupils’ knowledge gaps. Staff use information from the checks they make to shape pupils’ individualised curriculum plans. This ensures that learning closely aligns with pupils’ education, health and care plan outcomes.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and the areas that require further refinement. They prioritise the right actions and make decisions that are firmly in pupils’ best interests. Decisions made regarding pupils are personalised and precise. They are informed by the expert special educational needs and/or disabilities knowledge and experience that school leaders have.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The professional learning programme for staff is broad and relevant. Staff access a wide range of evidence ‑ informed training. This includes specialist training that strengthens their inclusion and pastoral practice. This has a notable positive impact on how well pupils are understood and supported. Work to strengthen teaching further has begun, following leaders’ analysis of training needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff feel valued and involved in decisions that impact the pupils. Staff describe a culture where leaders care and respond sensitively to personal circumstances. They are clear that their workload is well considered. Staff also value the meaningful opportunities they have for professional growth. Parents and carers are equally positive about the school and value the support they receive. Parents share their praise about the difference the school has made to their child and family. The proprietor provides appropriate and effective support and challenge to school leaders. They have a clear moral purpose and a strong commitment to pupils’ welfare and achievement. Oversight systems in the proprietor body are robust and ensure that all independent school standards are consistently met. Leaders demonstrate the knowledge and capacity to continue to move the school forward and ensure the best possible provision

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

Pupils feel safe and thrive at this school because staff know them and understand their needs well. As a result, pupils feel a strong sense of belonging and are increasingly able to participate confidently in all aspects of school life. Each morning, when pupils arrive, often from long taxi journeys, they are welcomed warmly by adults. Pupils settle into school well due to the predictable routines and effective personalised support in place for them. Pupils know whom to talk to if they are worried and are confident that they will be helped. Bullying is rare in the school. Any instances of bullying or discriminatory behaviour are dealt with promptly and effectively.

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

Pupils behave well. Classrooms are calm and purposeful spaces. This reflects the highly effective relationships and consistent expectations staff establish. Due to the robust support in place, pupils quickly learn how to participate and contribute positively. The school’s well- matched therapeutic approach helps pupils to develop the emotional readiness they need to learn.

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

Pupils enjoy their learning. They talk positively about practical subjects such as cookery and construction. Pupils also value the support they receive from adults in the school. They benefit from the wide range of broader experiences on offer, including music, drumming, fishing, golf, photography and equine therapy. These opportunities help pupils to discover new interests and talents.

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

Pupils achieve well from often low starting points. Checks when pupils arrive, as well as detailed reviews of each pupil's education, health and care plans, ensure barriers to success are identified quickly. Highly effective support is put in place by well-trained staff to meet the complex social, emotional and mental health needs pupils have. Pupils gain a wide range of accreditations, including GCSEs, BTECs, and ASDAN and AQA awards. Many pupils successfully move on to further education, training or positions of work.

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Next steps

Leaders should further strengthen the consistency with which staff address pupils’ basic knowledge, especially in literacy, so that all pupils build securely on what they already know and are increasingly well prepared to achieve highly across the curriculum.

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Independent school standards

Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category. Leaders should continue to refine the precision of their monitoring and analysis, so that they draw consistently on clear insights to inform decision ‑ making and accelerate improvement across the school.

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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.

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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.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other members of the school's leadership team, a representative from a placing local authority and the chair of the proprietor body during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The school is part of On Track Education Services Ltd. This proprietor body has 10 schools and colleges across England.

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About this inspection

This school operates from 2 sites: 82 E&F Fred Dannatt Road, Mildenhall, Suffolk IP28 7RD and Swift House, Banham Road, Quidenham, Norfolk NR16 2PH.

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About this inspection

Pupils who attend the school have complex social, emotional and mental health needs and autism. They have missed significant periods of time at school prior to arriving here. All pupils have an education, health and care plan.

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About this inspection

The school makes use of one unregistered alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The annual fees are from £53,010 to £92,000.

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About this inspection

The email address of the school is info@ontrackeducation.com.

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About this inspection

The chair of the proprietor body is Penny Harris.

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About this inspection

1. Quality of education provided Standards met All standards have been met.

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About this inspection

2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Standards met

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About this inspection

3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Standards met

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About this inspection

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

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About this inspection

5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Standards met

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About this inspection

6. Provision of information Standards met

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About this inspection

7. Manner in which complaints are handled Standards met

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About this inspection

8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Standards met

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Team inspector:

Michael Williams, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

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

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Exceptional

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

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Strong standard

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

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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Insufficient evidence

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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 .

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

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

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