Camden Primary Pupil Referral Unit

Camden Primary Pupil Referral Unit Inspection report

p.1

100007 Unique Reference Number Camden Local Authority 276231 Inspection number 5 October 2005 Inspection date Judith Charlesworth Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Special Type of school Pupil referral unit School category 5 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll School

p.1

The governing body Appropriate authority Peter Jarman Chair Ms Elizabeth Robson Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection 100 Stanhope Street School address London NW1 3JX

p.1

02079748023 Telephone number 02079162931 Fax number

p.1

5 °11 Age group 5 October 2005 Inspection date 276231 Inspection number .

p.1

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.2

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

p.3

Description of the school

Camden Primary Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) caters for children aged 5 - 11 who have been permanently excluded form their home school. Their primary difficulties are social, emotional and behavioural. There are currently 10 full time pupils on roll. Increasingly, younger children are being admitted with increasingly complex needs. All but one pupil has a Statement of their special educational needs. The PPRU provides a service for mainstream children who are at risk of permanent exclusion. These children are dual-registered and attend the School Inclusion Project Primary (SIPP) which is based in separate accommodation in the PPRU, part-time. Half the pupils attending the PPRU and SIPP are from White British backgrounds, with Black British-Caribbean and Black British-African forming the next two largest groups. The PPRU is a part of a wider service 'The Primary Learning Support Service' which provides support for

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 7 Inspection Report: Camden Primary Pupil Referral Unit, 5 October 2005

p.3

What the school should do to improve further

* Analyse the wealth of written information collected to set targets for school improvement. * Work with the local education authority to find solutions to over-subscription and pupils remaining on roll for too long.

p.4

Grade:

The PPRU judges teaching and learning to be good, but the inspection found it to be better than this.There is some outstanding teaching in both the SIPP and PPRU. It is so successful because it is very well planned to cater for each individual's educational and personal needs, as outlined in lesson planning and individual targets. Pupils make continual progress in both aspects. The pace of lessons is very brisk and pupils are kept involved and busy at all times. Each lesson is planned in small chunks, and moves from one to another quickly and smoothly. There are no 'slow' times, which would inevitably lead to disruptive behaviour. Pupils learn to enjoy what they are doing and are engaged by the enthusiasm and motivation of the staff, and their positive relationships with them. There is excellent team work between teachers and teaching assistants so that all pupils have maximum support for learning. Any disruptive

p.4

Grade:

behaviour is managed immediately and expertly with the minimum of interruption to the lesson.

p.4

Grade:

As judged by the PPRU, the curriculum is good overall, but some aspects are better than this. An outstanding aspect is the overall structure with a different focus in morning and afternoon activities. The mornings are tightly focused on academic achievement in six core subjects, particularly English and mathematics, although support for personal development is still high on the agenda. Lessons are arranged so that most of these subjects are covered daily which helps pupils make consistent progress. Subjects are very well planned in line with the National Curriculum, but pupils work at their own needs-led level with plans further tailored for individuals. This gives pupils the best chance of re-joining their home-schools with sufficient knowledge and understanding to make it successful. There is a good focus on teaching pupils how to be healthy, stay safe, and take their part in society successfully. The afternoons focus

p.4

Grade:

on supporting pupils' personal development through creative subjects such as art, drama, food technology and sport. Not all afternoon activities, however, are as tightly planned as the mornings' to promote and record learning. The SIPP pupils receive support for their basic skills in their own schools in the mornings and a rich, very well-planned curriculum in the afternoons where the focus is on both learning and personal development. This is an improvement since 4 of 7 Inspection Report: Camden Primary Pupil Referral Unit, 5 October 2005 the last inspection. There is a strong emphasis throughout the PPRU and SIPP on helping pupils enjoy their education so that they achieve better. The PPRU extends the curriculum effectively though educational visits, also used as part of the earned reward system, and by after-school activities achieved by specific grants.

p.4

Grade:

The inspection agrees with the PPRU that the quality of care, advice and guidance to safeguard pupils and promote their personal development is outstanding. Central to this is the depth of knowledge that each member of staff has about the needs of each pupil, and their skill in providing support and guidance for them as a result. Child protection procedures are fully operational, and staff are vigilant in their care of the vulnerable. Practice is underpinned by very effective policies which bring together education and pastoral support to promote pupils' personal and educational development. These are rigorously implemented and form the context of the PPRU's work. Pupils are involved as far as possible in all evaluations of their performance and effort, and so, with guidance, take responsibility for their own lives. The PPRU and SIPP's accommodation, resources, display and focus on celebration of achievement, is testimony to

p.5

Grade:

the care and consideration given to the pupils.Pupils' behaviour is a difficulty, but they are constantly and effectively guided to recognise and manage it with very good results. The PPRU, SIPP and support service have excellent relationships with outside agencies and other schools so that pupils receive the additional support and guidance they need, and can move on into school when they are ready. Very effective partnerships with parents are also established from the start, so that pupils' management is a joint effort.

p.5

Grade:

5 of 7 Inspection Report: Camden Primary Pupil Referral Unit, 5 October 2005 .

p.5

Grade:

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 7 Inspection Report: Camden Primary Pupil Referral Unit, 5 October 2005

p.6

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I visited your school to see how well it was working, and how well you were all doing. I was very pleased with what I found. A little while ago, the headteacher and staff filled in a long form to say what they thought about various parts of the school's work. Altogether, they said they thought your PPRU is a good school. After my visit, I think that it's better than that. I think it's an excellent school!The main reason that I think this is because you do so well there, and that is because the staff care so very much about helping you to manage learning, your behaviour and emotions, and school life better than you did before. The school is a very friendly place to be in. You have super relationships with the staff and enjoy coming to school. The teaching is excellent, and staff give you a really interesting range of things to do and learn. All this is helping you to learn more easily, and to catch up on work

p.7

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you have missed in the past. You must feel very proud of that achievement. The staff also put a great deal of effort into helping you to understand your own feelings and to manage them more successfully. I think that the way you are completely involved in that process is great. It is really helping you grow up and take responsibility for your own actions. It makes life more enjoyable too, doesn't it? There is only one area of the PPRU's work that I think could be improved. The staff could look at all the written information they are collecting, and put it into a form that would help them see more easily how the PPRU is doing and what might need improvement. That's a bit like creating graphs or mathematical data from written information. It's often easier to understand that way.I also think that it should be quicker and easier for you to move to a new school, if that is what you need, but that is mostly out of your PPRU's hands.

p.7

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

7 of 7 Inspection Report: Camden Primary Pupil Referral Unit, 5 October 2005

p.7