The Surrey Teaching Centre

The Surrey Teaching Centre Inspection report

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134108 Unique Reference Number Surrey Local Authority 328831 Inspection number 17 March 2009 Inspection date Stuart Charlton Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Pupil referral unit Type of school Pupil referral unit School category 2–19 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 25 School (total) 1 Sixth form 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The local authority Appropriate authority Mrs Sheila West Headteacher 22 March 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection The Children's Trust School address Tadworth Court Tadworth KT20 5RU 01737 354 006 Telephone number 01737 354 006 Fax number

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2–19 Age group 17 March 2009 Inspection date 328831 Inspection number .

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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. 2 of 10 Inspection Report: The Surrey Teaching Centre, 17 March 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors. The inspectors evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the effectiveness of the Centre's systems to track and record pupils' progress and its monitoring of teaching and learning, as well as the effectiveness of the management group in acting as the Centre's critical friend. Evidence was gathered from lesson observations, scrutiny of pupils' work and documents. Parents' questionnaires and discussions with pupils, representatives of the local authority, the management group and staff also contributed to the judgements. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

The Surrey Teaching Centre is a pupil referral unit registered for those aged 5 to 16. It caters for pupils who are unable to attend school because of their medical needs. It specialises in the care of profoundly disabled pupils and in educational rehabilitation programmes for pupils with a recently acquired brain injury. The Centre is accommodated within The Children's Trust at Tadworth and the vast majority of pupils are following a rehabilitation programme within The Children's Trust. About a third of pupils are educated on a short-term basis and consequently there is a high turnover of these pupils. All pupils have a statement of special educational need or are being assessed for one and nearly all are from White British backgrounds. The Centre admits pupils from overseas hospitals. At present there are three children in the Early Years Foundation Stage taught in the Key Stage 1 class. The Centre holds the Healthy School and

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Description of the school

Sportsmark Awards. The Local Authority is currently reviewing its pupil referral unit provision.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: The Surrey Teaching Centre, 17 March 2009

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Grade: 1

The Surrey Teaching Centre provides outstanding education for its pupils. In particular, the care, guidance and support pupils receive to develop their communication and social skills and the curriculum are exemplary. These are the cornerstones that ensure the vast majority of pupils make outstanding progress. Pupils of all ages and abilities work together happily in a secure and harmonious environment. All parents speak very highly of the provision and make comments such as, 'I love this school, the teachers make lessons such fun based on their unflagging enthusiasm, endless patience and constant encouragement.' As a result of excellent teaching and learning, the achievement of the vast majority of pupils is outstanding given their well below-average starting points on entry to the Centre. Staff pay very careful attention to the needs of pupils who are recovering from severe brain injury and ensure that they match activities and therapies very effectively to pupils' individual requirements.

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Grade: 1

The way in which the Centre helps and supports parents is also outstanding. Many parents speak highly about how the Centre has helped them to cope with the trauma of having a brain-injured child. In all areas staff plan conscientiously; they are enthusiastic and make learning fun. The way in which teachers, teaching assistants and therapists work together as a team is seamless and the excellent relationships they build with pupils are key to the Centre's success. Staff give pupils very helpful feedback that helps them to improve their work and rebuild their lives. All pupils receive excellent support, which enables them to achieve the very carefully determined small-step learning targets which are set for them. The very wide range of strategies and therapies used by staff to develop pupils' communication skills was an outstanding feature of all the lessons observed. Pupils' personal development is a cornerstone of the Centre's provision and is excellent for all

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Grade: 1

age groups. A wide range of religious faiths and cultural backgrounds are promoted successfully. Consequently, pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. Pupils say that they feel safe and thoroughly enjoy their learning. Overall, attendance is excellent, taking account of the medical needs of all pupils. Those pupils who are able to do so are very willing to express their views on a range of issues, as was seen in an interview with pupils in one of the older classes. These opportunities enable pupils to develop a keen sense of responsibility for making sure that the Centre is a good place to be, and their behaviour is exemplary. Neither staff nor pupils allow any instances of misbehaviour to affect the learning of others. Through the very close contacts with a wide range of other young people from a range of backgrounds and nationalities in The Children's Trust, pupils gain an excellent appreciation of the needs of

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Grade: 1

brain-injured people in the wider world. Pupils contribute very well to their immediate community. A good example of this is the way in which older pupils 'buddy' younger ones. They develop a very clear understanding of the need for a healthy lifestyle through the very wide range of opportunities for physical development and through their therapies. This is reflected in the award of Sportsmark status. In all their activities pupils pay particular regard to the importance of being safety-conscious. The curriculum is carefully planned to provide pupils with the skills they need to be successful not just when they move to the next stage of their education, but in life outside the Centre. It takes full account of each individual's needs and ensures that every opportunity is used to enhance their personal and social development. There is a systematic development of pupils' key skill of communication through reading, numeracy and information and communication

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Grade: 1

technology across all subjects. A good range of enrichment activities, particularly those organised 4 of 10 Inspection Report: The Surrey Teaching Centre, 17 March 2009 through The Children's Trust, play an important part in ensuring pupils enjoy their time in the Centre. The care, guidance and support pupils receive are excellent. Robust safety procedures are in place and risk assessments fully meet requirements. Staff make sure that all pupils, including those who arrive at different times of the year, settle quickly and happily into life in the Centre and that they gain the confidence they need to move to the next stage of their education. There is comprehensive tracking of pupils' personal and academic progress. This information is used extremely well to organise extra support for pupils as needed. It is also used to set challenging targets for each pupil that help to motivate them in their learning. The links with

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Grade: 1

The Children's Trust and a range of forums for young people with brain injury play an important role in enhancing pupils' learning. Leadership and management are both excellent. The headteacher leads by example and provides the vision and determination to ensure that all pupils are able to reach their potential. Along with the senior management team, she gives a very clear sense of direction. Together they set a climate of strong teamwork among all adults so that everyone makes an active contribution to improvement. Responsibility for admissions to the Centre is shared between the management committee and The Children's Trust. Although the management committee are very supportive of the Centre and act very effectively as its critical friend in monitoring teaching and learning and the outcomes for pupils, they do not have budgetary responsibilities. Consequently, they are not able to plan as effectively as they might to extend the Centre's expertise to a wider

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Grade: 1

cohort of pupils. For example, the Centre has extended the age range of pupils to include those in the Early Years Foundation Stage and post-16, but as yet the management committee has not been able to finalise details of staffing and funding with the local authority. The Centre's self-evaluation is accurate and, largely because of the rigorous and discerning monitoring of the headteacher and senior managers, everyone is very clear about what needs to be done for the Centre to improve further. Staff development and training are given a high profile and staff approach key developments very enthusiastically. The contribution the Centre makes to community cohesion is outstanding. There are excellent links with outside agencies, particularly The Children's Trust, but also the psychological service and social services and with local schools and colleges. Linked to its sterling work with parents, the Centre is very active at a national

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Grade: 1

and international level to promote the profile of children and young people with brain injury. The impact of these initiatives and links are very carefully monitored and are crucial in establishing the basis of trust between pupils, parents and the Centre which is essential to the rehabilitation process. The Centre has made rapid improvement since the last inspection and this track record demonstrates it has outstanding capacity to improve even further.

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Grade: 1

The Centre is not registered to take students over 16 years of age, but does so if there are learners of this age in rehabilitation at The Children's Trust. Students of this age are generally taught in the class for older pupils. As in the main part of the Centre, the curriculum is very well matched to the needs of the students and as a result of the outstanding teaching in this class, the students make excellent progress and achieve highly. As a result, a number reintegrate successfully into mainstream education placements. The students' learning is very well managed by the coordinator and the senior management team and they benefit from the same extremely high quality of care and support received by all the pupils in the Centre. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: The Surrey Teaching Centre, 17 March 2009

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Grade: 1

The Surrey Teaching Centre takes children in the Early Years Foundation Stage as and when requested by The Children's Trust. These children are accommodated in the Key Stage 1 class and follow a curriculum which is very carefully adapted to meet their individual and specific needs. The imaginative way in which staff organise the learning of children with brain injuries ensures that they are well motivated by a wide range of purposeful activities. An excellent example is how occupational and speech therapies are linked to early word recognition strategies to enable children to develop their communication skills. By the time the children start Year 1, all attain their targets and the majority exceed these, notably in their personal development. Leadership is strong and the Centre's expertise in developing communication skills is extremely well adapted to the learning of these young children. The Centre is aware that the outdoors

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Grade: 1

provision could be better and a well-resourced plan is being implemented in conjunction with The Children's Trust to address this issue.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that the management committee is able to take full financial responsibility for planning and delivering the Centre's educational provision, particularly for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage and students in post-16. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: The Surrey Teaching Centre, 17 March 2009 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: The Surrey Teaching Centre, 17 March 2009

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Inspection judgements

16-19 School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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meeting the needs of learners?

Yes Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection 1 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 1 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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children in the EYFS?

1 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 1 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

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

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Achievement and standards

1 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. 2 IE - denotes that insufficient evidence was available to inspectors for a judgement to be made. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: The Surrey Teaching Centre, 17 March 2009

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well-being of the learners?

The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 1 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 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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full range of learners' needs?

1 1 How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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achievement 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 leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards IE 2 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 1 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: The Surrey Teaching Centre, 17 March 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

27 March 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of The Surrey Teaching Centre,Tadworth,KT20 5RU Thank you for all the help you gave us when we visited your Centre recently. We particularly enjoyed being able to meet a good number of you. You told us very clearly that the Centre is outstanding. In particular, you emphasised that staff are always ready to help you and that they make learning fun. You all said that the work you do enables you to deal much more effectively with your medical problems in order to lead a fulfilling life. I agree with all your very positive comments and consider that you get first-rate care and attention to ensure that you all achieve as well as you can. All staff work very hard to ensure that you are able to continue your education despite the disruptions caused by your treatments. Testimony to your hard work is that many of you get the opportunity to go back to school. The very wide range of links that you are able to make

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

through the Centre, The Children's Trust and other agencies with people who have suffered brain injury are very effective. We have asked that the management committee is given the powers that it needs to plan the details of how the Centre needs to change to teach those of you aged 2 to 4 and those who are over 16. You can help by doing your very best at all times. Yours faithfully Stuart Charlton Lead Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: The Surrey Teaching Centre, 17 March 2009

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