Chances Educational Support Services

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 May 2024

Chances Educational has a successful approach to working with pupils who have struggled in their previous schools. Many pupils arrive reluctant to learn. Staff get to know pupils on an individual level. They find out about their likes and dislikes and what they are good at. As a result, pupils feel understood, settle in quickly and re- engage positively with learning. Staff get the best from pupils. Well-established routines give pupils predictability. For example, morning 'check ins' help staff reduce pupils' anxieties. Staff make breaktimes friendly and sociable occasions. Pupils and staff eat together and enjoy playing games such as pool and football. These times provide a safe space for pupils to talk to and share any worries with staff. Pupils rise to the school's high expectations of how to learn and behave. Staff carefully guide pupils to understand their behaviours and self-regulate their feelings. This work is particularly effective. Pupils' behaviour improves significantly during their time at the school. Pupils study a broad and ambitious curriculum. They appreciate the high level of individual support they receive. This allows pupils, at their own pace, to catch up on missed learning, ask questions and gain qualifications without the fear of failure.

What the school should improve

• The culture of reading is not fully embedded. The school does not provide enough opportunities to develop pupils' reading across the curriculum. This prevents pupils from building a love of reading and improving their confidence and fluency. The school should seek to provide increased opportunities to broaden pupils' reading experiences across all subjects.
• In a few subjects, the school has not identified or mapped out the most important knowledge it wants pupils to learn. Some sequences of learning make it difficult for pupils to build up a rich body of knowledge. The school should identify precisely what it wants pupils to learn and remember in all subjects as they progress through the curriculum.

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