The Robert Ogden School

10 Thurnscoe Hall Mews High Street, Thurnscoe, ROTHERHAM, South Yorkshire, S63 0ST

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Inspection dates 11/01/2016 to 13/01/2016

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The overall experiences and progress of children and young people Good 2

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The quality of care and support Good 2 How well children and young people are protected Good 2 The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Good 2

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Summary of key findings

The residential provision is good because   Staff are motivated, committed and caring. They are supported effectively by dedicated managers who are aspirational and keen to provide all pupils with positive experiences and prepare them well for their future lives.  Residential pupils enjoy being at school and make good progress personally, socially and academically. They thrive from the high quality care provided.  Their lives are enhanced through the variety of activities and new life experiences they enjoy within the residences and in the wider community.  Residential pupils benefit immensely from the partnership working between care, education and health professionals. All their needs are considered, regularly reviewed and holistically met.  Safeguarding arrangements are robust and keep residential pupils safe. They feel safe and have positive relationships with staff.

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Summary of key findings

 The residential service is managed effectively. There are robust monitoring processes that demonstrate the positive impact living at school has for these pupils.

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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. What does the school need to do to improve further?

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Summary of key findings

 Ensure that monitoring reports undertaken by the independent visitor include how well recommendations made at the previous visit are implemented and what impact this has for residential pupils. Inspection Report The Robert Ogden School, 11/01/2016 Page 2 of 11

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Information about this inspection

The head teacher was given three hours’ notice of the inspection. The inspectors spoke to a range of residential pupils. Time was spent observing routines at breakfast, teatime and evening activities and how residential pupils and staff interact. Inspectors met with the principal, head of care and residential staff. Parents’ views were collated from the Ofsted ‘Parent View’ website. Inspectors consulted with representatives from the local authority safeguarding team and a placing authority, examined a range of records, policies and procedures in relation to the safeguarding and care of residential pupils.

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Inspection team

Simon Morley Lead social care inspector Michele Hargan Social care inspector Inspection Report The Robert Ogden School, 11/01/2016 Page 3 of 11

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Information about this school

Robert Ogden School is an independent school managed by the National Autistic Society (NAS). The school provides special education for up to 85 pupils between the ages of 5 and 19 with a diagnosis of autism. There are currently 81 children on roll, the majority of which are male. Of these, 10 pupils use the residential provision. Four of these board Monday to Friday and six board flexibly, staying one night a week. The residential provision was last inspected together with the education provision in February 2015.

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Information about this school

There are two separate residences. A house for four pupils with a separate flat on the side, which is a short distance from the school. Studio accommodation is in the grounds of the school providing four studios and communal facilities for more able pupils.

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Information about this school

The school uses the ‘SPELL’ framework developed by the NAS to understand and support pupils on the autistic spectrum. This framework also underpins the autism-specific training that staff receive. Inspection Report The Robert Ogden School, 11/01/2016 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

Leaders and managers are keen to provide residential pupils with the very best care so that they all have positive experiences and make good progress.

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Inspection Judgements

The needs of individual residential pupils are understood very well and the care they receive is of high quality. There is a good level of thought and planning that considers individual need and the impact of group living. This is combined with a responsible and sensitive approach to keeping everyone safe. Care is underpinned by an autism specific framework developed by the provider.

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Inspection Judgements

As a result residential pupils enjoy staying at the school and make personal, social and academic progress. They make friends with their peers and form trusting relationships with staff. One stakeholder commented, ‘At home he would not go out in the garden, here he not only goes out in the garden, he will go out with other young people and go to the shops and pay for items and undertake activities.’

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Inspection Judgements

Residential pupils significantly improve their life chances from developing their communication skills, coping strategies and independence. The individually adapted approaches to care and education helps prepare them for the future. Progress is monitored effectively with ‘before and after’ evaluations and care practice is tailored to individuals’ needs and development. Staff know the difference they make and their focus is on the strong impact they have on the lives of pupils.

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Inspection Judgements

A baseline assessment of independence skills is undertaken that informs care strategies and is interwoven with education targets resulting in a whole school approach. This is effective for residential pupils increasing their attainment, developing life skills, communication and independence. There is a good range of extra curriculum activities including shopping, youth clubs, trips to the cinema and Xscape, developing computer skills and learning to complete household chores. Residential pupils also take part in a community project with local charities making a range of items to sell. They enjoy celebrating seasonal events like Halloween, Christmas and Chinese New Year. Individual interests and clubs are supported, for example, going to a weekly local karaoke event at the Soul Lounge.

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Inspection Judgements

Staff are proactive in seeking residential pupils’ views mainly on a one-to-one basis and where appropriate in groups. There is strong focus on promoting good communication, individual choices and giving all pupils a voice. For example, one pupil asked for and now has a keypad to his studio door instead of a normal lock and key. When pupils’ requests are not appropriate, there is good sensitivity and patience in explaining the reasons to them. Inspection Report The Robert Ogden School, 11/01/2016 Page 5 of 11 The quality of care and support Good

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Inspection Judgements

Residential pupils enjoy residing at school where they receive good quality care and their individual needs are understood. Staff from a range of disciplines: psychology, speech and language therapy, behaviour, care and education staff all work closely together promoting the holistic needs of pupils. When needed, care is also influenced by children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). There is good verbal communication between staff. Information about changes to care needs are shared with all staff. This applies to individual support plans, behaviour management plans and communication profiles. Overall, this results in residential pupils receiving support based on expert knowledge and from people who know them well. One stakeholder commented, ‘Evidence based outcomes are the best I have ever seen.’

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Inspection Judgements

There is a strong emphasis on promoting communication, social skills and preparation for the next stage in life when pupils leave school. A variety of communication strategies are used including signs, symbols, social stories and picture exchange. Residential pupils benefit from the school’s own speech and language therapists to develop their communication.

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Inspection Judgements

The head of care and staff design individual care plans to help residential pupils cope with the challenges of community living. This helps them become more resilient and develop their social and independence skills.

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Inspection Judgements

Residential pupils’ emotional well-being is a priority. The nurturing care, consistency and boundaries provide a secure base helping residential pupils feel comfortable, reduce their anxiety and build relationships with adults that care for them. This improves mental health, reduces self-harm and supports residential pupils to try new experiences. Parental feedback is very positive about the care, 100% who responded, strongly agreed their children were happy and well looked after, they would all recommend this school to another parent.

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Inspection Judgements

Meals provided to residential pupils offer choice and promote healthy eating. Staff listen to feedback and residential pupils strongly influence the menus. A creative approach has been used to make healthier choices and reduce sugar intake. Medication systems are safe and robust, promoting pupils physical health. The residential accommodation is of a high standard, clean, tidy and well maintained. Both settings provide residential pupils with a homely and welcoming place to stay.

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Inspection Judgements

How well children and young people are protected Good

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Inspection Judgements

Residential pupils are safe and feel safe. Their safety is given a high priority by all staff. A notable strength is how staff use the care framework effectively so that residential pupils feel emotionally safe. Particular attention is given to ensuring group living is successful. Admissions are well planned, matching is of good quality and flexible use is made of the varied accommodation. This ensures that residential pupils live in a calm, low arousal Inspection Report The Robert Ogden School, 11/01/2016 Page 6 of 11 environment or can have their own separate accommodation that caters to their individual autistic needs. Residential pupils are free from bullying and staff are good at managing any challenging behaviour. Practice is sensitive and consistent, giving residential pupils caring and predictable responses. This is in line with individual behaviour plans, communication strategies and risk assessments.

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Inspection Judgements

Such plans have multi-agency input from the school’s educational psychologist, speech and language therapist and behaviour support specialists. This results in a thorough approach and the frequency of incidents decreases. High quality support avoids confrontation and helps residential pupils develop their social skills, communication and coping strategies. Monitoring by senior managers is robust, accountable and upholds safe practice. Staff have a good understanding of the individual vulnerabilities of autism and associated pathological demand avoidance. They take appropriate action to keep residential pupils safe in their day-to-day lives at school. Staff know their triggers, are aware if they are distressed and communicate well to help them manage their anxiety. Senior staff with specific responsibility for safeguarding have well developed links with the local authority safeguarding team. Any concerns about staff practice are managed in

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Inspection Judgements

a comprehensive and robust way to keep residential pupils safe. There have been no incidents of missing from school. Policies and procedures in this respect are in line with local and statutory guidance. The recruitment process for new staff is robust and ensures that only people who are suitable to work with vulnerable children are appointed.

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Inspection Judgements

The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

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Inspection Judgements

Senior managers are qualified, experienced and work closely together ensuring the residential provision is a fully integrated part of the school. The head of care ensures there is regular monitoring and review of practice that focusses on the experiences and progress of residential pupils. She maintains a good oversight of the residential provision and is very effective in making a positive difference in the lives of residential pupils. The head of care networks with other special schools and is pivotal in developing and maintaining good standards of practice. This is supported by external scrutiny and systems of accountability within the organisation. Regular reports completed by an independent visitor focus on the wellbeing of residential pupils and challenge how the service can improve. It would be more beneficial if these reports tracked the implementation of recommendations and identified the impact.

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Inspection Judgements

The three recommendations made at the last inspection have been met. The quality of residential pupils’ health plans has increased; policies are more individualised to the setting; and there are new individual risk assessments for missing from school that have been shared with the local police. There has been a significant amount of staff turnover but this has been managed well to Inspection Report The Robert Ogden School, 11/01/2016 Page 7 of 11 minimise any disruption to residential pupils. Teaching staff work regularly in the two residences, which adds to the integration between care and education. There are different teams of staff that work either the morning or evening shift. This promotes routine, consistency and minimises change which can be anxiety provoking for residential pupils. Staff undergo an induction and a wide range of training. The majority also have the recommended level 3 qualification. They are equipped with the requisite skills and

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Inspection Judgements

knowledge. One stakeholder commented, ‘I have been very pleased with the placement and provision provided. The staff seem very dedicated and have a very good understanding of the young people who stay there.’

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Inspection Judgements

There is regular supervision and annual appraisal of staff performance. There are good levels of staff support and any concerns are swiftly addressed. Management systems ensure residential pupils continue to benefit from high standards of care. All staff have high expectations and aspirations for residential pupils which is driven by the head of care and underpinned by the care framework. The ethos of the school for pupils is to: ‘live with dignity and independently as possible; feel part of their community and wider society; and be understood by all professionals who support them,’ lives out in practice. Inspection Report The Robert Ogden School, 11/01/2016 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 The Robert Ogden School, 11/01/2016 Page 9 of 11

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School details

Unique reference number 106965 Social care unique reference number SC473713 DfE registration number 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 75 Gender of boarders Mixed Age range of boarders 5 to19 Headteacher Date of previous boarding inspection 05/02/2015 Telephone number 01709874443 Email address robert.ogden@nas.org.uk Inspection Report The Robert Ogden School, 11/01/2016 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

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/ofsted

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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, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to 'Subscribe'.

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School details

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

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