St Thomas's Centre, Blackburn

What it's like to be a pupil at St Thomas's Centre

Many pupils arrive at the school having been permanently excluded from their previous setting or been at significant risk of exclusion. A large proportion have experienced periods of low attendance and present with a wide range of social, emotional and mental health needs. Some have become increasingly disengaged from education. However, once pupils begin working with staff at St Thomas's Centre, their experiences and outcomes improve. Pupils quickly establish positive relationships with caring staff. These relationships form the foundation of the school's success, enabling pupils to re‑engage with learning, attend more than previously and begin to enjoy education again. Pupils benefit from a safe and supportive environment in which they can access a broad, dynamic and ambitious curriculum that prepares them well for their next steps in education, employment and training. The curriculum is carefully tailored to pupils' individual needs and interests. Staff are skilled at identifying and addressing the barriers that have previously hindered pupils' learning. Consequently, pupils access a relevant, engaging and well‑designed curriculum that meets their needs effectively. During their time at the school, pupils achieve well from their starting points. They gain appropriate and meaningful qualifications and develop a stronger understanding of their own behaviour and attitudes. This helps ensure that they are increasingly well prepared for the next stage of their education. Pupils feel welcomed, valued and fully included in all aspects of school life. Any bullying is dealt with swiftly. Pupils benefit from a rich programme of trips, visitors and experiences that broaden their horizons and deepen their learning. For example, pupils have visited exhibitions featuring artists such as Van Gogh and Banksy, explored sculpture trails, sampled food from a range of cultures to develop social skills, and visited local colleges and universities to raise their aspirations for future careers.

What Ofsted says the school should do next

• Leaders should ensure that there are more consistent strategies to ensure that pupils can recall and apply key learning in some subjects, including punctuation and for some aspects of their personal development.
• Leaders should continue to ensure that attendance improves, specifically for pupils in key stage 4 where persistent absence is high.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are placed at this school having faced challenging experiences in their prior education. Some have been permanently excluded from other schools. Often, pupils arrive with large gaps in their learning due to previous absences. Some also struggle to manage their behaviour. Regardless of their previous difficulties, pupils are welcomed into a safe and nurturing environment. They are supported by staff who genuinely care about them. This helps pupils to regain trust in other people and to feel valued.

The school is determined for all pupils to achieve. For many pupils, this is reflected in a plan for them to return to a mainstream setting. The support that pupils receive prepares them well for this transition. Pupils are successfully rejoining mainstream schools in increasing numbers. Those who stay at St Thomas's Centre in the longer term typically gain the qualifications that they need to move on in their education, employment or training.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum that is well suited to pupils' needs. Pupils study a broad range of national curriculum subjects, regardless of how long they are enrolled at the school. This enables pupils on short-term placements to keep up with their mainstream learning.

Many pupils have missed considerable periods of their education prior to joining St Thomas's. The school assesses their individual starting points as soon as they arrive. It also identifies any additional needs or barriers to learning that pupils may have, including any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff use information about these needs to set individual targets for pupils' social and emotional learning. However, at times, these targets are broad. The school has not thought enough about how to measure them. This makes it difficult for staff to be sure whether pupils are making progress towards their targets. Consequently, the school does not always know which aspects of its provision for pupils with SEND are effective.

Leadership & management.

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