Bishopton Centre Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching to ensure that more pupils make rapid progress by making sure that:
  • teachers provide tasks that allow pupils to show their learning and greater understanding
  • support staff encourage pupils to work independently and become less reliant on adult support.
• Improve the rate of attendance for the small number of persistent absentees by working closely with the local authority and parents to reduce unauthorised absences.
• Ensure that leaders regularly monitor the dedicated time for reading in key stage 4 and check that teachers provide greater opportunities for pupils, including the most able, to develop a deeper understanding of what they have read.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The school has been very effective in maintaining good leadership. The management body have ensured that the previous headteacher, acting headteacher and new headteacher for September 2017 share the same values, vision and ambition to ensure that the school improves at a pace.
• Leaders have demonstrated great drive and resilience to develop an ambitious culture and to raise the expectations of pupils and staff. They are determined that more pupils will realise their potential and gain qualifications. Their sharp analysis and accurate evaluation of the school’s strengths and weaknesses has resulted in marked improvements to the quality of teaching. As a result, pupils are making faster progress in their learning.
• Leaders have grappled with the wide inconsistencies in information they receive about pupils’ achievements from their previous schools. This is as a result of changes nationally in assessment procedures and because many pupils have been out of school for long periods before arriving at the Bishopton Centre. A thorough system has been developed to assess pupils’ abilities on entry and then to track their learning, behaviour and personal development regularly. Such information is used well to identify gaps in learning and arrange for targeted interventions as necessary.
• Middle leaders are making a positive impact on the improvement of the quality of teaching. They have produced guidance and training for both staff and external providers on developing literacy and mathematical skills. Reading has more focus across the school, with specific time set aside at the beginning of the school day. This benefits younger pupils greatly; however, leaders are not checking that pupils in key stage 4, including the most able, have enough opportunities to practise their reading skills.
• Arrangements to manage staff performance are robust. Staff have challenging targets to meet that are set against the national teachers’ standards. The high expectations leaders have for staff are fully embraced by them because all are determined to help pupils get the best deal possible, no matter how short their time might be in school. Staff are highly motivated and work together expertly as a team. They welcome the additional challenge from the local authority’s adviser that keeps them on their toes.
• The curriculum is carefully designed to meet the personal development and welfare of the pupils. Pupils experience a good range of activities, both in and out of school, which are tightly matched to their individual needs. For example, they have opportunities to work with a professional dance group to do productions and visit Durham Cathedral to capture ideas and photographs for their projects.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a key strength of the school. It is interwoven through all aspects of pupils’ learning. Pupils learn about right and wrong, and develop resilience, consideration of others and self-confidence in lessons. Pupils rightly learn about the differences between people.
• The additional funding the school receives for disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is used creatively and well. The headteacher has accurately identified the barriers to learning and ensures that the money is used effectively to provide opportunities for these pupils to excel.
• There are excellent partnerships and strong teamwork between school staff, schools and external services. This is supporting more pupils to be able to return to a mainstream school or move on to appropriate specialist provision.

Governance of the school

• The management body is effective in its work. They are ambitious and well informed about the strengths and areas for improvement in the school. They visit regularly to evaluate the quality of the information they receive and are accurate in their evaluation of the school’s performance.
• Under the guidance of the experienced chair, the management body carries out its statutory duties well. Minutes show that members spend time on the important matters of raising pupils’ achievement and keeping pupils safe and well cared for. All are fully trained in line with the most recent government guidance and they ensure that safeguarding policies and procedures are implemented robustly.
• The financial management of the school meets statutory requirements. The management body has a clear strategy for the effective use of the pupil premium and other additional funding that appropriately meets the needs of the pupils.
• The school’s website is kept up to date with all relevant information so that parents can access any information required.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The safety of pupils is paramount and a culture of safety and care permeates all of the school’s work and actions. Effective systems are in place to respond to any pupils who may be at risk of harm. Timely and, where necessary, persistent referrals are made to appropriate agencies and detailed records capture the actions taken. All staff are trained in the most up-to-date safeguarding requirements and are vigilant in identifying and reporting any cause for concern, for example risks from social media, sexting, child sexual exploitation, extremist behaviour and from neglect or domestic violence. They work with a wide range of agencies to secure professional help for pupils who are at risk or in need. They also respond quickly to any pupils who do not turn up at school or when families suddenly move from the area.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have raised their expectations of what individual pupils can achieve. The improvements in teachers’ questioning skills, marking and written comments on improving work are now supporting good progress. Most pupils achieve well and are well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• A noticeable strength is the strong relationships developed between staff and pupils and the expert way staff manage the complex needs and behaviours of pupils. Staff use their skills and strategies to help pupils get ready for learning as soon as they enter class. Any pupil starting to have a difficult time is identified immediately, then quickly supported to help them get back to their work. Consequently, lessons are calm and purposeful and pupils respond willingly to the high expectations which adults have of them.
• The high expectations which teachers have of pupils’ application to learning are evident in pupils’ books. They show that pupils are productive in their lessons and are taking more care in their spelling and punctuation. Teachers provide detailed feedback on how well pupils are doing and what their next step needs to be. Nevertheless, there are sometimes not enough opportunities for pupils to consolidate their learning through practise of skills to deepen their understanding.
• Teachers provide many opportunities for the development of pupils’ speaking and listening skills. Pupils are confident and able to communicate their ideas using appropriate vocabulary clearly and well. However, there are few opportunities for pupils in key stage 4, including the most able, to develop their skills in reading and deepen their understanding of the meaning of books.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupil’s personal development and welfare is good. The school is a caring and welcoming place. Staff make pupils’ safety and well-being a priority. Pupils are kept safe, including when using equipment, resources and technology. Staff rightly liaise closely with parents, who feel their children are well cared for at school. Leaders check that pupils travel safely to and from school to make sure that pupils are safe.
• Pupils explained that they are happy to speak with an adult at school if they have any worries or concerns. They say they feel they belong in their school and are much happier.
• While behaviour is good, pupils in key stage 2 are still building their resilience in learning. At times, they require an adult to help them persevere with their learning, so that pupils complete activities to the high standards of which they are capable. However, older pupils are at times too reliant on adult support and need to be working more independently in preparation for further education, training or employment.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Parents who talked to the inspectors and staff in the school agree that this is the case.
• Adults manage behaviour positively and well. Pupils understand the school’s rewards and consequences systems clearly. During the inspection, no disruption to learning was seen in lessons. Pupils’ conduct was highly positive. They show high levels of respect for each other and adults throughout the school day.
• Pupils are polite and very proud of their school and their learning. They are pleased to show their work and talk about what they are doing.
• For the vast majority of pupils, attendance is improving. However, though leaders have taken action to improve attendance, it remains low when compared to other schools nationally because of a small number of persistent absentees.
• Relationships throughout the school are strong. It is a caring community characterised by mutual support and respect.
• Pupils move around the school safely and sensibly. They participate enthusiastically and energetically in activities at lunchtime, with good levels of supervision. High levels of adult support ensure that pupils eat safely and well. However, at the beginning of the school day, some pupils are not punctual and ready to start their lessons.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Since the previous inspection, pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics has improved. Current pupils’ work shows accelerated progress since the start of the academic year for some pupils, particularly at the end of Year 6 and Year 11.
• When pupils enter the school, they are usually not yet secure in the knowledge and skills they need to meet the expectations for their age. This is because many have missed past schooling due to their behavioural, emotional or social difficulties. Pupils settle quickly into school routines because of the care that is taken to help them tackle their barriers to learning, and build their confidence and willingness to ‘have a go’. Pupils then make rapid gains in their learning and also in their social, emotional and behavioural development.
• With small numbers of pupils in each year group, comparisons with national data on pupils’ attainment and progress are not always reliable. Outcomes can fluctuate widely from year to year, depending on the academic profile of each year group and the numbers of pupils who start part-way through their primary or secondary education. However, the longer pupils attend, the faster they catch up and close gaps in their knowledge and understanding.
• Pupils are prepared well for their next stage of education and training. Last year, most Year 11 pupils gained work or a place in college.
• Younger pupils make strong progress in reading because of the careful strategies used to improve pupils’ confidence and skills. Pupils read every day and for many different purposes. Texts are matched carefully to pupils’ current abilities. Precise targets are shared with pupils, so they know exactly what they have to do. Conversely, some pupils in key stage 4, including the most able, are not making the progress they could in their dedicated time for reading and this is limiting their opportunity to develop key reading skills. The most able pupils in key stage 4 are increasingly achieving more qualifications, including English and mathematics.
• Teachers’ skills in planning activities that meet pupils’ individual needs and interests mean that disadvantaged pupils who are entitled to the pupil premium and those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve as well as their peers. One-to-one sessions and individual interventions ensure that pupils’ previous barriers in developing literacy, numeracy and reading skills are tackled well.

School details

Unique reference number 111521 Local authority Stockton-on-Tees Inspection number 10032009 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 5 to 16 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 85 Appropriate authority The management body Chair Acting Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Susan Cain Sarah Birch 01642 566369 www.bishoptoncentre.org.uk btsbirch@sbcschools.org.uk Date of previous inspection 23–24 June 2015

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The Bishopton Centre is a pupil referral unit. Education is provided for children in key stages 2, 3 and 4. The Redhill building on the same site supports those pupils who are anxious and those who are supported through the home and hospital teaching service.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is above average.
• Since the previous inspection, the school has experienced changes in the senior leadership team. The previous headteacher left in April 2017 and an acting headteacher (formerly the assistant headteacher) came into post. From September 2017, a new headteacher will take up post and the acting headteacher will be the deputy headteacher of the school.
• All pupils in key stage 2, those who attend the Redhill provision, and most of the pupils in key stages 3 and 4 are dual registered with their mainstream schools.
• For pupils in key stages 2 and 3, the aim is for them to return to their mainstream school after a 12-week period.
• There are currently 15 pupils enrolled on partnership places in key stage 4.
• A very large majority of the pupils are of White British backgrounds with very few who speak English as an additional language.
• Currently, almost three quarters are eligible for support through the pupil premium, which is a larger proportion than average. The pupil premium is additional funding that schools receive to support those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is close to one quarter, including a few with statements of special educational needs.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection team observed teaching and learning in most lessons with school leaders. Work scrutiny was also undertaken with senior leaders. An inspector also visited an off-site provision for alternative vocational placements.
• The inspectors spoke to pupils about their school, observed pupils’ conduct around the school, and looked at work in their books in lessons.
• Discussions were held with the previous headteacher, acting headteacher, future headteacher, middle leaders and staff. An inspector also spoke to the management body and had a meeting with the local authority.
• There were insufficient responses to Parent View, the Ofsted online survey, for the inspectors to analyse. The inspectors had discussions with two parents and looked at the information from the school’s recent parental survey.
• Questionnaire returns from 35 staff were considered. The inspectors examined a range of documents, including the school’s own systems for the tracking of pupils’ progress, school evaluations, safeguarding documentation, and policies and records of attendance.

Inspection team

Ann Muxworthy, lead inspector Sara Roe

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector