The Lewis Charlton Learning Centre in Ashby has been given an 'inadequate' rating in its latest Ofsted report.

The school's website says it offers 'a truly unique educational experience' for those students who have experienced difficulties within both mainstream and other special education provisions.

Ofsted conducted its inspections over a two-day period last November, and followed another 'inadequate' rating two years ago.

It says pupils feel safe at the school, and most enjoy attending, but the report adds that the South Street-based school does not understand well enough the full scope of the needs of its pupils, all of whom are pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

It says: "Staff do not consistently take pupils' additional needs into account when planning and delivering the curriculum. 

"Some pupils do not get the support they need. Pupils do not receive an ambitious and well-planned curriculum."

It also says pupils do not learn as well as they should and that the school does not have a well-thought-through personal development programme, adding some pupils do not have opportunities to develop their talents and interests. 

The report also suggests what the school does well and what does it could do better.

It says: "The school has not thought carefully enough about how best to teach pupils with SEND. 

"Pupils' needs are not accurately assessed when they first join the school. This limits how well the curriculum can meet pupils' needs and help them to achieve well. Because the school does not understand the needs of its pupils well enough, targets in pupils' individual education plans lack the necessary accuracy and precision. 

"This leads to a lack of clarity about what the school expects pupils to learn and how. Expectations of learning, consequently, are too low. Pupils do not learn as well as they could and do not make appropriate progress. The curriculum is limited in its ambition."

The report also says leaders do not have an effective way of assessing what pupils know and can do when they start at the school. 

The Lewis Charlton Learning Centre in Ashby. Photo: Instantstreetview.com

Consequently, the school has a 'limited understanding of the gaps in pupils' knowledge and what they need to learn'. 

It says some pupils are left confused, and others disengage from their learning and that they struggle to recall what they have been taught and what they have learned. 

The report says: "The school has recently introduced a phonics programme for pupils who are at the early stages of learning how to read. 

"This is beginning to improve these pupils' reading knowledge and skills. However, there are some inconsistencies in the way in which this programme is taught."

It adds, however, that pupils' behaviour has improved.

The report says: "Some students benefit from appropriate work-experience placements. 

"These opportunities, along with life skills lessons, help students to develop their social skills and explore a range of career choices. The behaviour of some pupils improves during their time at the school. 

"The number of serious incidents that require physical intervention has reduced slightly over time. Pupils enjoy earning reward points for working hard and meeting their behaviour targets. 

"However, the school does not have a clear oversight of behaviour, including whether pupils' behaviour improves over time or not. The school does not know whether pupils are communicating their frustration about unmet needs through their behaviour. 

"The school is unaware of whether the behaviour policy, including the use of sanctions, is having a particularly negative impact on certain pupils with specific needs. 

"Younger pupils learn to respect people who have views, beliefs and opinions that are different from their own. However, older pupils do not have the same opportunities."

It concludes that the school has not thought carefully enough about how best to teach pupils with SEND and says the school needs to ensure that there is an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum in place that enables pupils to achieve well and that prepares them for their next steps in learning. 

The report adds: "There is no consistent way of checking pupils' learning before moving on to new learning. As a result, pupils do not build learning over time. 

"There is no strategic oversight of attendance and behaviour. As a result, there are no plans in place to improve these areas. The lack of analysis of behaviour means that the school is unaware of whether pupils with specific needs are adversely impacted by sanctions for any inappropriate behaviour. 

"There are few opportunities for pupils to develop talents and interests, and for older pupils to learn about different beliefs and cultures. Consequently, pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be."