Cambridge Park Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • leaders and trustees have a secure understanding of the quality of education that the school is providing through rigorous self-evaluation that includes wider consultation with parents and carers, staff and pupils
  • plans for the use of additional funding include precise improvement targets that enable leaders to accurately evaluate the impact of their spending decisions
  • leaders have adequate information about the progress that pupils are making and that they use this to take action across the school to improve outcomes for all pupils.
• Improve pupils’ and students’ progress by ensuring that:
  • the assessment system accurately reflects the progress pupils are making over time
  • literacy and numeracy courses in the 16 to 19 programme continue to develop to ensure that the needs of all pupils are met.
• Ensure that the actions that leaders have taken to reduce pupils’ high rates of persistent absence have an impact on raising attendance for all groups of pupils.
• Ensure that a full analysis of bullying incidents is carried out and any training or support needs are identified. Improve systems so that bullying incidents reduce. An external review of the school’s use of pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Since the last inspection, leaders have significantly improved all areas of the school. However, new staff, initiatives, policies and procedures are not all embedded to a point where the full impact can be seen.
• Leaders ensure that they assess pupils’ abilities in a range of areas when they start at the school. However, target setting is not yet accurate enough or consistent across the school to ensure that precise progress is measured.
• Although some disadvantaged pupils do well at this school, this is not consistently the case. Leaders have not ensured that additional funding is sharply focused on the areas of need and as a result cannot evaluate the effectiveness rigorously enough.
• Leaders do not use the information they collect about pupils’ progress and attendance to help them fully understand what is working well in the school and what is less effective. As a result, their evaluation and action plan for the school is not precisely linked to areas that need most attention and does not specifically define what difference new activities will make to pupils’ progress, outcomes and attendance.
• Leaders have developed a broad and balanced curriculum that offers experiences to meet the diverse needs in the school. The curriculum offers a wide range of learning opportunities to pupils that prepares them for the next stages of their education and lives. The curriculum is delivered in a flexible way, adapting to the strengths of the pupils. It allows learning programmes to be personalised to meet pupils’ specific needs.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well supported in a variety of different ways. Pupils experience opportunities to help them contribute to their local community through, for example, charity bake sales or swopping positive behaviour points for charity donations – buying Christmas presents for underprivileged children.
• Leaders promote British Values well throughout the school. Pupils learn about the importance of equality and are encouraged to share their views and listen to others doing the same. Consequently, pupils are confident when speaking with adults and respectful and tolerant of other people. The academy has a school council which is made up of representatives from primary, secondary and sixth-form students. Members are democratically voted for from each class to represent their peers.
• Most staff feel well supported by leaders to continually improve their work. Leaders provide helpful guidance to support teachers to expand their skills and learn from their peers.
• Leaders use the sports premium well to improve pupil access to a wide range of sporting activities, both within school and out in the community. Pupils enjoy the opportunities they have been given, particularly swimming and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.

Governance of the school

• Following the last inspection, a review of governance was carried out. As a result, the chair has attended training and developed his knowledge of governance. However, the board of trustees is small (currently three external members and two staff trustees) and there are skills gaps which the board has yet to fully explore or fill.
• Trustees have not systematically challenged leaders to ensure that additional funding is used well for disadvantaged pupils.
• Trustees demonstrate a passionate and strong commitment to the school, through regular attendance at trustees’ meetings, attending training and frequent visits to the school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The designated safeguarding leader has introduced robust policies, procedures and a whole-staff training plan which ensures the safety of all pupils in the school.
• Leaders now keep accurate records of their work to safeguard pupils and can demonstrate a clear method for tracking concerns for individual pupils.
• Members of staff have up-to-date training on safeguarding which includes training on preventing radicalisation, child sexual exploitation and child protection. Staff are knowledgeable and know how to apply this training to the specific vulnerabilities of pupils in the school.
• Leaders have developed a culture of safeguarding. Members of staff are vigilant and know how to follow procedures correctly in order to keep pupils safe.
• Pupils are safe and feel safe in school. Primary pupils spoke about trusting the adults around them, saying ‘They wouldn’t let anything happen to me.’ Secondary pupils acknowledge that sometimes other pupils’ behaviour can be perceived to be bullying and as a result cause them upset. However, some of these behaviours can be linked to specific learning difficulties. Pupils are clear that the staff at the school support them to be safe and they know who they can talk to in the event of any concerns.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers generally use their good subject knowledge and the knowledge of their pupils to match learning activities at the right ability level. This enables pupils to develop their skills and deepen their understanding. This rapid improvement in teaching and learning is beginning to have a positive impact on the outcomes for pupils. However, at the time of the inspection, the impact on progress and outcomes is taking longer to show sustained improvement.
• The outcomes of observations of learning throughout the school completed by leaders over time demonstrate that teachers have good relationships with pupils and they manage their behaviour well. This was confirmed in visits to lessons during this inspection. As a result, pupils concentrate on learning, try hard and make good progress.
• Teachers check on and record pupils’ progress in detail. They analyse the information carefully to identify the next steps or areas where further work or practice is needed. However, their findings are not always accurately recorded and analysed by leaders when looking at the school as a whole.
• Teaching assistants provide good support for pupils who have more complex needs, such as those who need additional help with fine motor skills. For example, they use a range of resources to support skills development – handwriting sheets, white boards, adapted scissors, hand exercises – to ensure access to learning.
• In the secondary phase of the school, teaching assistants provide good support for pupils who need additional help in a wide range of subjects, including mathematics, where they facilitate small group learning. This wide-ranging support is more variable in primary.
• Pupils in the Laurus centre receive support to complete work set by their mainstream school. Teachers and teaching assistants work together well to provide a seamless service to ensure that the pupils can achieve GCSE qualifications.
• Reading is a focus for the school; pupils are encouraged to read from the early years. A variety of opportunities for reading are provided, for example reading to an adult, peer reading, reading in the community and independent reading. As a result, pupils are confident to use and read books in the school.
• Teachers take every opportunity to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the wider world. This includes introducing them to fundamental British values and helping them to understand what it means to be a good citizen and a good friend. Older pupils learn about democracy through electing a school council to represent each class.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• Pupils understand what bullying is and what to do if it happens to them. Pupils are confident that staff will help them, but they feel that measures to tackle bullying are not always effective.
• Leaders’ analysis of the reporting of bullying is not effective. High numbers of bullying incidents are being reported but, yet, these are not analysed to determine the types of bullying or the effectiveness of the actions taken to reduce this number.
• Pupils have a range of opportunities to develop their leadership skills through their roles on the school council, as prefects, sports leaders and for key stage 3 pupils the newly developed playground volunteers. These groups also support the wider spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils.
• The majority of pupils take pride in their work. This is evidenced in neat and tidy work in pupils’ books.
• Pupils talk confidently about how to keep themselves safe, particularly online. They are aware of healthy eating, healthy relationships and how to be a good friend. Pupils have a wide experience of other cultures and religions and show respect and tolerance towards others.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Most pupils attend school regularly. However, the proportion of pupils who are frequently absent from school is above the national average, particularly for disadvantaged pupils. Leaders’ analysis of the reasons for pupils’ persistent absence has not yet been rigorous enough to rapidly improve the attendance of these pupils.
• Most pupils conduct themselves well throughout the school day. Routines and expectations are clearly established and consistently applied. Pupils move sensibly around school between activities.
• The majority of pupils concentrate well in lessons and show real interest in what they are learning. Pupils who struggle to manage their behaviour are supported well through the behaviour support team to learn how to regulate themselves and quickly return to class.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Attainment is below that seen nationally due to pupils’ wide range of special educational needs and/or disabilities and associated learning difficulties. Many pupils are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Classes are organised appropriately, according to each pupil’s key stage and their developmental and learning needs.
• Progress across the school varies across subjects and key stages. Progress in key stage 2 is not as strong as in other key stages.
• Progress is tracked every half term using the school’s bespoke assessment package. This system is still in its infancy and the accuracy of the information being entered is still not clear. Leaders have not done enough to support staff in ensuring that what is reported to leaders and trustees is accurate and precise.
• Over half of pupils are disadvantaged. Although their progress is variable, many disadvantaged pupils make similar progress to their peers.
• Boys make significantly less progress than girls. From their initial starting points, 20% of boys and 9% of girls make weak progress in reading and 25% of boys and 7% of girls make weak progress in writing. This is, in part, due to inaccurate target setting.
• Children make good progress in the early years. Accurate assessment of children’s learning is used effectively to plan the next steps for each individual.
• Scrutiny of the work in pupils’ books shows that pupils are making good progress and developing their skills well. For example, primary pupils develop their sentence structure including different word types.
• All Year 11 pupils move on successfully to post-16 education and training. The school aids pupils to prepare for leaving school with specialist careers advice, college visits and taster days in the sixth form. This supports pupils to successfully continue their education post Cambridge Park Academy.

Early years provision Good

• Good leadership in the early years ensures that the small number of children here get a positive start to their education. Middle leaders have a clear vision for the successful development of the early years department. They are ambitious that all children achieve well and are happy.
• Leaders and staff have an accurate baseline picture of children on entry and use this to ensure that children have the support they need. Leaders have used support from other agencies, such as speech and language services, which has enabled changes to be made to the physical environment to provide greater access to learning for all children.
• Children achieve well. Adults know the children well and successfully plan activities that are precisely matched to their individual needs and interests. For example, adults skilfully supported children to try new foods through an ‘alien’ breakfast activity. Verbal questioning was used effectively to introduce vocabulary and help the children understand the taste and texture of the fruit.
• Children are safe in the early years. Well-trained staff work effectively with other professionals, both from within and outside the school, to meet children’s educational and pastoral needs.
• Children enjoy a wide variety of stimulating experiences that adults provide, both indoors and outside. The outdoor area is small but used to good effect by adults encouraging independence.
• Relationships between children and adults are consistently warm and positive. Children are encouraged to be kind and considerate to each other. Children’s achievements are praised. As a result, children behave well and feel good about themselves.
• Opportunities to develop social skills are not maximised. Children are not always supported to work or play together.

16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching in the sixth form is too variable, particularly in mathematics and English. Lessons are not always planned to meet the students’ needs or to maintain their interest for the whole of the lesson. As a result, the outcomes for sixth-form students are inconsistent. Progress is stronger for those pupils who receive one-to-one support.
• The recently appointed leader of the sixth form has recognised the gaps within the curriculum and identified that the teaching of core skills needs to be strengthened. Plans are currently being established and implemented to strengthen education in this area, but it is too soon to see any impact of these new developments.
• Leadership is not fully effective because leaders do not have an accurate view of the quality of education for students on the 16 to 19 study programmes. Leaders’ evaluation is not based on a wide range of information, it lacks clarity about skills development and does not include the views of parents, students and staff.
• Students spoke confidently to inspectors about how much they enjoy optional subjects, including hair and beauty and horticulture. They feel safe and learn how to keep themselves safe in a variety of different settings, both online and in the real world. They expressed a strong sense of valuing each other’s differences.
• All students have the opportunity to access work experience placements. The sixth form also has positive links with the local community and so students gain various valuable experiences, including office work, charity support work, and local community growing projects. These wider experiences enhance the school’s work to promote independence and support the students’ transition into adult life.
• The school ensures that all students receive impartial careers advice, which supports their transition to both further study and adult services. All students leave the sixth form and move into further education or training. Leaders continue to track students’ progress for a period of time following their departure from Cambridge Park Academy, offering ongoing support to students and families.

School details

Unique reference number 137363 Local authority North East Lincolnshire Inspection number 10059016 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school All-through Special School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Gender of pupils in 16 to 19 study programmes Number of pupils on the school roll Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes Academy special converter 3 to 19 Mixed Mixed 222 27 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Principal Mr A Collins Mr M Eames Telephone number 01472 230 110 Website Email address www.cambridgepark.co.uk mark.eames@cambridgepark.co.uk Date of previous inspection 15–16 November 2016

Information about this school

• Cambridge Park Academy is a special school for 221 pupils aged between three and 19 years. The school is currently over capacity.
• The school is a single academy trust.
• The school makes provision for pupils with severe and complex needs, the majority of whom have severe learning difficulties. There is a large proportion of pupils with a diagnosis of autistic spectrum condition.
• Almost all pupils have an education, health and care plan.
• Most pupils are White British and over two thirds are boys. The school has a small number of pupils for whom English is a second language.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is considerably higher than the national average.
• The school operates over two sites. The primary and secondary phases are based on the Cambridge Road campus. The school’s post-16 provision and the Laurus unit are based on the Cromwell Road campus. The Laurus unit is a nine-place resourced provision for students with Asperger’s Syndrome. Currently six students, aged between 11 and 16 years, attend this provision.
• One pupil receives tuition at home while awaiting a change in provision through the local authority.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning across a wide range of lessons and learning activities at the school.
• Pupils’ written work was scrutinised in lessons and in their books.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ conduct while pupils were arriving at school, as well as at break and lunchtime.
• Inspectors spoke to pupils both informally and formally and to members of the staff team. Staff and parental feedback questionnaires were also taken into account.
• Inspectors met with the principal, deputy principals and middle leaders.
• A meeting was held with the chair and vice-chair of the board of trustees.
• Inspectors visited the Cromwell Road campus: the sixth form and Laurus unit.
• A telephone call was held with the school’s school improvement partner.
• A wide range of documentation was scrutinised including the school self-evaluation report, school development plan and analysis of the spending of additional funding received.
• Inspectors also reviewed minutes of meetings of the board of trustees, records of the monitoring of teaching, learning and assessment and information relating to pupils’ attendance and achievement. Safeguarding documentation and records relating to behaviour were also examined.

Inspection team

Tricia Stevens, lead inspector Sara Roe Paul Barton

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector