Papillon House

School report Papillon House Pebble Close, Tadworth, KT20 7PA

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Overall effectiveness Good 2

Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Sixth form provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings

 The proprietor and headteacher have been successful in improving the quality of education since the last inspection.  Students often enter the school with limited communication skills. They make good progress with their ability to speak or use alternative forms of communication.  Students’ behaviour and safety are outstanding. Through high levels of staff supervision and care, students learn how to become more relaxed and control their emotions so that they achieve well.  Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school.  Teaching is typically good across the school and, as a result, all groups of students make good progress.  All safeguarding and child protection procedures meet requirements and help to ensure students and staff are safe.  The sixth form is good because it ensures students are prepared for the next stage of their lives.  The proprietor and headteacher have ensured that

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Summary of key findings

all of the independent school standards are met.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 Teachers do not provide activities that are always challenging for the most able students.  Students have too few opportunities to reflect on their learning by themselves.  The new system for tracking students’ personal and academic progress is not fully operational.  Computer tablets do not work on the school’s network system and this reduces the potential benefits for students’ learning.  The range of externally accredited courses is limited.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 The school meets the schedule for The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2014, and associated requirements.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection took place with one day’s notice.  The inspector observed nine lessons or parts of lessons, all jointly with the headteacher. He held informal discussions with students in classrooms and around the school.  The inspector took account of the 29 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. He also considered 22 responses to the staff questionnaire and met with the proprietor, headteacher and senior leaders.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents. These included the school’s information on students’ progress, planning and monitoring documentation, the school’s improvement plans and the school’s self-evaluation summary. He also reviewed safeguarding policies, records of checks on the suitability of staff and other adults, behaviour and attendance records, and looked at the school’s website.

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Inspection team

David Scott, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Papillon House opened in 2007. It is an independent special school for boys and girls aged five to 19 years with profound autistic spectrum conditions and associated challenging behaviours.  It is set in a large country house in extensive grounds in rural Surrey. Currently, the school takes students from seven local authorities.  There are 35 students on roll, of whom four are girls; two students are looked after. Approximately half the students are of White British heritage and the remainder are of Black British, African, Caribbean or Asian backgrounds. All of the students have a statement of special educational needs or an education health care plan.  Prior to attending this school, most students were permanently excluded from other settings and many spent significant periods out of full-time education. For over half of the students this is their second or, in some cases, third or fourth school.

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Information about this school

 Just over a third of students are eligible for additional government funding, known as the pupil premium. This proportion is above average. The funding is used to support students who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority. However, at present the school receives funding for only one student.  Almost two thirds of students across the school are supported by the local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services as a result of their medical and behavioural needs.  Students who are aged 16 or over are taught alongside older students in the main school. There is no separate sixth form, but provision for these pupils has been judged separately.  There is no middle leadership in the school.  Students attend off-site training at Epsom Riding for the Disabled Association for horse riding, Dorking Leisure Centre for swimming, and Surrey Wheels for All for cycling.

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Information about this school

 Students are not entered early for examinations.  The school aims to ‘enable every child to experience success by developing their strengths, celebrating their achievements and acknowledging their unique personalities’.  The school was last inspected in January 2012, when it was judged to provide a good quality of education and met most of the regulations. There were two failed regulations related to the premises, but these were subsequently rectified and confirmed by a progress monitoring visit.  The headteacher was appointed in January 2015, having previously been the deputy headteacher. A new school business manager also joined the school in January 2015.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the teaching and learning by: - ensuring teachers provide activities that challenge the most able students so that they deepen their knowledge and understanding - providing more opportunities for students to consider for themselves ways in which they could improve their learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by: - ensuring the recently purchased computer equipment is compatible with the school’s network so that students gain all the benefits they can from using it - exploring additional external accreditation to provide students with a record of their achievements when they leave the school - ensuring the new system for tracking students’ personal development and academic progress is successfully introduced across the school

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The leadership and management are good

 Working closely together, the headteacher and proprietor have ensured that the school provides a safe haven where teaching enables students to make good progress and behave extremely well.  Senior leaders have been successful in improving the quality of teaching since the last inspection. They have a good understanding of the strengths in teaching and know there are further aspects to be improved. In September 2014, new procedures for managing staff performance were introduced. These have been used to strengthen the checking of teaching and the tracking of students’ progress.  Leaders have formed a partnership with a maintained special school to explore different tracking systems that provide information about students’ attendance, behaviour, personal development and academic progress. This new system is currently being tried out in the school with the intention of introducing it from September 2015.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders provide a wide and interesting range of subjects that helps students develop their communication, literacy and numeracy skills. In addition, students study art, music, physical education, information and communication technology (ICT), personal, social and health education, work-related courses and a range of occupational therapies. All students are able to go swimming during one third of the year, and some go more frequently. These courses meet students’ needs so that they are well motivated and develop very positive attitudes to learning. However, the range of externally accredited courses is limited.  Work displayed in classrooms and around the school shows that students have a good awareness of different cultures and religions. Visits to places of worship, the police station, the supermarket and community venues enable students to gain a good appreciation of British values and life in modern

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The leadership and management are good

Britain.  Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. This was seen during a music assembly which was very well attended by parents and carers. Here, students entered the hall in a calm manner, showing the behaviour expected for a formal occasion. They participated well in the singing and dancing and they listened to and performed music from different cultures. They showed high levels of cooperation and respect for each other’s performances. As one parent or carer reported, reflecting the views of others, ‘I was amazed by the children’s levels of participation and their appropriate behaviour. A wonderful experience.’  Effective careers advice is provided for older students so that they learn about the options open to them when they leave the school. They have opportunities to gain work experience by carrying out placements at the local garden centre and washing cars for staff.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school provides specialist accommodation for life skills and horticulture, together with specially equipped therapy rooms and a small gym. Classrooms are well equipped with ICT equipment and provide a range of resources to meet students’ varying needs. However, the recently purchased computer equipment is not currently compatible with the school’s network so that students are not able to gain all the potential benefits from the system.  The policies for safeguarding and child protection meet requirements. Procedures to check the suitability of staff to work with children are thorough and all staff have received the most up-to-date training for keeping children safe in education.  The school makes effective use of the small amount of additional government funding it receives to improve students’ communication skills. School data show that disadvantaged students make good progress that is similar to that of their classmates. Leaders are totally committed to equality of opportunity

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The leadership and management are good

and removing any barriers that impede students’ progress. They do not tolerate any form of discrimination.  Staff accompany all students who attend training away from the school site so that they feel relaxed, free from anxiety, and are able to enjoy the activities. Leaders regularly check the quality of teaching and students’ progress, together with their attendance and behaviour, at these venues.  Parents and carers are overwhelmingly supportive of the school and its work. All of those who responded to the online questionnaire, Parent View, thought that their children were happy at Papillon and would recommend it to other parents and carers. However, the inspector received seven complaints, of which five were from parents and carers of children who were no longer at the school. They all raised similar concerns about aspects of the school’s information and the effectiveness of its communication with

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The leadership and management are good

parents and carers. The inspector found no evidence to support these concerns. The school offers numerous channels of communication with parents and carers. These include: bi-monthly newsletters; regular website updates; two parents’ evenings and surveys a year; a parent steering group; and the out- of hours contact details of the headteacher and proprietor, which are published on the website. In addition, twice a year, all parents and carers receive a disk of photographic evidence of their child’s progress and achievement.  The school has received helpful advice from external consultants. They have provided training for senior leaders on lesson observation techniques and have checked their judgements on the quality of teaching and achievement.  Leaders have ensured that all the independent school requirements are met for the leadership and management of the school’s work, including those relating to safeguarding and child protection. In

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The leadership and management are good

addition, leaders have ensured that all the required information for parents and carers is published on the school’s website, including the complaints policy.  The governance of the school: Governance is good. The proprietor, who is also the founder and former headteacher of the school, has ensured that all the independent school standards are met. She monitors the quality of teaching and behaviour by visiting regularly, going on trips and receiving reports from the headteacher and external advisors to enable her to assess the school’s performance, including data on students’ progress to see how it compares with that for similar schools. She is involved in all staff appointments and has provided support for new staff. The proprietor has ensured that effective arrangements are in place for setting targets for staff and for tackling underperformance. Leaders are currently reviewing the most appropriate ways for extending

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The leadership and management are good

the existing rewards for good performance. School finances are externally audited and evaluated to ensure that best value is achieved.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of students is outstanding.  Almost all students arrive at the school with a negative experience of schooling. This is because many have been unable to engage with their learning. They have not attended regularly in many cases because of their difficulty in adapting to changes as a result of their complex needs and profound autism.  Students thoroughly enjoy coming to school and their attendance levels are high. Many parents and carers commented on the advances their children make, particularly in their attendance and behaviour, as a result of the high levels of care and support they receive.  In classrooms and around the school site, the atmosphere is calm and provides a haven for students to learn. Levels of respect and cooperation between staff and students are high, both at break times and in class.  By the nature of students’ complex, emotional, behavioural and mental needs, incidents of inappropriate

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Behaviour

behaviour do occur occasionally. This can arise when students feel anxious, frustrated or overwhelmed by something that is different or unexpected. Staff display great levels of patience, care and sensitivity in managing these outbursts successfully. All staff have been trained in positive handling techniques. As a result students are restored to a calm disposition so that they are ready to continue with their learning.  There are high ratios of staff supervision of students throughout the school day. As a result, students feel safe, secure and well cared for. They begin to take responsibility for their actions, to control their own behaviour and to understand the differences between right and wrong. There are no incidents of bullying recorded in the school’s records, and only one student has been excluded in the last year.  Effective arrangements are in place for checking the attendance, punctuality, behaviour and safety of

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Behaviour

students who attend training away from the school site.  Policies and procedures in the staff code of conduct prohibit the promotion of extremism and political views, so that the relevant independent school standards are met.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is outstanding.  All students receive one-to-one or two-to-one levels of supervision. As a result, staff are able to ensure students’ personal safety so that they can devote their time to improving their communication and learning.  The assessment of risk for all activities, including trips, residential visits and training away from the school site, helps to keep students safe, both in and out of school.  Students are taught how to stay safe online and about the dangers associated with social media.  Staff have received the appropriate training for safer recruitment of staff, child protection, first aid and fire safety. The headteacher and proprietor have ensured that all the requirements for the independent school standards for welfare, health and safety are met.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching across the school is typically good and as a result students achieve well.  Teachers plan activities with a strong focus on successfully improving students’ reading, communication and numeracy skills. Students enjoy practical learning activities. For example, in a life skills lesson, older students were preparing to make a quiche. Here they read the instructions from the recipe card, using appropriate communication aids, measured and weighed the ingredients and calculated the amount of time the quiche needed to be baked in the oven. As a result of the excellent care and support from all staff, students were able to produce a high-quality quiche, perfectly baked.  Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to ensure the learning environment is safe. Levels of supervision and support are adjusted accordingly to students’ changes of mood or disposition throughout the school day.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have improved the way they give and record feedback to students. However, they provide too few opportunities for students to reflect and to take more responsibility for considering ways in which they could improve their learning.  The highly successful work of the team who provide a range of therapeutic services has helped students to reduce their feelings of anxiety and frustration. As a result, the team has made a strong contribution to improving students’ attitudes to learning and communication skills.  Staff use their good understanding of what students have achieved previously to plan their lessons. Students are generally provided with activities that they find enjoyable, which helps them to make good progress. However, as a result, students make good rather than outstanding progress, because these activities do not always challenge the most able to deepen their knowledge and understanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Through the careful monitoring of teaching by the headteacher, proprietor and external consultants, the school has ensured that the independent school standards for teaching and assessment are met.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students enter the school with large gaps in their education and poor attitudes to learning, as a result of their autism, complex needs, challenging behaviour and communication difficulties.  From low starting points and as result of good teaching, all groups of students, including those from different minority ethnic backgrounds, make good progress in their communication, reading, writing and mathematics skills. Leaders have ensured that all the independent school standards relating to students’ achievement are met.  Students’ work, photographs and video clips support the school’s information, and reflect that students make good progress over time.  The most able students achieve well. However, their progress is not outstanding because not all teachers provide activities that are designed to challenge their existing skills and understanding.  All students who left the school last summer went on to maintained special schools or residential

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The achievement of pupils is good

placements.  The number of disadvantaged students for whom the school receives additional financial support is extremely small. However, the school’s information shows that all disadvantaged students, including those who do not receive financial support, make good progress similar to that of their classmates.  Leaders place a strong emphasis on developing students’ personal, social and behavioural skills. As a result, students develop excellent attitudes to learning and make good progress in their communication skills and use of numbers. They also learn the skills they need to help them to live worthwhile lives in the community.  The large majority of students make good and in some cases exceptional progress in their communication skills. For example, some students learn to use pictures and symbols as a way of communicating their needs and feelings. Others, with limited skills in oracy, learn to speak with increasing fluency and

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The achievement of pupils is good

understanding.  Students are not entered early for examinations.  All of the older students are successful in gaining units in the personal development programme of the Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN). All students who attend work-related courses receive certification. However, the range of externally accredited courses is limited. Senior leaders are currently exploring different accredited courses to provide students with a record of their achievements when they leave the school.

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The sixth form provision is good

 All post-16 students are taught together with the other students in the main school. The whole of the content of this report therefore relates to the main school including students who are aged 16 or over. Central to the vision of the school is the support it gives to enable students to maximise their life skills and to reduce external support so that students can lead independent and worthwhile lives when they leave. Leadership and management, teaching and achievement are all good, and behaviour and safety are outstanding. All of the independent school standards are met.

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Grade Judgement

Grade 1 Outstanding Grade 2 Good Grade 3 Requires improvement Grade 4 Inadequate

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Grade Judgement

Detailed grade characteristics can be viewed in the Non-association independent school inspection handbook which is published on the Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/non- association-independent-school-inspection-handbook .

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School details

Unique reference number 135407 Inspection number 462882 DfE registration number 936/6590

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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School details

Type of school Day special school School status Independent school Age range of pupils 5−19 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Girls Number of pupils on the school roll 35 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 1 Number of part time pupils 0 Proprietor Gillian Hutton Headteacher Alicia Rickman Date of previous school inspection 25−26 January 2012 Annual fees (day pupils) £45,408−£52,614 Telephone number 01372 363663 Email address admin@papillonhouseschool.co.uk guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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School details

inspects to 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 and 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit

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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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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