JP Alternative Education

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 October 2023

JP Alternative Education has a highly successful approach to working with pupils who, in the past, have struggled in their previous schools. It uses the extensive school grounds to re-engage pupils in learning and help them to manage their behaviour. The school curriculum is broad, ambitious and well planned in nearly all subjects. The school prioritises English and mathematics, so that pupils catch up on missed learning. There are lots of vocational opportunities, such as in motor mechanics and hair and beauty, that pupils can study. Pupils love coming to school and do well here. Strong relationships between pupils, families and staff are at the heart of everything this school does. Pupils feel listened to, valued and safe. The school expects pupils to behave, and pupils know and proudly follow the school rules. Any incidents of bullying are dealt with quickly. Consequently, behaviour is calm in school, and pupils are attentive in lessons. The school goes over and above to provide pupils with an extensive range of exciting opportunities. These opportunities help pupils understand who they are and inspire them to think positively about their future. Parents and carers and pupils are adamant that this school has 'turned their lives and their children's lives around for the better'.

What the school should improve

• A small number of subjects are not coherently planned and well sequenced. As a result, a few pupils in these subjects struggle to build successfully on prior learning. The school should ensure that the curriculum identifies precisely what pupils should learn and provides opportunities for pupils to deepen their understanding in these subjects.
• The school has not ensured that pupils continue to develop their reading skills once they have gained the phonics knowledge they need to decode words. As a result, some pupils are not developing fluency in reading or the confidence to read more complex texts. The school should ensure that it continues to develop pupils' reading beyond early reading skills.
• The proprietor body and school leaders are in the early stages of making checks on the quality of some of the subject curriculum areas. As a result, some weaknesses in the curriculum are not identified and addressed in a timely manner. Leaders should prioritise evaluating the quality of the curriculum across the school to discover what is working well and to plan for what needs to improve next.

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