Two Bridges School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Share best practice in teaching so that all teaching is of the same quality as the best examples found in the school, especially at key stage 3.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The headteacher is passionate about her vision and has a clear strategic plan which provides the core of everything offered at Two Bridges. Along with the management committee, she has created a dedicated, professional and hard-working team which is committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for every pupil.
• Raising the confidence and resilience of pupils is at the heart of all staff do, and this is appreciated by pupils, families and leaders of local schools. One parent told inspectors that the school had helped her daughter to, ‘improve her self-confidence and belief in herself, as well as her grades’.
• Leaders have an informed and accurate oversight of the school. They regularly monitor and review school performance and are very clear about the strengths of the school and any areas for improvement. Staff are continually seeking ways in which to improve further.
• Leaders regularly review and modify the curriculum to ensure that it meets the needs of current pupils. Subjects offered are varied and help prepare pupils for the future. If a pupil wishes to study a subject which is not already available, leaders do all they can to make this happen.
• Continuous training is used to motivate and engage staff. Consequently, staff feel that they are, in the words of one, ‘supported and challenged in all areas’. Leaders encourage and support staff to forward their careers.
• Extra-curricular activities provide excellent opportunities for pupils to develop essential life, social and independence skills. Pupils talked to inspectors excitedly about the long walk and cycle ride which they completed with the school.
• Pupil premium funding is used effectively to increase opportunities and the support available to pupils and their families. As a direct result of the spending, a wider range of option subjects are now available to key stage 4 pupils. Pupils also benefit from an exceptional level of support to help them transition to post-16 learning.
• Communication between the school and everyone else involved in the life of pupils is excellent.
• Preparation for life in modern Britain is woven into the school’s work. Social times allow pupils and staff to discuss relevant, topical issues which lead to interesting discussions. During these times, pupils are able, and encouraged, to reflect on and develop their understanding of diversity and equalities.
• The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is excellent. Pupils are willing to reflect on their own experiences with regard to behaviour and talk about how they manage their own behaviour. They understand the consequences of their behaviour and actions.

Governance of the school

• The management committee consists of local headteachers and senior leaders who use their wealth of skills and educational experience to benefit the school. They also share the headteacher’s vision and ethos with equal passion.
• As a result of regular visits, meetings and reports, the management committee knows the school extremely well and offers very effective support and challenge to school leaders.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The school has five designated safeguarding leads in total, meaning that there is always someone available on site to ask for advice and to deal with any issues that arise. The school’s safeguarding documentation is very thorough, and issues are dealt with in a respectful and confidential way.
• A thoughtful, caring ethos lies at the heart of the school’s work to keep pupils safe. Staff have an excellent knowledge of the particular risks that individual pupils face, and the pupils themselves are also very aware of these issues. Families are fully included in the work that the school continually does to ensure that pupils remain safe.
• All staff receive regular, comprehensive training in all areas related to safeguarding, and have their knowledge and understanding in these areas regularly tested.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Pupils are able to make excellent progress because teachers’ planning meets their individual learning and behaviour needs. All staff know and understand the pupils extremely well and use the school’s assessment information accurately to plan future learning.
• Teachers have strong subject knowledge and they use this very effectively to question pupils precisely and probe their thinking. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding is strengthened as a result.
• Relationships between staff and pupils are extremely positive. Pupils respond well to staff requests and there is usually a friendly, calm atmosphere in classrooms which allows pupils to concentrate on their learning.
• Outdoor learning and cross-curricular themes make lessons exciting for pupils. During the inspection, some pupils were off-site attending an archery session. This session was then linked back to a mathematics session. Younger pupils are also encouraged to develop a wide range of practical life and social skills through forest-school sessions. Many pupils mentioned to inspectors that outdoor education was one of the best things about their school.
• Equality of opportunity and recognition of diversity are promoted well through teaching. The key stage 3 physical, social, health and economic education curriculum contains relevant material to engage pupils in discussion around diversity, for example looking at whether a famous entertainment company promotes racial and gender stereotypes.
• Teachers give pupils very clear, thoughtful feedback which helps them to understand what they need to do to improve their work.
• Teaching, learning and assessment across the school are of a very high quality. However, in key stage 3 teaching is not yet consistently outstanding. Leaders recognise this and are supporting all teachers to develop their skills.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• The bespoke support offered to pupils and their families is exceptional. It is clear that the welfare and personal development of pupils is at the forefront of everything the school does. One parent commented that staff ‘bend over backwards’ to help pupils achieve their potential.
• Impartial careers guidance and advice help pupils make informed decisions about the next stage of their life. Support into their next placement is thorough and personalised. Pupils talk positively about their work-experience placements and use these to inform college-course choices and apprenticeships.
• Risk-taking behaviours and how to deal with them is a key part of the education of pupils. Staff continually strive to ensure that pupils have an understanding of how to keep themselves safe in all situations.
• The wider curriculum represents a substantial part of the educational experience at Two Bridges School. Activities that take place beyond the academic curriculum, such as breakfast club, sports/games clubs and social times give pupils the opportunity to learn about life in its broader context.
• Pupils’ self-confidence and self-awareness develop rapidly during their time at the school. Continual and sustained support to promote their physical and emotional well-being allows pupils to thrive. Bullying is extremely rare and dealt with well by staff.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Sustained improvement in pupils’ behaviour is evident and is as a result of the caring, thoughtful approach adopted by all staff members. Pupils have personalised support plans in place to tackle challenging behaviour. These plans have led to dramatically improved behaviour within a relatively short space of time.
• Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. While inappropriate behaviour does occasionally occur within the school, it is always challenged at an appropriate time. Staff have an in-depth knowledge of the needs of individuals and deal with any challenging behaviour effectively. Because of this, the school is friendly and calm.
• Attendance has improved greatly for all pupils. Staff demonstrate commitment and tenacity in getting pupils to attend school; phone calls and visits home to help with morning routines are a regular part of the school’s support. While punctuality is still a challenge for the school, strategies such as providing a breakfast club for punctual pupils are huge motivators. Pupil premium funding has also been used effectively and has had a direct impact in improving attendance.

Outcomes for pupils

• Pupils make outstanding progress across the curriculum. On entering the school, key stage 4 pupils are usually working at a level far below what is expected for their age. During their time at school, pupils make rapid progress, and the gap between where pupils are in relation to their peers closes dramatically.
• Pupils are involved in monitoring their progress using individual ‘flight paths’ and take responsibility for their own learning. Pupils feel that attending the school really improves their life chances.
• Key stage 4 pupils gain relevant, aspirational qualifications which enable them to progress successfully onto the next stage of their education, employment or training. A high number leave with level 2 qualifications.
• All Year 11 pupils who left the school in 2017 had a college placement, an apprenticeship or employment destination. Most pupils successfully remain on their chosen route. This is largely because the level of support which pupils and their families receive during transition and beyond is exceptional. Parents value this bespoke support and find it extremely useful.
• Pupils who attend ‘Tracks’, and the school’s key stage 3 provision, make excellent progress in their behaviour. After their time at the school, staff provide a high level of support to enable pupils to successfully reintegrate back into their mainstream settings. Pupils speak highly of their time at Two Bridges and the personalised support that continues after they return to their own schools.
• The school’s work also has positive outcomes for pupils who attend local mainstream schools. The school’s outreach programme is viewed extremely positively by the local community. One local headteacher commented that the training given by Two Bridges staff has had ‘a very positive impact on the culture of expectation’ within their own school.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 135467 Kent 10040897 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 45 Appropriate authority Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address The governing body (The management committee) Sue Beauchamp 01892 519841

www.twobridgesschool.com suebeauchamp@twobridges.kent.sch.uk

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Two Bridges School is the behaviour support pupil referral unit (PRU) for the West Kent area. The school offers support to all 16 secondary schools in West Kent as well as 75 primary schools across the Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and South Sevenoaks area through the school’s primary ‘Tracks’ intervention programme.
• The school caters for pupils who have been excluded from their mainstream school or who are at risk of permanent exclusion. All pupils have social and emotional difficulties and have exhibited challenging behaviour in their mainstream schools. Many pupils present have additional needs but few have education, health and care plans or statements of special educational needs.
• Two Bridges is an amalgamation of two PRUs and has relocated sites twice in the last three years, since the current headteacher has been in post. It now has a main site (Pagoda site) which caters for key stage 4 pupils and pupils on the ‘Tracks’ primary intervention programme. The school also has a smaller site for key stage 3 pupils.

• Primary and key stage 3 pupils follow short, personalised programmes at the PRU before being reintegrated back into their mainstream school. Many key stage 4 pupils remain at Two Bridges School for a longer length of time, completing their qualifications at the school.
• Most pupils are from White British backgrounds and the proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is above the national average.
• Two Bridges School is part of the Kaizen Teaching Schools Alliance and works closely with the Wide Horizons Trust to provide outdoor learning to pupils.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited 17 lessons in total, 16 of which were visited with either the headteacher or deputy headteacher. These included a wide range of subjects and all key stages.
• Inspectors spent time at both sites and observed pupils at breaktimes, lunchtime and during breakfast club.
• Formal and informal discussions took place with senior leaders, middle leaders, teachers, teaching assistants, parents, members of the management committee and representatives from the local authority.
• Inspectors met with a group of pupils and spoke to pupils in classes and around the school.
• A wide range of documentation relating to safeguarding, including the single central register, was scrutinised.
• The school’s website, self-evaluation, plans for development and analysis of pupils’ attainment and progress were evaluated. Pupils’ work in a variety of subjects was scrutinised by inspectors.
• Inspectors took into account the views expressed in six responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and pupil questionnaires. The school’s own questionnaire responses were also considered and inspectors made telephone calls to parents and carers and local headteachers.

Inspection team

Maxine McDonald-Taylor, lead inspector Sue Bzikot

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector