Setting

Mr K Purbhoo The Headteacher Area A - PRU South - Chichester PRU South (Chichester) Fletcher Place Chichester West Sussex PO20 1JR

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- CHICHESTER

Following my visit with Paul Canham, Additional Inspector, to your school on 10 March 2008, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector to confirm the inspection findings.

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- CHICHESTER

The visit was the third monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures in February 2007. The monitoring inspection report is attached and the main judgements are set out below.

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- CHICHESTER

Progress since being subject to special measures – satisfactory.

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- CHICHESTER

Progress since previous monitoring inspection – satisfactory.

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- CHICHESTER

Newly qualified teachers may not be appointed.

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- CHICHESTER

This letter and monitoring inspection report will be posted on the Ofsted website. Please inform the Regional Inspection Service Provider of any factual inaccuracies within 24 hours of the receipt of this letter.

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- CHICHESTER

I am copying this letter and the monitoring inspection report to the Secretary of State, the chair of the Management Committee and the Assistant Director of School Improvement for West Sussex.

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Additional Inspector

Tribal Group 1-4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR T 0845 123 6001 F 0845 123 6002 T 08456 40 40 40 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Evidence

Inspectors observed the PRU’s work, including visiting the hospital school and the 39 Club. They scrutinised documents and met with the headteacher, the consultant headteacher, chair of the management committee, staff and a representative of the local authority (LA).

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Context

At present the PRU is without a mathematics coordinator and the post of English coordinator is held by a temporary member of staff. There is now a primary coordinator in post. Primary aged pupils are based on the North Mundham site but in a separate building.

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Achievement and standards

The PRU is developing a better understanding of the progress pupils are making. It recognises that all pupils at the 39 Club make at least satisfactory progress. For those pupils based at the North Mundham Centre, progress remains unsatisfactory. Achievement is weakest in English and too few pupils make progress in this subject. In mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT) pupils are making better progress, but approximately a third are not making the progress they should. Art continues to be the strongest subject and all pupils make good progress. Primary aged pupils benefit from good teaching and they achieve well.

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Achievement and standards

Staff now have a far better understanding of the levels pupils start with and there are more secure systems in place to check how well pupils are doing. The PRU is beginning to use the information it has gathered to set pupils realistic targets for what they should achieve. Where staff use the information they have about pupils’ progress, such as in the primary class, this ensures work is challenging and pupils have effective targets that support their learning. However this is not yet consistent across the PRU.

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Achievement and standards

Progress on the areas for improvement identified by the inspection in February 2007:  assess pupils’ attainment on entry to the PRU and track their progress to ensure that staff are able to support and challenge appropriately – satisfactory.

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Personal development and well-being

Behaviour is improving at North Mundham. Pupils are responding to the rewards and sanctions systems and, as a result, they feel safe and comment that they are not picked upon by others. This is reflected in the fact the number of fixed term exclusions are falling. Pupils feel well supported by staff and value the help they are getting. They say that they like school and this is evident in their gradually improving attendance. Whilst attendance is still low, it has improved by 10% this term.

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Quality of provision

Teaching continues to improve and in some parts of the PRU, such as the 39 Club, the majority is now of good quality. Senior staff recognise that further improvements are needed but their thorough monitoring and continued support is having a positive impact. Teachers are better at managing behaviour and this was very evident in an English lesson where the calm and supportive approach of staff enabled a pupil to return to his learning. Teachers are also using a wider range of activities to hold pupils’ attention so that pupils maintain their concentration and stay well focused. A consistent strength of teaching is the use of questioning. Teachers use this well to encourage pupils to contribute and put their thoughts and ideas into words. This is supporting pupils to become more effective communicators. Planning to meet individual needs is still not sufficiently embedded in teaching and pupils respond

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Quality of provision

negatively when work is too easy or feel they have done similar tasks before. This is not the case though for primary aged pupils. Carefully planned work, allied to good teaching, ensures that each pupil makes the progress they should.

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Quality of provision

The curriculum continues to be developed for all pupils. The appointment of an e- learning coordinator has enabled the PRU to provide a wider range of learning opportunities for pupils. Good systems have been established to ensure pupils are monitored closely when accessing ICT and the packages provided are appropriate and flexible. College links have improved considerably through the appointment of a coordinator. Processes for induction and ensuring pupils are placed on the right courses are effective and have enabled all but one pupil to stay in college.

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Quality of provision

The PRU is confident that all permanently excluded pupils now receive 25 hours curriculum time. However, the systems for recording this and ensuring that provision is transparent are not secure. The reintegration of pupils back into mainstream is improving and this reflects the success the PRU is having in enabling pupils to take more control over their behaviours. Aspects of the curriculum, such as art therapy, are having a very positive impact and contribute well to the support and guidance of pupils. Risk assessments of pupils are a high priority across the PRU and systems remain rigorous.

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Quality of provision

Progress on the areas for improvement identified by the inspection in February 2007:  review Key Stage 3 provision to ensure that it complies with statutory requirements – satisfactory  ensure that all teaching challenges, stimulates and matches individual pupils’ needs – satisfactory  As a matter of urgency, ensure that risk assessments are completed for all pupils entering Area A PRU – good.

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Leadership and management

Improvements in leadership and management have enabled the PRU to improve and develop over the last six months. Recent appointments, particularly in terms of the new coordinators for e-learning, and college links as well as an experienced primary teacher are contributing well to pupils’ progress. It is also evident that staff are developing their roles well and are committed to bring about change. This is very evident in the way senior managers are leading the way in introducing new systems. For example, at the 39 Club the information gathered from monitoring teaching has been recorded well and the strengths and weaknesses clearly identified. Importantly, the areas for development are being used to target training for all staff.

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Leadership and management

Clerical staff are being used effectively to record data gathered from assessments, but the PRU recognises it needs to take a stronger lead in developing ways of recording pupils’ progress so that the information is easier to analyse. The PRU has a better understanding of its strengths and areas for improvement and senior staff are working effectively together to use this information to formalise self evaluation.

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Leadership and management

The management committee is very well led and has been successful in holding the PRU to account. It provides very good support and, through regular meetings and challenging questioning, the committee is ensuring that senior staff maintain the present pace of improvements.

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Leadership and management

Provision for the hospital school is inadequate. Resources are inadequate and there is no allocated space for the teacher to work other than in the wards. The level of support for the teacher has been poor. Links with hospital staff are not effective and there is no clear policy as to how teaching staff are to be used. Teaching and learning are limited by the lack of space and resources. There is no system for assessing the progress pupils make whilst supported in the hospital. Although when admitted to hospital communication with the pupils’ schools is adequate, there are no procedures for reporting to parents, carers or schools to inform them of the work completed or progress made. There has been no audit of the provision to consider whether it is providing the right level of support or value for money.

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Leadership and management

Progress on the areas for improvement identified by the inspection in February 2007:  devise systems and procedures to measure the success of the PRU and use the information generated to hold leaders to account and plan for improvement – satisfactory.

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External support

The local authority has maintained the high level of support which is much valued by staff and ensures that they remain enthusiastic and committed to developing and improving their practice.

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External support

The local authority continues to look for more appropriate accommodation for the very small number of primary aged pupils within Area A. The present accommodation on the site of the PRU is adequate and the primary coordinator has done much to ensure it is a calm and nurturing environment.

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External support

The local authority recognises that provision for the very small number of pupils with statements of special educational need is not meeting their needs. Whilst the PRU is able, to some extent, to meet the emotional and behavioural needs of pupils, staff are not trained and resources not available to enable them to meet the diverse needs of pupils with more complex learning difficulties. The local authority is at present considering what action to take to improve provision within the authority.

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Priorities for further improvement

 As a matter of urgency review the present provision for the hospital school and provide effective support for the teacher.

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