£28k a year private school in Hockley rated “inadequate” by Ofsted

A £28,225 a year Birmingham private school has been found to be “inadequate” by Ofsted. Future First independent school in Hockley is inadequate in all categories of inspection and does not meet independent school standards, the regulatory body reported.

Ofsted’s detailed report criticises the school’s neglect of reading and its unsafe environment. It found checks on performance and compliance to be insufficient, as are teaching skills for pupils with special educational needs.

Furthermore, the school is not meeting statutory requirements for relationship and sex education (RSE), it said.

What does the report state exactly?

The report states: “The curriculum is not fit for purpose.

“Leaders have not given enough attention to what staff need to teach and the order in which it needs to be taught. This means that learning is disconnected and is not taught in a logical order that helps pupils to learn.

“Statutory guidance for relationships and sex education (RSE) has not been implemented. The school does not have a RSE policy outlining the school’s approach and practice.

“While pupils have learned about healthy relationships, their comments and behaviour towards peers and staff are not reflective of this.”

Were there any other issues at Future First?

Routine boiler and portable appliance safety checks had been neglected and were attempted while the inspectors were at the school. Water supply checks had also lapsed and the temperature of water available in the toilets risked scalding.

Fire risk assessment actions had also not been completed. At the time of inspection, a damaged fire exit had been left unrepaired.

When was Future First established?

Future First was established in 2004 as part of the charitable outreach of the Birmingham Community Venture (BCV) project. It was formally registered with the Department for Education (DfE) in 2007 to provide education and support for 12 students who have been excluded from, or who refused to attend, mainstream education.

Currently, there are 19 pupils enrolled at Future First between the ages of 13 and 18. However, Ofsted’s report states several pupils attending the school are below the minimum registered age.

It reads: “The school is operating outside its registration agreement with the Department for Education (DfE). The work of the proprietor is not effective.

“A number of key school policies and development plans are based on the work of other providers. This means that identified actions are not relevant to the school and will not secure improvement.

“The curriculum is poorly planned and does not build on what pupils already know. Pupils who experience additional barriers to learning do not do as well as they could.”

What have previous Ofsted reports said about Future First?

Ofsted inspected the school in 2008 but the results are not provided on the government website. The school was inspected in 2012 and received a “good” rating, and met the standards for independent schools.

Following this, the school advised the Department for Education that it wished to expand its numbers and operate on two sites. A material change inspection of the school in March 2015 found independent school standards were no longer being met.

Specifically, several shortcomings in relation to health and safety compliance and procedures were found. The school submitted an action plan to address these issues which was not accepted by the Department for Education.

A revised action plan was evaluated in July 2015 and judged to require improvement. The school was advised to submit another action plan, but did not do so before it was inspected again in November 2015.

This inspection found that most, but not all, standards for independent schools had been met. Specifically the frequency of routine checks on the emergency lighting and fire alarms systems was insufficient, as were leadership and management requirements.

A subsequent inspection in March 2016 confirmed these issues had been addressed and the school was meeting standards for independent schools. In 2017, Future First received a “good” Ofsted rating across all categories.

In 2012 Future First had 40 pupils between the ages of 14 and 16 enrolled and fees were £169.23 per week (approximately £6599.97 per school year). In 2017 eight pupils between the ages of 14 and 16 were enrolled and tuition fees ranged from £178.57 to £500 per week (approximately £6964.23 to £19,500 per school year).

Currently, annual fees for Future First school, per pupil, are £28,225 per year. The school was approached for comment.

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