Oneschool Global Uk Newtown Campus, Powys

Oneschool Global Uk Newtown Campus is a school in Wales. Welsh schools are inspected by Estyn rather than Ofsted, and its latest report is published on Estyn's website.

Estyn's report on its February 2025 inspection summarises Oneschool Global Uk Newtown Campus like this:

"Through its ethos and 'learning to learn' approach, the school fosters an exceptional level of independence in most pupils for their age. Within a structured timetable, pupils manage their own study schedules, attending lessons, either in person or online. All pupils are taught by qualified and dedicated teachers. Pupils are adept users of digital technology to support their learning, for example by accessing their online lessons and learning resources within the school’s virtual learning environment. This balanced of self-directed study and teaching enables pupils to develop resilience, problem-solving skills, and perseverance. Pupils reflect on their progress. They apply their knowledge effectively, recalling prior learning and using it to tackle unfamiliar tasks. Pupils’ communication skills are well developed, with most pupils listening attentively and expressing their ideas clearly in both online and face to face lessons. Many pupils contribute to discussions and demonstrate higher level reading skills for self-directed learning purposes. Most pupils write structured responses for a range of purposes, although a minority of pupils continue to develop their spelling and punctuation. In mathematics, pupils make secure progress, mastering arithmetic operations in Key Stage 2 and more complex concepts, such as linear and quadratic equations, in the senior school. The school encourages pupils to build relationships with peers from other schools, providing collaborative opportunities through online learning and face-to-face events. Pupil well-being is a key focus of the work of the school, and there is a wide range of well understood ways for pupils to seek support should they have any concerns. As a result, nearly all pupils feel safe and supported. The school provides a range of opportunities for pupils to develop valuable leadership skills, for example the school council and pupil leadership team. These opportunities support older pupils to develop employability skills and in undertaking these roles pupil leaders embody and promote the school values. Becoming ‘life ready’ is embedded into the senior school curriculum, with activities such as CV workshop, business breakfasts and work experience. The relatively recent appointment of the acting campus principal has resulted in a positive change in atmosphere and purpose and has led to a more settled period of staffing at the school. However, the OSG group has not ensured that policies, processes and procedures consistently reflect and adhere to Welsh Government legislation and operational guidance. As a result, the school is not fully compliant with the Independent School Standards (Wales) Regulations 2024. Main evaluation Pupils who learn how to learn and achieve Learning to Learn’: a self-directed learning framework Most pupils, as a result of the ‘learning to learn’ approach and the school’s learning ethos, develop an unusually advanced level of independence for their age. Their strong skills and proficiency in using educational technology and digital devices support and enhance their learning very effectively. Overall, pupils are resilient in their approach to work, attempting to resolve challenges without prematurely seeking help and demonstrating determination and perseverance. This is a significant feature of the school. Many pupils develop sound knowledge and skills across the school. Many pupils recall prior learning well and use this along with their existing skills to successfully approach unfamiliar tasks or to solve problems. In Key Stage 2 for instance, pupils participate in scientific experiments, where they follow a scientific method and use equipment to test a hypothesis. They refine their method in response to the results of the experiment, recording data and making comparisons between different individual tests. They can use data to plot simple graphs and interpret them accurately. Nearly all pupils listen well to both their peers and to their teachers, in online and face to face lessons, speaking clearly when asking or answering questions. Many pupils contribute to oral discussions, with a majority of those confidently and respectfully sharing their opinions and responses. Most pupils have the necessary reading skills to access the curriculum and understand written tasks that they are faced with. Many pupils use higher level reading skills to quickly source information when carrying out research or seeking answers to questions. Most pupils are proficient in forming written responses to short answer questions, whether in their online learning or through handwritten work. A minority are still developing their ability to spell high frequency words correctly or use punctuation appropriately to ensure the readability of their work. Many pupils successfully produce extended writing for a range of purposes, such as writing a fictional letter or producing instructions on how to assemble Chinese lanterns. Many pupils in the senior school are able to synthesise information from a range of sources to produce their own written summaries in support of an argument or response to an essay prompt. Across the school and over time, most pupils make secure progress with the development of their mathematical skills. Pupils in Key Stage 2, for instance, count confidently, carry out mathematical operations such as addition and subtraction consistently and reliably and demonstrate the ability to multiply fractions. In the senior school, most pupils demonstrate a sound acquisition of mathematical skills and abilities appropriate to their age. For example, Year 8 pupils deduce the equation of a straight line from a graph or determine the gradient of a straight line from its equation. Responsibility, care and compassion Pupils across the school are offered opportunities to lead and to develop their leadership skills. For example, the school council are elected from across the full age range and pupil representatives seek the views of other pupils throughout the year, meeting regularly to discuss their feedback. This for instance resulted in the purchase of sports equipment that the pupils had requested. There are school council members with specific responsibilities, such as a digital or buddy representative. There are regular meetings between the school council and the principal and other school leaders. The regional principal also samples pupil opinions and takes feedback directly from pupils during the school year. A student leadership team also exists, and all pupils are involved in electing those in Year 12 to carry out further specific roles within school. These pupil leaders embody and promote the school’s values of integrity, care and compassion, respect, responsibility and commitment."

"The school is in the process of opening up membership of the student leadership team to those in Year 10 and above. These positions give pupils experience of an application and interview process, developing their employability skills. The ability to take on responsibilities within the school helps pupils to develop a sense of care for others and ownership over their school experience. Most pupils have a positive attitude towards their learning and the majority of pupils participate in lessons and study with enthusiasm. Further, many pupils enjoy their learning and are keen to make progress. They are well engaged in their lessons and independent learning (study) time, demonstrating high levels of motivation and concentration. During study sessions, most pupils are engaged with their work and have a clear sense of what they plan to achieve in both the current session and in the longer term. For example, Year 10 pupils self-reflect on their individual areas for development ahead of upcoming mock exams. Through purposeful and structured revision activities provided by their teachers, they work to improve in those areas that they have identified for themselves. Nearly all pupils record how they are going to use their study time in their digital planners, developing the ability to self-manage their workload and prioritise effectively. Pupils enjoy building working relationships with peers from other schools within the group. They feel as though they belong to a larger community of learners across the United Kingdom and beyond. At times, pupils have the opportunity to visit other schools and work collaboratively with those who they have grown to know through their online lessons. Every pupil in Key Stage 3 and above has the opportunity to meet their online class for a face to face lesson. Additionally, pupils in the sixth form attend the Post-16 conference, held annually at the beginning of Year 12. There are regular further opportunities for pupils to come together. For example, pupils from OSG Newtown recently attended a languages day hosted at another group school. Pupils have numerous opportunities for their voices to be heard and to share feedback with staff about their experiences in school. Nearly all pupils feel that there is someone who they can talk to when they have any questions or worries about any aspect of their lives. Furthermore, they know that they can report their concerns directly to a member of staff or via a red button on the school’s website. Should they need it, school leaders can refer pupils to counselling provided within the wide OSG group. Pupils feel safe in the school and confident that staff will act in their best interest. They talk keenly to visitors about their well-being and academic work and readily explain the reasons behind their course choices in the senior school, describing how they feel these will benefit their future. Life ready pupils There is a strong focus on careers and preparing pupils for the workplace throughout the senior school. Each term pupils take part in a careers’ day where regular lessons cease and career-related activities take place instead, for example CV building workshops. For pupils in Year 11 and above, there are business breakfasts scheduled throughout the year where they have the opportunity to quiz business owners and leaders speak about their work. For sixth formers, there is a specialist programme for career advancement which provides 11 modules over the course of their A-level studies. This includes topics such as personal finance, life skills and communication. Those undertaking this programme can also engage in work experience in businesses locally and within the region. Alumni also return to the school to share with pupils their experiences of the workplace. As a result, nearly all pupils secure employment within a variety of local, regional and global businesses and sectors. There is no programme of extra-curricular activities on campus to provide pupils with opportunities to explore and develop their personal interests beyond the taught timetable. Teaching to support pupils ‘Learning to Learn’ All teachers undergo a standardised induction at the OneSchool Global Teacher Academy, covering safeguarding and the school's educational philosophy. Ongoing professional development is provided throughout the year on campus, centrally, and online. In addition, subject teachers are supported by an experienced regional subject leader, which plays a key role in developing their practice in online teaching delivery. Furthermore, teachers can access training covering a range of professional themes and issues via the group’s online learning portal. All pupils at the school access, via online links with other campuses in the OneSchool Global group (OSG), a centralised curriculum that is broad and balanced, and that provides access to a range of academic and vocational qualifications. Learning resources and progressive lesson plans are made available to pupils through a virtual learning environment, which enables them to access and advance their learning independently. Older pupils, for example Key Stage 3 and those studying GCSE and A-level courses are taught a significant proportion of their courses online by teachers from other campuses alongside pupils from other schools. Ordinarily, taught online lessons begin with a teacher introduction which is then followed by a task or series of tasks, which pupils complete individually or in small groups. The level of teacher direction within these lessons adjusts to the context and purpose of each lesson and most lessons follow a structured scheme of work. Teachers develop strong working relationships with pupils. They know their pupils well and this helps establish a calm, respectful working environment. Teachers have well established routines, that are well understood by pupils and this ensures that little time is lost as pupils transition between activities. This is particularly evident in online lessons. The best lessons include a range of interesting learning activities. These activities both in individual lessons and via the online learning platform over time are well structured and progressively develop in complexity. Teachers have a strong grasp of the subjects they are teaching and are strong language role models. Most teachers use questioning well to check understanding or probe to extend understanding."

"However, in online lessons it can be more difficult for teachers to engage more reluctant pupils. In addition, on a very few occasions teachers do not respond effectively to the questions from pupils, particularly if these questions would take the learning in a new direction. The pace of teaching is well matched to the pace of learning in many face to face lessons. During online lessons the pace of teaching is too slow for a very few pupils and a few teachers find it difficult to provide work that challenges all pupils at an appropriate level. Teacher feedback is effective in providing pupils with guidance on to how to improve their work. Feedback is ongoing and delivered in a timely manner in face to face lessons. In online lessons there are a range of approaches from prompt verbal feedback to written feedback when pupils submit written work completed independently and without direct oversight by the teacher. Most pupils respond positively to the feedback from teachers using it well to improve their work. The school ensures that pupils are tracked from their starting point in English language, reading and mathematics, with regular assessments during the year to monitor progress. Progression through their programmes of study across all of their subjects across the school is tracked and monitored through the virtual learning environment. Many subject leaders have developed more detailed tracking where it is helpful in establishing pupils’ strengths and weaknesses. For example, in mathematics mastery of topics and/or concepts are split into acquisition of smaller ‘learning steps’. Where it is identified that a pupil is either not meeting their potential or falling behind, they are encouraged to seek one-to-one help and future independent work is differentiated to a level that they are able to succeed with. Leadership and strategic oversight Since their recent appointment, the acting campus principal (ACP) has made a positive impact on the school. The school has experienced high staff turnover, including senior leaders, and most of the current teaching staff were hired shortly after the ACP’s appointment. This newly formed body of staff have quickly forged strong and effective relationships, working purposefully and collaboratively in the best interests of pupils. Recent parental feedback reflects this positive change in atmosphere and purpose. A permanent campus principal has been appointed and will commence their duties in the weeks following this inspection. Campus leaders have acquired quickly a strong understanding of the school’s operation and identified accurately its strengths and areas for improvement. They are highly visible and readily accessible to pupils, staff, parents and stakeholders. Leaders and all staff demonstrate the school values of responsibility, respect, integrity, care, commitment and compassion. Since the appointment of the ACP, there has been a renewed focus on the development of a school improvement plan and the embedding of actions to bring about the desired outcomes. The school has a suitable approach to evaluating its work, based on a range of first-hand evidence including lesson observations/learning walks completed by leaders and feedback from pupils and other stakeholders. As a result, leaders have accurately identified priority areas such as the quality of teaching and learning and strengthening the safeguarding culture. The school improvement plan is clearly linked to the outcomes of the self-evaluation process. The plan includes suitable actions, which are allocated to specific staff. However, throughout the document there is little reference to the impact of this work on the progress of pupils. The local governing body, known as the ‘campus administration team’, have oversight and responsibility for the school’s operation and are supported effectively by the regional principal, who provides educational direction and expertise. The campus administration team are committed volunteers and support the school through the application of their commercial knowledge and skills, for example positively influencing recruitment campaigns to attract new high-quality staff. Further, they have recently significantly refurbished and redeveloped aspects of the school site, improving the learning environment for pupils and staff. Campus leaders meet regularly with the campus administration team, where they are challenged on a range of data, including information about pupil progress, behaviour and any safeguarding issues. The structure and content of these meetings, like nearly all aspects of the school’s operation, are adapted from the group’s central corporate approach. However, across a range of policies, processes and procedures, the school group have not consistently taken full account of the school’s Welsh context and suitably applied Welsh Government legislation and guidance to the school’s operation. For example, the group has not ensured that the school has sufficiently adapted their safer recruitment policy and procedures to reflect Welsh legislation. As a result, the inspection team identified that many statutory policies and a very few aspects of practice, including record keeping, required attention. Leaders addressed nearly all of these areas during the inspection. The school is not fully compliant with the Independent School Standards (Wales) Regulations 2024. Compliance with the regulations for registration Independent school inspections are governed by the Education Act 2002 and related regulations: the Independent School Standards (Wales) Regulations 2024. These regulations require an independent school to meet an appropriate standard in the following areas: The quality of education provided by the school On the basis of this inspection, there is no evidence to indicate that the school does not meet the regulatory requirements for this standard. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils On the basis of this inspection, there is no evidence to indicate that the school does not meet the regulatory requirements for this standard. Welfare, health and safety of pupils On the basis of this inspection, there is no evidence to indicate that the school does not meet the regulatory requirements for this standard. The suitability of proprietors and staff The school does not meet the regulatory requirements for this standard. Although the school meets almost all of the regulatory requirements for this standard, in order to comply fully with the Independent School Standards (Wales) Regulations 2024 the proprietor should: • Where relevant, obtain a DBS certificate before a person’s appointment. [20(3)] Premises of and boarding accommodation at schools On the basis of this inspection, there is no evidence to indicate that the school does not meet the regulatory requirements for this standard. The provision of information On the basis of this inspection, there is no evidence to indicate that the school does not meet the regulatory requirements for this standard. The manner in which complaints are to be handled On the basis of this inspection, there is no evidence to indicate that the school does not meet the regulatory requirements for this standard. Safeguarding The school's arrangements for safeguarding pupils do not give any cause for concern."

Estyn made 3 recommendations: (1) Comply fully with the Independent School Standards (Wales) Regulations 2024; (2) Ensure that school policy, processes and procedures reflect Welsh Government legislation and operational guidance; (3) Establish and secure the leadership and staffing at the school.

Estyn follow-up status: The school does not require any follow-up activity by Estyn..

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Oneschool Global Uk Newtown Campus.