Setting

Mr N Fox Headteacher The Cottesloe School Aylesbury Road Wing Leighton Buzzard LU7 0NY

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provision for pupils from day 6 of exclusion

Thank you for your hospitality and co-operation and that of your colleagues during my visit to Cottesloe School on Wednesday 08 October 2008 to look at the work of your school in relation to the extent and quality of provision for pupils from day 6 of exclusion. I would be grateful if you would you pass my thanks also to the young people with whom I met.

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provision for pupils from day 6 of exclusion

Although you have not excluded any pupils for more than five days in the last year, shorter fixed term exclusions have risen. The visit was helpful in enabling me to understand the strategies you are introducing to improve learning and behaviour and reduce exclusions overall. The following points summarise my findings from our discussions, data and document review and conversations with parents and pupils.

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provision for pupils from day 6 of exclusion

 The school is working hard to promote improved behaviour through a focus on learning and earlier intervention.  With a very limited budget opportunities to develop a learning support unit or buy in additional services are very restricted.  Financial constraints and the geographical location of the school mean the school cannot access shared day 6 provision. Consequently the school’s only options are repeat fixed term exclusions, managed moves or permanent exclusion.  A more proactive pastoral system is being developed to put class tutors at the centre of relationships with pupils and to promote teachers’ ownership of behaviour in their classrooms.  The school is developing a range of interventions to support pupils’ learning and behaviour.  Pupils with special educational needs are over represented in exclusion figures. Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 08456 404045 F 020 7421 6855 enquiries@Ofsted.gov.uk

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provision for pupils from day 6 of exclusion

www.ofsted.gov.uk  Many of the initiatives are new and are yet to show an impact on reducing exclusions overall, although there are individual examples where interventions have improved behaviour and access to the curriculum.

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provision for pupils from day 6 of exclusion

The visit will provide much useful evidence for our survey.

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provision for pupils from day 6 of exclusion

The Cottesloe School will not be named in any publication without your permission. Most evidence will be used at a general level to ascertain if schools and local authorities are complying with legislation and to identify the quality and extent of their provision.

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provision for pupils from day 6 of exclusion

Thank you once again for your co-operation and the work you put in before hand and on the day to help me gain a good insight into the work of your school.

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provision for pupils from day 6 of exclusion

As I explained in my previous letter, a copy of this letter will be sent to your local authority and will be published on the Ofsted website. It will also be available to the team for your next institutional inspection.

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provision for pupils from day 6 of exclusion

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any queries.

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