Chatsworth Futures Limited Ofsted Report

Full report

Information about the provider

• Chatsworth Futures Limited, known as Chatsworth Futures Specialist College, is a company limited by guarantee and based in Salford, Greater Manchester. The college provides day provision for young people aged 19 to 25 who have high and very high special educational needs. All learners are funded as day placements.
• Learners study on programmes that are at or below entry level 1. Depending on their abilities and needs, learners follow one of three courses: employability, independence skills or sensory/learners with profound or multiple learning difficulties (PMLD).
• At the time of the inspection, Chatsworth Futures Limited had 20 learners, 17 of whom were in scope for the inspection and three who were funded directly by the local authority. Of the 20 learners, 19 had progressed from the nearby school that caters for pupils with severe learning difficulties, PMLD and autism.

What does the provider need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that:
  • learners’ targets are personalised and broken down into smaller steps to ensure that learners’ progress over time can be recorded accurately
  • teachers’ feedback to their learners is evaluative, constructive and provides information on what they have achieved successfully and what they need to do to develop their skills further
  • improvement actions for teachers, resulting from lesson observations and learning walks, are time-bound and are monitored regularly by managers so that they improve classroom practices.
• Improve self-assessment so that the areas for improvement are clear, managers’ actions are implemented quickly and their impact improves the quality of learners’ experiences and outcomes.
• Strengthen the rigour of performance management by ensuring that all staff have specific and measurable improvement targets, focused on the quality of learning and progress of their learners, and that these targets are monitored regularly.
• Ensure that behavioural incidents are recorded fully, including the causes of the incident and actions taken by staff, in order to develop effective prevention strategies.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Chatsworth Futures Limited grew from a pilot project with five learners, developed in 2013 by the nearby specialist school in conjunction with the local authority, parents and carers, to provide progression opportunities at 19 for the group of learners that had no other alternative options. In September 2015 Chatsworth Futures Limited moved into their current premises, a governing body was established in July 2016 and the principal and assistant headteacher were appointed in September 2016. The principal is also the executive headteacher of the local multi-academy trust. Leaders base the curriculum around English and mathematics, life skills and communication, and, recently, have implemented speech and language therapy and animal therapy.
• The new leadership team and governors have developed a clear vision for the future of the college that focuses on the provision of high-quality learning and life skills for this group of learners. They have implemented a number of quality processes, for example target-setting for learners, and introduced policies and procedures to raise standards. Leaders and governors recognise that they are at the early stages in the development of the college and that they have not monitored sufficiently the effectiveness of new initiatives. As a result, the changes have not improved quality fully.
• Quality improvement arrangements are not rigorous enough. Leaders have made accurate headline judgements in the self-assessment report, but the report is mainly descriptive and does not identify the strengths and weaknesses of the college. Evidence of quality improvement planning, including the tracking of progress made against quality improvement targets, is limited. As a result, the impact of actions taken is not clear.
• The monitoring of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires further development. Leaders have introduced a lesson observation process. They record lesson observations and identify the strengths and weaknesses of sessions. However, the records show that actions required for teachers to address identified areas for improvement are not specific enough, and progress towards achieving them is not monitored frequently.
• Leaders have recently introduced performance management processes. However, these processes require further development in order to bring about the desired improvements. Teaching staff received an appraisal in September 2016 and a mid-year review; support staff received targets in January 2017 with a review planned for the end of the academic year. Targets for teaching staff are generic and do not focus on the impact that they and subsequent actions will have on learners and their learning. Targets for the assistant headteacher, set at the start of 2016/17, have not yet been reviewed, and the principal does not have specific targets for his role at Chatsworth Futures Limited.
• Resources in a minority of areas require improvement. Staff support for learners is in place and is highly effective. However, there is currently limited personalisation of physical resources for learners. During 2016/17, leaders have begun to invest in appropriate resources for each group of learners, particularly in tablet computers and small sensory items, but resources do not meet the specific needs of a minority of learners well enough. Teaching accommodation is well maintained and mostly fit for purpose.
• Leaders and staff promote a culture of inclusivity and harmony for learners, their parents and partner organisations. The environment is welcoming and provides a safe place for learners.
• Leaders and governors have high expectations of staff and learners. Staff speak positively about their working relationships at all levels within the college and with learners and parents. Staff feel valued and empowered, and demonstrate high levels of enthusiasm and commitment.
• The curriculum matches the needs and interests of the vast majority of current learners. Leaders work well with the local authority to ensure that the curriculum meets local and regional needs. Vocational subjects, particularly in catering, bicycle repair and horticulture, provide relevant work experience placements for a minority of learners who develop effectively their work-related skills and future employment prospects.
• Leaders identify and respond quickly to staff development needs. Teachers and teaching assistants access appropriate professional development to improve their general skills and knowledge to meet the health and care needs of learners. Specific and targeted training to support staff in improving their teaching, learning and assessment practices is limited.

The governance of the provider

• Governors are enthusiastic, well qualified and have a range of expertise and skills that benefit the college and its learners. They have established their roles quickly and effectively, and are working collaboratively and closely with leaders to develop the future strategy and ambitions of the college.
• Governors use their skills and knowledge to provide a rigorous level of challenge to leaders as well as high levels of support. They understand fully the college’s strengths and weaknesses, and how they can support leaders to implement the necessary improvements.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Chatsworth Futures Limited follows appropriate practice for safe staff selection and recruitment.
• Learners feel safe, and parents feel that their children are safe. Individual risk assessments are updated regularly in relation to learners’ changing needs.
• Staff and governors receive regular training on safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty and, as a result, have a thorough understanding of the potential risks to learners and the actions to take to keep learners safe. Staff know how to communicate the risks of radicalisation and extremism appropriately to this group of learners.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Learners’ targets in lessons are not sufficiently individualised. Assessment judgements and the recording of learners’ progress are too descriptive. Many targets are too broad and are not sufficiently broken down into small steps of learning to meet individual learners’ needs.
• Teachers set too many targets for PMLD learners to focus on effectively. As a result, learners do not routinely retain and build upon their knowledge and skills. This limits their progress and impedes accurate progress monitoring over time.
• Detailed assessment helps to identify learners’ starting points and barriers to learning and to inform learner profiles. Staff work well with parents and other professionals to identify learners’ needs when first entering the college. An improved baseline assessment provides coherent information that enables teachers to develop appropriate curriculum activities. However, teachers do not use this information routinely when planning teaching and learning.
• Teachers give encouraging verbal feedback to learners throughout sessions on how well they have achieved. However, feedback on what learners need to do to improve is limited. A few staff occasionally use terms that are inappropriate to young adults when addressing them.
• Teachers promote learners’ development of their English and mathematics skills throughout their curriculum. Learners practise their English and mathematics skills through practical application such as mixing car shampoo with water or shopping tasks. In a few classrooms, wall displays do not reflect learners’ literacy levels as they contain words that learners who are working at below entry level are unable to read or understand.
• Learners have a wide range of complex learning needs and/or disabilities. Teachers and teaching assistants have high expectations of learners and skilfully manage challenging behaviour by supporting learners to develop strategies to modify and improve their own behaviour and increase their independence.
• Curriculum design and delivery are meeting the complex and diverse needs of learners, which increases their ability to make a positive contribution to college life and beyond. A strong focus on behaviour and sensory needs supports learners to access a range of activities and function in familiar and unfamiliar situations. Staff respond quickly and with sensitivity to learners’ fluctuating and varied needs. Externally accredited qualifications have recently been introduced for the majority of learners, and future plans include the introduction of functional English and mathematics qualifications for those learners for whom they would be appropriate.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

• The development of communication skills for learners has a high focus. Effective speech and language therapy provision enables learners to make good or better progress in developing their individual communication and social interaction skills. The speech and language therapist works effectively across all areas of the curriculum. Communication skills are assessed as part of the initial assessment and all learners have highly relevant communication targets.
• All teaching staff have accessed a range of communication skills training. A total communication environment, using a range of modes of communication such as signing, oral, auditory, written and visual aids, is used by most teachers to engage and develop communication skills effectively. However, a minority of teaching staff are less confident with a total communication strategy and resources, for example when working with learners with echolalia.
• Parents recognise the progress learners make in the development of their communication skills. They identify how learners are using these skills to communicate more effectively at home and in the community, and how this is enhancing learners’ ability to integrate into family and social situations.
• Learners’ attendance and punctuality are good. The vast majority of learners enjoy their learning and attend college. Effective support is in place for those whose attendance is identified as a concern, enabling learners to interact and re-engage in education and learning.
• Learners make good progress in managing their behaviour. Many learners have challenging behaviour and difficulty relating to others. They are well supported in learning how to manage their behaviour through sensitive support from staff. Staff challenge and address low levels of inappropriate behaviour effectively.
• Communication between the college and parents is good. Daily communication diaries provide good links and continuity of support. Parents are fully involved in the college’s internal annual review of progress, which includes education, health and care plans. Parents feel strongly that the activities undertaken by learners are appropriate for young adults and enable them to develop their social interaction and independence skills well.
• Work experience opportunities match learners’ needs well. Work experience placements and work-related activities are used effectively to extend learners’ understanding of work where appropriate. A minority of learners gain employer-devised work-related qualifications, for example in bicycle repair skills, that will help them to progress to accredited qualifications. Staff links with local employers are good and provide learners with valuable experiences in real work environments.
• Learners benefit from a range of enrichment activities at college. They take part in activities that include cycling and swimming. Many activities take place in the local community, which provides the opportunity for learners to use the skills that they have learned in college to integrate into community life and experiences.
• Teachers and teaching assistants encourage learners to respect each other and staff. They model respectful behaviour as they work with the learners. However, staff do not record behavioural incidents appropriately to support and inform the development of prevention strategies, including the causes or, in some instances, actions taken to defuse the incident. This limits detailed analysis and the development of strategies to inform future prevention.

Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

• Staff do not set sufficiently personalised and detailed targets for each learner. On too many occasions, learners’ personal and educational targets are unclear and in some instances learners are given too many targets. As a result, the progress that learners make in lessons and over time is not recorded well and so cannot be measured easily. Most targets are too generic and this does not enable learners to work towards small steps of achievement suitable to their ability. Consequently, the knowledge and skills learners have achieved are not clear.
• Learners’ progress is reviewed and assessed using a one to five scale at their weekly tutorial sessions. Learners are recognised as having achieved a learning or personal behaviour goal when they have improved from their starting point by one point on the scale. Records indicate that most learners have fluctuating scores rather than having a record of sustained progress in meeting their goals.
• Since 2014, all learners enrolled at the college remain in learning and so far none have successfully progressed to appropriate destinations.
• Learners make good progress in developing their communication and social skills, and this helps them to interact well in college and in their personal lives. As a result of improved communication skills, learners’ confidence improves.
• Out of the 17 current learners, 13 have the capability to complete an entry level 1 course in personal and social development and they have all achieved the qualification.
• Managers analyse the performance of male and female learners effectively. Managers’ swift actions led to improvements in the achievements of female learners and, as a result, there are no longer any significant gaps.

Provider details

Unique reference number 141887 Type of provider Independent specialist college Age range of learners Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year 19+ 15 Principal/CEO Dr Martin Hanbury Telephone number 0161 707 1417 Website http://www.chatsworth.salford.sch.uk

Provider information at the time of the inspection

Main course or learning programme level Level 1 or below Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 or above Total number of learners (excluding apprenticeships) Number of apprentices by apprenticeship level and age 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ - 17 - - - - - - Intermediate Advanced Higher 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ - - - - - - 16–19 - 19+ - Total - Number of traineeships Number of learners aged 14 to 16 Number of learners for which the provider receives high-needs funding - 17 Funding received from: Education and Skills Funding Agency At the time of inspection, the provider contracts with the following main subcontractors:

-

Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the assistant headteacher, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider's most recent self-assessment report and development plans. This was the provider’s first inspection. Inspectors used group and individual interviews and telephone calls to gather the views of learners, parents and employers; these views are reflected within the report. They observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews and reviewed extensive documentation. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the provider.

Inspection team

Suzanne Wainwright, lead inspector Gillian Paterson

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector