St. Andrew's Academy

ST. ANDREW'S SCHOOL, ST. ANDREW'S VIEW, DERBY, DE21 4EW

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Inspection dates 09/06/2015 to 11/06/2015

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The overall experiences and progress of children and young people Good

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The quality of care and support Outstanding How well children and young people are protected Good The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

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Summary of key findings

The residential provision is good because

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Summary of key findings

 Students receive extremely high quality care from a skilled, committed, and experienced staff team, who know and meet their needs exceptionally well.

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Summary of key findings

 The high quality care enables students to develop their confidence, to engage in new activities and to gain skills and experience. This helps them to overcome difficulties and improves their life chances for the future.

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Summary of key findings

 Students’ health care needs are very well met. They are empowered to come to terms with and understand their health conditions, which will help them to manage their health well in the future.

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Summary of key findings

 Close partnership with parents ensures a very consistent approach and as a result, many young people make significant improvements to their behaviour, education, health and socialisation.

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Summary of key findings

 Residential provision is managed well and leaders ensure that students’ needs and wishes are always central to any decisions made about their care.

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Summary of key findings

Compliance with the national minimum standards for residential special schools The school meets the national minimum standards for residential special schools. Inspection Report St. Andrew's School, 09/06/2015 Page 2 of 11

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was announced on the morning of the start of the inspection. The inspectors visited the residential accommodation, spoke to pupils and staff, including key staff with responsibility for the residential provision. The inspector also observed practice in the residential provision and scrutinised school policies and records.

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Inspection team

Mrs Caroline Brailsford Miss Amanda Ellis Lead social care inspector Additional social care inspector Inspection Report St. Andrew's School, 09/06/2015 Page 3 of 11

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Information about this school

St Andrew's School is a Derby City local authority co-educational residential special school. There is 100 students on roll, whose ages range from 11 to 19. All students have statements of special educational need for Autism and/or severe learning disabilities. The residential service operates from Monday to Thursday and there are 21 students that use residential accommodation at different times. The residential accommodation is provided in the school building. In addition, there is a bungalow for older students in the school grounds. The school is situated in a suburb of Derby city. The residential provision was last inspected November 2014. Inspection Report St. Andrew's School, 09/06/2015 Page 4 of 11

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Inspection Judgements

The overall experiences and progress of children and young people Good

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Inspection Judgements

Students’ life chances are better because of their attendance in this residence provision. The service directly benefits them and impacts very positively on their social and educational development. Students’ confidence increases and they are better prepared for adulthood because of their experiences in residence. They thoroughly enjoy residential life and achieve to their full potential.

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Inspection Judgements

Leaders understand students’ needs very well and ensure that staff are deployed appropriately to meet specific needs. For example, there is a very effective school nurse to manage health needs and staff who are more specialised in managing behaviour so that students can develop more positive behaviour.

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Inspection Judgements

The leadership team are fully aware of the previous shortfall identified at the last inspection. They have ensured that the National Minimum Standard for fire protection is not only met but that practice now exceeds the required standard.

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Inspection Judgements

Safety is a high priority in the school and many students are safer because of their learning about how to keep themselves safe. They are not subjected to a risk adverse approach, despite their vulnerabilities. This allows them to move forward with aspects of their safety, to access appropriate social activities according to their age and to develop their social skills well.

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Inspection Judgements

There are extremely high quality relationships between staff and students. This is seen by all as the basis for high quality work. Students carefully listen to staff and learn from the teaching and advice, which maximises their progress.

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Inspection Judgements

Residence is always run for the benefit of students. Their views are routinely sought about their individual and collective care. The students’ active role in the student council demonstrates how their views make a difference to the management of the school. Their suggestions are routinely acted upon. For example menu choices, play equipment and activities.

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Inspection Judgements

The school is well managed by a committed group of leaders who consistently drive forward new initiatives. They learn from research and are keen to learn from others. They also share their good practice with other similar settings in the local area. They are aware that some of their paperwork and records do not always reflect the high quality work and are keen to put this right showing their ability to learn and improve further.

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Inspection Judgements

The quality of care and support Outstanding

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Inspection Judgements

Students make excellent progress during their time in residence. They experience a broad range of activities and they come to realise their talents and potential. Activities include clubs such as dance and nature and local community activities such as youth clubs. The activities allow students to socialise in groups in a variety of situations and to Inspection Report St. Andrew's School, 09/06/2015 Page 5 of 11 develop their independence and confidence.

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Inspection Judgements

A very skilled school nurse builds up very positive and trusting relationships with students so that they feel more confident to understand and manage their own health conditions. This has been life changing for some students. For example one student has been supported to achieve control of their own health condition, despite the barriers they faced with regard to their Autistic Spectrum Disorder. These achievements are well celebrated, further developing the student’s confidence and self-esteem. In addition, many students have felt unable to manage aspects of their personal care in the past, particularly issues around teeth cleaning and dentistry. The school nurse reported a dramatic and positive change in this area for many students. Students are therefore well prepared for adulthood and have more control of decisions about their health and welfare. One professional commented about the school nurse saying, ‘she is an excellent

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Inspection Judgements

link to the NHS, learning and research’. The nurse oversees all aspects of students’ health care needs and medication which is handled safely. She ensures that staff understand individual health needs so they are exceptionally clear about how these should be met. This maximises good health because staff take every opportunity to support students.

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Inspection Judgements

Students are physically active and staff give them new ideas and experiences so that they can find a physical activity that they enjoy such as dancing, swimming and football. Much consideration about the nutritional value of food goes into menu preparation. Students learn that healthy food and exercise is essential to fitness and well-being and learn to make well informed choices to ensure a healthy diet. One parent illustrated this point by saying ‘his fitness is better, he loves his food, is more healthy and eats salad. ‘All the food is cooked from scratch, its brilliant’.

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Inspection Judgements

Staff support to students is consistently outstanding in every aspect. Students are always at the centre of decision making about opportunities and progress. Their views and wishes are also central to the running of residence. The student council is supported by staff but led by the students themselves where they are fully enabled to have their say. Young people make outstanding progress educationally and personally because their care is individually tailored to incorporate their personality and learning style. Students continue their learning whilst on outings in the community and whilst practicing their independence skills in a purpose built bungalow set out for that purpose. Education is seen as something that can easily transfer into the rest of the day and students never stop learning.

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Inspection Judgements

Parents are unanimous in their praise for the service that residence provides and their comments include ‘she is learning social skills, turn-taking, social cues, it's a godsend’, ‘he develops life skills’, ‘they have done wonders’ and ‘the school have been absolutely brilliant’.

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Inspection Judgements

Partnership working is a top priority and staff at every level understand that joint working maximises progress. There are some particularly good examples of joint working with parents, where students have been able to improve their behaviour, enabling them to feel more settled, access activities and reach their potential educationally.

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Inspection Judgements

How well children and young people are protected Good Inspection Report St. Andrew's School, 09/06/2015 Page 6 of 11 Staff, parents and students themselves are unanimous in saying that they are safe. They are listened to whatever their communication style. Staff make it their business to make sure that students are regularly asked if they are feeling alright and students know that they can talk to any staff member or management about any problems or concerns, ensuring a high level of support.

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Inspection Judgements

Students learn about how to keep themselves safe in a variety of ways including one to one learning with staff and peer learning with each other in group situations about particular aspects of safety. For example, they act out and recite the fire safety procedure to include everyone to make sure that they all have a good understanding of what they must do. Arrangements for health and safety and fire protection are very well organised, ensuring that all that use the building are as safe as possible.

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Inspection Judgements

Risks are minimised through thoughtful assessment and consideration. Staff are not risk adverse and make sure that students can have normal experiences according to their age and in line with a proper assessment. The risk assessment documentation does not always reflect the extent and high quality of the work, but all staff full understand what they must do to keep students safe. They are all aware of safeguarding procedures and are very familiar with what they must do if there is a concern about a child. Bullying and e- safety are well considered as is how to protect children from grooming by unsuitable adults. Staff are also aware of the extent of child sexual exploitation in Britain and how vulnerable disabled young people are in residential care. Their knowledge and expertise in this area helps to protect students from harm.

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Inspection Judgements

Students’ progress very well with their socially acceptable behaviour. They are taught to understand what is acceptable in various social situations and can practice these skills in the community and with their friends in groups. Behaviour is closely monitored through staff that are trained in proactive techniques including de-escalation, positive intervention and praise. As a result, there have been no physical interventions. There are many examples of students improving their behaviour. Staff described one student’s particularly good progress. They said, ‘he did not speak, he now sings and talks and is happy’. ‘He used to have behaviours and get very frustrated and anxious’. ‘He wasn't empowered to have a voice before’. ‘We listen, we give him time to ask and make guided choices and he has now been able to communicate’. They spoke about the very positive impact that this progress has made on the student’s overall behaviour.

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Inspection Judgements

Leaders and managers ensure that they keep up-to-date with the most recent government guidance, learn from others and share their own good practice with other schools in the area. The Head of Care is also chair of the education subgroup within the Local Safeguarding Children Board. One professional from the Board said ‘she has been incredibly valuable, she has shared briefings which have been very good, she is brilliant’. This demonstrates that safeguarding practice is seen by other professionals to be good enough to share.

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Inspection Judgements

The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

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Inspection Judgements

There is a strong culture of high aspirations for all students and leaders drive this ethos. This encourages an enthusiastic approach from staff who really want to make a positive difference to students’ lives. Inspection Report St. Andrew's School, 09/06/2015 Page 7 of 11 Training is delivered effectively and ensures that staff develop and maintain the expertise that they need in order to provide high quality care in all aspects. Training records are not so well organised but the Head of Care is aware that this is something that needs to improve. The improvements will ensure that a clearer training profile for the staff group and individuals can be effectively evaluated and monitored.

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Inspection Judgements

The staff team develop very trusting and positive relationships with students. It is very evident from observation that students really enjoy being with the staff and look forward to seeing them in residence. There is an extremely low turnover of staff and one staff said ‘that speaks volumes and I love my job’.

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Inspection Judgements

Staffing levels are safe and allow for quality time to be spent with individuals and in group situations. Staffing levels also allow for effective student supervision which ensures their safety during the day and at night.

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Inspection Judgements

Complex day-to-day information is shared between staff at the earliest opportunity to ensure a good level of consistency of approach. For example, teaching and care staff regularly meet and there are well-organised and professional handovers for the exchange of important information.

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Inspection Judgements

Staff are very well supported in their role and feel that they could go to management and raise any issues. They also feel listened to and empowered to use their initiative and be creative. One staff said the Head of Care is ‘very big on empowering staff’.

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Inspection Judgements

The Statement of Principles and Practice is adequate and meets the required standard. The care planning is excellent but associated documentation does not always reflect the extent of the actual high quality work. There is high quality monitoring in the school and leaders know and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses. The records are not always of a high quality because the extent of the evaluation is not always consistently clear. The Head of Care and Head are already aware of this and are thinking about ways to improve this documentation in the school. To date, this has not impacted on students’ care.

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Inspection Judgements

The strong leadership of the school includes regular governors meetings where it is expected that the lead governor for residence attends and reports on the quality of residence. Her visits to the residential provision are regular and she brings another dimension due to her own expertise in the field of learning disability and safeguarding. This ensures that aspects of safety and welfare are monitored particularly effectively.

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Inspection Judgements

Parents are very happy with the leadership in this school and their comments include ‘managers are brilliant ‘, ‘every time they have issues we are called straightaway’ and the Head of Care is ‘absolutely wonderful’.

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Inspection Judgements

The two recommendations from the last inspection are fully met. Improvements have been secured in ensuring that arrangements for fire protection in the building are significantly improved. In addition, partnership working with parents has ensured that parents have access to the latest initiatives in the field of learning disability providing consistency and benefits to their student. Inspection Report St. Andrew's School, 09/06/2015 Page 8 of 11

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What inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspections of boarding and residential provision in schools: the inspection framework.

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What inspection judgements mean

Judgement Description Outstanding A school where the experiences and progress of children and young people consistently exceeds the standard of good and results in sustained progress and achievement. The outcomes achieved by children and young people are outstanding and the impact the boarding/residential provision has had in supporting this progress and achieving these outcomes is clearly evidenced. Good A school providing effective services which exceed minimum requirements. Children and young people are protected and cared for and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. Requires improvement A school where there are no serious or widespread failures that result in children and young people's welfare not being safeguarded or promoted. However, the overall outcomes, experiences and progress of children and young people are not yet good. Inadequate A school where there are serious and/or widespread failures that mean

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What inspection judgements mean

children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded or if their care and experiences are poor and they are not making progress. Inspection Report St. Andrew's School, 09/06/2015 Page 9 of 11

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School details

Unique reference number Social care unique reference number SC053344 DfE registration number 8317027 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. Type of school Residential Special School Number of boarders on roll 95 Gender of boarders Mixed Age range of boarders 11 to19 Headteacher Heather Flockton Date of previous boarding inspection 04/11/2014 Telephone number 01332 832746 Email address hflockton@standrews.derby.sch.uk Inspection Report St. Andrew's School, 09/06/2015 Page 10 of 11 guidance 'raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/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

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School details

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School details

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School details

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School details

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