Penarth Group School

Penarth Group School

Address: 128 Reddish Road, South Reddish, Stockport, Cheshire, Cheshire, SK5 7JG Unique reference number (URN): 135526

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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

Staff know every pupil as an individual. This enables staff to plan in precise detail, what the provision will look like for each child. Every pupil at the school has special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders recognise that each pupil has a different starting point and previous experience of education. There are robust systems in place to find out about pupils’ academic achievements as well as their personal development. Most pupils arrive at the school with significant gaps in their knowledge and a negative attitude to learning. This swiftly improves because leaders waste no time in helping pupils to get back on track. Staff skilfully identify any emerging needs that pupils may have. The systems in place are highly effective in matching the provision on offer to pupils’ needs.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff set targets for pupils that help them to celebrate even small steps of progress. Pupils, sometimes for the first time, learn to be proud of their achievements. Leaders work closely with other professionals to reduce any other barriers to their learning or wellbeing that pupils face. This not only helps pupils to engage with learning, but improves their attendance so that they build good habits for the future.

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Achievement Expected standard

For most pupils at Penarth Group School, this is their first successful experience of education. Pupils make secure progress from their wide range of starting points. This is in terms of their academic achievements as well as their personal development. Any gaps in pupils' knowledge that exist, close quickly, including in their reading, writing and mathematical knowledge. This is because staff share leaders’ vision for each pupil to achieve their best. Over time, as pupils engage more in positive learning habits, they build their enjoyment of learning. Pupils work towards a range of recognised qualifications. This prepares them well for their next stage of education, employment or training.

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Achievement Expected standard

Leaders value pupils’ opinions when planning their curriculum pathways. Pupils feel heard and this motivates them to engage in learning. Leaders take care to celebrate even the smallest steps of progress that pupils make. The systems in place enable pupils’ progress to be celebrated and shared more widely.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Previous poor attendance is a barrier to learning for most pupils when they join the school. Leaders build supportive relationships with parents and carers to offer carefully considered support to make improvements. For the vast majority of pupils, their attendance increases over time. Staff know pupils well as individuals and plan bespoke support with a positive impact. Where necessary, leaders engage with external agencies to offer additional support to pupils and families. They make regular checks on the effectiveness of this support, including making any changes that are needed to help pupils to attend more regularly.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils’ behaviour improves the longer they are on roll at the school. Pupils feel like they belong because staff understand their range of needs well. Pupils who need it, receive well- considered additional support to manage their emotions. This is done in close collaboration with parents. Consequently, the impact on pupils’ behaviour and perception of themselves improves both at school and within family life. Leaders are clear that no type of discriminatory behaviour is tolerated. This helps pupils to feel safe and secure. Leaders respond quickly to any emerging issues, including bullying. Consequently, pupils have faith in staff to help and support them when they need it.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a secure understanding of the quality of curriculum and teaching across the school. They make regular checks on how well pupils learn the curriculum across the range of subjects on offer. Leaders make well-considered decisions about the ongoing development of the curriculum to meet the changing needs of pupils who attend the school.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Pupils learn a curriculum that sets out important knowledge clearly. Staff strike a delicate balance between building on pupils’ prior knowledge and being responsive to any parts of learning where pupils are less confident. For a small number of subjects, the curriculum design is less well considered because other subjects have taken priority.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

When pupils join the school, leaders quickly determine their starting points. They make sure to identify the gaps in pupils’ reading, writing and mathematics knowledge. This forms part of a well-thought-out plan to help pupils to build confidence and re-engage in learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff receive the support and training that they need to understand leaders’ intentions for the delivery of the curriculum. This includes staff's knowledge of appropriate strategies for adapting teaching to meet pupils’ needs. Staff skilfully do this in a way that helps all pupils to feel included as well as closing any gaps that exist.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The proprietor and leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the effectiveness of each aspect of the school. They communicate a clear vision of high expectations that is well understood by the wider staff team. Consequently, staff do all that they can to meet pupils’ needs and help them to catch up on previous missed learning. This gives pupils the confidence, self-belief and academic achievement that they need to be successful in their next steps.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are knowledgeable in their roles. They make decisions in the best interests of pupils. Leaders recognise the wide range of vulnerabilities that pupils have. They make sure that this is known by the whole staff team as well as working closely with external agencies to form a united team around each pupil.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff feel well supported in their roles. They receive the training that they need to understand the special educational needs and/or disabilities that pupils have. As a result, staff feel able to respond to pupils’ needs effectively and support their development well.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents and carers cannot praise the school highly enough for the impact on their children’s learning and development. Many of them thought that their children would not be able to re- engage with education before they became part of this school community.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The proprietor and leaders make regular checks on the school's compliance with the independent school standards (the standards). They seek assurances on how the standards are met now as well as how they will continue to be met over time.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders recognise that the personal development offer is crucial to pupils’ engagement and attitudes to learning. There is a well-considered offer that carefully sets out the important knowledge pupils need to acquire before they leave the school. Although there is a set curriculum in place, leaders recognise that most pupils have missed significant parts of previous learning linked to their personal development. This may put pupils at risk, so leaders respond quickly to any emerging needs or concerns. For example, where pupils do not have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships, staff provide intensive support that increases their understanding and prepares them well for life beyond school. Leaders plan the safeguarding curriculum and staff's professional development with a clear understanding of the risks that pupils face. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in the community, as well as online.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders plan a range of experiences and opportunities for pupils linked to the curriculum and their character development. They make sure that all pupils can benefit from the offer in place.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff use their knowledge of each pupil to plan pastoral support that helps to reduce any barriers to learning or wellbeing. This is effective because of the warm and nurturing relationships between staff and pupils that exist across the school. Staff help pupils to understand what makes them special and unique, as well as wider differences that exist across society. Pupils learn about respect, tolerance and other British values. This prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils benefit from a careers programme that broadens their horizons and builds their aspirations. Leaders plan a range of well-thought-out work experiences opportunities. They put the right support in place to help these experiences to be successful.

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

For most pupils at Penarth Group School, this is their first successful time at school. Pupils join the school with previously disrupted education. Once they settle into this school, they thrive. They develop warm relationships with staff. Pupils trust staff to help and support them. This helps pupils to feel safe and secure. Staff help pupils to build aspirations for their future. Pupils set realistic goals and make meaningful steps to achieve them. They are prepared well for their next steps. Pupils achieve well. Over time, they build positive attitudes towards their education and their behaviour improves. Staff have a clear understanding of pupils’ strengths, as well as their needs and vulnerabilities. Staff use this information to plan learning that helps pupils to make progress from their wide range of starting points. Any barriers to learning that pupils arrive at the school with, reduce quickly. Pupils learn what it means to show respect to

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

different people. They trust staff to step in and help them with any worries they have. Bullying is rare and dealt with swiftly.

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

Pupils’ attendance improves the longer they attend the school. Previous poor attendance is a significant barrier to success for many pupils. Leaders support pupils to increase their attendance using well-considered strategies and a range of external agencies. Leaders make regular checks on the impact of the support in place. Pupils learn to feel proud of their positive attendance. Most pupils attend regularly because they feel like they belong.

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

Parents and carers are highly supportive of the school. Many of them recognise the positive impact of the school on their children’s academic achievements, as well as their wider development. Parents praise leaders for the lengths they go to when pupils find it hard to engage with learning. They value the time that leaders take to resolve any issues that arise.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to develop the curriculum design and implementation in a small number of subjects where this is less developed than the most effective subjects. Leaders should continue to develop the offer for pupils’ personal development so that it is an extensive and carefully tailored programme.

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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 chair of the proprietor body, the headteacher and other school leaders during the inspection. They also spoke with other staff and pupils about what it is like to be part of the school.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school caters for pupils with a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities, including social, emotional and mental health needs. All pupils have an education, health and care plan. The school is registered to admit up to 27 pupils.

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Independent school standards

Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category. At the time of the inspection, there were no students in the post-16 provision.

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Independent school standards

The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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Independent school standards

The proprietor is Care Haven (UK) Ltd. The chair of the proprietor body is Patricia Swallow.

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Independent school standards

The school's email address is headteacher@penarthgroup.co.uk

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Independent school standards

1. Quality of education provided Standards met

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Independent school standards

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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Facts and figures used on inspection

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

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27

6. Provision of information Standards met

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27

7. Manner in which complaints are handled Standards met

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27

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

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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

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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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