Scarborough Pupil Referral Unit Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve teaching and learning, by:
  • continuing to strengthen parental involvement to ensure that parents can support their children’s academic progress more effectively at home
  • continuing to strengthen the quality of teaching and the quality of resources in science, so that pupils’ outcomes are improved.
• Develop strategies to improve pupils’ attendance, particularly when attending external tuition.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The headteacher has created a culture of excellence and high aspirations for both pupils and staff. Pupils respond well to the headteacher’s expectations. As a result, pupils’ behaviour improves rapidly from when they start the school. They quickly become ready to learn.
• Leaders have high expectations and are relentless in their goal to improve all aspects of the school’s work. They identify accurately those areas of the school’s work where improvement is not as rapid as they would like and have put plans in place to turn it around quickly.
• Leaders invest heavily in providing high-quality professional development and training to staff. Staff value the opportunities they receive to learn from each other and share good practice. This has contributed significantly to the quality of teaching across all areas of the curriculum, which has greatly improved since the last inspection.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced. Since the last inspection, leaders have extended the number of subjects on offer to include vocational qualifications. Pupils are highly appreciative of the increased school offer and this is contributing to pupils’ improving attitudes to their learning.
• Key stage 4 pupils receive careers guidance through an external company. Those pupils spoken with were clear about their post-16 pathways. Former pupils return to the school to mentor pupils about ‘life after the PRU’.
• Leaders spend pupil premium funding effectively to improve disadvantaged pupils’ social, emotional and academic achievement. A range of whole-school and individual initiatives are on offer, including bereavement counselling. Investment in high-quality reading resources and additional focused support is especially effective in accelerating disadvantaged pupils’ progress in reading.
• The school makes excellent use of the funding for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. Pupils who have SEN receive highly effective support, which is personalised to their individual needs to ensure that their progress is improving rapidly. Pupils benefit from a variety of strategies that support their basic skills and personal development.
• Staff promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well. British values are at the heart of the school’s work. Pupils and staff live the values of respect and tolerance. All speak openly about religion, anti-bullying and drug misuse. Pupils are particularly proud of their charity and community work, for example visiting an old people’s home, carol singing and raising money for cancer research.
• Strengthening parental involvement has been a focus for the headteacher. Parents now access a range of activities, such as a craft session and celebration events. These opportunities are part of the wider actions taken to improve the quality and regularity of communication and to improve strengthening relationships between home and school. Parents told the inspector that ‘the headteacher is fantastic,’ and that communication between school and home ‘is phenomenal’.
• Subject leaders share the same high expectations as those of the headteacher. They use their detailed analysis of pupils’ progress information to identify any strengths and weaknesses in the quality of teaching and learning and take steps to improve this rapidly. As a result, pupils’ progress in almost all subjects is improving rapidly. It is slightly weaker in science. A new subject leader for science was appointed in September 2017 and has taken steps to strengthen teaching and learning in this area. Work seen in pupils’ books shows that progress is now beginning to accelerate in this area.
• Leaders manage the additional pressures of increasing referrals to the school effectively. They work closely with the local authority to find a solution to additional demands placed upon them. Despite the building being over capacity, leaders ensure that pupils are safe and well educated.

Governance of the school

• The management committee members are committed to their roles and provide effective challenge to school leaders. They have responded well to the outcomes of the review of governance recommended at the last inspection. This has resulted in both a new chair and members being appointed to the committee.
• Members of the management committee audit their skill set regularly. New members are appointed to ensure that there are no skill gaps among the committee.
• Governors have a strong understanding of the effectiveness of the school. They challenge the senior leaders systematically to ensure that they deploy staff and spend additional funding effectively to improve outcomes for all pupils.
• Performance management is in place and effectively supports the professional development of the headteacher and wider staff team. Support, challenge and encouragement leads to effective teaching throughout the school.

Safeguarding

• Leaders ensure that the arrangements for keeping pupils safe are effective. There is a strong culture of safeguarding, which runs throughout the school from the headteacher through to staff and pupils.
• Records relating to the checking of the suitability of school personnel and visitors are comprehensive and accurate.
• All staff have access to a wide range of safeguarding training including on the ‘Prevent’ duty. Staff are fully aware of their responsibilities relating to safeguarding. Discussions with staff and training records reflect this.
• Pupils are well cared for. Staff said they go ‘above and beyond’ to ensure this. Parents support this view. One parent felt that ‘staff at the school bend over backwards’ to support them and their children.
• Leaders and teachers effectively weave aspects of safeguarding through the curriculum. As a result, pupils are knowledgeable on how to keep themselves safe, particularly on areas of risk associated with drug misuse and keeping themselves safe online.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Leaders have established an effective approach to assessment that checks pupils’ progress from the moment they start the school. Staff use this assessment information to plan activities that match pupils’ academic, social and emotional needs successfully.
• Staff have high expectations for what all pupils can achieve. They use effective questioning to extend pupils’ knowledge and probe pupils’ thinking, including the most reluctant learners.
• Evidence seen in books supports the idea that a small number of pupils can review and develop their own learning. However, this is not yet consistent across all areas of the curriculum.
• Teachers and emotional support staff implement a wide range of interventions to ensure that pupils receive effective support to access and engage with learning and to improve their outcomes.
• Reading is a key focus for the school, with both individual and whole-school initiatives being introduced. Pupils read confidently and the modelling of good practice by teaching and support staff helps to consolidate this learning. Pupils said that ‘reading improves because we practise’.
• Pupils take pride in their work, as seen in the quality of their handwriting and the lack of graffiti in their books. They are willing participants in learning, for example in English they analyse texts and offer reasonable suggestions for plot changes.
• Parents are happy with the communication they receive from the school regarding improvements in their children’s behaviour. However, they are less clear about their children’s academic progress and how they can help them at home with their learning.
• Teaching in science is more consistent than in previous years. The curriculum for this subject has clear progression for pupils who move between key stage 3 and 4. Leaders acknowledge that there is more to do to ensure that pupils’ outcomes in this subject are improved. Teaching assistants provide wide-ranging support and interventions for pupils. However, support often focuses more on improving pupils’ behaviour than on their learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are confident, polite, respectful individuals, who are well mannered. They are keen to share their learning and welcome visitors to the school with broad smiles.
• Entry into school in the morning is orderly and dignified. Pupils hand in personal belongings before being searched. Pupils feel safe in school, partly due to the robust morning routines.
• Older pupils are aware of why they need to be in education and talked enthusiastically about their enjoyment in coming to the Scarborough Pupil Referral Unit. They were clear about how their learning will support them in the future.
• Pupils across the school have a strong understanding of respect and tolerance for others. They have a good understanding of bullying and all its forms and say that when bullying happens within the school the teachers ‘jump on it’. When asked about their understanding of sexual orientation, Year 11 pupils were clear that ‘what people do is up to them and it is not something that everyone else needs to comment on’. They also believe strongly that a transgender pupil would be welcomed into the school by both staff and pupils alike.
• High levels of staff supervision ensure that breaktimes and lunchtimes are positive social learning experiences. Leaders’ detailed analysis of behaviour ‘flashpoints’ has enabled more effective staff deployment and reduced the number of behaviour incidents. Teachers encourage and support pupils to discuss relevant topics and to play board games.
• Lunchtime is a particularly harmonious time. Staff and pupils eat together and enjoy healthy, home-cooked food. Pupils contribute to menu choices and this improves their understanding of the importance of healthy eating.
• Relationships between staff, pupils and parents are an emerging strength. Staff liaise effectively with pupils and their parents, specifically relating to behaviour. Such is the strength of the support given to pupils and their families that school is the first place that they turn to for support.
• Teachers’ relationships with pupils allow for strong classroom management. Classrooms are calm environments where learning can take place. Low-level disruption by a small number of pupils does not distract or detract from the learning of others.
• Pupils are safe and feel safe. Promoting emotional health and resilience is high on the school’s agenda and this filters through to the pupils.
• Attendance has improved steadily since the last inspection, but remains below the national average. Leaders are working closely with referring schools, parents and the local authority to help and support those pupils whose attendance is of concern.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Most pupils improve their behaviour through their time at the school. They respond well to the rewards system and those pupils who spoke with inspectors explained how much they enjoyed being able to choose what they can do.
• Pupils’ movement around the school is orderly and dignified. Well-established routines, particularly at the start of the school day, reinforce leaders’ high expectations for pupils’ good behaviour and ensure that the school is a calm learning environment. Low-level disruption is rare and when it does occur, staff deal with it swiftly and effectively. The behaviour management team focus upon the de-escalation of incidents and in building relationships. As a result, exclusions have reduced.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Reading is a strength of the school. Leaders identify need, then effectively implement interventions, and support for pupils who need it. Throughout the day, pupils read and discuss appropriate reading material.
• Pupils’ progress is improving in English. Seventy-five per cent of pupils are making expected or accelerated progress from their identified starting point. Despite the gaps in their learning, due to being out of school for long periods, they are catching up to their age-related expectations.
• In mathematics, 89% of pupils are progressing rapidly towards their age-related expectations. Personalised pathways for learning ensure that pupils’ work is well matched to their needs and minimises any gaps in pupils’ learning as a result of time spent out of school. This enables pupils to make accelerated progress in this subject.
• The vast majority of pupils make steady progress from their starting points in science. However, very few pupils make the rapid progress they need to catch up in their learning and to reach age-related expectations. A new science subject leader is in post, but it is too early to measure fully the impact of actions taken to improve pupils’ outcomes.
• Most pupils make good progress from their starting points, especially in English and mathematics. Those pupils who attend Scarborough Pupil Referral Unit for longer periods make significant gains in their academic progress.
• Disadvantaged pupils are making accelerated progress in reading, writing and mathematics, because of the effective support they receive. Their achievement is often better than that of their peers in the school.
• The progress of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is improving. This is because pupils receive bespoke support to ensure that their basic skills and personal development needs are well met.
• Pupils prepare well for the next stage of learning. In key stage 3, they complete work with secondary schools to ensure that there is a smooth transition back to mainstream school, after a short-term intervention by the pupil referral unit. For key stage 4 pupils, the onus is on accreditation and GCSE qualifications, which, alongside the vocational options on offer, are a springboard to college.
• The school’s assessment information for current pupils indicates that pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ work in their books supports this.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 132027 North Yorkshire 10042173 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 44 Appropriate authority The management committee Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Rosemary Rayne Elaine Mallen 01723 330629 www.scarboroughpru.n-yorks.sch.uk admin@scarborughpru.n-yorks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Scarborough Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) accommodates pupils of secondary school age. It admits pupils from the Scarborough area of North Yorkshire, who are excluded or at risk of permanent exclusion from their mainstream secondary school.
• The school is currently oversubscribed, with a higher than anticipated number of pupils being excluded from local secondary schools.
• The majority of teaching takes place at Scarborough PRU. However, induction and admission is carried out at additional premises hired from Yorkshire Coast College. Pupils have access to vocational courses which take place at Yorkshire Coast College and a small number of pupils have one-to-one tuition at various community placements including with the youth offending team and The Street.
• The majority of pupils are from a White British background.
• Seven pupils have an education, health and care plan and a small number are looked after by the local authority.
• Thirty-three out of 44 pupils (75%) are disadvantaged and eligible for pupil premium funding.
• Pupils have access to off-site sport facilities through partnerships with Brompton Hall School and hired services at local rugby and golf clubs.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed teaching and learning across a wide range of lessons and learning activities at the school.
• Pupils’ written work was evaluated during lessons and during a book scrutiny.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ conduct while they were arriving at and leaving school as well as during break and lunchtime.
• Inspectors spoke to pupils both informally and formally, met with four parents and spoke with a large number of the staff team.
• Inspectors met with the headteacher, assistant headteachers and middle leaders. Inspectors also met with the chair of the management committee.
• An inspector visited external provision at both Yorkshire Coast College and The Street.
• An inspector had a telephone conversation with a school improvement officer from the local authority.
• A wide range of documentation was scrutinised, including the school self-evaluation report, school development plan and performance management documentation. Inspectors also reviewed minutes of meetings from the management committee, records of the monitoring of teaching and information relating to pupils’ attendance and achievement. Safeguarding documentation and records relating to behaviour were also examined.

Inspection team

Tricia Stevens, lead inspector Lyndsey Brown

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector