Wey Valley CollegeOfsted inspection, 16 Jan 2007

124923 Unique Reference Number Surrey Local Authority 293142 Inspection number 16 January 2007 Inspection date William Geoffrey Robson Reporting inspector

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

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Pewley Hill Centre School address Special Type of school Pewley Hill Pupil referral unit School category Guildford GU1 3SQ 11 °16 Age range of pupils 01483 452352 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01483 579275 Fax number 31 Number on roll (school) Mrs Anne Long (Acting Headteacher) Headteacher The local authority Appropriate authority

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9 October 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 293142 16 January 2007 11 °16 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

Guildford Centre is a pupil referral unit (PRU) for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Most have been excluded from mainstream schools. A few pupils are awaiting placement in another school and a few have mental health problems. There are considerably more boys than girls and most pupils are in Years 10 and 11. Six pupils have statements of special educational need.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Guildford Centre, 16 January 2007

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Grade: 3

The PRU provides a satisfactory education for its pupils. Some features of the unit's work are particularly good and parents have positive views about the support that is provided for their children. This year, progress has been hampered by difficulties in appointing a permanent headteacher. Procedures for monitoring the unit's work and planning future developments have been postponed. Although data about pupils' progress is available, it is not used systematically to evaluate the provision or set targets for improvement. Consequently, criteria for success are unclear. However, the acting headteacher ensures that the PRU runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis. As a result, although standards are low because of pupils' previous difficulties, pupils' achievement in a good range of subjects is satisfactory. Pupils who attend regularly make good progress and achieve better results than predicted by their mainstream

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Grade: 3

schools. They benefit from teachers' good subject knowledge and precise planning that takes their individual needs into account. However, even though attendance improves by comparison with their time in mainstream schools, many pupils are still held back by poor attendance. Staff have worked effectively to implement the local authority's policy to return pupils more quickly to mainstream schools. A higher proportion has successfully reintegrated this year. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory. The capacity for further improvement is also satisfactory. The local authority has recognised the urgent need to appoint a permanent headteacher and is taking steps to do so. The PRU provides a good curriculum that meets pupils' needs well. Through effective links with local colleges, businesses and external agencies, it prepares pupils well for further education and employment. Their personal development and well-being are

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Grade: 3

good. Good use of community facilities enables pupils to develop a healthy lifestyle by participating in outdoor activities and sport. Those who attend regularly clearly enjoy the variety of subjects and activities available. Pupils say that bullying is rare but accept that their behaviour could be better. Although behaviour is satisfactory, pupils do not know their behaviour targets and staff do not refer to them often enough to ensure consistent improvement. This has resulted in an increased number of fixed term exclusions. Similarly, teachers do not involve pupils enough in assessing their own work. Pupils do not know what they need to do to achieve better grades and are unsure about how well they are doing.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that pupils are aware of their individual targets so that they know exactly how to improve their behaviour and work • Ensure that a headteacher is in post to secure the leadership of the PRU • Establish clear criteria for success so that teachers and the management committee evaluate the PRU's work more precisely • Introduce more strategies to improve pupils' attendance 2 Inspection Report: Guildford Centre, 16 January 2007

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Grade: 3

Most pupils enter the PRU with very low standards because of their previously poor attendance and difficulties experienced in mainstream schools. Although standards remain low, achievement is satisfactory overall. Some pupils achieve well and do better than their previous schools had predicted. Nearly all pupils who continue to attend the PRU until the end of Year 11 gain GCSE qualifications or entry level certificates. Last year, four of the 16 pupils in Year 11 gained five GCSE passes. However, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Girls gain better grades than boys but the main reason for some pupils doing better than others is attendance. In all years, several pupils do not attend regularly enough and make unsatisfactory progress as a result. Some pupils with statements of special educational need also make slow progress because of their more severe behaviour, emotional and social difficulties.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. Those who attend regularly improve their attitudes to education, grow in confidence and enjoy their time in the PRU. They feel safe and trust staff, saying that 'They treat you better and give you more help than in mainstream.' Through frequent opportunities to talk individually to adults, they begin to come to terms with their feelings and emotions. Pupils behave well when they are taught individually but many still have difficulties taking turns and learning in groups. This is reflected in the high number of fixed term exclusions for verbal abuse to adults and other pupils. The unit has Healthy Schools status and pupils generally follow the guidelines for healthy eating and living. They respond well to the unit's rules not to smoke in or around the building and many take advantage of good opportunities for off-site sport and outdoor activities. Pupils collect

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Grade: 3

money to support charities but have few opportunities to contribute to their own community; for example, there is no students' council through which they can discuss their views formally and contribute to decisions in the PRU.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Teachers have good relationships with pupils. Through the trust that they establish with vulnerable pupils they often succeed in getting them to work hard, even when they appear unwilling to learn at the start of a lesson. At times, teachers achieve this by sensitively avoiding the confrontation of challenging behaviour. However, they do not remind pupils about their behaviour targets consistently enough to reduce inappropriate behaviour. Many pupils say that they do not know what their targets are. 3 Inspection Report: Guildford Centre, 16 January 2007 Teachers have good subject knowledge, even when they are not teaching their own specialism. Most teachers are very aware of pupils' individual needs. They provide a variety of activities that maintain pupils' interest and are flexible enough to adapt these plans for different group sizes, dependent on the number of pupils attending.

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Grade: 3

Their planning is very precise and they share clear learning objectives with pupils. However, they do not build enough on this to involve pupils in assessing their own work. As a result, pupils do not know what grade or level they are working towards, or what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

The PRU provides a good range of courses and activities for pupils that meet their needs well. It places a suitable emphasis on developing pupils' skills in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology. In Years 10 and 11, pupils can study for a variety of awards, from GCSE to entry level certificates, that meet their individual needs well. A well organised course in personal and social education reinforces pupils' learning about healthy, safe lifestyles. Good links with the local further education college and local businesses help pupils to develop workplace skills that contribute well to their future economic well-being; nearly all who attend regularly move into training, further education or employment after Year 11. Pupils appreciate the effort teachers make to overcome the lack of playing fields at the unit. They particularly enjoy the opportunities for dance and rock climbing at Surrey University. More pupils

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Grade: 2

are now returning to mainstream schools after a short time in the PRU. However, teachers do not share information about lessons or schemes of work with the mainstream schools, to ease pupils' reintegration.

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Grade: 3

This aspect of the PRU's work is satisfactory but there are several very good features. Arrangements for safeguarding pupils' well-being are rigorous. Good links with Connexions ensure that pupils have good careers guidance. Pupils on work experience receive excellent support from a Key Stage 4 support mentor. Two local council youth workers and counsellors from a YMCA project provide good additional support for pupils' personal, social and emotional development. Parents and carers are kept well informed and have positive views about the way the unit supports their children. One parent said, 'Staff take time to listen to my child and are so helpful for his future.' The initial assessment of pupils when they first enter the PRU is thorough and enables teachers to set appropriate targets. However, after the first two induction weeks, staff do not refer often enough to these targets. They are reviewed each term but this is

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Grade: 3

not frequent enough. Pupils' uncertainty about what they are aiming to achieve slows their progress, both behaviourally and academically. 4 Inspection Report: Guildford Centre, 16 January 2007

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. Since the resignation of the previous headteacher last September, the PRU has experienced difficulty in appointing a replacement. Uncertainty about the future appointment has halted the updating of the development plan, which was urgently needed. Previously established procedures for evaluating and monitoring performance have been postponed. The PRU does not set targets for success related to how well pupils achieve or how many return successfully to mainstream education. As a result, although data is available, it is not analysed sufficiently. Despite this, the acting headteacher has ensured the efficient day-to-day running of the PRU. She has maintained the morale and commitment of staff who work well together as an effective team, so that pupils continue to make satisfactory progress. Senior staff have also responded well to the local authority's recent reorganisation of its support services for vulnerable pupils. This has entailed a

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Grade: 3

change of emphasis towards supporting the reintegration of more pupils into mainstream schools. The proportion of pupils successfully reintegrating has increased significantly this year because of the efficient management of improving links with mainstream schools. 5 Inspection Report: Guildford Centre, 16 January 2007 .

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Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Guildford Centre, 16 January 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 4 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 The behaviour of learners 4 The attendance of learners 3 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: Guildford Centre, 16 January 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Guildford Centre, 16 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I enjoyed visiting your unit and would like to thank you for showing me your work on the day of the inspection. You made me feel very welcome. Many of you said that you enjoyed the different courses and opportunities that the unit provides and that you are happier now than when you were in mainstream school. Certainly, teachers and staff give a lot of help to those of you who may be going through a difficult time in your lives. You will be pleased to know that I agree that you are being given a satisfactory quality of education. There are some very good things about the unit. At the end of the day I prepared a list of what is good about your education and another containing some things that could be better. The things that are done well for you: • teachers plan lessons very well and help those of you who attend regularly to make good progress with your work • you have very good opportunities to study many different subjects and get different

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

qualifications • the unit has good links with other colleges and businesses that help prepare you for life after school. Some things that could be done better: • you need to know your targets better so that you know exactly how to improve your behaviour and work • some of you still do not attend regularly enough and do not make enough progress because of this • teachers and the management committee need to evaluate the unit's work more precisely. With very best wishes for the future, William Robson (Lead inspector) 9 Inspection Report: Guildford Centre, 16 January 2007

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