Inspection under Section 28 of the Education Act A Report on the Quality of Education in

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1 Inspection under Section 28 of the Education Act 2005 A Report on the Quality of Education in The Alternative Education Service Douglas Road Education Centre, Colwyn Bay, Conwy. LL29 7PE and Penrhos Avenue Education Centre, Penrhos Avenue, Colwyn Bay, Conwy. LL29 9HW School Number: Date of Inspection: 14/02/07 by Jim Phillips Date of Publication: 18/04/2007 Under Estyn contract number:

2 Queens Printer and Controller of HMSO 2007: This report may be re-used free of charge in any format or medium provided that it is re-used accurately and not used in a misleading context. The copyright in the material must be acknowledged as aforementioned and the title of the report specified. Copies of this report are available from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide copies of the report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the cost of reproduction may be made to others requesting a copy of the report. Alternative Education Service was inspected as part of a national programme of school inspection. The purpose of inspection is to identify good features and shortcomings in schools in order that they may improve the quality of education offered and raise the standards achieved by their pupils. The inspection of all schools within a six-year cycle is also designed to give parents information about the performance of their child s school. The inspection of Alternative Education Service took place between 14/02/07 and 16/02/07. An independent team of inspectors, led by Jim Phillips undertook the inspection. Estyn, a statutory body independent of, but funded by, the National Assembly for Wales, commissioned the inspection. The team was required to report on the standards achieved by pupils, the quality of education provided by the school, the quality of leadership and management and the contribution made by the school to its pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The five-point scale used to represent all inspection judgements in this report is as follows: Grade 1 good with outstanding features Grade 2 good features and no important shortcomings Grade 3 good features outweigh shortcomings Grade 4 some good features, but shortcomings in important areas Grade 5 many important shortcomings There are three types of inspection. For all inspections, there is a written report on seven key questions. For short inspections, there are no subject reports. For standard inspections, there are also reports on six subjects. For full inspections, there are also reports on all subjects. Estyn decides the kind of inspection that a school receives, mainly on the basis of its past performance. Most schools receive a standard inspection. All nursery schools, special schools, pupil referral units and any new or amalgamated schools receive a full inspection. This PRU received a full inspection. 1

3 Year groups and key stages Report by Jim Phillips Schools use a common system of numbering year groups from the start of compulsory schooling to 18 years of age. This system emphasises the importance of continuity and eases communication among schools, governing bodies, parents and LEAs. The term Reception (R) refers to the year group of pupils in a primary school who reach the age of 5 during the academic year. Year 1 refers to the year group of pupils who reach the age of 6 during the academic year and so on. Year 13 is the year group of students who reach the age of 18 during the academic year. Primary phase: Year R Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 Ages Secondary phase: Year Y7 Y8 Y9 Y10 Y11 Y12 Y13 Ages The National Curriculum covers four key stages as follows: Key stage 1 Year 1 and Year 2 Key stage 2 Year 3 to Year 6 Key stage 3 Year 7 to Year 9 Key stage 4 Year 10 and Year 11 2

4 Contents Page Context 4 Summary 5 Recommendations 11 Standards 12 Key Question 1: How well do learners achieve? 12 The quality of education and training 15 Key Question 2: How effective are teaching, training and assessment? 15 Key Question 3: How well do the learning experiences meet the needs 16 and interests of learners and the wider community? Key Question 4: How well are learners cared for, guided and 19 supported? Leadership and management 21 Key Question 5: How effective are leadership and strategic 21 management? Key Question 6: How well do leaders and managers evaluate and 22 improve quality and standards? Key Question 7: How efficient are leaders and managers in using 23 resources? Standards achieved in subjects and areas of learning 25 English Welsh second language Mathematics Science Information technology Design technology History Geography Art Modern foreign languages Music Physical education Religious education (including religious studies) School's response to the inspection 32 Appendices 33 1 Basic information about the school 33 2 School data and indicators 33 3 National Curriculum assessments results 34 4 Evidence base of the inspection 35 5 Composition and responsibilities of the inspection team 36 3

5 Context The nature of the provider 1. The Alternative Education Service is one of the four registered Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) in Conwy. Provision is made on 2 sites Douglas Road Education Centre and Penrhos Avenue Education Centre. The latter site was previously Ysgol y Graig Special School. 2. Places are provided for pupils who cannot access a mainstream placement due to exclusion or non-attendance problems, long term medical conditions, pregnancy or early motherhood. Most are full-time placements. Some attend parttime due to emotional or severe behaviour difficulties. Provision is also made for some pupils by Home Tuition with a stepping stone link to the centre. Some pupils still have links to mainstream schools. 3. Pupils are mostly from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. Some pupils have been involved with the Conwy Social Inclusion Service, Social Services, the Criminal Justice Service or Youth Offending Team (YOT), for a number of years. 4. Admission is by referral to the Social Emotional Behavioural Difficulties and/or Special Educational Needs (SEBD and/or SEN) Moderation Panel and details are sent to the Head-of-Centre with supporting documents. Home visit are made to ensure parents are involved and meeting minutes are sent to all involved agents/agencies such as Social Workers, Educational Social Workers (ESW), the previous school, the Looked After Children (LAC) Coordinator, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), YOT, and the Teacher for Home Tuition. On admission to the PRU, transport is arranged. 5. Placements are reviewed every 6 weeks and all involved are invited. When there is a cause for concern, an emergency review meeting is arranged. When required, pupils may be referred on for more support. Where appropriate, reintegration packages are planned with mainstream school and supported initially as required. 6. The Douglas Road Centre provides 21 places at present including a minority on part time due to extreme challenging behaviour. There are 2 full-time teachers and 1 supply teacher supported by 2 learning support assistants (LSAs). 7. The Penrhos Avenue Centre provides places for permanently excluded pupils. There are 12 Key Stage 3 (KS3) pupils in 2 groups, 23 KS4 pupils in 2 groups and 2 additional groups for pupils with emotional problems. Additional pupils are receiving five hours of home tuition with opportunities to join in lessons at the centre as a step towards more full-time education. Another 11 students have a full time placement at Llandrillo College on the EOTAS (Education Other Than at School) scheme. Other pupils, including young mothers are supported on mainstream school sites. 8. The Penrhos Avenue Centre has recently developed the provision of practical and vocational courses in construction and catering. Places on these courses are available to KS4 students attending the centre as well as students from mainstream 4

6 schools who have difficulty accessing similar courses at local colleges of further education. 9. At the time of the last inspection in 2001, the different centres, which now consist of individual PRUs, were all registered as one PRU under the name of the Behaviour Support Service. Consequently the previous inspection team s report is based on all the centres and therefore the Key Issues for Action applied to all centres. The PRU s priorities and targets 10. Priorities for development include: improving attendance; developing the curriculum, particularly for Science and introducing/further developing accredited courses - Entry Level for ICT, Childcare, Lifeskills, Food Studies, Welsh 2 nd Language, and additional GCSE courses in English Literature and Religious Education; developing courses within the Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN), and learning opportunities for Music; improving curriculum resources and programmes for KS3; providing opportunities for vocational courses and work experience; re-establishing links with the Careers Service; improving pupils coping skills and developing staff skills in ASD, ADHD and emotional health, and securing greater inter-agency involvement. Summary 11. The Alternative Education Service has a very good range of appropriate provision that effectively meets the wide range of needs of pupils that can not being included in mainstream schools. The strength of the service is the way that education programmes are made available to every individual pupil. Pupils receive outstanding personal support and guidance which enables most to be suitably prepared to move on positively into further education, training or employment when they reach school leaving age. Table of grades awarded 12. The grades awarded by the inspection team were as follows: Key question Inspection grade 1 How well do learners achieve? 1 2 How effective are teaching, training and assessment? 1 3 How well do the learning experiences meet the needs and interests of learners and the wider community? 2 4 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported? 1 5 How effective are leadership and strategic management? 1 6 How well do leaders and managers evaluate and improve quality and standards? 2 7 How efficient are leaders and managers in using resources? 1 5

7 13. The above grades agree with the centre s self evaluation in Key Questions 3, 4 and 6. However, in Key Questions 1, 2, 5 and 7 the inspectors agreed that there were sufficient significant outstanding features to award grade 1 instead of the centre s grade of 2. Standards 14. The pupils standards of achievement were judged by the progress they make in relation to their previous attainments and the targets set for them in their individual educational and behavioural plans. 15. Overall, standards of achievement in lessons observed are as follows: Subjects Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 16% 75% 9% 0% 0% 16. Grades for standards in subjects inspected Inspection Area Key Stage 3 Key Stage 4 English 2 2 Welsh second language 3 3 Mathematics 2 2 Science 1 1 Information technology 2 1 Design technology 2 1 Modern foreign languages - French - 2 History 2 2 Geography 2 2 Art 2 1 Music - - Physical education 2 1 Religious education (including religious studies) During the inspection, pupils progress was evaluated through the observation of their attainments and progress in lessons and by scrutiny of their work. In Key Stage 3 (KS3), pupils make generally good progress in achieving the targets set for them both personally and educationally. An outstanding feature is the significant annual increase in pupils attainment of nationally recognised accreditation in a wider range of subjects at the end of KS4. In music at KS3 and KS4 and in French at KS3 there was insufficient evidence to grade standards of achievement. This was due to the constraints of timetable, the available curriculum and the time that pupils have been attending the centre. 18. Overall, pupils make good progress in developing their key skills of speaking and listening, literacy, numeracy, and in their use of information technology. However, progress in bilingual skills is inconsistent between classes. Many make very good progress in their emotional, personal, moral and social development. 6

8 19. Most pupils achieve significant improvement in their attendance but overall, average levels of attendance are well below national expectations. This is mainly due to the low attendance levels of a minority of pupils. The rate of authorised absence is very high and individual pupil s attendance is affected by significant personal factors including exclusions. The quality of education and training. 20. The working relationship between staff and learners is a particular strength of the school. Staff provide good role models for learners in both the values portrayed, the standards expected and through the setting of high personal goals. 21. In the lessons observed, the percentage of grades awarded for the quality of teaching was as follows: Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 25% 68% 7% 0% 0% 22. The quality of teaching is good overall and has some outstanding features which include: the establishment of excellent working relationships; the use of a range of teaching and training methods that motivate learners and secure their active engagement; teachers and support staff work as a team to ensure that learners are challenged to complete their course work and meet the accreditation requirements for further qualifications and entry into the world of work. 23. Assessment procedures on entry are rigorous and inform future planning. The unit is developing a consistent and structured system for assessing pupils achievements, progress and attainments. However, insufficient use is made of assessment data in reporting pupils progress and in collating and analysing this data so that a more precise indication of the service s strengths and weaknesses may be determined. 24. The centre is largely successful in meeting the academic, social and emotional needs of all learners. The minimum curriculum requirements for a PRU are met and significantly enhanced at KS4. The majority of pupils receive their full entitlement to teaching time. The minority of pupils who receive less than 25 hours teaching time per week are on a phased introduction to the PRU. 25. At KS4 the wide and increasing range of accredited qualifications and awards gained by pupils is outstanding. Pupils not only have the opportunity to study most subjects to GCSE or Entry Level, but also to experience a much wider curriculum with accredited courses offered in partnership with other providers. 26. The curriculum is broad, flexible and offers progression from earlier stages of learning and from mainstream. However, at KS3 neither music nor MFL are taught, reducing the breadth of curriculum opportunity at this stage. Additionally, the lack of 7

9 specialist resources for science restricts the range of investigative work available to pupils. The unit plans to address this shortfall. 27. Pupils learning experiences are enriched by a wealth of off-site activities including sporting fixtures, educational visits, field trips, outdoor and adventurous activities, and community projects. Effective work-related education is supported by good careers guidance and appropriate work experience placements. 28. The centre provides well for pupils spiritual, moral and cultural development whilst provision for social development is outstanding. The very good relationships which exist between members of staff, including support staff, and pupils makes a significant contribution to this. 29. Partnerships with other providers such as mainstream schools, local colleges and training agencies are outstanding. Links with external agencies are extensive with good support being offered by the Unitary Authority s Social Inclusion Service, the Education Welfare Service and the Schools Psychological Service. 30. Whilst Y Cwricwlwm Cymreig is addressed by certain subjects, it is not securely embedded across the curriculum. Additionally, there are inconsistencies in the promotion of bilingual skills. 31. The Unit provides outstanding opportunities to develop pupils awareness and understanding of many aspects of sustainable development and global citizenship. These are promoted effectively within the geography and Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN) programmes of study. The school also promotes recycling and waste minimisation in its day to day running. 32. At both key stages, pupils studying IT engage in a mini enterprise scheme creating stationary and business cards for a number of local businesses. This is effective in introducing business awareness for these pupils with the project extending to include other local businesses and the community. However, more opportunities could be included to develop pupils economic awareness. 33. The centre, through its links with the community and local colleges actively promotes the ethos of lifelong learning. Pupils, under the guidance of the Welsh College of Horticulture, are involved in regeneration schemes which benefit the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) site at Conwy. 34. There are many outstanding features of quality of care and support and guidance provided at the PRU. These include: the care and commitment of staff to ensure pupils positive induction to the PRU and their understanding of their rights, responsibilities and future possibilities; the well managed and effective involvement and teamwork between teachers, support assistants, visiting specialists and supporting professionals in meeting pupils needs; the well established partnerships with other agencies; 8

10 the very good opportunities for pupils involvement in appropriate accredited courses and the expectation and support that effectively promotes success; pupils opportunities to benefit from appropriate careers advice and guidance; the trust between staff and pupils and the effective measures in place to promote positive attitudes and behaviour is effective in eliminating oppressive behaviour, bullying, harassment and discrimination within the centres. 35. Effective procedures are in place for child protection and good attention is given to pupils health and safety. Appropriate risk assessments are undertaken when planning activities. Good arrangements are in place to promote good attendance with prompt checks being made when pupils are absent. 36. The PRU s arrangements to ensure that pupils social and emotional needs are met by providing a suitable range of pupil groupings, are outstanding. This includes the way that pupils additional learning needs are diagnosed and met. Good partnerships with parents are very effective in addressing the behavioural difficulties of most pupils. However, for some pupils the continued practice of pupils being sent home for a short cooling-off period is less effective and needs to be more carefully monitored and alternative strategies considered. 37. Good attention is given to equality of opportunity with particularly good individual support for all pupils, regardless of their social, educational, ethnic or linguistic backgrounds. Pupils gain positive attitudes to gender, stereotyping, diversity and issues of race relations through an appropriate programme of personal social education (PSE). The involvement of other providers including specialist workers, nurses and community liaison officers makes a significant contribution to pupils understanding of social and moral issues. Leadership and management 38. The headteacher has a clear vision for meeting the needs pupils and students with wide ranging and challenging needs. Staff work together as a team which wholeheartedly share and support the very well-considered values, aims and objectives of the service. This has resulted in the centres having a very warm, welcoming and purposeful ethos and a very positive influence on changing the very challenging behaviour, negative attitudes or high levels of anxiety amongst the pupils. This is an outstanding feature. 39. The excellent use and development of the available accommodation and facilities enables provision for groups of pupils with otherwise incompatible needs to be effective. The service has grown rapidly and the buildings at Penrhos Avenue have been strategically adapted to provide the pupils with excellent opportunities to develop an appropriate range of skills. 40. Good account has been taken of national priorities, particularly those relating to inclusion, sustainable development, citizenship and community regeneration. 9

11 41. The way the service identifies priorities for development, sets challenging targets and achieves its goals is outstanding. The effective appraisal of staff and the subsequent provision of training play a significant part in raising the skills of staff and the standards achieved by the pupils. 42. The management committee meets regularly and fulfils its duties very well. Through its multi-agency membership, it provides good strategic support and guidance in the development of provision. In achieving this, the Alternative Education Service fulfils both the role of a PRU and that of a long-term alternative to mainstream schooling. 43. Standards of achievement and teaching are regularly monitored, through lesson observations, by the headteacher. Strengths and areas for development are identified and oral and written feedback provided to teachers. These observations contribute effectively to the self evaluation arrangements implemented by the school and are used to inform subject and whole school development planning. Professional development needs are also identified and prioritised at this time. 44. The headteacher and the Unitary Authority (UA) representative from the management committee ensured that all parents views were sought and obtained, together with those from learners and members of staff, and were taken into account in the early stages of drafting the self-evaluation report. 45. Although in the early stages of implementation a very good start has been made in the review and evaluation process; clear priorities have been identified and these inform school development planning. In those areas of the School Development Plan (SDP) that have been/are being addressed, these priorities have been supported effectively by human and material resources. 46. The development of the quality and expertise of both the teaching and support staff is a particular strength of the PRU in ensuring that learners gain access to a wide range of accredited courses. All staff, including support staff are well managed and effectively deployed to make best use of their expertise. Teaching assistants are a valuable asset to the success of all classes and the teamwork of all staff contributes to the outstanding ethos and work ethic within the unit. 47. The accommodation is particular strength of the school and an outstanding feature. Much refurbishment by the staff and local authority has created a sound learning environment for all its learners and ensured the extension of the curriculum particularly in work related activities. Resources for learning are good and well used and through the combined vision of the school and the UA further developments, such as a purpose built science laboratory, are already planned and costed. 48. The PRU exercises efficient control and use of the budget allocation for resources. It is supported effectively by the Unitary Authority s (UAs) Social Inclusion Service and makes exceptional use of a variety of grants and donations from a wide range of sources. In terms of outcomes for the pupils in their academic, social and emotional well-being the centre provides very good value for money. 10

12 Recommendations 49. In order to raise standards and improve provision the PRU, its Management Committee and the LEA need to: R1. continue to develop the accommodation/resources, particularly for science, to meet the learning needs of the range of pupils at key stage 3; R2. further develop curriculum provision to ensure that all pupils receive a full time education and that pupils with long-term placements have a full entitlement to a broad curriculum; with particular attention to music and a modern foreign language at KS3; R3. continue to develop pupils key skills through all subjects of the curriculum with particular emphasis on the consistent promotion of bilingual skills; R4. make more use of assessment data in reporting pupils progress and collate this data so that a more precise indication of the service s strengths and weaknesses may be determined; R5. continue to address the low attendance of some pupils and strive to reduce the incidence of pupils being sent home for short cooling off periods; The Centre, Management Committee and LEA are responsible for amending its current development plan to incorporate action in response to the recommendations within 45 working days of receiving the report, showing what the Centre is going to do about the recommendations. This plan, or a summary of it, will be circulated to all parents at the Centre. 11

13 Standards Key Question 1: How well do learners achieve? Grade 1: Good with outstanding features 50. The judgement of the inspection team disagrees with the grade 2 the Centre awarded itself in its self-evaluation report. Because of the outstanding features identified, a grade 1 was awarded. 51. From the 44 lessons observed, the progress and standards of achievement made by pupils was graded as follows: Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 16% 75% 9% 0% 0% 52. The pupils achievements have some outstanding features which include: Over time, pupils achieve their agreed learning goals and many become able to continue their education or training when they leave the PRU; The progress pupils make in gaining the knowledge, understanding and skills enables them to achieve good standards in a suitable range of accredited courses; Pupils become well motivated. They learn to concentrate on their work and many make up ground lost due to previous illness and absence; Pupils in KS4 make outstanding progress in science, information technology, art, physical education and in their personal, social and emotional development; Pupils respond positively to the very good opportunities provided for them to gain accreditation. Pupils success in their educational programmes makes a significant positive contribution to raising their self-esteem, confidence and sociability. 53. Most pupils make very good progress in the agreed personal and learning targets set for them within their individual education and behaviour plans. There is no discernable difference between the progress made by boys or girls. 54. Pupils are attentive listeners and speak clearly and confidently. They read well and with good expression and enunciation. Standards of writing are good and there are good examples of sustained writing with students using good vocabulary and accurate punctuation and spelling. 55. Pupils achieve good standards in the numerical skills of mathematics and successfully apply these to other subjects across the curriculum. This is evident in a range of programmes of study including science, design technology and construction. 56. ICT is used extensively across the curriculum; students have an excellent working knowledge of word processing, desktop publishing, information handling 12

14 and spreadsheet modelling, and use it to produce very good quality coursework. They also use the internet very effectively for research purposes. The use of ICT in developing entrepreneurial skills is excellent. 57. Pupils have very good creative skills which are exemplified through their compositions in art and their making skills in design technology. 58. For those students for whom Welsh is the mother tongue bilingual skills are good. However, the majority students do not make good progress in achieving bilingual competence. 59. Pupils acquire new knowledge, understanding, concepts and skills and are successful in applying these to new and challenging situations. This is very evident in the vocational aspects of learning and in those where learning is developed in partnership with other providers. 60. Generally good progress is made by pupils across the range of curriculum subjects and at the end of KS4 most gain good accreditation in GCSE, Entry Level or ASDAN courses. Students who leave the PRU to attend courses at a local college of further education achieve NVQ accreditation at foundation level or level 1. There is a positive trend over the last few years in the numbers of entries for an increasing range of these courses and in the numbers of passes achieved. 61. Pupils at KS3 also make good progress and the small number who undertook the end of key stage assessments achieved mainly national curriculum Level 4 in English, Levels 4 to 5 in mathematics and Levels 4 to 6 in science. 62. Pupils with additional special educational needs, such as dyslexia, make good progress towards achieving their potential. 63. Attendance rates for the whole service averaged 72 per cent for the two terms preceding the inspection, a figure very much lower than national averages for pupils of compulsory school age. Rates of attendance vary between key stages. Pupils in Key Stages 3 achieve attendance rates in excess of 75 per cent but the rates are lower for Key Stage 4 averaging only 68 per cent and 51per cent respectively. The rate of authorised absence is very high and individual pupil s attendance is affected by significant personal factors including exclusions. Some pupils attend on a parttime basis where they have difficulties coping with a full timetable and there is a phased introduction to the service. 64. Staff work extremely hard to encourage pupils to come in and there are very close link with the education welfare service, there is good evidence to show that attendance rates for many pupils have improved considerably. They are attending far more frequently than they did at mainstream school and for many they were not previously attending at all. Additionally, since the implementation of a more vocational curriculum and location for pupils, attendance rates are improving. There are success stories for individual pupils whose attendance has improved dramatically. 13

15 65. All pupils arrive by taxi and punctuality is satisfactory; morning meetings and registration start promptly. 66. Most pupils make very good progress in their personal development. They gain better understanding of self-discipline and taking responsibility for their own actions. Standards of behaviour significantly improve and good moral and social attitudes develop. However, a few pupils have persistent behavioural difficulties and often have to be sent home for a short cooling off period when they are not able to comply with expectations and control their challenging behaviour. This is an area of concern to the families involved. 67. Pupils make good progress in their knowledge and understanding of important issues such as personal health, substance misuse and sex education. As they gain recognition for good conduct, effort and achievement, their self-confidence and selfesteem noticeably improve. They start to enjoy a sense of achievement and many appreciate the second chance to achieve accreditation in their studies. 68. Pupils develop a good awareness of equality of opportunity and have very strong feelings about rights. They respect differences and develop secure positive attitudes towards others of different backgrounds. 69. In KS3 and KS4, the good progress made, particularly in personal development, enables some pupils to be re-integrated into mainstream schools and colleges. Those pupils who need continued support at Key Stage 4 respond well to the alternative curriculum opportunities provided, and the majority are effectively prepared for the workplace or further education and training. 14

16 The quality of education and training Key Question 2: How effective are teaching, training and assessment? Grade 1: Good with outstanding features 70. The judgement of the inspection team disagrees with the grade 2 the Centre awarded itself in its self-evaluation report. Because of the outstanding features identified, a grade 1 was awarded. 71. From the 44 lessons observed, the quality of teaching was as follows: Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 25% 68% 7% 0% 0% 72. The quality of teaching has some outstanding features which include: the establishment of excellent working relationships; the use of a range of teaching and training methods that motivate learners and secure their active engagement; the teamwork between teacher and learning assistants; careful planning that takes into account the need for clear direction; staff provide good role models for learners in both values and the importance of setting high personal goals. 73. Additionally, the services contribution to meeting the individual needs of all its pupils is very good. Assessment procedures on entry are rigorous and inform future planning. Teachers and support staff work as a team to ensure that learners are challenged to complete their course work and meet the accreditation requirements for further qualifications and entry into the world of work. 74. Overall, teachers provide stimulation and challenge to learners through activties tailored to their specific needs. Very good use is made of appropriate methods to match pupils learning styles. For example, good use of practical activity and investigations in mathematics and pupils use of computers and the interactive whiteboard to increase motivation and sense of achievement. 75. Through very good ongoing in-service training, teachers have acquired competency in a range of curriculum subjects, good knowledge of the programmes of study and coursework requirements at the different levels of accreditation and very good insights into the range of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties of the pupils. These skills enable them to effectively meet both the personal and educational needs of the pupils. However, staff skills in promoting the use of Welsh and bilingualism is variable between classes. The Unit is aware of this and where appropriate staff training is being undertaken. 76. There is good attention to providing equality of opportunity for each pupil, according to their particular social, emotional and educational needs. Teacher contact and liaison with pupils mainstream teachers enables them to plan 15

17 effectively, providing good continuity and progression in each pupil s programme of study. Pupils from Welsh speaking backgrounds have their language needs met and are enabled to pursue appropriate accreditation in Welsh. 77. The unit is developing a consistent and structured system for assessing pupils achievements, progress and attainments. This is particularly evident in KS4 where pupils are following programmes of study towards accreditation. Good records are kept of pupils attainments in the core subjects at KS3 and this is being extended appropriately to other subject areas. However, the available assessment data is not sufficiently collated to provide useful information for evaluating the overall effectiveness of teaching and learning. Key Question 3: How well do the learning experiences meet the needs and interests of learners and the wider community? Grade 2. Good features and no important shortcomings. 78. The judgement of the inspection team agrees with the grade 2 the Unit awarded itself in its self-evaluation report. 79. The Unit endeavours to meet the academic, social and emotional needs all learners and is largely successful. The minimum requirements for curriculum provision for a PRU are exceeded. The curriculum is broad, flexible and offers progression from earlier stages of learning and from mainstream. Very good liaisons with mainstream schools ensure progression is maintained and students are very well prepared for the next stages of learning. However, as a consequence of most pupils being admitted for long term placements, this remains below the requirements for a broad and balanced curriculum when compared to mainstream schools. At KS3 neither music nor MFL are taught and this results in a comparative lack of breadth at this stage. 80. Suitable provision is made for teaching Welsh and Y Cwricwlwm Cymreig is addressed by certain subjects. However, this is not securely embedded across the curriculum. Additionally, there are inconsistencies in the promotion of bilingual skills and little use is made of incidental Welsh in most lessons and throughout the school day. 81. The majority of pupils receive their full entitlement to teaching time. The small minority of students who receive less than 25 hours teaching time per week are on a phased introduction to the PRU. 82. At KS4 the wide and increasing range of accredited qualifications and awards gained by students is outstanding. Students not only have the opportunity to study most subjects to GCSE or Entry Level but also to experience a much wider curriculum with accredited courses offered in partnership with other providers. There is also the opportunity to gain ASDAN awards, OCN and Youth Focus accreditation. Students who transfer to college for all or part of their education work towards GNVQ qualifications. 16

18 83. Additionally, as part of pupils work related education, very good opportunities are being provided for pupils to attend local colleges of further education or on site training provision with pupils from mainstream where they achieve a range of introductory vocational skills. These include Motor Vehicle Maintenance, Welding, Plumbing, Construction and Brickwork, Countryside and environmental projects, Catering, Hairdressing and Beauty. 84. The very good opportunities pupils have to work on projects with the Welsh College of Horticulture are instrumental in developing independent learning skills, boosts self-confidence and self-esteem and is beneficial to the community. 85. Learning experiences are enriched by a wealth of off-site activities including sporting fixtures, educational visits, field trips, outdoor and adventurous activities and community projects. 86. Partnerships with mainstream schools are developing very well. Mainstream colleagues highly value the work of the service in helping to meet the needs of pupils, including pregnant school-girls and young mothers. Good efforts are made to match the learning experiences to those of peers in mainstream schools according to their age. Communication between staff is promoting effective continuity in pupils learning and, where appropriate, early re-integration. The service shares information and expertise to improve continuity of curriculum delivery and monitoring of pupils progress. 87. There are outstanding opportunities that enrich pupils learning experiences through extra-curricular activities that make a very good contribution to pupils spiritual, physical, creative, social and personal development. The local community is utilised well as a learning resource and educational visits within the locality broaden pupils learning experiences. For example, a group of pupils are involved in a local RSPB project to create a suitable habitat for the Sand Martin to nest. Pupils have used their initiative and have worked well together. 88. Successful partnerships have been developed with several local colleges and training agencies which provide pupils with very good opportunities to sample courses and employment. For Year 11 pupils, the provision at college, training and work experience make an outstanding contribution to the development of positive attitudes to work and study as well as promoting mature social and personal skills. 89. The service has re-established a productive working partnership with Careers Wales. A good range of work experience opportunities are being provided and, overall, pupils are being well prepared for the world of work or further education and training when they reach school-leaving age. Many pupils obtain work within the locality and this indicates the outstanding progress of the pupils into the world of work. 90. The head teacher and staff work very closely with parents and keep them well informed about the life and work of the service. Parents appreciate such close contact and most are supportive of the aims and values that the service promotes. Communication with parents is very effective. They are fully involved from the outset of a pupil starting with the service and are invited to 6 weekly reviews. A useful 17

19 home/school agreement has recently been drawn up to be distributed to parents. Regular contact by telephone and letter are successful in dealing with day-to-day issues as they arise. 91. The Unit make outstanding provision to meet the needs of pupils from a variety of social backgrounds. The provision ensures that all pupils, many of whom are from incompatible backgrounds, receive equal opportunities within the curricular provision. The establishing of compatible small groups facilitates high expectation regarding behaviour and achievement, and enables opportunities to fully develop each pupil s self esteem and confidence. 92. There is good provision to ensure that pupils understand the concept of sustainable development. This is effectively dealt with in aspects of Geography through recognising the effect of renewable energy sources on the environment. The pupils are involved in a re-cycling project and in RSPB projects through their work experience. They care for the local environment in the school garden through planting a variety of bulbs and flowers. 93. There are good opportunities to develop entrepreneurial and mini-enterprise initiatives at the Unit. The pupils design business cards for local employers. The creative aspect of this work by the pupils produces many innovative and original designs. This venture helps to develop an awareness of what is required to organise and sustain a small business. However, further aspects such as economic awareness are yet to embed themselves within the venture to make best use of this enterprise. 94. The Unit places great importance on pupils social and emotional development. The links with the LEA Outreach Support Team and the local college of Further Education are excellent. The pupils make very good progress on specific supported courses, such as EOTAS where they show an increase in their attendance rate and appropriate application of their personal skills in College based courses such as Catering and Construction. 95. Overall provision for pupils personal development, throughout the service is outstanding. Very good progress is made in improving pupils moral and social attitudes. Morning meetings and times for reflection and discussion about the thought for the day effectively raise pupils awareness and understanding of spiritual and cultural issues. The regular involvement of other providers including specialist workers, nurses and community liaison officers makes a significant contribution to pupils understanding of social and moral issues such as those related to smoking, sex education and substance misuse. 96. The various outstanding vocational and social opportunities and related experiences offered through the Unit have a positive impact on developing each pupil s skills for life-long learning 18

20 Key Question 4: How well are learners cared for, guided and supported? Grade 1: Good with outstanding features 97. The inspection team identified some outstanding features in this aspect and judged it as grade 1, agreeing with the PRU s self evaluation. The quality of care, support and guidance 98. There are many outstanding features of quality of care and support and guidance provided at the PRU. These include: the care and commitment of staff to ensure pupils positive induction to the PRU and their understanding of their rights, responsibilities and future possibilities; the PRU s arrangements to ensure that pupils social and emotional needs are met by providing a suitable range of pupil groupings; the well managed and effective involvement and teamwork between teachers, support assistants, visiting specialists and supporting professionals in meeting pupils needs; the well established partnerships with other agencies; the very good opportunities for pupils involvement in appropriate accredited courses and the expectation and support that effectively promotes success; pupils opportunities to benefit from appropriate careers advice and guidance; the trust between staff and pupils and the effective measures in place to promote positive attitudes and behaviour is effective in eliminating oppressive behaviour, bullying, harassment and discrimination within the centres. 99. The headteacher and staff place a very high priority on pastoral care throughout the service and provide outstanding care, guidance and support for all pupils. All staff know and understand pupils very well and effectively monitor and support their educational progress, their social development and their personal welfare. Close liaison with the LEA and partnership with a range of relevant support agencies, including health services and Social Services, ensures pupils individual needs are met Induction procedures to help new pupils settle into the service are very effective. Pupils settle well and staff provide sensitive pastoral support. Pupils rights and responsibilities are made clear, and pupils understand quickly what is expected of them Good procedures on admission ensure that pupils additional learning needs are diagnosed. All pupils have individual education plans and behaviour plans specific to their particular needs. Pupils with special educational needs, such as dyslexia, have their needs suitably met and make good progress towards achieving their potential Older pupils are provided with good information about the range of courses and employment opportunities available to them. Every effort is made to ensure pupils have access to opportunities that reflect their specific needs and interests. 19

21 103. Pupils work and engage in a happy, supportive environment where they feel secure and valued by staff. They readily turn to staff for help and support and are listened to and treated with respect. The quality of relationships throughout the service is excellent and this contributes significantly to pupils self-esteem and confidence. They have access to a highly effective personal and social education (PSE) programme, in line with national recommendations, which contributes significantly to the quality of support and guidance offered to pupils. The use of external agencies, including health professionals and career service personnel, to help deliver the PSE programme is highly successful The duty of care is fundamental to the service ethos and consequently staff work in pupils best interests to nurture their welfare and to protect them. The policy and procedures to deal with child protection issues are clearly understood by all staff and training is regularly updated. The headteacher is the designated member of staff with responsibility for child protection issues and she has established very effective working partnerships with a range of external welfare agencies Appropriate risk assessments are undertaken when planning activities. Good arrangements are in place to promote good attendance. Attendance is monitored rigorously and every effort is made to encourage pupils to attend regularly. First day calling and follow-up procedures are well established and pupils and parents are reminded frequently of the importance of regular attendance 106. Very good policies are in place to promote good behaviour and the rewards system works very well. Good partnerships with parents are very effective in addressing the behavioural difficulties of most pupils. However, for some pupils, the continued practice of them being sent home for a short cooling-off period is less effective and needs to be more carefully monitored and alternative strategies considered Good attention is given to equality of opportunity with particularly good individual support for all pupils, regardless of their social, educational, ethnic or linguistic backgrounds. Pupils gain positive attitudes to gender, stereotyping, diversity and issues of race relations through an appropriate programme of personal social education (PSE). The involvement of other providers including specialist workers, nurses and community liaison officers makes a significant contribution to pupils understanding of social and moral issues Close working partnerships have been developed with parents and carers. The service actively seeks their views; and parents and carers value their involvement in 6 weekly review meetings. Regular newsletters and correspondence provides parents with updates of the work of the service and how young people are progressing The service has a detailed policy and set of procedures to promote health and safety, which are monitored and implemented consistently by the manager and staff. The service is part of Health Promoting Schools Initiative and actively encourages pupils to recognise the benefits of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Arrangements for dealing with accidents and emergencies are well established and several members of staff are qualified to administer first aid. 20

22 Leadership and management Report by Jim Phillips Key Question 5: How effective are leadership and strategic management? Grade 1: Good with outstanding features 110. The judgement of the inspection team disagrees with the grade 2 the Centre awarded itself in its self-evaluation report. Because of the outstanding features identified, a grade 1 was awarded. Outstanding features include: the headteacher, senior teachers, teachers and teaching assistants work together as a team which wholeheartedly share and support the very well-considered values, aims and objectives of the service; the excellent use and strategic development of the available accommodation and facilities enables provision for groups of pupils with otherwise incompatible needs to be effective; the network of involved supporting agencies and professionals has been developed into well coordinated partnerships so that the diverse range of pupils needs are met; the very good improvement in the range of appropriate opportunities for pupils to achieve qualifications and vocational skills The PRU has established a very warm, welcoming and purposeful ethos for the centres that has a very positive influence on changing the persistent challenging behaviour, negative attitudes or high levels of anxiety amongst the pupils The headteacher and staff with leadership responsibilities work well as a team and the very well-considered values, aims and objective of the service are clearly stated and wholeheartedly shared by staff The way the service identifies priorities for development, sets challenging targets and achieves its goals is outstanding. The service has grown rapidly since the Penrhos Avenue site was made available and through exceptional vision the building has been strategically adapted to provide the pupils with excellent opportunities to develop the range of skills needed to become effective learners and members of society. Additionally, there has been a significant increase in the range of opportunities for pupils to achieve qualifications. The effective appraisal of staff and the subsequent provision of training have played a significant part in raising the skills of staff and the standards achieved by the pupils Curriculum provision has been rapidly improved to meet the educational, personal and vocational needs of the pupils. Good account has been taken of national priorities, particularly those relating to inclusion, sustainable development, citizenship and community regeneration. Very good use has been made of specific funding grants to support relevant initiatives such as the partnerships with local colleges to develop appropriate courses that meet the training and social/emotional needs of students. These experiences are providing an effective bridge to further education when pupils reach school leaving age. 21