Ramsden Hall School

Inspection Report Ramsden Hall School, 1 March 2016 Ramsden Hall School

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Ramsden Hall School, Heath Road, Ramsden Heath, Billericay, Essex CM11 1HN

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Inspection dates 01/03/2016 to 03/03/2016

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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 Requires improvement 3

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Summary of key findings

The residential provision is good because  Young people benefit from being in residential care. Staff and managers know the young people well and are familiar with their emotional and developmental milestones. They follow robust admission procedures which link a young person’s residential objectives with their educational needs.  Staff have excellent relationships with young people. They speak about them knowledgeably and fondly. They encourage young people to express their feelings, to develop social skills and to reduce negative incidents. Young people feel more in control and gain confidence that they can manage their behaviour.  Staff and managers place the safety of young people at the heart of their planning. They protect young people through careful planning and consistently encourage young people to be self-aware. Risks are constantly reviewed and matched with suitable management strategies. 

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Summary of key findings

Staff and managers are highly skilled in working in partnership. They liaise with educational staff, parents and other specialist professionals. Feedback is extremely positive about the quality of care provided.  Families feel that staff can be trusted to support and encourage young people, even when they are challenging. Parents have great respect for the commitment shown by the team. They comment that young people are happier and more willing to help out at home.  Young people are supported to develop independent skills and staff take every opportunity to consolidate their learning. Lessons learned in school and in the residential setting are applied to activities in the community. As a result, they learn to view the future with more confidence.  Leaders and managers work together very closely. They monitor both individual targets and trends in behaviour and educational attainment. They take immense

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Summary of key findings

pride in the achievement of staff and young people but also have an ambitious plan for further improvement. Inspection Report Ramsden Hall School, 1 March 2016  One shortfall against the minimum standards has been identified during the inspection that residential staff had not been receiving regular recorded supervision.  Points for improvement include ensuring that senior residential staff need to ensure that staff receive regular supervision and review the quality and consistency of recording in case files. Staff also need time to concentrate on key worker responsibilities with particular reference to ensuring that recording is evaluative and reflects the individual personalities of the young people.

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Summary of key findings

Compliance with the national minimum standards for residential special schools

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

Ensure that all staff have access to support and advice for their role. They should also have regular supervision and formal annual appraisal of their performance. (NMS 19.6)

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Points for Improvement

 Ensure that senior residential staff have the time they need to review adequately the residential provision, to develop and supervise the staff team and ensure consistency of recording.

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Points for Improvement

 Ensure that staff have the time they need to deliver recording on case files which is evaluative and reflects young people’s individual progress and personalities. Inspection Report Ramsden Hall School, 1 March 2016

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Information about this inspection

This inspection took place within two hours of announcement and looked at all three residential flats. Inspection activity included meeting young people, joining them at mealtimes and after school in their flats. Young people took the inspector on a tour of the accommodation. Staff were observed in handover meetings and joined the inspector for a discussion. Inspectors spent time with the residential management teams and the headteacher. Case files, staff recruitment files and school policies were scrutinised. In addition, there were interviews with key medical and administrative staff, external professionals and parents. There were no responses recorded on Parent View. Inspection Report Ramsden Hall School, 1 March 2016

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Inspection team

Fiona Littlefield Lead social care inspector Kristen Judd Regulatory inspection manager Inspection Report Ramsden Hall School, 1 March 2016

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Information about this school

Ramsden Hall School is a maintained residential special school for 60 male pupils aged between 11 and 16 years. The school is situated on the outskirts of Billericay with residential accommodation in three flats; 24 pupils reside at the school for between one and three nights a week. The school caters for pupils with a statement of special educational needs who have complex needs. The residential provision was last inspected in June 2015. Inspection Report Ramsden Hall School, 1 March 2016

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Inspection Judgements

The overall experiences and progress of children and young people Good

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Inspection Judgements

Young people benefit from consistent relationships with staff, who are purposeful and creative. Staff are confident in their authority, can defuse moments of potential conflict and can create a settled environment. Young people learn to relax and benefit from the calm atmosphere.

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Inspection Judgements

Young people learn to get along with one another. Staff work with them to reflect on their behaviour, to reduce negative incidents and to reach their behavioural milestones. Staff are committed to ensuring that the views of young people are taken into account. Young people appreciate this. They know that their views will be listened to and, as a result, their self-esteem is enhanced. The mother of one young person said: ‘Tonight he is out with friends. That’s real progress as he would never socialise before as he never had confidence. He enjoys himself now.’

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Inspection Judgements

Staff and managers have implemented comprehensive admission procedures. They work alongside the young people’s families to identify risk, vulnerabilities and to match these risks and vulnerabilities with management strategies. Keyworkers review their progress regularly, emphasising the need to reflect on their actions and to improve their behaviour. Young people learn to control themselves better and this enhances their self- esteem.

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Inspection Judgements

Safeguarding is central to the ethos and culture of the school. For instance, young people benefit from a plethora of activities, including some in the community. At the beginning of each evening, young people and staff get together to confirm that young people are ready and that arrangements are secure. Each activity is assessed in terms of risks and each young person has their own behaviour management plan. Staff are robust in their approach with young people, spelling out consequences. For instance, one young person can make himself unsafe while out on trips. His keyworker has been clear with him that he will have to return to the accommodation if he cannot control himself safely.

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Inspection Judgements

Staff and managers are ambitious for young people. They see the purpose of residential care as supporting young people to learn in school and acquiring skills that will support them as they approach adult life. A parent of one young person said: ‘Staff are great and always work with me. He can still have his tantrums but they are so much better. He is more able to control himself. He used to absolutely hate school but now he loves it and really engages.’

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Inspection Judgements

Leaders and managers are young-people focused and provide strong leadership for a well-established and committed staff team. Inspection Report Ramsden Hall School, 1 March 2016 The quality of care and support Good

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Inspection Judgements

Young people make progress because they are cared for by staff who know their needs well and who speak about them with empathy and fondness.

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Inspection Judgements

Staff and managers view residential services as a critical tool in helping young people to reach their educational and behavioural milestones. If a young person is considering staying in residential care, staff and managers prepare for this carefully. Managers visit the family at home to develop clear and detailed risk assessments and care plans that are linked with educational needs. For instance, one young person needed to develop concentration and attention in school, so his residential targets were to encourage him to play board games with staff and to take part in the reading challenge. Young people will be shown round the flats and spend extended evenings with the other boys so that they get to know the routines. As a result, young people start their stays positively.

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Inspection Judgements

Young people stay in one of three flats in the residential side of the school. They can personalise their bedrooms and learn some basic domestic skills, making drinks and light snacks or sorting out their laundry. They are expected to keep their bedrooms tidy and neat. As a result, they learn to take pride in their environment.

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Inspection Judgements

Staff and managers join young people for meals in the canteen. The quality of the food is excellent. Staff encourage young people to try different foods and they clearly enjoy the social interaction with adults and each other. The young people can be volatile on occasion, but staff are skilled at containing their behaviour. Young people know what is expected and gain confidence from this approach.

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Inspection Judgements

Young people make progress because staff place the young people’s wishes and feelings at the centre of their practice. Each young person has an allocated key worker who reviews their care plans with them. This work is generally good but could benefit from more evaluation and reflection on current issues so that it remains up to date. Currently residential staff are expected to work in the school during the day and cannot always devote adequate time to ensuring improvement and consistency in recording.

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Inspection Judgements

The parents of young people speak highly of the support and guidance that staff and managers provide. Staff maintain a relationship through regular weekly contacts and surveys. The mother of one young person said: ‘They always work with me and keep me informed. Everyone helps there. It is a feeling of belonging.’

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Inspection Judgements

Staff are creative and purposeful in arranging a range of activities that young people will enjoy. Some staff have special interests, such as archery and sailing, and can offer young people experiences in these sports. Other staff can offer fishing or camping trips, so young people have access to an unusually wide range of activities in the evenings and holidays. Each activity is linked to learning objectives such as developing social skills and making friends. The impact of this integrated approach can be dramatic. The parent of one young person said: ‘He was frozen emotionally and didn’t want to show his feelings. Now he feels able to enjoy his life. He has a sense of direction and ambition.’ Inspection Report Ramsden Hall School, 1 March 2016

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How well children and young people are protected Good

Young people are safe and feel safe. They know how to complain and are confident that staff will respond promptly. They may not always be completely satisfied with the conclusion but are clear about the reasons for the decision. For instance, some young people are elected to represent their flats in monthly school councils where they meet with the residential management team. They cover subjects such as activities and new equipment, and staff are adept at reinforcing messages such as the importance of e- safety. Consequently, while they may crave internet access, they cooperate with parental controls and hand in their phones to staff in the evenings.

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How well children and young people are protected Good

There have not been any child protection concerns about young people while in residential care. However, staff and managers remain vigilant and respond immediately to any referrals. Consequently, professionals who have contact with the school express their confidence. One said: ‘The managers are amongst the best I have worked with. Safety is their first priority and their communication is excellent.’

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How well children and young people are protected Good

Young people trust staff and managers. For instance, they will comment that while bullying does occur occasionally, it is not tolerated. Two young people commented that the senior team and headteacher were ‘firm but fair’. If they are worried they are clear that they can go to any member of staff who would sort it out. This message is repeated consistently in weekly school assemblies and daily residential meetings.

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How well children and young people are protected Good

Each young person has a recent assessment where risks are matched with management strategies and de-escalation techniques. Individual targets are linked to their educational plans and spell out the progress that they need to make. For instance, one young person who was known to have violent outbursts was encouraged to read and gradually develop a better vocabulary and emotional understanding. Staff would engage him in discussion and he learned to express himself better when he needed to negotiate. This resulted in a dramatic drop in the number of negative incidents and a very high level of attendance.

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How well children and young people are protected Good

Staff promote positive behaviour and young people know exactly what is expected of them. Educational and boarding staff work together closely throughout the day to track individual progress and award points for achievements in their personal targets. Young people respond very positively to this system, where the emphasis is on earning rewards and privileges through commitment and consistency. Occasionally staff use sanctions such as banning young people from activities or ICT for a limited period as a response to poor behaviour. This is effective: young people learn to control their behaviour and gain confidence as a result.

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How well children and young people are protected Good

All members of staff in the school feel that they have a valuable role to play in helping young people feel safe and secure. The school nurse works closely with young people, their families, academic and residential staff to provide effective healthcare.

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How well children and young people are protected Good

Administrative staff work closely to ensure that the premises are maintained in good order and that appropriate safety checks are routinely observed. Managers have now taken action so that all staff have complete and appropriate recruitment checks. This means that young people are safeguarded. Inspection Report Ramsden Hall School, 1 March 2016

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improvement

The residential provision is managed by a committed and well-established management team, which is part of the school’s senior leadership team. Managers are passionate and ambitious and work together very closely to scrutinise incidents and developments and ensure that action is prompt and effective. An external monitoring board provides an additional level of scrutiny and review. One senior external manager commented: ‘There is still a lot to do but managers in residential have embraced our comments as a friendly challenge. I am mightily impressed.’

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improvement

The school development plan includes an ambitious programme for the residential service. This positive approach is reflected in the growing sense of confidence that staff refer to throughout the school. One member of staff said: ‘It has been so much better this year. The whole school is calmer. Young people choose to come to boarding: they like things to be crystal clear and know what is expected.’

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improvement

The head of care reviews care plans each term. In addition, the senior management team provides evidence of the impact that residential care can have on a young person’s progress. For instance, young people who have accessed residential care have very high levels of attendance, exceed their targets across the academic curriculum and record a significant reduction in negative incidents. Young people benefit from this highly integrated approach and the impact is greater the longer that young people attend. One external professional said: ‘Young people feel safe, they feel they belong to something. The leadership team is effective and insightful so they don’t take behaviour at face value, and look for history and triggers.’

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improvement

The team of care staff are made up of long-standing staff who work closely together. All staff are qualified to national qualification level three. Managers prioritise training around safeguarding which is renewed regularly. Staff say that they are well supported by their managers and are well equipped to care for young people effectively. Managers prioritise staff professional development and annual appraisals are well established. However, staff have not been supervised regularly and this represents a shortfall in the national minimum standards. In addition, senior staff continue to cover shifts. This limits the time that they can devote to developing the residential team through staff meetings and improving performance by monitoring the quality of recording.

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improvement

The residential provision maintains the required policies. An independent visitor comes to the school regularly and opportunities are given to young people to talk to the visitor in groups and in private. This provides another layer of external scrutiny and challenge that stimulates ongoing improvement. Inspection Report Ramsden Hall School, 1 March 2016

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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 Ramsden Hall School, 1 March 2016

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School details

Unique reference number 115449 Social care unique reference number SC018026 DfE registration number 881/7021 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 24 Gender of boarders Boys Age range of boarders 11 to 16 Headteacher Gary Walker Date of previous boarding inspection 13 January 2015 Telephone number 01277 624580; school mobile 07710 372150 Email address admin@ramsdenhall.essex.sch.uk Inspection Report Ramsden Hall School, 1 March 2016 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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