Park View School

134813 Unique Reference Number South Tyneside LEA 282696 Inspection number 20 June 2006 to 21 June 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Noreen Buckingham Reporting inspector

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

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Galsworthy Road School address Special Type of school South Sheilds Community School category Tyne & Wear NE34 9UG 11 to 16 Age range of pupils 0191 426 8180 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0191 519 2585 Fax number 57 Number on roll Mrs Carole Marchant Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Headteacher Not applicable Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 282696 20 June 2006 - 11 to 16 21 June 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The Galsworthy Centre was a pupil referral unit until September 2004. It reopened as a special school for boys and girls with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties. Some have additional learning difficulties and others have come from residential or other day special schools. Some have not attended well at their previous schools. There are 57 pupils on roll and all but two have a statement of special educational need. There are 12 pupils in public care and a high percentage of pupils are eligible for free school meals. There are no pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. The school is situated within a local authority building used for a variety of other services.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: The Galsworthy Centre, 20 June 2006 to 21 June 2006

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Grade: 3

The overall effectiveness of the school is satisfactory rather than good as evaluated by the school. Parents are happy with what the school provides and the support it offers them. Pupils’ achievements are satisfactory overall and older pupils have opportunities to gain success in a number of externally accredited examinations. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall and teachers try to make lessons interesting. Additional literacy support develops reading skills but there are too few opportunities for pupils to extend and develop their writing skills across subjects. National Curriculum requirements are fully met but, because teaching time is short, learning opportunities are limited in some subjects. A good range of additional activities enhances what is offered and supports pupils’ good personal development. Pupils’ behaviour can be disruptive at times, but is generally satisfactory. The good

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Grade: 3

improvement many pupils have made with their attendance demonstrates that they enjoy what the school offers. With help from a wide range of agencies, the school provides a good level of care and support, making sure that pupils feel safe and secure. Individual pupils’ needs are well catered for. Although the governors are very supportive of the school they are not fully involved. The headteacher and deputy headteacher work well together and share a strong commitment to providing the best they can for pupils. They have the capacity to lead the school forward: the school development plan shows that they are aware of what needs to be done and how to improve further. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that the governors have a more active role in checking how well the school is making progress. • Increase teaching time to enable pupils to achieve even more. • Give pupils more opportunities across the curriculum to improve their writing.

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Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory overall. Pupils’ attainment on entry is low because their education has often been disrupted and they have gaps in their learning. Some have additional learning difficulties. All pupils are fully included in the activities provided and there is no evidence to suggest differences in achievement between boys and girls or those in public care. Following baseline assessment, the achievement of the lowest attaining pupils is boosted by additional support for literacy skills giving them a better base for learning. Nevertheless, there remain weaknesses in writing. All pupils have targets to improve their behaviour which can often be a barrier to achievement and these are reviewed regularly. Across subjects, pupils’ achievements are satisfactory and a few pupils make good progress in subjects such as mathematics and science. 2 Inspection Report: The Galsworthy Centre, 20 June 2006 to 21 June 2006

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Grade: 3

Older pupils gain success in externally accredited examinations in: mathematics, science and physical education at GCSE level; key skills in information and communication technology (ICT); number handling; communication studies; and in the Award Scheme and Accreditation Network (ASDAN) Youth Award at Bronze level. Some pupils are also successful in gaining the Duke of Edinburgh Award, Bronze level. The school is planning to increase the range of GCSE subjects pupils can take and has set realistic whole school targets for achievement based on an analysis of Key Stage 3 assessments.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good because there is a strong emphasis on them in the curriculum and in the systems for rewarding good work and behaviour. Attendance is satisfactory. It is monitored very closely by the school and Education Welfare Service, and rewards encourage pupils to attend regularly. As a result, many pupils’ attendance has improved since their admission. Behaviour overall is satisfactory and good on occasions, though a few disrupt learning at times. Because there is no outdoor area, pupils are inside all day and the school has developed four recreation areas for pupils to relax and socialise. Although this can cause conflict, it also develops cooperation between the pupils. Early morning snacks and lunches are served in these areas, giving further opportunities for developing social skills. Pupils understand the points system and what they have to do to gain rewards.

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Grade: 2

Much is being done to develop healthy lifestyles and fitness is promoted very well through a good physical education programme, both in and out of school. The focus on the Healthy Schools Award and Sportsmark promotes health and fitness well. The Duke of Edinburgh Award gives pupils more scope for developing teamwork skills and learning how to live together. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall though the multi-cultural nature of society receives too little attention. Pupils are given a good understanding of the culture and beliefs of other people through religious education.

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Grade: 3

The school judges teaching and learning as good but the inspection found it to be mixed in quality, although satisfactory overall. There is good teaching when the enthusiasm and subject expertise of the teacher results in high expectations of pupils and interesting lessons where pupils learn well. Relationships are strong and make a positive contribution to the way pupils respond to activities and their willingness to stay on task. In these circumstances, work is calm and purposeful. 3 Inspection Report: The Galsworthy Centre, 20 June 2006 to 21 June 2006 The most confident teachers use humour and repartee to move the lesson on and maintain a positive atmosphere. Pupils react by wanting to do well and work hard. Many pupils are reluctant learners and respond best when the tasks are explained clearly so that they know exactly what they are expected to do. When they are not sure about what they have to do, and when lessons lack structure, pupils take this as

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Grade: 3

an opportunity to try to avoid work. This is when they can become awkward and uncooperative, and need to be coaxed to work. This is not always effective and learning time is lost. Also, when work is not matched to individual needs, some pupils try to avoid tasks because of fear of failure, or they finish quickly and want to do their own thing. Many pupils are reluctant to write. The overuse of worksheets exacerbates this and limits opportunities to develop their writing. Most teachers use their own assessments to gain an understanding of how well pupils are learning, but a new system is due to be introduced in order to give more consistent information on how well pupils are doing.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is well planned to make sure that there is a good variety of subjects each day, but the short overall teaching time limits opportunities for learning in some subjects. There is a good focus on developing pupils’ basic skills, although there remain too few opportunities for pupils to develop extended writing. The personal, social, health and citizenship education programme promotes personal development well. This is further enhanced by residential opportunities for all pupils. The planned development of a ‘living skills’ room is intended to strengthen this even further. ICT skills are well developed and regularly used across the curriculum. The school offers a good range of out-of-school activities and is developing links with a number of mainstream schools. Two pupils are currently on a phased reintegration programme. Outreach support is a growing area of the school’s work. Good links are

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Grade: 3

developing with local colleges and the community for work experience placements. This gives pupils an increasing understanding of the world of work and the responsibilities of good citizenship.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are given good quality care, guidance and support. This is appreciated by parents who feel their children are in a safe and secure environment. Child protection and health and safety procedures are well established and pupils are supervised well at all times. All staff are trained in behaviour management techniques and any use of physical restraint is properly logged. Good support comes from a wide range of external agencies, particularly the school nurse who advises on all aspects of health matters, and the Connexions service which works closely with pupils about future placements. A Year 11 pupil spoke enthusiastically about the help he had been given in his ambition to join the army. He 4 Inspection Report: The Galsworthy Centre, 20 June 2006 to 21 June 2006 was successful. Regular meetings between school staff and others involved with individual pupils mean that all are well informed and can give support as needed. The

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Grade: 2

‘parent partnership’ project enables the school to support parents and pupils at home as well as in school. Most pupils feel that they can talk to staff so that their views are heard, and setting up a more formal school council is a priority in the current school development plan. Tracking pupils’ academic progress is in the early stages of development but monitoring procedures for behaviour are well established. Parents appreciate the weekly log about their child’s general behaviour.

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Grade: 3

The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory overall. The headteacher and deputy headteacher are a good team. They work well together and are committed to doing the best they can for the pupils. This is strengthened by a good staff team who all work together well. This helps to promote a positive ethos. The leadership team and the senior management team undertake their responsibilities well, ensuring that all important matters are covered. Although the judgements of itself made by the school for this inspection were too optimistic, the school’s more general self-evaluation is satisfactory. It correctly knows how it wants to move forward and has constructed a draft, long-term strategic plan to meet this aim. Performance management is well established for all staff and targets show a sound understanding of what needs to be done to improve their practice. The school has recently gained the Investors in People award. This demonstrates the

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Grade: 3

importance placed on professional development. Subject leaders draw up annual action plans for their subject but not all of them monitor their subjects across the school. Although governors are very supportive of the school, they do not have a secure understanding of its day-to-day running or a full awareness of its strengths and weaknesses. As a result, they are not in a strong position to drive the school forward. Accommodation is limited in that rooms are dispersed around the building and there are no outdoor facilities for pupils. This has meant that the school has had to use community facilities. It has developed good partnerships with other agencies and has been able to acquire funding for additional staff to support pupils’ learning. 5 Inspection Report: The Galsworthy Centre, 20 June 2006 to 21 June 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: The Galsworthy Centre, 20 June 2006 to 21 June 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 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA NA Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 4 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 3 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 3 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 2 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 3 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 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 4 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 Yes 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

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 Ofsted helpline 08456 404045 To the pupils of The Galsworthy Centre Galsworthy Road South Sheilds Tyne & Wear NE34 9UG 20 June 2006 Dear Pupils Thank you for helping me with the recent inspection of your school. I have written a report for your parents but I thought you might like to know what I thought about your school. Your headteacher and all the staff want you to do well and enjoy school. They provide a good range of activities for you, both in school and after school, to help you develop lots of skills. Your parents like the school and it is a safe and secure place. All staff take good care of you and want you to be good citizens when you leave. During my visit, I did notice some things which could be improved. The school agreed with me. I have asked the governors to come and see you more often so you can tell them what you like about school and they can see for themselves how you are getting on. While I know some of

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you don’t like writing, I think you should be encouraged to write more because it is an important skill. I have also asked the school to increase the time you spend in learning. I think you could help by working as hard as you can because it is important that you can be successful in examinations which are important for your future. I hope that you will help Mr Leivers and the staff to make your school the best it can be. Yours sincerely Noreen Buckingham Lead inspector

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