The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form

Inspection Report William Henry Smith School, 8 March 2016 Page 2 of 10 William Henry Smith School

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William Henry Smith School, Boothroyd Lane, Brighouse, West Yorkshire HD6 3JW

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Inspection dates 8 March 2016 to 10 March 2016

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

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Summary of key findings

The residential provision is outstanding because  Despite young people’s very complex and challenging needs, students make outstanding progress socially, emotionally and academically.

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Summary of key findings

 Staff celebrate diversity, providing positive role models for students to follow. Consequently, students learn to respect themselves and each other. Their senses of value, confidence and identity significantly improve.

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Summary of key findings

 Staff skilfully identify students’ strengths. Because of this positive approach, students who have previously encountered very negative life experiences become motivated to succeed. For the first time, they achieve in all areas of their development.

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Summary of key findings

 The outstanding range of in-house facilities gives all students the opportunity to explore their talents and to develop them.

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Summary of key findings

 A seamless approach across the service ensures that the 24-hour curriculum continues flawlessly. Consequently, students receive a completely holistic approach to their care.

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Summary of key findings

 The dedicated head of care and inspirational senior management team robustly monitor the service. Their high aspirations for all ensure that the service continues to develop from strength to strength. They strive to provide the very best differentiated packages of 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 William Henry Smith School, 8 March 2016 Page 3 of 10

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Information about this inspection

The deputy principal was given two hours’ notice of this inspection. The inspector spoke to a wide range of residential staff members at all levels. No individual consultation with students was appropriate in this setting, because of the students’ complex needs. All of the residential homes were visited. Time was spent talking to students during a tour of the school, throughout evening meals and during morning routines. A selection of evening activities were observed. The inspector met with the principal, the deputy principal and the head of care regularly throughout the inspection, to feed back and to evaluate progress. The inspector also met with school teachers, the cook, therapists, the safeguarding lead, school nurse and vice-principal for business. Parents and a school governor were also spoken to. Parents’ views were collated from the Ofsted Parent View website during the inspection. Staff surveys were obtained. The inspector consulted a

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Information about this inspection

representative from the local authority safeguarding team and examined a range of policies and records in relation to the safeguarding and care of residential pupils.

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Inspection team

Jamie Richardson lead social care inspector Inspection Report William Henry Smith School, 8 March 2016 Page 4 of 10

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Information about this school

The school is a non-maintained special school for pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, who may also have additional needs that relate to specific learning difficulties, including ADHD and ASD. The school offers education and accommodation to boys aged between eight years and 16 years. Accommodation is provided in four dedicated residential houses in the school’s grounds. The school is set in several acres of land and has its own farm. It has additional facilities for indoor and outdoor sporting activities, such as an adventure playground, an all-weather sports enclosure, an indoor sports hall and a gym. It is situated in Brighouse, in a semi-rural location in West Yorkshire. It has good transport links to local towns and cities. Inspection Report William Henry Smith School, 8 March 2016 Page 5 of 10

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Inspection judgements

The overall experiences and progress of children and young people

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Inspection judgements

Students’ lives and their families’ lives are transformed as a result of attending this provision. The seamless approach from the family support workers, the therapy department, residential workers and school staff results in individuals receiving a totally integrated approach to their care. One parent commented, ‘Their whole family approach is fantastic. The therapist comes out to us. It is a package for all of us. Holistically, they think of everything. They have not only transformed my son’s life, it’s transformed all of ours.’

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Inspection judgements

Students make outstanding progress in all areas of their development. Through exceptional delivery of a 24-hour curriculum, staff consistently reinforce students’ learning goals. As a result, students continue to make outstanding progress socially, emotionally and academically. One individual commented, ‘Coming here has helped me make my life plan.’ A student commented, ‘I have got better at everything, even school, but my behaviour is better now.’

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Inspection judgements

Staff offer a very nurturing approach to students’ care. As result, students feel valued and respected. One young person commented, ‘They understand me here, staff listen to me and they know how to help me.’ Through the effective promotion of trust and respect, appropriate bonds with staff and friendships between peers continue to grow. Some individuals have made friends for the first time. One student commented, ‘When I first came here I was embarrassed and shy, now I have friends.’

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Inspection judgements

Students benefit significantly from a holistic approach to their healthcare needs. Specific therapies, such as art and music, help students learn to express their feelings and manage anxiety. The use of animals, such as the school therapy dog and reading dog, encourage students to express themselves in positive ways. It builds their confidence and self-esteem. One individual commented, ‘The therapy house helps me to relax and calm down, if you are upset you can see Milo and just take him for a walk to relax.’ Another young person said, ‘The drama therapy helps me to talk about life.’

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Inspection judgements

The focus on helping others enables individuals to expand their views of the world. This is outstanding progress for some who have previously struggled with this concept because of their own disabilities. Now, many students choose to donate their awarded tokens to charities to help others rather than use them on items for themselves. Students are proud of their donations and one young person commented, ‘This is good to give to charity, to think about those who need help. We can help them.’ Students are proud of their school. They enjoy playing in the school band and inviting the local community to events such as the school fair. This helps individuals to integrate into community life and to develop their social skills and confidence in communicating. Inspection Report William Henry Smith School, 8 March 2016 Page 6 of 10 The quality of care and support

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Inspection judgements

Students thrive in this highly structured environment, which has a wealth of outstanding residential facilities. Improvement work on one house is of a high standard. The en suite bathrooms make a significant difference to the individuals' confidence. It helps them to manage personal issues, such as enuresis, with independence and dignity. One student commented, ‘It’s brilliant, my bedroom has a big bathroom. I love it.’ Further development of the other houses will give all individuals the opportunity to benefit from this private space.

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Inspection judgements

Students enjoy the in-house cinema, music rooms, full-sized pool tables, jukeboxes, games rooms and on-site farm with allotments. This teaches individuals how to manage their free time positively, resulting in less challenging behaviours. Good access to the range of activities enables individuals to pursue new hobbies. For example, one student has taught himself to play the piano. This has improved his confidence, self-esteem and self-expression.

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Inspection judgements

An excellent range of tailored activities, such as local walks, meals out, camping, outdoor pursuits, swimming, judo, football and rugby provide students with opportunities they could not undertake elsewhere. Some have become so successful in their chosen sports that they are moving onto university to undertake sport degrees. One parent said, ‘They do things there that give him an opportunity he cannot get anywhere else. For the first time, he has been able to access activities and succeed.’

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Inspection judgements

Students’ views are at the centre of all planning and practice. Through a variety of forums, they express their wishes and feelings. The school council ensures that the views of students are central to any significant changes or future projects. For example, students have recently been involved in the interview process for new staff. Staff listen to and respect their choices. Consequently, the school uniform now includes a blazer which students are very proud of.

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Inspection judgements

The school cook is extremely passionate about her work. The school has achieved a gold award for high quality food, which they source locally. Students contribute by growing vegetables and collecting eggs from chickens on the school farm. This helps students to experience growing produce from scratch and it helps them to understand where food comes from. The catering department produces differentiated meals for individuals. The kitchen staff have an exceptional knowledge of each child’s dietary needs and personal preferences. They strive to improve the menu and assist to expand students’ diets. Consequently, some young people have made significant progress in trying new foods and eating healthier. Inspection Report William Henry Smith School, 8 March 2016 Page 7 of 10 How well children and young people are protected

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Inspection judgements

Staff have high expectations for all young people. As a result, students with extremely challenging and complex needs all make outstanding progress in managing their behaviour. Staff successfully promote an ethos of respect and tolerance. Some individuals are now showing respect and empathy for others for the first time.

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Inspection judgements

Highly skilled staff are able to identify the smallest of cues, which suggest an individual's behaviour may escalate negatively. They continually strive to redirect challenging behaviour before it escalates. Any physical interventions used are minimal level holds for short periods. Recording of physical intervention has significantly improved. This ensures that information can be analysed and used in future planning. This meets a recommendation to improve physical intervention recording set at the last inspection. Quality debriefs for students and staff allow them to reflect on their feelings. This positively informs plans to help prevent situations reoccurring. As a result, instances of physical intervention have reduced and they remain low.

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Inspection judgements

Students work in partnership with staff to create their individual behaviour support plans. At the heart of all plans is how students want staff to support them in times of crisis. Consequently, the behaviour of individuals significantly improves. One student commented, ‘I have got a lot better with my behaviour from coming here.’ Students feel that staff really understand them and they feel that their views are highly respected. One student said, ‘All staff are nice, they understand and listen to you here.’ One member of staff commented, ‘We recognise and value young people here. We promote expression. We help young people to express their feelings any way they can.’

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Inspection judgements

Robust missing from home procedures help to locate young people as quickly as possible. Strong partnership working with the police ensures that there is effective sharing of information. This helps officers to understand individuals’ risks and assists in finding them swiftly. Staff have a good knowledge of issues related to students missing from home, such as child sexual exploitation. No students are subject to child sexual exploitation in this setting. However, staff can identify the signs and they know procedures to follow to keep students safe should this ever occur. Inspection Report William Henry Smith School, 8 March 2016 Page 8 of 10 The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers

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Inspection judgements

The extremely well organised care provision ensures that there is consistent routine and continual structure for 24 hours a day for students. As a result, they thrive because this provides them with the safe and predictable world that they crave.

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Inspection judgements

High staff ratios ensure that levels of student supervision are good. It allows students quality time with staff and enables them to undertake individualised hobbies, such as rugby and judo. Rigorous vetting procedures for new staff make sure that only adults deemed safe look after the students. The robust induction programme for new staff promotes a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and standards of care right from the start.

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Inspection judgements

Robust monitoring of care practice and student progress ensures exceptional individual achievement and outstanding standards of care. Regular independent inspections assist management to continually review and develop performance in all areas. In addition, regular student inspections of the homes assist managers in ensuring that there are the highest standards of care.

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Inspection judgements

Staff receive an exceptional amount of quality training. This ensures that staff have an in-depth understanding of students’ complex needs. They receive regular formal and informal supervision. Consequently, staff feel highly motivated and confident in undertaking their roles. One member of staff said, ‘The head of care is great and senior managers are always very supportive. Managers are always around and they are all approachable. Supervision is never missed.’

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Inspection judgements

Exceptional partnership working with other agencies and parents ensures that there is swift and effective sharing of information. This helps to keep everyone up to date with students’ needs and risks. It makes sure that individuals receive the support they need. One parent commented, ‘They are always approachable, they always do their best to ring me and keep me informed.’ Inspection Report William Henry Smith School, 8 March 2016 Page 9 of 10

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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 William Henry Smith School, 8 March 2016 Page 10 of 10

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School details

Unique reference number 107589 Social care unique reference number SC001038 DfE registration number 381/7005 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 54 Gender of boarders Boys Age range of boarders 8–19 Headteacher Brendan Heneghan Date of previous boarding inspection 9 December 2014 Telephone number 01484 710123 Email address principal@whsschool.org.uk Inspection Report William Henry Smith School, 8 March 2016 Page 11 of 10 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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