Central Education Ltd

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 9 July 2024

Pupils feel safe at Central Education. Many have previously had negative experiences of schooling and have missed considerable chunks of their learning. They describe the school community as a 'family' and welcome the time and attention they are given. However, too many do not come to school often enough. Leaders have high expectations for pupils' conduct. Pupils are well looked after by the dedicated team of staff who care deeply about them. Pupils get to explore their talents, such as fishing, golf and gardening, with staff who share the same interests. Pastoral support is strong. Pupils choose their own mentors and learn to trust adults to help them manage and resolve conflicts, including instances of bullying. This helps them re-engage successfully into education, gaining the qualifications they need to access further study. Pupils value the specialist opportunities the school offers, such as metal work and wood turning. The school's horticultural garden provides a sense of pride for the pupils who are keen to share the produce with visitors. For many, these experiences open the door for potential career options they had not considered previously. However, the school's ambition for pupils' achievement in some other subjects is not realised. Pupils do not learn consistently well across all curriculum subjects.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, the building blocks of learning have not been identified clearly. This means that, at times, work is not focused well on what pupils need to know, which prevents them from building on their prior learning. The school should make sure that the important knowledge is identified clearly in all subjects and is sequenced well so that pupils can deepen their learning over time.
• In some subjects, assessment procedures do not provide teachers with meaningful and useful information. Some pupils do not have the precise teaching and support they need to catch up across the curriculum. The school should ensure that assessment systems are in place for all subjects and provide teachers with information which benefits pupils' learning.
• Many members of staff are new and have not received all the training they need to deliver the curriculum with confidence. The school should ensure all staff have the training they need, including phonics training, to support pupils successfully across the curriculum.
• Attendance needs to improve. Pupils are missing too much of their learning. The school needs to improve its strategic oversight of attendance so that timely and effective actions lead to pupils coming to school more often.
• Leaders, including the proprietor, do not check carefully enough on the impact of their work. Consequently, they have not acted quickly enough to address some of the gaps in their provision. The school should make sure that they develop systems and processes to monitor their work more effectively so that they can make the improvements needed in a timely way.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)