Orchardside School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching so that pupils make consistently good or better progress in all subjects by ensuring that: - - the plans to implement comprehensive initial assessments when pupils join the school are fully implemented, and that they, and Year 6 test results, are used to set aspirational targets teachers use ongoing assessments to set work at the right level of challenge for all ability groups, and especially the most able pupils - pupils have regular opportunities to develop their scientific enquiry skills - non-core subjects promote a clear progression of skills, knowledge and understanding, which also provide pupils with further opportunities to apply and extend their writing skills - staff have specific training and support so that they are better able to meet the needs of those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities - staff continue to work on improving attendance rates.
• Strengthen leadership and management by: - establishing permanent lines of responsibility to secure strong and substantial improvements in the quality of teaching and pupil achievement - ensuring that the progress pupils make in reading and writing is undertaken separately, for all groups of pupils; and using the information gained to target additional support more precisely to pupils’ individual needs - presenting pupils’ achievement information clearly to members of the management committee - checking that teachers act upon any feedback they are given to improve their practice - sharing more effectively the good practice in teaching that exists within the school so that teaching overall improves - making sure that all staff have high expectations for pupils’ conduct.

• An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium funding is recommended in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management should be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Senior leaders, including members of the management committee, have been preoccupied with the premises move, the restructuring of staff and subsequent redundancies. The lack of focus on the school’s core function of providing a good education for pupils has been compounded by instability at a senior leadership level. As a result, there has been a decline in the school’s overall effectiveness since the last inspection.
• Senior leaders have successfully overseen the move to the new premises. A review of some policies and procedures has secured greater consistency in the management of pupils’ behaviour.
• Prior to the very recent appointment of the new headteacher, the deputy headteacher stepped up as acting headteacher. She has steered the school well through the recent challenges outlined above and ensured the smooth running of the school on a day-to-day basis.
• The local authority has provided additional leadership capacity through the appointment of two temporary external consultants. They have supported senior leaders in setting up systems to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and who are undergoing assessments for education, health and care plans has recently increased significantly. This, together with an increase in the number of pupils on roll, means that the school’s current leadership structure limits the school’s capacity to secure rapid improvements.
• Teachers assess pupils’ progress half-termly. Pupils at risk of not achieving their targets are identified and intervention strategies put in place to boost their performance. Nevertheless, senior leaders do not track the progress that the most able pupils make. Equally, senior leaders do not track separately what progress pupils make in their reading and writing. Therefore, leaders do not know exactly what progress pupils are making in these areas
• The new headteacher has lost no time in communicating her high expectations for pupils’ achievement and personal development. She is well supported by senior and middle leaders, who, through the interim period of instability, have secured adequate provision and pupils’ outcomes. All are keen to get on with their new responsibilities to secure further improvements.
• Despite all the upheaval and changes, staff morale is generally positive. Teachers benefit from regular professional development, training and support. Teamwork is strong and staff regularly share with their colleagues what has been successful in managing pupils’ behaviour.
• Senior and middle leaders regularly monitor the quality of teaching and learning. Teachers are provided with clear information about their strengths and advice on areas that require improvement. Nonetheless, leaders do not follow up rigorously enough whether teachers have acted on their advice. As a consequence, the same weaknesses persist and inconsistencies remain. There are some teachers who are highly skilled practitioners, but their talents are not being used to promote the quality of teaching further across the school.
• Leaders plan the curriculum suitably to meet the needs, abilities and interests of pupils. There are a range of curriculum pathways for pupils to succeed in a range of subjects in school and at alternative placements. These include a wide range of academic and vocational subjects. However, the school has recognised that the new facilities are not being used to maximise pupils’ achievement and enjoyment in their learning. As a result, leaders are rightly reviewing the curriculum. They intend to secure a much wider curriculum offer, including the performing arts and a broader range of sporting activities.
• No member of staff has responsibility for the allocation of pupil premium funding and the provision for disadvantaged pupils. Although the funds are used effectively to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare, the current pupil premium strategy is weak. This additional funding is not having sufficient impact on raising the academic performance of disadvantaged pupils.
• The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development promotes pupils’ behaviour and welfare effectively. Pupils discuss current topics in the news and explore their ideas about the wider world. Pupils are taught to look after their environment, and this respect is reflected in their behaviour around the school site. There is a shared understanding of tolerance for others, promoted through lessons and assemblies. Pupils are suitably prepared for life in modern Britain.

Governance of the school

• The management committee has met the challenges created by the move to the new premises, and the restructuring of staffing, effectively. They have provided good support for senior leaders in these areas. Members have appointed a new headteacher who has considerable experience working successfully in a similar setting.
• Members of the management committee have a good understanding of the financial challenges the school faces, as well as the increasingly complex difficulties that pupils present when they arrive at school. They have high expectations for pupils’ academic and personal development, but concede that they have not kept a close enough eye on these aspects of the school’s performance.
• The management committee members have a wide range of valuable skills and relevant experience to provide leaders with the right level of challenge and support. However, they are not able to hold senior leaders fully to account for their work in raising the quality of teaching and pupil achievement. Pupil progress information presented to them is not sufficiently detailed. As a result, not all members were aware that use of the pupil premium funding is not diminishing the differences between the progress of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils. Neither were they aware that the most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, do not make good progress.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders, including members of the management committee, ensure that safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. There is a whole-school ethos that holds all staff to account for the safety and welfare of pupils.
• Leaders, including the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and nine deputy DSLs, make sure that staff are trained in all safeguarding procedures and practice. There is a good understanding of all potential dangers, including local risks and current issues, such as knife and gang crime, child sexual exploitation and domestic abuse. Staff are vigilant and never shy away from reporting their concerns to relevant staff, who in turn liaise with, and report, safeguarding matters routinely to other specialists and agencies. The very strong relationships that are forged between staff and pupils mean that changes in pupils’ behaviour are quickly identified and acted on.
• There are effective working partnerships with a wide range of professionals, including the police, and specialist drug, gang and child sexual exploitation agencies. As a result, the most vulnerable pupils and their families are well supported and signposted to the right external professionals who help to keep pupils safe.
• Those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are highly vulnerable to local safeguarding dangers. The school makes sure that these pupils are protected and organises safe transport to and from their homes if required.
• Those pupils who attend alternative provision are safeguarded by the local authority’s risk assessments and safeguarding procedures. There are regular reports to the school to ensure that pupils are kept safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teaching does not secure consistently good progress across both key stages, for different groups of pupils and in most subjects. There are pockets of good teaching that promote pupils’ progress and learning effectively, including in English, mathematics and physical education. However, the variation in the quality of teaching means that pupils do not make the progress they are capable of.
• Teachers do not identify well enough the gaps in pupils’ learning to ensure that work builds systematically on what pupils already know and can do. Assessments are not always used effectively to make sure that work is tailored to pupils’ needs and abilities. In some instances, pupils unnecessarily repeat work that they covered at mainstream schools.
• Pupils do not progress well in their learning over time in the non-core subjects. Pupils’ books indicate that they learn about topics in an ad hoc fashion. There are missed opportunities for pupils to develop and extend their writing skills in relevant contexts in these subjects.
• Teachers and teaching assistants usually provide pupils who find learning difficult with adequate guidance to support them in lessons. For those pupils with more complex difficulties, including those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, a lack of specific training for staff and few resources sometimes slows the pupils’ progress down.
• Teachers do not routinely give work that deepens most-able pupils’ understanding or makes them think hard about their learning. These pupils say that when work is too easy it has a detrimental effect on their attitudes to learning and levels of engagement. They candidly explained to inspectors that if lessons are boring they sometimes leave lessons feeling frustrated.
• The school does not separate out the progress pupils make in reading and writing. Inspection observations confirm that older pupils read with confidence and fluency in lessons. Other pupils do not read at standards expected for their age. Some pupils are not enthusiastic about reading. Pupils receive effective additional literacy support in lessons. The school has already planned activities to promote a love of reading for pleasure.
• In science lessons, there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to develop their scientific enquiry skills in practical sessions. Work in pupils’ books confirms that they undertake mundane tasks that do not sustain their interest or motivation to find out more.
• Pupils make better progress when work is tailored precisely to their needs. In these lessons, teachers use assessments to pitch work at the right level of challenge for all abilities. They know pupils’ strengths and what they need to work on next. In some mathematics lessons, pupils learn effectively when teachers and support staff link new learning to previous work, enabling pupils to deepen their understanding of mathematical concepts.
• Most teachers have good subject knowledge. Pupils make substantial progress when teachers have a real passion for their subject. These teachers inspire pupils to want to learn more, because they make topics relevant and interesting. Pupils are very discerning about the quality of teaching and confirm that they particularly enjoy their lessons in English.
• Adults ask effective questions to enable pupils to think more deeply about their learning. Adults are adept at refocusing the attention of those pupils who find learning difficult, so that they remain on task.
• Strong relationships between staff and pupils, and between pupils and their friends, create a safe learning environment. This provides pupils with the confidence to have a go at new tasks and to share their ideas in lessons. The school has established a positive and calm place for pupils to learn effectively. As a consequence, pupils are usually keen to get on with their work and to achieve their best.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• This is a strength of the school. Despite all of the significant changes recently, leaders and staff have ensured that pupils’ personal development and welfare remains at the centre of their work. Pupils quickly settle into the school’s routines, re-engage in learning and become increasingly confident. They begin to believe in their capabilities, which in turn enables them to begin to experience success.
• All pupils have a key worker whom they respect and trust. Pupils know their key worker will listen to, and sort out, any concerns they have. Key workers are also the first point of contact for parents and carers. As a consequence, they are in a prime position to identify any potential concerns, including those relating to safeguarding.
• The school works effectively with outside agencies to ensure that parents, as well as their children, receive the right guidance and support. Pupils’ mental health is promoted well and all have access to internal counsellors and therapy sessions, such as art.
• Pupils are taught about the importance of a healthy lifestyle, including how to cook nutritious meals. They attend numerous before- and after-school clubs such as trampolining, basketball and table tennis in order to stay physically fit and healthy.
• Pupils have a good understanding of the possible challenges they may face within their local community. There are well-planned activities to highlight the dangers of knife and gang crime, as well as child sexual exploitation. Pupils know how to keep safe when using electronic devices, and the consequences of all types of bullying. Pupils confirm that they feel safe in school.
• Pupils receive effective and impartial careers guidance. This information helps pupils prepare for life after leaving the school. Almost all pupils go on to study at further education colleges. Key stage 3 pupils gain valuable work experience so that they have an insight into potential careers.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• The majority of pupils behave well for most of the time. However, a small minority of staff have low expectations of pupils’ conduct. The headteacher has targeted this immediately as an area to improve. Nevertheless, there are still occasions when adults do not challenge pupils’ punctuality, use of inappropriate language and/or lack of school uniform.
• Staff have benefited from recent training in how to deal with managing challenging behaviours. They feel that leaders support them well in dealing effectively with pupils’ outbursts of inappropriate behaviours. The daily debriefing at the end of each day helps staff to share effective strategies as well as supporting leaders in monitoring pupils’ behaviour.
• Staff are skilled in defusing pupils’ potentially confrontational behaviour and implement the right strategies to reinforce good behaviour. There are very few incidents of physical restraints.
• There are improved systems for reporting and recording different types of behaviour, as well as analyses of possible triggers and the effectiveness of strategies to manage and modify pupils’ behaviour. As a result, there have been no permanent exclusions for several years.
• Attendance remains below average. Leaders know exactly what actions they need to take to reduce persistent absenteeism. There is a greater emphasis on rewarding good attendance. Leaders also plan to introduce an array of strategies, including issuing penalty notice warnings for those pupils causing concern. An attendance officer has been appointed for the autumn term to implement these strategies.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• When pupils join the school, most have low self-esteem and negative attitudes to their education. There is a growing number of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, as well as social, emotional and mental health difficulties. These difficulties have often not been identified and/or addressed in their previous schools.
• Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is usually below age-related expectations. Leaders recognise that initial assessments are not effective enough in providing a comprehensive picture of pupils’ strengths, and gaps in their learning. Plans are in place to implement assessments that pinpoint precisely pupils’ profiles.
• This current lack of precise information means that gaps in pupils’ learning are currently not being addressed well enough. Year 6 tests and assessments are not used to set aspirational targets to secure good or better progress.
• School information and work in pupils’ books demonstrate that there are inconsistencies in the progress that all groups of pupils make. This includes the most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, and those pupils looked after by the local authority. From their different starting points, most pupils do not make strong and sustained progress.
• The school provides extra tuition for pupils to support them in taking their examinations. There is additional support for those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. However, there are too few opportunities for staff to receive training in order to better meet these pupils’ needs, to secure good or better progress.
• In some year groups, pupils make stronger progress in English and physical education. There is also an upward trend in the progress that pupils make in mathematics. Progress in science and in the non-core subjects is weaker.
• Those pupils who attend alternative provision make similar progress to pupils in the school. This provision is monitored by the local authority, which provides termly reports on academic and personal progress, including attendance. Each pupil is supported by a mentor appointed by the local authority.
• All pupils achieve several GCSEs and other nationally recognised qualifications, including in a broad range of vocational subjects. They are suitably prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. However, pupils have the potential to achieve more.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 101972 Enfield 10051995 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Pupil referral unit School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Pupil referral unit 11 to 16 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 91 Appropriate authority Local authority Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Del Goddard Celeste Fay 020 83534270

https://www.orchardside.school

judith.hunt@orchardside.school Date of previous inspection 28 February 2013

Information about this school

• Orchardside was previously known as Enfield Secondary Tuition centre. The pupil referral unit was originally on three sites, and moved to a purpose-built site in January 2018.
• The deputy headteacher became the acting headteacher in January 2018, prior to the appointment of the current substantive headteacher on 4 June 2018. The move to a single site involved a significant restructuring of staffing, including at a leadership level.
• The school provides full-time education for pupils who have been permanently excluded from their mainstream schools or who are at risk of exclusion. The school aims to reintegrate younger pupils back into mainstream schools.
• A large number of pupils have complex social, emotional and behavioural needs. There are very few pupils with a statement of special educational needs and/or education, health and care plans, although there are several pupils who are undergoing assessments.
• Most pupils qualify for the pupil premium funding.
• The school uses 10 different alternative providers, overseen by the local authority, these being: Capel Manor; Focus 1st Academy; Footsteps Academy; ACE Edmonton; Waltham Forest College; LTStuition; Academy 21; Conel College; First Rung Ltd; and Enfield College.
• At the time of this inspection, Year 10 pupils were on work experience, and Year 11 pupils were on study leave.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning across key stage 3. Observations were undertaken jointly with senior leaders. Pupils’ work was scrutinised during observations and additional sampling of pupils’ work across both key stages 3 and 4 was undertaken.
• Inspectors explored pupils’ views through informal discussions with them and through a more formal meeting with a group of pupils. Inspectors listened to Year 7 pupils read.
• Meetings were held with senior leaders and members of the management committee, including the chair and vice-chair. A telephone discussion was held with the head of school improvement for Enfield local authority.
• The 16 responses from staff to Ofsted’s online questionnaire were scrutinised. There were insufficient parental responses to Parent View, the Ofsted online questionnaire. Inspectors held telephone discussions with three parents, and looked at the nine responses to the pupil questionnaire.
• A range of documentary evidence was examined. This included the school’s self-evaluation, development plans, checks on the quality of teaching, safeguarding documentation including risk assessments, various records of pupils’ attendance and behaviour, and the school’s records and checks on the suitability of staff to work with children.

Inspection team

Mary Hinds, lead inspector Helen Morrison

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector