New Ways School

New Ways School

Address: 300 Redhill road, Kings Norton, Birmingham, West Midlands, B38 9EL Unique reference number (URN): 145417

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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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Achievement Expected standard

Many pupils achieve remarkably well, considering their previous challenges in engaging in education. The school successfully prepares pupils for their appropriate and ambitious next steps. Pupils are ready to attend further education, training or work when they leave the school. There is no ceiling placed on the academic ambitions of pupils. Pupils who are ready sit and pass GCSEs, and all pupils achieve well in other academic and vocational qualifications.

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Achievement Expected standard

Each pupil has a personalised curriculum with clear end points that they steadily work towards. There is a clear focus on ensuring pupils have the tools that they need, whether this be social skills or the academic knowledge needed to be successful. English and mathematics knowledge is central to the curriculum for all pupils. The school ensures that pupils become confident readers and have the core skills that they need to make progress in other curriculum areas.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Many pupils join the school with previous low attendance. This gradually changes at New Ways School. All staff work relentlessly to overcome barriers to attendance. They find ways to support pupils to engage with learning and attend regularly. As a result, attendance for the vast majority of pupils shows an improving trend. The school tracks every pupil’s attendance. This means that they can respond quickly when there are absences. When these occur, the school acts sympathetically but swiftly to put effective measures in place, such as support plans and adapted timetables.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Behaviour is a strength of the school. Pupils learn from the behaviour demonstrated by staff. Pupils typically want to learn, and they behave well. They listen carefully and are generally engaged in learning in lessons. Breaktimes are sociable and harmonious. Leaders have established successful strategies to manage behaviour. The school keeps robust records of any poor behaviour. Information about any incidents is shared with staff. This ensures there is a coordinated and consistent approach. Staff are trained in the school’s behaviour framework. Every pupil has an individual behaviour plan, which outlines staged responses to behaviour. These responses are predictable yet personalised, recognising the diverse needs of pupils.

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Inclusion Expected standard

This is an inclusive school. For many pupils, this is the first school they have attended where they feel they belong. Pupils are treated as individuals and are provided with a bespoke package of learning and support that is ambitious and appropriate. All pupils have an education, health and care plan. The school uses this plan as a starting point to quickly identify each individual’s needs. When new pupils join the school, they have a personalised, gradual induction period, which builds pupils’ confidence so that they are ready to learn. Staff are trained in relevant areas to support the pupils that they work with. This means that staff provide appropriate adjustments and adaptations to the curriculum. Staff know the pupils well. They have warm relationships. Pupils readily share concerns or ask for help through informal and more structured opportunities to talk. This helps pupils to understand their own needs and those of others.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school checks that the support pupils receive is making a positive difference. It uses external specialists if needed. Staff work closely with families and other agencies to successfully overcome barriers to learning. For example, some pupils benefit from attending carefully chosen alternative provision, which provides additional opportunities and appropriate support.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

All pupils take part in a comprehensive programme of personal development. This makes a real difference to building pupils’ confidence, not only in education but in the wider world.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils benefit from opportunities to learn about life beyond their home and school. For example, they study different faiths, beliefs and lifestyles. This means pupils are aware of cultural diversity and different viewpoints. They understand about people's differences and why stereotypes can be misleading. Fundamental British values are woven through activities so that pupils are prepared for living in modern Britain. Pupils become involved in local and national initiatives, such as supporting food banks, World Refugee Day and Pride celebration days. They develop their skills and interests through opportunities to try arts, music and sport. The football team successfully competes with other schools. School trips are planned to link with curriculum content as well as pupils' individual interests and hobbies.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils learn about keeping themselves healthy and safe through an age-appropriate curriculum for relationships and sex education. There are lots of opportunities for pupils to talk about their wellbeing and share concerns, such as worry boxes and ‘speak freely’ sessions.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Careers education starts in Year 7, where pupils gradually build relevant skills, so they are ready to engage with more specialised careers support in Year 10. Pupils get helpful advice and opportunities that they need to plan for intended careers. Leaders use their knowledge of the local labour market and education providers to ensure pupils move on to appropriate courses and apprenticeships. All pupils, regardless of their special educational needs and/or disabilities, are well prepared for adult life.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pastoral support for pupils and families is highly effective. The impact of this is carefully checked by leaders to make sure it is making a real difference to pupils’ wellbeing, mental health, attendance and academic progress.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the curriculum and teaching across the school. They recognise that there are inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum that arise from weaknesses in staff's use of assessment. Leaders have plans in place but these are new and have not yet had the intended impact on the quality of education that pupils receive. New systems for assessment in some subjects are at a very early stage of implementation. This means staff, including support staff, do not identify what pupils know or what they need to be working on. Staff do not always have the information that they need to address pupils’ gaps in knowledge, and pupils do not always get the precise support and feedback they need.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Pupils benefit from a bespoke timetable that is planned to meet their individual needs and aspirations. The curriculum for each pupil has clear end points. Learning typically builds in an organised and sequenced way. Education, health and care plans are appropriately considered when delivering the curriculum. Teachers have secure subject knowledge of their own areas and specialisms. Reading is appropriately prioritised. The school ensures there are successful systems in place for trained staff to support pupils who need help with reading.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders and the proprietorial body have not ensured that the school meets all the independent school standards. The school has not demonstrated that there is a framework in place to assess pupils' work regularly and thoroughly in all subjects. This means teachers do not always have the information they need to plan teaching so that pupils can progress.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders and the proprietor understand the school’s context and strengths well. They have a clear, ambitious vision and have suitably high expectations for all pupils. The school always puts the best interests of pupils first. Leaders build trusting relationships with parents and carers, who speak highly of the support and communication they receive.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

There have been significant changes at the school since the last standard inspection. These changes include the opening of the additional premises at the college site, the admission of older pupils and some changes to senior leadership. Leaders recognise the impact of these changes on some aspects of the school’s work. Leaders intend to make further changes to the school in the future. They have suitable plans to guide and steer these ongoing changes without losing focus on improving pupils' educational experiences.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff benefit from and value the professional development and training that they receive. They feel that the programme of training is usually effective in enabling them to support pupils effectively. Staff feel that leaders are considerate of their welfare and help them to manage their workload effectively.

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

Pupils arrive at New Ways School with barriers that have previously affected how well they engage with education. Staff, families and pupils work together to overcome these barriers. The school changes pupils’ attitudes and provides the right environment and support, so pupils feel safe, re-engage with learning and are happy at school.

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

Pupils behave well. They know that staff would deal with any bullying quickly if it were to happen. They get on with each other at social times and are calm and focused on learning in classrooms. Pupils are proud when their positive behaviour enables them to collect behaviour points and rewards, such as games and off-site visits. Pupils understand that there are times when they or their peers might find it difficult to manage their emotions. They trust staff to deal with these incidents effectively. Pupils know that every day is a new start at this school.

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

The school provides pupils with a broad range of experiences. They visit museums and other local attractions to enhance their learning. Pupils regularly visit outdoor activity centres, where they experience canoeing and rock climbing. These activities build confidence and resilience.

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

Pupils develop responsibility in a range of ways. For example, they may care for the school animals or prepare their own lunches. Pupils’ opinions matter to the leaders, and pupils’ voices are listened to through the school council. As a result, pupils’ ideas have been instrumental in organising school celebrations, changing furniture and replacing outdoor surfaces for safer breaktimes.

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

Pupils develop friendships and a sense of belonging through working together and caring for each other. The school organises wellbeing events, where ‘random acts of kindness’ encourage pupils to think of others and develop empathy.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure there is an effectively implemented assessment system in all subjects so that pupils' work is regularly and thoroughly assessed, providing teachers with the information they need to plan effective teaching. Leaders should ensure staff, including support staff, have the skills and information that they need to provide precise and effective support so pupils learn consistently well.

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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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Independent school standards

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

The headteacher was absent during the inspection. Inspectors spoke with the chair of the proprietor body, the chair of governors, the regional director of the proprietor body and senior leaders at both school sites.

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Independent school standards

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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Independent school standards

The proprietor of the school is Keys BR Limited.

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Independent school standards

The chair of the proprietor body is David Manson.

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Independent school standards

The school caters for pupils with a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities, including social and emotional and mental health difficulties, cognition and learning needs, communication and language needs, moderate learning difficulties, autism and sensory and/or physical needs.

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Independent school standards

The school currently uses 3 unregistered alternative providers.

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Independent school standards

Since the last inspection, the school has opened a second site at Westonhall Road, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove B60 4AL. The school has also increased the age range of pupils to 11 to 19.

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Independent school standards

The fees currently charged are £60,840 to £103,350.

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Independent school standards

The email address of the school is admin.newways@keys-group.co.uk

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Independent school standards

1. Quality of education provided Standards not met

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Independent school standards

The following standards have not been met: Paragraph 3

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Independent school standards

The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school–

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Independent school standards

(g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils' work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress; 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Standards met

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Independent school standards

3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Standards met

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Independent school standards

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

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Independent school standards

5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Standards met

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Independent school standards

6. Provision of information Standards met

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Independent school standards

7. Manner in which complaints are handled Standards met

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Independent school standards

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

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Independent school standards

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

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Independent school standards

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–

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Lead inspector:

Corinne Biddell, 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. (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

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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

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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