Frewen College

Frewen Educational Trust Ltd, Frewen College Brickwall, Rye Road, Northiam, RYE, East Sussex, TN31 6NL

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Inspection dates 18/03/2014 to 20/03/2014

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Overall effectiveness Adequate 3

Outcomes for residential pupils Good 2 Quality of residential provision and care Adequate 3 Residential pupils’ safety Inadequate 4 Leadership and management of the residential provision Adequate 3

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The residential provision is adequate because

● The residential provision provides pupils with good outcomes and an adequate quality of care. Residential pupils are positive about their boarding experience and say they feel safe. ● Opportunities for residential pupils to develop personally and socially are wide, and engagement is good. ● Safeguarding arrangements within the residential provision are inadequate. Shortfalls include poor recruitment practice, fire drills within residential time not consistently occurring on a termly basis, inconsistences in Portable Appliance Testing (PAT); and sanction records which do not reflect pupil's views. ● The promotion of diversity is a strength within the residential provision and the whole school. Residential pupils actively and enthusiastically take part in regular charity fundraising for those less fortunate. ● Previously exceptional leadership and management arrangements have not been sustained. Internal monitoring systems have not been effective at identifying shortfalls

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Compliance with the national minimum standards for residential special schools

The school does not meet the national minimum standards for residential special schools. The details are listed in the full report. Inspection Report Frewen College, 18/03/2014 Page 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was announced in the morning and the inspectors were on site by the early afternoon. Both the residential accommodation areas were inspected. Both formal and informal discussions were held with residential pupils during mealtimes, evening activities and a planned feedback session. Meetings took place with the principal, heads of boarding, independent visitor, members of the therapy team and residential care staff. Telephone feedback was sought from parents as there were not sufficient responses on Parent View to provide a result. Documents relating to the safety and welfare of residential pupils were sampled and scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Anna Williams Lead social care inspector David Putnam Social care inspector Inspection Report Frewen College, 18/03/2014 Page 3 of 9

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Information about this school

Frewen College is an independent day and residential special school for boys and girls aged between seven and 18 years of age. Boarders are able to stay at the school for weekends if they choose. The school provides a specialist education for young people with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, Asperger's syndrome, sensory integration and speech and language difficulties. Boarding accommodation is split by gender with the boys in the main house and girls in a separate house. The school is a registered charity run by a governing body.

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Information about this school

The school’s residential provision was last inspected in May 2012. At the time of this inspection there were 37 boarders, 14 girls and 23 boys.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

● ensure systems in place for Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) are effective. ● revise the school safeguarding and child protection policy to reflect current guidance. ● ensure the effectiveness of sanctions is consistently recorded within log books, and document residential pupils' views on sanctions within these records. ● ensure the data protection policy is consistently implemented.  The school must meet the following national minimum standards for residential special schools. ● The school has, and implements, appropriate policies for the care of children who are unwell. These include first aid, care of those with chronic conditions and disabilities, administration of medicines and dealing with medical emergencies. (NMS 3.6) ● In addition, fire drills are regularly (at least once per term) carried out in 'residential time'. (NMS 7.2) ● The records specified in Appendix 2 (Residential Special Schools National Minimum

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

Standards) are maintained and monitored by the school and action taken as appropriate. (NMS 13.3) ● Schools operate safe recruitment procedures and vet staff in line with the regulatory requirements and having regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of State (as referenced in 'Residential Special Schools National Minimum Standards'). (NMS 14.1) ● All existing care staff have attained a relevant minimum level 3 qualification or have qualifications which demonstrate the same competencies. All new staff engaged from the commencement of these Standards hold these qualifications or begin working towards them within 3 months of confirmation of employment. (NMS 19.2) Inspection Report Frewen College, 18/03/2014 Page 4 of 9

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Outcomes for residential pupils Good

Outcomes for residential pupils are good.

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Outcomes for residential pupils Good

Residential pupils speak highly of their boarding experience and of the school as a whole. Relationships between pupils within the residential provision are extremely supportive and respectful. Comments from residential pupils include, ‘it’s one big happy family here’ and, ‘I love my sisters in the boarding house’.

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Outcomes for residential pupils Good

Residential pupils report ‘it’s really fun to board, there’s lots of nice things to do and I have lots of friends here’, and ‘staff really care for us’. Residential pupils value their boarding experiences and the friendships they make. Some residential pupils reflect their behaviour has changed and they are calmer since boarding. This promotes their personal and social development, and supports their overall learning.

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Outcomes for residential pupils Good

Residential pupils enthusiastically take part in regular charitable events, including sponsored fun runs. These are organised by the school council. This raises awareness of local community and worldwide causes and is a positive achievement. Comments from residential pupils include ‘I have learnt about different people and different cultures since boarding here’, and ‘my needs and culture are respected by the school’. Residential pupils enjoy taking part in a good range of varied after-school opportunities, enabling them to have exciting new experiences, memories and a sense of self-worth.

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Outcomes for residential pupils Good

Residential pupils are well-prepared for adulthood through learning life skills on a day-to-day basis. These include laundry and domestic cleaning. This assists in the smooth running of the accommodation areas and provides suitable opportunities for learning household tasks. Evening activities such as ‘baking club’ provide fun ways for pupils to learn new skills. Residential pupils reflect that they have grown in independence since boarding at the school. A residential pupil comments ‘I enjoy taking responsibility for myself, and helping to look after the younger pupils’. This provides residential pupils with a good preparation to move into further education and their future life.

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Quality of residential provision and care Adequate

The quality of the residential provision and care is adequate.

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Quality of residential provision and care Adequate

Arrangements for the introduction of new residential pupils are well-organised and successful. A residential pupil comments ‘everyone made me feel very welcome, other pupils helped me and staff in the houses are very nice’.

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Quality of residential provision and care Adequate

Links between the education staff and boarding staff are effective. Some boarding staff work across both the school and residential provision. This promotes the 24 hour curriculum and positively impacts on boarders outcomes. A residential pupil reflects ‘the after-school clubs help me with my studies’. Residential staff work closely and successfully with individual pupils and the school therapy team to offer emotional, and practical support. Progress is regularly reviewed and achievements celebrated.

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Quality of residential provision and care Adequate

Residential pupils engage in a broad range of extra-curricular events, both on-site and within the local community. On-site activities include performing arts, judo, computer games and creative arts. Residential pupils enjoy regular church attendance, shopping trips, seaside walks, paintballing, roller-skating, and swimming. Occasional trips include outings such as a pantomime Inspection Report Frewen College, 18/03/2014 Page 5 of 9 trip, laser quest, attending a football match or national events like the Paralympics. Comments from residential pupils include ‘I like the action-packed weekends’ and ‘I enjoy going out for our weekend meals’. This provides pupils with the opportunity to visit new places and be involved in a wide range of varied experiences.

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Quality of residential provision and care Adequate

The quality of the residential provision and care is compromised due to the inconsistent implementation of the school medical care policy. This means some residential pupils are self- administering prescribed medication without formal risk assessment. One medication sampled was received into the residential provision and administered without the original packaging. This means staff are administering medication without a formal pharmacist label and without original packaging to refer to if necessary. In one residential setting medication is not stored securely in line with the policy guidance. Overall, the medical care policy has not been fully updated to reflect the two separate accommodation blocks. Therefore, residential staff lack clear guidance on the safe transfer of medication across the school site, and how administration records between settings are effectively shared to ensure no errors occur. This compromises the physical

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Quality of residential provision and care Adequate

Residential pupils are very positive about the food. Overall, the catering arrangements provide residential pupils with high quality and balanced meals. Residential accommodation provides pupils with homely and well-maintained accommodation. Residential pupils personalise their bedroom space and enjoy sharing with friends. They are actively involved in the decoration and designs around the accommodation through the boarders forum. Residential pupils benefit from using the whole school facilities within the evenings with appropriate supervision.

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Residential pupils’ safety Inadequate

The arrangements for safeguarding residential pupils are inadequate.

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Residential pupils’ safety Inadequate

Residential pupils say they feel safe within the residential provision. Comments from residential pupils include ‘I feel very safe here’, and ‘the heads of boarding look after us extremely well, just like any parent would’. Some residential pupils identify bullying behaviours by others. They report that this is dealt with adequately by staff throughout the school.

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Residential pupils’ safety Inadequate

The school’s current child protection and safeguarding policy refers to Working Together 2010 and further outdated local guidance. This has the potential for staff to follow safeguarding procedures which are out of date and incorrect. This could adversely effect the management of a school safeguarding incident. This was partially addressed by the school during the inspection. However, the revision of the policy was limited to the references at the end of the document and the body of the policy remained unchanged.

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Residential pupils’ safety Inadequate

Since the last inspection, no pupils have been reported missing and there has been no use of physical restraint within residential time. The use of sanctions has been decreasing. Sanctions records do not contain the views of residential pupils. This does not support the pupil voice in commenting on the fairness of consequences set. Records of sanctions inconsistently record their success. This compromises the head of boarding’s ability to evaluate and consider the effectiveness of sanctions imposed.

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Residential pupils’ safety Inadequate

Arrangements for the safe recruitment of staff and volunteers are not adequate. The recruitment policy does not reflect significant changes in the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) process. Inconsistencies exist in how the school follows the recruitment policy in practice. Some staff, including a live-in GAP volunteer who undertakes duties within the residential provision, have commenced duties without a current DBS check and without a written, formal risk assessment. Recruitment files overall vary in quality and content. Discrepancies have not been identified and Inspection Report Frewen College, 18/03/2014 Page 6 of 9 followed up prior to appointment, such as a candidate’s full employment history. Some staff who regularly spend time with residential pupils or offer formal support do not have a recruitment file. This is not safe vetting of staff and volunteers. Positively, residential pupils are involved in the

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Residential pupils’ safety Inadequate

interview process for new staff. They enjoy this responsibility and feel their views and feedback is valued.

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Residential pupils’ safety Inadequate

Health and safety routines demonstrate inconsistencies. For example, fire drills have been generally undertaken on a termly basis within residential time and across both accommodation sites. However, one term was missed on both sites and this led to an eight month gap between drills for all residential pupils. This means residential pupils were not supported to practice the emergency evacuation procedure for some months. PAT testing of equipment is inconsistent across the residential accommodation. Some equipment has not received regular testing for safety. Internal monitoring and day-to-day checking systems have not identified these irregularities in health and safety practice. The school took immediate action to begin addressing the PAT testing shortfall during the visit. However, the inconsistent testing of appliances compromises the physical safety of residential pupils.

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Leadership and management of the residential provision Adequate

The leadership and management of the residential provision is adequate.

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Leadership and management of the residential provision Adequate

Previously exceptional practice within the leadership of the residential provision has not been sustained. The school has a prospectus which suitably describes the aims for the boarding provision. There has been one complaint relating to the quality of care within the residential provision since the last inspection. This was appropriately investigated and fully concluded.

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Leadership and management of the residential provision Adequate

External monitoring visits take place through the independent visitor and they suitably involve residential pupils’ feedback. Internal monitoring systems have not been effective at maintaining a previously excellent standard of care. While senior leadership team monitoring is regular, it lacks robust evaluation and challenge to further improve practice. Examples of this include the significant shortfalls in recruitment practice, inconsistencies in health and safety routines and a reliance on reviewing predominately written records of health care.

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Leadership and management of the residential provision Adequate

Staff feel well-supported by the heads of boarding and receive regular supervision. Some staff are working towards Boarding School Association qualifications. Other staff have been in post for a number of years and do not hold a recognised childcare qualification. This does not ensure that all residential pupils are cared for by staff with a minimum professional childcare award. Newer staff are currently completing their induction standards.

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Leadership and management of the residential provision Adequate

Records capture residential pupils’ experiences and progress at the school adequately. The majority of pupil records are stored in accordance with the school data protection policy. However, following the addition of extra pupil computers within a staff office in the main boarding accommodation, current and prospective pupil records are accessible to all who use the room. Residential pupils are not continuously monitored within this room. This compromises data protection as residential pupils could freely access this data. This was addressed by the school during the inspection. However, the impact of allowing pupil access to the office space had not been fully considered prior to its implementation some months ago.

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Leadership and management of the residential provision Adequate

A previous point to further improve the school’s communication with parents and carers has been met. Staff and residential pupils use regular written or email communications, telephone calls and extended Skype facilities to maintain regular contact. This ensures parents and carers are successfully kept up to date about their son or daughter’s progress. Inspection Report Frewen College, 18/03/2014 Page 7 of 9

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding A school which provides an exceptional quality of care and significantly exceeds minimum requirements. Grade 2 Good A school which provides a high quality of care that exceeds minimum requirements. Grade 3 Adequate A school which meets minimum requirements but needs to improve the quality of care it provides. Grade 4 Inadequate A school where minimum requirements are not met and the quality of care has serious weaknesses. Inspection Report Frewen College, 18/03/2014 Page 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 114635 Social care unique reference number SC049345 DfE registration number 845/6002

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School details

This inspection was carried out under the Children Act 1989, as amended by the Care Standards Act 2000, having regard to the national minimum standards for residential special schools.

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School details

Type of school Independent Residential Special School Number of boarders on roll 37 Gender of boarders Mixed Age range of boarders 7 to 18 Headteacher Mrs Linda Smith Date of previous boarding inspection 16/05/2012 Telephone number 01797 252494 Email address office@frewencollege.co.uk Inspection Report Frewen College, 18/03/2014 Page 9 of 9 guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille,

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School details

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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