Path 4, Oldham

What it's like to be a pupil at Path 4

Pupils do not experience consistently effective teaching. This means that, at times, they do not benefit from learning that is closely matched to their needs. Some staff adapt teaching well so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or those who have previously faced disruption to their education, can make progress from their starting points. However, this practice is not applied consistently well and limits how well some pupils achieve. Pupils who have struggled to engage positively with their education in the past, settle into school well. They generally take an interest in their learning. They gain confidence as the school works to reduce barriers, such as those linked to anxiety, behaviour or previous negative experiences. Pupils relish opportunities to learn courses, such as hair and beauty, cooking and art. These courses widen their experiences and motivate them to develop positive learning habits. Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and respectful. Pupils value the consistent care that they receive. They benefit from small-group work that supports them to take part in lessons and wider activities. Some pupils enjoy spending time in the sensory garden and taking care of the school rabbits. This helps them to relax and feel connected to the school community. Others benefit from sporting activities, such as taekwondo and boxing. These opportunities allow some pupils to develop interests and skills that they may not have explored before. However, the school does not ensure that different groups of pupils have access to the same experiences. Pupils value the calm and orderly classroom environment. Staff use de-escalation strategies well and pupils respond positively to clear routines. Pupils feel safe and trust staff to deal with bullying concerns quickly. There are inconsistencies in the quality of the school's work. This means that some pupils are not supported as effectively as they should be, for example, to reduce barriers to their attendance. That said, over time, pupils are better prepared to return to mainstream education or move on to their next stage of learning. For example, they increasingly take responsibility for arriving promptly to school and engaging in school life.

What Ofsted says the school should do next

• Leaders should ensure that the curriculum closely reflects pupils' starting points by improving how they assess pupils' understanding and additional needs when they start at the school so that learning is more personalised and effective.
• Leaders should ensure that staff build their expertise on how to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities so that they consistently adapt their teaching, when needed, and help pupils to build on their knowledge more securely over time.
• Leaders should improve how gaps in pupils' fundamental knowledge, including reading, writing and numeracy, are identified and addressed so that staff tailor support more precisely and help pupils to access the curriculum with greater confidence.
• Leaders should embed the school's renewed relationships and sex education curriculum so that pupils develop a secure understanding of the taught content.
• Leaders should ensure that pupils benefit fully from the school's extra-curricular offer, including through making any necessary adaptations when required.
• Leaders should ensure that their actions to identify and remove barriers to pupils' attendance have the desired impact.
• Leaders should improve how they monitor the quality of provision across teaching, pupils' personal development and attendance, so that they can identify weaknesses more promptly and ensure that their actions lead to consistent improvements.

Path 4 excels at welcoming pupils who have struggled in traditional education and helping them rebuild confidence and engagement. Staff create a warm, caring environment with clear routines that help pupils feel safe and supported. The school offers creative vocational courses and practical learning that spark pupils' interests and prepare them well for their next steps.

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have created an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified and managed, keeping pupils safe.

Hair and beauty courses, cooking, art, motor mechanics, taekwondo, boxing, sensory garden activities, school rabbits care, fundraising events for charity, pupil-led knife crime awareness campaigns

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