West Kirby School and College

West Kirby Residential School, 107-119 Meols Drive, West Kirby, WIRRAL, Merseyside, CH48 5DH

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Inspection dates 10/02/2016 to 12/02/2016

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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 Outstanding 1 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  The school provides outstanding levels of care and support for children and young people. Staff across the school work closely and collaboratively and are aware of the individual needs of pupils. Relationships between staff and young people are strong and respectful.    The children and young people make sustained progress, both academically and personally during their time at the school. They make effective use of the wide ranging opportunities offered to develop their skills and interests. As a result, they build their self-esteem and grow in confidence.    Safeguarding policies and practice operate effectively to keep children and young people safe. The school has a robust training programme and works closely with other authorities to ensure that children and young people are safe. To improve further, the school should review the content of safeguarding plans to ensure that they are

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Summary of key findings

sufficiently detailed and reflect the actions taken.    The senior leadership team, governors and staff are all committed to improving the lives of the children and young people in their care. Staff feel well supported in their role through a wide range of training events. Formal supervision sessions take place but the frequency of these arrangements are in need of review.    Relationships with parents and carers are strong. Parents are positive about the care they receive with one saying ‘The boarding experience my son gets is excellent, the staff are wonderful and go above and beyond to help him.’ 

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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

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Summary of key findings

What does the school need to do to improve further?

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Summary of key findings

 Review safeguarding plans to ensure that they contain sufficient detail.

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Summary of key findings

 Review the frequency of staff supervision.

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Summary of key findings

 Ensure that the sanctions used in the residential provision are included in the schools policy on managing behaviour. Inspection Report West Kirby Residential School, 10/02/2016 Page 2 of 11

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out unannounced due to a recent safeguarding incident at the school which was being investigated by the appropriate authorities at the time of the inspection. Inspection activities included: observation of boarding practice over two evenings; formal and informal meetings with residential pupils; meetings and discussions with the principal, head of care, assistant head of care, designated safeguarding lead, family liaison worker, school nurse and healthcare assistant, school business manager, head of pastoral care team, a number of residential staff. Before the inspection, feedback was obtained from the local safeguarding authority. All the four boarding houses were visited and there was scrutiny of a wide range of policies and records. Responses on Parent View were also taken into consideration.

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Inspection team

Lucy Martin Lead social care HMI Inspection Report West Kirby Residential School, 10/02/2016 Page 3 of 11

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Information about this school

West Kirby Residential School is a non-maintained residential special educational needs school for young people aged five to 19 years, many of whom are on the Autistic Spectrum and others with complex and significant emotional, behavioural and social difficulties. Many young people also have additional learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The school provides flexible residential arrangements depending on the needs of the child, ranging from one to four nights each week. The residential accommodation is provided within four areas; two residential areas within the main school building and in two houses in the local community. The residential provision was last inspected in March 2015.

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Information about this school

The residential provision accommodates a maximum of 22 children and young people and at the time of this inspection there were 15 resident. Inspection Report West Kirby Residential School, 10/02/2016 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

The children and young people make sustained academic and personal progress at the school. Young people are able to describe the difference this school has made to their lives, for example, in helping them manage their behaviour, increase their social skills, confidence and independence. Pupils value the trusted and secure relationships they have with the staff team and feel that they are listened to. Parents are positive regarding the changes they see in their children with one describing the school as ‘transformational.’

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Inspection Judgements

The children and young people enjoy residential life and the varied range of activities on offer. Staff and young people enjoy each other’s company and have fun together. Records such as care plans are well maintained with clear targets set and monitored through regular key work sessions. Residential staff are committed and enthusiastic and are keen to develop new ideas, such as, how best to monitor the progress and achievements of the young people.

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Inspection Judgements

The safety of children and young people is given high priority. Safeguarding procedures are effective and concerns are acted upon and shared with the appropriate agencies. As a result, children and young people feel safe and valued.

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Inspection Judgements

All staff work collaboratively across the school to provide good levels of consistency. Effective strategies are in place to manage behaviour. Incidents requiring sanctions or physical restraint are rare in residential time and are well monitored. Young people say that issues of bullying are addressed quickly and effectively by staff.

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Inspection Judgements

Senior leaders recognise the importance of the residential provision and are committed to improvement. Despite the positive outcomes and the outstanding levels of care and support given to the young people, there are a few areas for further improvement to ensure best practice in all areas.

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Inspection Judgements

The quality of care and support Outstanding

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Inspection Judgements

Children and young people receive high levels of individual support from staff who have time to listen to them and who know them well. Keyworker sessions take place on a very regular basis and young people said they feel able to talk to a number of different staff, both within the school and externally, if they have concerns or worries. One young person described her keyworker as a ‘third grandma’ due to the high levels of individual care and support they receive from her. Staff at the school work closely and collaboratively and the effective handover processes ensure that relevant information is shared. A number of the residential staff also work during the day in school which ensures high levels of consistency and continuity. The introduction of the pastoral care team will further develop the well-established holistic ways of working throughout the Inspection Report West Kirby Residential School, 10/02/2016 Page 5 of 11

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Inspection Judgements

school. Children and young people and parents give outstanding feedback about the quality of the care, support and guidance provided. One parent said ‘this is the only school my child has attended who fully understand her needs and meet them in an excellent way in all areas’. Another said ‘we are very impressed with this school and the excellent communication it has between parents/carers and staff’. The residential care plans are detailed and comprehensive and are of high quality. They outline the support needs of the young people and include targets for further developments which are regularly evaluated. The regular keywork sessions provide opportunities for discussion and ensure that the young people are involved in the planning and review of their care. Celebrations of achievements take place and certificates kept on file. Arrangements for healthcare are outstanding. Children and young people’s health needs

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Inspection Judgements

are very well supported by the nursing team. There are effective procedures for safely managing medication, with well established procedures for bringing medication in and out of school which are carefully monitored. Medication administration records are up to date and there are detailed laminated cards which clearly set out the type of medication, what it is for and any possible side-effects. These are useful reference tools for both staff and young people. Health care plans are of high quality and include records of contact with parents and medical professionals. There are close links with a local surgery ensuring that doctor’s appointments can be made quickly if necessary. The accommodation for the children and young people is comfortable and well maintained so that the young people feel relaxed and safe. The two community houses, in particular, provide high quality accommodation which is homely and non-institutional

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Inspection Judgements

in appearance. All accommodation areas have single bedrooms which are personalised. The children and young people enjoy the food provided. Lunch is eaten in the school dining room, whereas breakfast and the evening meal are eaten in the residential houses. The food provided is of good quality with a salad bar available as well as hot food choices at lunchtime. The young people particularly enjoy the evening meals eaten in the houses, which they choose and some help to shop and prepare. The meals are sociable occasions where staff and young people sit together enjoying each other’s company. There is an excellent range and choice of activities provided for the children and young people, which they enjoy enormously. There are a variety of creative, active, social, physical and cultural activities on and off the school site such as watching DVDs and playing computer games, spending time in the gym, swimming, walking in the local park

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Inspection Judgements

and visiting an indoor climbing wall in Liverpool. All are appropriately risk assessed according to the individual young people taking part. For example, an extra car and member of staff was taken to one activity during the inspection when it was felt that one young person might find it difficult and need to leave early. The young people choose the activities which also include clubs in the community, such as karate, football and a local youth club, which facilitate social interaction with peers outside of school. The activities help the young people to acquire new skills and build social skills and confidence. Inspection Report West Kirby Residential School, 10/02/2016 Page 6 of 11 How well children and young people are protected Good

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Inspection Judgements

Safeguarding procedures at the school are effective in ensuring that children and young people are kept safe from harm. Staff working at the school use their understanding of pupils’ specific needs and vulnerabilities well to ensure their practice effectively promotes children and young people’s safety.

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Inspection Judgements

Causes for concern are picked up at an early stage and any safeguarding issues are appropriately referred to the local authority in accordance with local procedures. Clear and well-maintained records demonstrate that concerns are discussed and actions taken. There is evidence that risks to children and young people are minimised, but the school’s safeguarding policies sometimes lack preciseness and lag behind the school’s practices. For example, there is insufficient detail recorded in safeguarding plans. This did not impact on the safety of the young people but is an area for further improvement.

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Inspection Judgements

All staff receive a comprehensive induction regarding safeguarding and the training for all staff in how to keep children and young people safe is wide ranging. In the last year training has included areas such as e-safety, child sexual exploitation and radicalisation. Governors and senior leaders have undertaken safer recruitment training. Children and young people say that they feel safe at the school and parents feel their children are safe.

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Inspection Judgements

The staff recruitment processes are robust and ensure that only suitable people are employed to work at the school.

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Inspection Judgements

Children and young people behave well and positive behaviour is recognised and rewarded. All staff are trained in behaviour management and seek to understand the triggers for children and young people’s behaviour. Incidents involving the use of restraint are rare in residential time and are appropriately recorded and monitored to ensure that trends and patterns are highlighted. Training has taken place regarding the completion of incident forms to improve the quality of these forms. The new pastoral care team works across the whole school to ensure that interventions are focussed and effective. Sanctions are rarely applied in residential time but the details of residential sanctions are not currently included in the school’s behaviour management policy. This is a point for improvement.

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Inspection Judgements

The school site and accommodation provides children and young people with a safe and secure environment. Health and safety is taken seriously with routine checks regarding fire, electrical and gas safety which are well recorded. Regular fire drills take place in residential time and environmental risk assessments are undertaken. A policy document has been developed outlining all the routine maintenance checks undertaken, of which there are 50. This demonstrates a strong commitment to ensuring a safe environment for the children and young people.

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Inspection Judgements

The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

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Inspection Judgements

Senior leaders at the school value the contribution that the residential team makes and Inspection Report West Kirby Residential School, 10/02/2016 Page 7 of 11 are supportive of continued development and improvement across the whole school. Since the last inspection the school has appointed a new Principal and feedback was positive regarding the smooth transition and the changes made.

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Inspection Judgements

The residential provision is led and managed by an experienced staff team. The culture of the residential provision is characterised by high expectations and aspirations for all children and young people. The development plan is suitably ambitious and there is regular monitoring of records. Team meetings take place weekly and provide an opportunity for the staff team to come together to discuss practice. The residential staff are committed and enthusiastic in their work and are keen to improve the outcomes for the children and young people in their care.

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Inspection Judgements

Staff work collaboratively across the whole school to ensure good levels of consistency and stability. Residential staff spend time in education and are fully integrated within the school.

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Inspection Judgements

There are sufficient numbers of staff on duty during the evenings and overnight. Staff numbers are currently low so the school is actively recruiting to appoint two new residential staff.

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Inspection Judgements

New staff receive a thorough induction process with a strong emphasis on safeguarding procedures. Residential staff feel well supported in their work and formal staff supervision takes place termly. There are a few occasions when termly supervisions have not taken place which means that there are gaps of up to six months between some sessions. This is an area for further improvement, to ensure that all staff consistently receive formal supervision on a more regular basis.

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Inspection Judgements

There are regular training and development sessions for staff which include areas such as behaviour management, safeguarding and team building as well as more specialist areas such as TEACCH, incident report writing and self-harm and anxiety. This training equips staff with the specific skills and knowledge they need to effectively work with the children and young people at the school.

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Inspection Judgements

Governors are active in their monitoring of the residential provision. The reports are linked to the national minimum standards and are suitably detailed in content. This helps to raise standards within the school. Inspection Report West Kirby Residential School, 10/02/2016 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

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What inspection judgements mean

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 West Kirby Residential School, 10/02/2016 Page 9 of 11

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School details

Unique reference number 105137 Social care unique reference number SC018958 DfE registration number 344/7015 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 22 Gender of boarders Mixed Age range of boarders 5 to19 Principal Iain Sim Date of previous boarding inspection 16/03/2015 Telephone number 0151 632 3201 Email address iainsim@wkrs.co.uk Inspection Report West Kirby Residential School, 10/02/2016 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

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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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