Pilgrim Pathways School

134765 Unique Reference Number CAMBRIDGESHIRE LEA LEA 282683 Inspection number 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006 Inspection dates Mr. Charlie Henry LI Reporting inspector

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

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Darwin Centre for Young People School address Pupil referral unit Type of school

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CB2 5EE Pupil referral unit School category 5 to 16 Age range of pupils 01223 885863 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01223 885851 Fax number 46 Number on roll Mr.Bob Sproson Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs. Nora Oakes Headteacher Not applicable Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 282683 14 March 2006 - 5 to 16 15 March 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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.

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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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The Pilgrim pupil referral unit (PRU) was formed in September 2003. It contains four distinct centres. The Darwin Centre is for adolescents who have acute psychiatric disorders; the Phoenix Centre is for young people who have eating disorders and the Croft Children's Unit is an assessment centre for children aged 4 to 13 years. These centres are on the same health authority site. The fourth part of the provision is at Addenbrookes Hospital and includes teaching on a general children's ward and specialist paediatric oncology ward. As a result of their medical needs most of the pupils are residential, although the PRU does not have any responsibility for providing residential education. The number of pupils at the PRU can vary significantly from week to week, especially at the Addenbrookes Hospital provision. Pupils are taught in the PRU for widely varying lengths of time; some for just a few days, some attend for a six week

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Description of the school

assessment period and others stay for more than a year. At the time of the inspection there were 46 pupils; two of whom were from minority ethnic backgrounds and none had additional needs resulting from having English as an additional language. Six pupils had statements of special educational need. Pupils attend from a wide area, especially for the specialist medical provision at Addenbrookes.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Pilgrim PRU, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006

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Grade: 2

The Pilgrim is a good PRU with some outstanding features. This judgement is in line with the PRU's self evaluation. Pupils in all of the centres do well and make good progress. Many of the older pupils who attend for a significant period of time are successful in examinations, some exceptionally so. Personal development and well being are outstanding. Pupils enjoy their studies and many show excellent improvements in their attitude and behaviour. Teaching and learning are of a consistently high standard and much is outstanding. Teachers are aware that they need to further develop how they assess and record the progress that their pupils make. Each pupil receives a well thought through, individualised curriculum. Accommodation is good at the Darwin and Croft Centres. However, it is inadequate at the Phoenix centre because rooms are too small and there is a lack of specialist facilities. It is also inadequate at Addenbrookes Hospital as suitable rooms are not

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Grade: 2

always available. The quality of care, support and guidance is exceptionally high. Staff work exceptionally closely with medical staff and make effective links with pupils' home schools. Parents are unanimous in their praise for the PRU. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher and all of the teachers-in-charge have worked hard to build an effective PRU that promotes high quality education and excellent care and support for its pupils. The PRU's self evaluation is accurate and improvement activities are undertaken. However, monitoring of the centre's work and its developments, including by the local authority, does not focus sufficiently on the standards reached and the quality of learning. The PRU shows good capacity for further improvement. It provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

- the assessment of pupils' attainment and progress, especially those who attend the PRU for a significant length of time - the rigorous monitoring of improvements, particularly with respect to the quality of pupils' experience at the PRU and the standards they attain - the accommodation for teaching and learning at the Phoenix Centre and Addenbrookes Hospital.

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Grade: 2

The inspection agrees with the PRU's evaluation that pupils do well and make good progress. Overall, the attainment of pupils as they enter the PRU are broadly in line with others of their age. Some are at levels significantly above these standards; others are well below national expectations. All pupils make good progress and some make very good progress due to the quality of the education, care and support they receive while in the PRU. There are no significant differences in the progress and achievements made by different groups of pupils. Pupils make good progress in the work detailed within their individual education plans. Younger pupils do particularly well in improving basic literacy and numeracy skills. Further developments in the curriculum have 2 Inspection Report: Pilgrim PRU, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006 extended achievements in a wider range of subjects for most pupils, including in

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Grade: 2

information and communication technology (ICT), art and modern foreign languages. Effective liaison ensures that pupils make progress in the work being followed by pupils in their home schools. This helps significantly when they return home. Older pupils continue to study GCSE, AS and A2 courses and many do very well in these national examinations. These achievements contribute well to their future education and economic well being.

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Grade: 1

Personal development and well-being are outstanding. These excellent achievements contribute to most pupils successfully returning to their home schools or moving onto further and higher education. Pupils make very good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. They show exceptionally good attitudes towards learning; they enjoy their studies and want to learn. Many, for whom behaviour has been difficult in previous schools, show very good progress in settling to work, asking for help and dealing with problems in appropriate ways. In this way, they increase their understanding of their own feelings. Pupils develop very good relationships with the adults who help them. They develop trust. Given their difficulties this is a major achievement for many pupils. They work very hard and are eager to please. Pupils feel safe and have no worries about bullying. Cultural development is particularly effective through artwork and

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Grade: 1

studying literature. Pupils attending the Darwin and Phoenix Centres extend this learning through trips to local places of interest. Pupils increase their understanding of healthy lifestyles and, where appropriate, take part in physical activities. They have begun to contribute to the development of the PRU through questionnaires and, more broadly, through providing ongoing feedback to the staff. Pupils contribute well to the wider community through charity appeals. Attendance and punctuality are excellent and any absences are due to medical reasons.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning across all of the PRU's centres is consistently good; much is outstanding. Teachers know the needs of their pupils well and plan accordingly. They use information obtained through close liaison with medical staff very well indeed. There is effective liaison with home schools to ensure work is at an appropriate level. Teachers and assistants work extremely well together as a team. They carefully monitor how well pupils are working, using questions effectively to assess if they understand or if they need further support. Staff are very calm and reassuring. This helps build very positive relationships upon which pupils learn to have more confidence and achieve well. Teachers and assistants effectively use a range of skills to manage behaviour, when necessary, including where pupils are withdrawn or reluctant to work. Subject specialist teachers are used effectively to extend the expertise

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Grade: 2

3 Inspection Report: Pilgrim PRU, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006 of fulltime staff. Arrangements for assessing and monitoring pupils' attainment and progress are satisfactory. The PRU is aware that improvements need to be made. Targets are set within individual education plans, although many of these relate to the completion of individual schemes of work rather than specific targets for learning. Records are maintained at the end of each lesson. These do not always demonstrate how well a pupil has achieved and there are few references to National Curriculum levels. Marking is undertaken routinely. Staff make positive comments on how well pupils have done but do not usually provide information about how to improve further.

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Grade: 2

The inspection agrees with the PRU that its curriculum is good. It is individualised well to meet the wide range of needs of pupils, including those who attend for a very short or extended period of time. Good links with home schools help to ensure there is continuity in pupils' work, including course work leading towards examinations. This helps to prepare pupils for when they return to their school. These arrangements assist progression routes to college and higher education. In a few instances, despite the efforts of PRU staff, too little information is provided by the other schools. There is an appropriate emphasis on English and mathematics, especially for younger pupils and for those whose levels of attainment are low. Recently there has been significant improvement in the breadth of the curriculum, for example, in science, Spanish and French. The PRU is aware that the curriculum opportunities in Addenbrookes Hospital

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Grade: 2

and the Phoenix Centre are only satisfactory, due to accommodation weaknesses. Education regarding a health and safe lifestyle is exceptionally good, both as part of the personal social and health education programme and as part of pupils' medical treatment. There is a good range of enrichment opportunities for pupils attending the Darwin and Phoenix Centres. Opportunities in other centres are understandably limited due to pupils' medical needs. There are satisfactory arrangements for work related learning including through the involvement of Connexions.

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Grade: 1

The exemplary commitment of all staff contributes outstandingly well to pupils' health, safety and wellbeing. Self evaluation correctly identifies this strength. Suitable procedures are in place to ensure the safeguarding and protection of pupils and regular staff training takes place. Very high quality support is provided to pupils both within and outside of lessons to encourage their personal development. Excellent liaison with medical staff ensures a consistency of approach that contributes to pupils' overall improvement. The work of teachers and assistant is very highly regarded as a valuable part of the pupils' treatment. The PRU also work very well indeed with parents. Parents are unanimous in their support and praise. There are successful links with home schools and with Connexions to ensure there are good arrangements for returning to school and progression to colleges and university. Regular reports are provided to schools

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Grade: 1

and parents to show the work pupils have done and how well they are doing. 4 Inspection Report: Pilgrim PRU, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006

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Grade: 2

There is very clear leadership from the headteacher and all of the centres' teachers-in-charge regarding the purposes of the PRU and a very strong commitment to providing high quality education. The development of a single PRU that has so effectively promoted the specialisms and quality of its different centres is a substantial achievement over the last two years. The PRU runs very smoothly day-to-day. Equality of opportunities are promoted effectively. Self evaluation is accurate and identifies most of the strengths and areas for further improvement. There is regular observation of lessons by the headteacher. The written evaluations of these lessons are detailed and helpful. Joint observations undertaken with the headteacher during the inspection provided consistent views of the quality of lessons observed. The views of parents are sought regularly. The views of pupils are beginning to be sought. A management

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Grade: 2

committee, covering three of the PRUs' centres, has recently been formed to support the self evaluation process. All centres have a development plan based on a careful reflection of their strengths and areas for improvement. In most cases, the priorities outlined in these plans are implemented successfully, but there is too little evaluation of the effects of these improvements on pupils' experience at the PRU and the progress they make. The local authority provides regular and valuable contribution to quality assurance through an attached inspector but does not sufficiently monitor the implementation of improvement plans, and the standards achieved and progress made by pupils. Teaching and support staff match the needs of pupils and the courses offered well and the learning resources are satisfactory overall. Accommodation is good at the Darwin and Croft Centres but is inadequate at the Phoenix and Addenbrookes Hospital

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Grade: 2

sites. The development of the PRU over the last two years, including the maintenance of high quality teaching and learning, and exemplary care, support and guidance, demonstrates it has good capacity for further improvement. Value for money is good. 5 Inspection Report: Pilgrim PRU, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Pilgrim PRU, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA NA The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 1 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily NA Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams Yes Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form Yes Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

As you know, I visited your pupil referral unit (PRU) to inspect the quality of its work. I would like to thank you all for your co-operation and assistance during my visit. I am writing now to tell you about my findings. Pilgrim is a good PRU and does many things well. Some things it does outstandingly well. I've listed these below. - You learn well, make good progress and many older pupils who attend for a significant period of time are successful in examinations, some exceptionally so. - You enjoy your studies and work hard. - Your personal development and well being are outstanding. - Teaching and learning are of a consistently good quality and much is outstanding; - Staff team work is a real strength. - Each pupil receives a well thought through, individualised curriculum. - The quality of care, support and guidance is exceptionally high. - Staff work exceptionally closely with medical staff and make effective links with your home

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

schools. - Parents are unanimous in their praise for the PRU. - Leadership and management are good. I have also identified below a few areas where further improvements could be made. - More detailed assessment is needed of the progress you make and the levels you reach, especially those who attend the PRU for a significant length of time. - Better monitoring of PRU improvements is necessary. - Improvements in the accommodation for lessons at the Phoenix Centre and Addenbrookes Hospital are required. I wish you well in the future.

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