Kettlebrook Short Stay School

Kettlebrook Pupil Referral Unit Inspection report

p.1

133583 Unique Reference Number Staffordshire Local Authority 316157 Inspection number 11 October 2007 Inspection date Kathleen Smith HMI Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Pupil referral unit Type of school Pupil referral unit School category 11 °16 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 83 School The governing body Appropriate authority John Brody Chair Diane Mayfield Headteacher 14 June 2004 Date of previous school inspection Tame Street School address Kettlebrook Tamworth B77 1AL 01827 312840 Telephone number 01827 312844 Fax number

p.1

11-16 Age group 11 October 2007 Inspection date 316157 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 one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and an Additional Inspector.

p.3

Description of the school

Kettlebrook Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) is part of Staffordshire's provision for pupils who have been excluded or are at risk of exclusion from school. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. All pupils have emotional, behavioural and social difficulties, and 15 have a statement of special educational need. A small number of the pupils are looked after by the local authority. The PRU works in partnership with the five Tamworth secondary schools and special schools.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Kettlebrook Pupil Referral Unit, 11 October 2007

p.3

Grade: 3

Kettlebrook is a satisfactory pupil referral unit (PRU) with some good features. It is broadly successful in meeting the needs of pupils who are disaffected and excluded from school. It does particularly well in developing pupils' personal and social skills and in improving their behaviour to enable them to reintegrate into school or to progress onto further education and training. The PRU turns around the lives of many pupils by building their trust in others and making them more confident in their ability to achieve in life. The PRU provides a safe and secure learning environment, and provides good care and support to pupils. Good relationships exist between staff and pupils and effective management of behaviour enables pupils to enjoy their time at the PRU and to get into the habit of attending and benefiting from what is on offer. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall and is successful in most lessons in promoting positive behaviour and satisfactory learning. Progress

p.4

Grade: 3

is slower in lessons where planning does not match work closely enough to individual needs. The monitoring of pupils' progress is not regular or rigorous enough to ensure that lesson planning and the process of setting targets are geared precisely to each pupil's requirements. The curriculum provides satisfactory opportunities for pupils to develop work-related skills, but accommodation restricts the practical activities on offer. Pupils' learning programmes in Years 7 to 9 are effective and satisfactorily designed for their return to school. The PRU has satisfactory capacity to improve. The acting headteacher is supported well by a senior management team, whose roles are more clearly defined since the last inspection and who are now in a position to provide greater impetus to drive forward improvements. Self-evaluation of provision is satisfactory. The unit has a sound, general idea of its strengths

p.4

Grade: 3

and the areas that need improvement. This underpins improvement planning, but there is insufficient monitoring of provision and a lack of the rigour necessary for detailed planning. The PRU is well regarded within the local authority and provides valuable support to local schools to prevent pupils from becoming permanently excluded.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

■ Introduce greater rigour in measuring pupils' progress in relation to their starting points, to allow more precision in the process of setting targets and entry for qualifications. ■ Improve planning to meet the needs of all pupils within lessons and across curriculum activities.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

■ Implement more regular and systematic monitoring processes to inform self-evaluation of provision and improvement planning.

p.4

Grade: 3

Pupils' achievements are satisfactory overall. Because of their behavioural and learning needs, most pupils enter the PRU with standards that are exceptionally low for youngsters of their age and they remain so. However, they make good progress in improving their behaviour and social skills. The PRU sets targets for their achievement and these are closely monitored throughout the day to ensure pupils behave appropriately and take part successfully in the tasks they are given to complete, something they found very difficult to do prior to entering 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Kettlebrook Pupil Referral Unit, 11 October 2007 the PRU. There are examples of pupils making massive strides in building confidence. A parent states how her son, after a long period of unhappiness at his previous school, is now 'talkative and opinionated for the first time' and has 'purpose, laughter and conversation'. Pupils' behaviour improves to such an extent that many are successful at reintegrating into mainstream

p.4

Grade: 3

provision. Pupils develop good work-related and vocational skills which enable the majority of them to progress to a local college or further training. Pupils' progress in relation to targets set for the core subjects of the curriculum or achievement of qualifications is less strong. There is insufficient tracking and monitoring of pupils' academic progress to identify if pupils are achieving in line with, or beyond, expectations. Although many pupils achieve entry level qualifications, and a few gain GCSEs, the PRU recognises that improvements need to be made to ensure that all pupils are placed on courses most suitable for them, to maximise their achievements.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being are given a high priority and their behaviour is good, given their social, emotional and behavioural problems. Staff provide good role models for pupils and there is a strong focus on them adopting acceptable standards of behaviour to enable them to form positive relationships with their peers and adults. They feel valued and respond positively to staff who help them to feel very safe and secure in the nurturing learning environment. Pupils make good progress in relation to their moral and social development. Through their involvement in the citizenship programme and community-based activities, pupils develop a good understanding of their rights and social responsibilities. They make a good contribution to their community and, through the school council, have encouraged the school to become more 'eco-friendly' and to recycle their waste more effectively. The pupils' awareness

p.5

Grade: 2

of the different cultures, ceremonies and religions of people from different ethnic minority groups is limited. The PRU recognises that this is an area for development. Pupils participate in high numbers in the sporting and leisure activities on offer, although physical activities for girls are too few. Pupils' awareness of how to lead a healthy lifestyle is well developed. They eat healthy meals and many attend the breakfast club every morning. Pupils learn about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse through the visits made by local community groups. Attendance levels are good and improve generally over the academic year, indicating the good level of pupils' enjoyment and their increased motivation to attend. Pupils learn the skills necessary for the next stage in their lives and many are successful in returning to school or progressing on to further education and training.

p.5

Grade: 3

Overall, teaching and learning are satisfactory because in most of the lessons teaching promotes positive behaviour and learning. In the better lessons, pupils make good progress because teachers know the subject and the learning needs of pupils well enough to ensure that new learning is securely grounded on prior knowledge. This means that all pupils in the lesson, notwithstanding their experience of the subject or their capabilities, make equally good progress. Consequently, pupils enjoy their learning, behave well and work hard to do their best. Lessons are not as successful when inadequate planning results in pupils having to attempt lesson tasks 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Kettlebrook Pupil Referral Unit, 11 October 2007 that are either too hard or too easy. Progress slows and pupils quickly become frustrated and sometimes lose interest completely. In these lessons, the class teacher and the teaching assistants

p.5

Grade: 3

spend too much time maintaining appropriate behaviour instead of promoting progress. Too many lessons are based on worksheets or workbooks, which limits the strategies that teachers use to help pupils learn. The absence of interactive whiteboards denies teachers this opportunity of making learning more interesting through the use of colour, sound and movement. Some of the teaching accommodation restricts the range of practical activities.

p.6

Grade: 3

The curriculum for pupils in Years 7 to 9 is satisfactorily designed to prepare them for their successful return to mainstream schools. It focuses on promoting the personal and social skills of pupils and improving their literacy and numeracy. This is achieved satisfactorily, but information on each pupil from the Headteacher Referral Panel is not precise enough to devise personalised programmes quickly and so speed pupils' return to mainstream schools. The curriculum for pupils in Years 10 and 11 prepares them satisfactorily for life after the unit, which for most pupils means enrolling at a local college. The transfer from the unit to college is facilitated through the range of accredited awards offered by the PRU. However, the lack of precise information on what pupils know and can do means that some are not entered for awards that they may gain and therefore are not able to show the full extent of their learning

p.6

Grade: 3

over their time at the PRU. The work experience programme is good. It helps promote personal and social skills and provides well planned opportunities for pupils to sample the demands and expectations of many different work places.

p.6

Grade: 2

Pupils report that they feel safe and secure at the PRU because they see it as a calm and well ordered place where they are valued as young people. All required risk assessments are carried out, although the procedures for assessing the risk of individual pupils need to be more rigorous. Safeguarding procedures are fully implemented and adhere to current guidelines. Guidance for pupils in relation to their academic progress is underdeveloped. Pupils' targets for learning are not precise enough to be fully effective in raising individual achievement and the system for recording the gains they make is not rigorous enough to help in planning lessons or in adjusting the targets. A significant strength of the unit is in the way it meets pupils' additional needs. The valuable input from many agencies and specialists, including the unit's own counsellor, means that pupils' particular needs are effectively met. This shows in the good progress they make in

p.6

Grade: 2

developing their personal and social skills, gaining better control of their behaviour and in becoming increasingly self-confident and self-assured.

p.6

Grade: 3

The quality of leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The senior management team, led by the acting headteacher, works hard to ensure the smooth running of the PRU. It 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Kettlebrook Pupil Referral Unit, 11 October 2007 is clear about its roles and has effectively managed the PRU during a period of instability due to long-term sickness of the headteacher, whilst at the same time seeing a growth and expansion of its services. The senior management team is clearly focused on improving the learning experience of disaffected pupils and works with the staff very effectively to improve their behaviour and social skills. It knows the pupils well and is aware of what the PRU needs to do to improve. It works closely with parents, carers and support agencies. The management committee plays a more active role since the last inspection in the life of the PRU and provides sound critical support.

p.6

Grade: 3

Although self-evaluation of provision to inform improvement planning is satisfactory, it does not focus well enough on how well pupils progress. There is insufficient monitoring of provision to provide robust information to support the judgements made by the PRU about the quality of the service it provides. The PRU and local authority are aware of this and there are plans in place to ensure these aspects of leadership and management improve. The drive to implement initiatives has been strengthened by the appointment of the deputy headteacher to the acting headship from September 2007, which has consolidated the school's satisfactory capacity to improve. The PRU has strong links through the local authority's inclusion partnerships with schools and provides an invaluable service in working and supporting them with their inclusion agenda. This has played a major part in reducing permanent exclusions within the Tamworth area.

p.7

Grade: 3

7 of 11 Inspection Report: Kettlebrook Pupil Referral Unit, 11 October 2007 .

p.7

Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Kettlebrook Pupil Referral Unit, 11 October 2007

p.8

Inspection judgements

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

p.9

Overall effectiveness

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

p.9

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

p.9

learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 2 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

p.9

and interests of learners?

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

p.9

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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Kettlebrook Pupil Referral Unit, 11 October 2007

p.9

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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Kettlebrook Pupil Referral Unit, 11 October 2007

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Pupils Inspection of Kettlebrook Pupil Referral Unit (PRU), Tamworth, B77 1AL Thank you for making us feel welcome when we visited your PRU. We enjoyed our visit and learned a lot about the PRU. Kettlebrook is a satisfactory PRU. Some things are good. Here are some of the things we saw:

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You make good progress in your personal development and in your behaviour. ?

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The care and support you receive from all the staff are good, and you get on well with them. ? ■ Your lessons are mainly satisfactory and some are good, especially when you enjoy them and take part fully in what is planned for you to do. ? ■ You are helped to make progress in life and many of you return to school or go on to further education and training. We have asked the management of your PRU to improve the following:

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ how well it knows what progress you make so that it can set you accurate targets and ensure you take the correct qualifications ? ■ some of the lessons, so you do not get bored or behave badly ?

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the ways in which the PRU knows how well it is doing, to make sure it carries on improving.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Best wishes for the future Kath Smith Her Majesty's Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Kettlebrook Pupil Referral Unit, 11 October 2007

p.11

Annex B

Inspection of Kettlebrook Pupil Referral Unit (PRU), Tamworth, B77 1AL

p.12

Annex B

Thank you for making us feel welcome when we visited your PRU. We enjoyed our visit and learned a lot about the PRU.

p.12

Annex B

Kettlebrook is a satisfactory PRU. Some things are good. Here are some of the things we saw:

p.12

Annex B

You make good progress in your personal development and in your behaviour.
The care and support you receive from all the staff are good, and you get on well with them.
Your lessons are mainly satisfactory and some are good, especially when you enjoy them and take part fully in what is planned for you to do.
You are helped to make progress in life and many of you return to school or go on to further education and training.

p.12

Annex B

We have asked the management of your PRU to improve the following:

p.12

Annex B

how well it knows what progress you make so that it can set you accurate targets and ensure you take the correct qualifications
some of the lessons, so you do not get bored or behave badly
the ways in which the PRU knows how well it is doing, to make sure it carries on improving.

p.12