Hall Cliffe Primary School

Hall Cliffe Primary School

Address: 7 Wrenthorpe Lane, Wrenthorpe, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF2 0QB Unique reference number (URN): 142674

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

Inclusion Strong standard

The school has well-developed systems in place that help it to quickly establish the support that pupils will require when they join. Leaders ensure that pupils’ needs and barriers to learning are accurately identified, including by drawing on the expertise of the established on-site clinical and therapeutic teams. Where appropriate, the school seeks additional advice from external services, such as the local authority sensory impairment team, using this to further refine support for pupils.

p.2

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders provide staff with detailed information and guidance on how to meet the needs of individual pupils. This includes in relation to their special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and wider barriers, including past trauma. Staff access significant training that enables them to develop the knowledge of how to implement these strategies effectively. Leaders keep the provision for individual pupils under regular review, including using its 'internal team around the child' meetings and timely completion of annual reviews of education, health and care (EHC) plans alongside wider partners.

p.2

Inclusion Strong standard

Pupils benefit from a range of targeted support, both academic and for specific SEND, such as speech and language therapy. This is closely monitored by leaders and helps pupils to better access the school’s curriculum and to make progress against the targets set out in their EHC plans.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Generally, pupils arrive at school with significant gaps in their learning and wider barriers. Many have experienced time out of education before securing a place at the school. Staff prioritise ensuring that pupils grasp the basic knowledge and skills they need to succeed more widely in the curriculum. This is most evident in pupils’ reading, where regular support from knowledgeable staff ensures that pupils make quick progress from their starting points. More widely, academic and therapeutic provision typically helps pupils to work towards and meet the targets set out in their EHC plans.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Usually, the work that pupils complete is of an appropriate standard. Many pupils demonstrate pride in their work and are keen to show what they have learned. However, pupils’ retention of what they have studied is not consistently secure. Sometimes, pupils recall the activity that they completed but do not develop a detailed understanding of the intended subject matter. In these cases, pupils are less able to build on this as they progress through later stages of the curriculum.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils attend school regularly. While many pupils have historically not had high attendance, this improves when they join Hall Cliffe Primary School. Leaders promote the importance of regular attendance, including with parents and carers. For many pupils, the school provides an environment where they feel safe and supported. This contributes to their increased attendance. The school successfully helps pupils to improve their attendance should they be regularly absent. This helps strengthen pupils’ achievement and personal development over time.

p.3

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

The majority of pupils behave well. Leaders have clear expectations of pupils’ conduct, teaching them to be ‘ready, respectful and safe’. Most pupils respond positively to these expectations. Generally, pupils get on well. Bullying is rare. Pupils have trusted adults who they are confident to raise worries such as this with. Staff, including the school’s pastoral and therapeutic teams, provide personalised support that helps pupils learn to manage their own feelings and responses. However, some pupils regularly become dysregulated while at school. This and other behaviour sometimes disrupts learning. Generally, staff support works well and de-escalate these incidents, although some pupils continue to struggle. On occasion, this results in verbal or physical abuse towards others, particularly staff. The use of physical restraint in these cases is reducing but remains frequent.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The school has developed a well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum. This is appropriately adapted to the starting points and specific needs of pupils, including their special educational needs and/or disabilities. While the school uses several published schemes of work, including in mathematics, phonics and science, it makes adjustments to these, ensuring that they are appropriate to pupils’ current stage and prior knowledge.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Many pupils arrive at school with significant gaps in their knowledge and skills, including in reading, writing and mathematics. The school prioritises these aspects of pupils’ learning so that they can access the school’s wider curriculum with greater success. Generally, this work is effective. Lessons and targeted support helps pupils secure their phonics knowledge and improve their reading, narrowing gaps to the expected standard for their age.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Generally, the curriculum is taught well. Usually, staff explain content clearly, provide pupils with opportunities to practise new skills and model subject-specific vocabulary well. Teaching assistants provide effective support in lessons, including offering movement breaks and helping pupils' to manage their behaviour. How precisely staff design lesson activities and use lesson time to support pupils' learning of the curriculum varies. Sometimes, learning moves on too quickly before pupils have secured the intended knowledge. This can result in pupils struggling to explain or remember what they have learned previously, affecting how well they access new learning that builds upon this.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The school has experienced some changes in staffing and wider leadership, including a change of headteacher, since the previous inspection. The proprietor has made appropriate decisions to mitigate the potential impact of this period of instability. Roles, such as that of the regional director, provide support and continuity for the school.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The proprietor has established numerous approaches to gain assurance about the performance of the school and its compliance with the independent school standards, ensuring that these are met consistently. It has implemented a range of reviews, both internal and external, which inform the board’s understanding of the school’s effectiveness. The proprietor uses this to inform the scrutiny and support that it provides to school leaders.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff have confidence in how the school is led. They feel well supported, including in relation to their workload and wellbeing. Staff receive a comprehensive professional learning programme, including accessing nationally recognised qualifications. Leaders are acting to secure the impact of this training and improve levels of consistency, such as in teaching and how incidents of poor behaviour are managed.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents and carers hold a positive view of the school. They recognise staff’s commitment and support for pupils, with several noting how this had helped their child to develop and become more confident. Leaders actively seek the views of stakeholders, including staff and parents. They use this when considering if further changes are required to improve provision for pupils.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have recently revised the school’s personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum to better reflect the needs of pupils who attend this school. The curriculum has been carefully introduced following staff training and working with other schools. Aspects of pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development, such as learning about the fundamental British values and protected characteristics are woven through the PSHE curriculum and wider subjects. The school’s curriculum includes appropriate relationships, health and sex education that reflects statutory guidance. Pupils have additional opportunities to develop important knowledge through visits to places of worship or in school workshops. Leaders ensure that these are purposeful, such as focusing on racism or charity and community work. While pupils are able to recall some memorable experiences, their knowledge of the intended curriculum, including important aspects such as online safety, is

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

less secure and validates leaders’ decision to make changes to the curriculum.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

PSHE lessons are embedded within weekly routines and include follow-up activities. Where pupils miss key learning or require a more bespoke approach, staff provide additional intervention. The curriculum is adapted to incorporate important wider aspects of the school’s work, including clinical input and learning from assessment information. Leaders adjust how pupils access this content to meet their communication, processing, and social, emotional and mental health needs.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school’s wider offer for personal development is deliberate and responsive to pupils’ needs, interests, and views. Leaders have carefully mapped pupils’ activities, including through the school’s ‘life skills’ programme and ‘fun Fridays’. These are structured to enhance pupils’ development and broaden their experiences. All pupils have the opportunity to participate in this wider offer which helps to develop their independence, resilience, teamwork and confidence beyond the classroom.

p.4

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

Many pupils join Hall Cliffe Primary School following a period of instability in their schooling, often including time out of education. Staff take the time needed to get to know pupils and to ensure that they feel safe and secure in their new school. All pupils have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. Staff have a thorough understanding of these and other information about pupils’ needs. This information informs the personalised package of support, including through the school’s clinical and pastoral teams, that each pupil receives. In combination, this helps pupils to progress well while they are at school and to become increasingly confident and well prepared for the next phase of their education.

p.5

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

Pupils generally enjoy school. Most attend significantly more regularly than they did prior to their time here. This helps them to form secure relationships with staff. Pupils trust staff to help them keep safe and to achieve well. Bullying and targeted acts of unkindness are rare. Usually, pupils show respect for others in their conduct. When this is not the case, staff work to help pupils understand the impact of their actions on others and how to better manage their emotions and frustrations. Sometimes, pupils struggle to apply this guidance and their behaviour falls short of leaders’ expectations. After such instances, staff provide pupils with a safe environment to reflect and a fresh opportunity.

p.5

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

Pupils enjoy a range of opportunities that enrich their studies. They regularly participate in activities such as swimming and forest school provision. Some take on leadership roles, including ‘HERO’ (helping everyone respect others) pupils that allow them to contribute to the wider school. Educational visits, including through the ‘life skills’ programme, broaden pupils’ experiences. For example, visiting the cinema or learning how to travel on a bus.

p.5

Next steps

Leaders should ensure that pupils consistently secure important knowledge from the curriculum before progressing on to new learning, in order that that pupils build a detailed understanding of what they have been taught. Leaders should ensure that staff consistently and effectively implement agreed approaches to managing behaviour so that instances of disruptive behaviour and pupils becoming dysregulated reduce further. This includes further reducing those which escalate and require staff to use restrictive intervention.

p.5

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

p.5

Independent school standards

Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category. standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

p.6

Independent school standards

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

p.6

Independent school standards

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other senior leaders from the school and wider company. The lead inspector spoke with the members of the proprietor body, the chief operations officer, operations director and regional director. Inspectors discussed the school’s work with representatives of Wakefield local authority, the local authority designated officer and the virtual school. During the inspection, inspectors visited lessons across a range of subjects and year groups as well as speaking with pupils and reviewing samples of their work. They also spoke with other members of the school's teaching and non-teaching staff as well as speaking to several parents and carers by telephone.

p.6

Independent school standards

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

p.6

Independent school standards

All pupils who attend this school have an educational, health and care plan. The school primarily provides education for pupils with autism, social, emotional and mental health and speech, language and communication needs. All pupils' places are commissioned by a local authority.

p.6

Independent school standards

The school does not use any providers of alternative provision.

p.6

Independent school standards

The school has undergone a significant change since the last inspection. Since this time, the school has appointed a new headteacher, and several other members of the school's leadership, teaching and support staff have also changed.

p.6

Independent school standards

The proprietor of the school is Witherslack Group Ltd. The chair of the proprietor body is Richard Wilkins.

p.6

Independent school standards

The fees currently charged are £98,274 to £131,794.

p.6

Independent school standards

The school's email address is: hall-cliffe-primary@witherslackgroup.co.uk.

p.6

Independent school standards

1. Quality of education provided Standards met

p.6

Independent school standards

All standards have been met. 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Standards met

p.6

Independent school standards

3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Standards met

p.7

Independent school standards

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

p.7

Independent school standards

5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Standards met

p.7

Independent school standards

6. Provision of information Standards met

p.7

Independent school standards

7. Manner in which complaints are handled Standards met

p.7

Independent school standards

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

p.7

Facts and figures used on inspection

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

p.8

Exceptional

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

p.8

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.9