Testimonials

Leavers’ Feedback June 2023

My son had the best time here since he started secondary school in 2018. Being here helped him to grow and mature and become more independent. Thank You all very much for all your help and support

Y11 pupil and Mum

At Francis Barber I enjoyed it a lot and I changed in a good way, my behaviour got better and I was focussed more in lessons and loved all my teachers and will miss them all and dont worry Ill make sure I come back to see you guys, for now Ill see you around

Y11 pupil

I feel that my time at Francis Barber was great it was definitely better than mainstream, This is because they offer a lot of support, and treat the pupils like human beings unlike mainstream

Y11 pupil

I can’t speak highly enough of Francis Barber Tooting. My son joined in a mess and left as a confident young man who I could be proud of. Any organization is coloured by the person at the top and Irvin sets an incredible tone and is someone I trust implicitly.Other mentions should go to Mark and Johnny who worked religiously to shape my son into the man he is becoming. At a time when schools seem to be concentrating less and less on individual needs Francis Barber is a shining light of professionalism perfectly blended with care

Y11 parent

“I wish to say that my son has improved greatly in all aspects of his subjects, his whole outlook of life and his future has changed and improved in every single way. So much more confidence that he will do well as a result of his time at Francis Barber”

Y11 parent

Parent/Carer Feedback April 2023

“My daughter feels she’s able to focus and complete her work.”

“My son is very happy here and shows much more enthusiasm about coming.”

“We have felt that our son has improved in many ways for the best.”

“I would like to thank all the teachers at the PRU. My son’s behaviour has improved so much and I appreciate your help and support.”

​”I am pleased my daughter is facing her fears and attending school and slowly improving her work.”

Ofsted March 2023

“Pupils are happy to attend this school and appreciate the work of all the staff team. It is a caring school, where staff make sure all are valued and respected. All staff have high ambitions and want all pupils to achieve.”

“Pupils receive help to understand their emotions. Pupils are taught how to regulate their behaviour for themselves. This ensures that pupils’ behaviour is mostly calm and orderly in and outside of lessons. They respect staff, their peers and are tolerant of differences.”

“Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the support they need to access learning. Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND quickly and work effectively with multi-agency partners to ensure that pupils are prepared for adulthood.”

“Leaders work successfully to improve pupils’ behaviour. They provide effective support for staff in supporting pupils to behave well. Leaders have ensured that all staff are trained to tailor approaches to pupils’ specific needs. Staff are quick to resolve any behaviour incidents, and they work with pupils to manage their emotions. Typically, pupils’ learning proceeds without disruption.”

Academic Review Evening 28th February 2023 – Some comments from parents and carers

” I was apprehensive to send my son to a PRU but it is beyond mine and my husbands expectations. Meeting the class teachers and looking at their work, we had no idea how much effort he has put into his education”. Thank you.​

“Thank you for making a difference in my child’s life. He has come a long way from being in mainstream school and I can’t thank FB enough”.

“My mum doesn’t really care about what I do and she wont bother coming”. His mother was one of the first parents onsite speaking to all the teachers and collecting all the revision work.

In 2018 a pupil wrote:
Dear all members of Francis Barber,
I wanted to thank you all for giving me a chance to carry on in my education despite my catastrophic situation in Year10. The fact that the all team didn’t give up on me and helped me get back on the right track gave me the chance to follow the curriculum which was meant for me. I am now pursuing my education in Graveney sixth form and I am studying Maths, geography, economics and french for my A-level with the ambition of applying to successful universities such as Oxford and LSE. With your help I was allowed back into a school where I sat 10 GCSEs. I made my time there count as much as possible as I came out with A*´s in Maths, Spanish, Geography, French and Religious Education; as well as A’s in English literature, ICT, and English language (currently getting remarked); B in business and C in science. As I know how important help can be to someone in a desperate situation, I am giving lessons to a Year11 (in Maths) and a Year4 (in French) in order to help them get through KS3/4 with the support they deserve.
 
A little message to current pupils:
I was kicked out of school, arrested twice and taken to court in the space of 6 months. No matter how hard it gets, staffs from Francis Barber, friends and family are here to make you succeed. Even if I doubted myself in those extremely dark moments I managed to not give up on school, outsides activities but also on my ambitions. Being in trouble with the law, kicked out of school or your house isn’t so bad after all as you can only move forward and try to become a better person as you have no other choices. It’s never to late to start building your path to success. I am clearly not smarter than you or  better than you so If i managed to make it out of those endless difficult times you can also do it!
Keep it up
Parents have said:

My child has a very good settlement and found friends easily but would still separate herself. She enjoys the PRU and the staff are very helpful and supportive of her and her needs (March 2017)

My child has experienced …. huge improvement, enjoys the relaxed atmosphere, this has helped her complete her GCSEs (March 2017)

My child felt supported and respected by teaching staff at the PRU and although pleased to return to a mainstream school was disappointed he would no longer be taught by staff he had built good relationships with (March 2017)

Pupils have said:

My time at the PRU has helped me reflect on my past (March 2015)

In a recent survey, 100% of pupils felt they were safe at Francis Barber (Dec 2015)

In a survey about bullying (Spring 2016) found that 75% of pupils said they felt very safe or fairly safe, this compares well with other schools in the local area.

Ofsted July 2013 said:

“The behaviour and safety of students are outstanding.”

Staff place a “high focus on improving and developing reading skills across the unit, making sure that students read regularly and develop effective reading for meaning skills. ”

“Effective teaching and excellent support for their emotional, social and physical well-being ensure that for all students progress is good and in terms of their personal and social development, it is excellent”

“In outstanding lessons students benefit from very thought-provoking activities which constantly challenge their thinking and understanding”

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