The Key Education Centre

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 9 July 2024

This school gives pupils a fresh start and the opportunity to re-engage with their education. Pupils appreciate that staff here listen to what they have to say and support them to improve their behaviour. Pupils benefit from the positivity and encouragement of their teachers, which helps to foster a safe and secure learning environment. Pupils attend this school because they are at risk of permenant exclusion, have been excluded, or are unable to attend a mainstream school for medical reasons. After joining The Key, most pupils improve their attendance quickly and engage more positively with their education. The success of this work results in many pupils making a quick return to mainstream or specialist school settings. Unkind behaviour between pupils is not common and is addressed quickly and effectively by the school. Although most of the pupils here are on short placements, the school is determined that they should all feel part of a community. Pupils benefit from a broad range of enrichment activities which enhance the curriculum and help to expand their understanding of the world around them. This includes educational visits such as a geography field trip to Durdle Door and a food tour of East London.

What the school should improve

• The school's current curriculum does not reflect recent changes to its cohort. There is not a clear enough distinction between what pupils should learn in different year groups at key stage 3. The school should continue with their plans to develop this curriculum, working across both school sites, so that it meets the needs of the school's changing cohort.
• There is some variability in how well the curriuclum is delivered. Teachers' choice of pedagogical approaches is not always as effective as it could be. The school have provided training for staff on how pupils learn, and they should ensure that pedagogical approaches are applied consistently well.
• Leaders, including governors, are not always strategic enough in checking that the curriculum is having its intended impact. There is not enough focus on whether the curriculum and its delivery results in pupils knowing and remembering more. Leaders should ensure that their quality assurance, and discussions at governance level, focus on the impact of the curriculum on pupils' learning.

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