Urgent action taken to improve ‘inadequate’ Wolverhampton centre for excluded pupils
Urgent action is being taken to make drastic improvements at a Wolverhampton centre for pupils excluded from school due to behavioural difficulties, after education leaders rated it ‘inadequate’.
Ofsted bosses said youngsters attending the Midpoint Centre in Parkfields received an “unacceptably poor standard of education and had low expectations, saw little value in learning and had a lack of respect and disregard for others” following an inspection in January.
In his report published this week, lead inspector Ian Tustian said the school in Lawnswood Avenue – a pupil referral unit (PRU) catering for 66 key stage 4 students aged 14-16 – was “not a happy place” for pupils or staff to be. It had previously been rated ‘good’ after its last full inspection in 2013.
“Leaders’ time is taken up constantly by managing behaviour. This has hindered their capacity to lead improvements, which is the fundamental root cause of the issues in the school,” he said. “They act with honesty and integrity and staff genuinely care about pupils. However, measures currently in place are failing to remedy the situation, and the school is at a very low ebb.
“Also, the arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. Staff do not have a common and shared understanding of when to record a concern about a pupil. Some staff see reporting systems as for significant concerns only.”
The centre is part of Lawnswood Campus, which is home to three PRUs and a hospital service, serving schools where pupils are experiencing behavioural difficulties and have been permanently excluded from mainstream schools or are at risk of exclusion. All students have SEND relating to emotional, social and behavioural difficulties.
An action plan for rapid improvement has now been developed with the support of the YES (Youth Engagement Schools) Trust, which has a strong track record of success in helping PRUs and special schools to improve. Particular focus will be on year 11 pupils who are approaching GCSE and other formal examinations in May and June.
Brenda Wile, the council’s deputy director of education, said: “Clearly, this is an unacceptable report, and we are working closely with the management committee – with the support of the YES Trust – to bring about the changes that are required to enable leaders to provide a safe, focused learning environment for the young people and staff at the Midpoint Centre.
“The YES Trust has demonstrated elsewhere that it can bring about rapid improvements within education settings, supporting multiple schools on improvement journeys – with their own key stage PRU rated ‘outstanding’.
“We believe that with its support, the situation at Midpoint will change rapidly and radically, creating a more productive and enriching environment for pupils and staff to develop their full potential,” she added.
YES Trust CEO Nic Brindle said: “Though the PRU is currently in a place that needs immediate improvements, the team around the centre is committed to the same goal. We are confident the school will quickly be on the right path to improving outcomes for all learners.
“The management committee will keep pupils and their families updated on the actions being taken to bring about the necessary improvements over the coming weeks.”
Chairman of the management committee Mark Heywood, added: “We are pleased to be working alongside Nic Brindle to enact the essential immediate changes to the Midpoint Centre so that the young people who attend have the very best provision they deserve.
“We believe there is great potential to enhance the learning and personal development opportunities for each young person, given a strong focus on the needs of each pupil and the development of staff.”
