Marland School

Devon County Council, Peters Marland, Torrington, Devon EX38 8QQ

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

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How well children and young people are protected Good 2

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The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Good 2

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Summary of key findings

The residential provision is good because

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Summary of key findings

 Students and staff have very positive relationships based on mutual respect and trust.

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Summary of key findings

 Students are provided with a wide range of leisure and social activities that they thoroughly enjoy.

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Summary of key findings

 Positive behaviour is promoted and generally students behave well. Restraint is used as a last resort. Leaders and managers closely scrutinise all incidents when restraint has been used to ensure that it is used appropriately.

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Summary of key findings

 The residential provision is an important aspect of the school. There is robust internal and external monitoring of the residential provision, and leaders and managers are aware of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.

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Summary of key findings

 Students achieve well in their education, and the school has developed new systems to identify their aspirations and support them well to meet their goals.

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Summary of key findings

 To improve the school further recommendations include reviewing the school’s ‘missing’ protocol, better management of medicines coming into the school from parents, and staff training and clear audit trails in respect of the maintenance of the fire safety system.

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Summary of key findings

Compliance with the national minimum standards for residential special schools Inspection Report Marland School, 22 March 2016 Page 2 of 12 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

 Ensure that there is a clear audit trail of all maintenance issues in respect of fire safety, in particular, maintenance of the fire safety systems.

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Summary of key findings

 Review the ‘missing from school’ protocol to ensure that it provides staff with clear guidance of the action to take if students are absent or missing. In addition, clearly evidence that students receive ‘return home’ interviews by staff and an independent person, and that staff record clearly the action that that they take when students are absent or go missing.

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Summary of key findings

 Ensure that all staff supervision records are detailed, to evidence reflective practice and expectations of their performance.

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Summary of key findings

 Ensure that staff who have supervisory responsibilities undertake training to support this role.

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Summary of key findings

 Ensure that there is a robust audit trail of all medicines that are brought into the school by parents, and that these medicines arrive at the school in their original packaging. In addition, implement risk assessments for those students who are deemed competent to administer their own medicines. Inspection Report Marland School, 22 March 2016 Page 3 of 12

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Information about this inspection

The school was contacted on the morning of the inspection, and the inspectors arrived at 11:45a.m. The inspectors visited the residential provision, observed staff interaction, and arranged group meetings with students and with the residential staff. In addition, the inspectors scrutinised a variety of records, documents, and policies and procedures.

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Inspection team

Michelle Oxley regulation inspection manager Inspection Report Marland School, 22 March 2016 Page 4 of 12

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Information about this school

Marland School is a local authority maintained residential special school. It provides care and education during term time for up to 40 boys aged 10 to 16 years. The residential accommodation is provided in the main school building. The school is situated in a rural location six miles from the nearest town. It caters for boys aged 10-16 with social, emotional and mental health needs. The residential provision was last inspected in March 2015. Inspection Report Marland School, 22 March 2016 Page 5 of 12

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Inspection judgements

The overall experiences and progress of children and young people Good

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Inspection judgements

There are good relationships between residential students. They show concern and consideration for one another. They develop good friendships, and encourage each other to participate in social and leisure opportunities.

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Inspection judgements

Students learn to adapt their behaviour, and work towards achieving rewards for their good behaviour. One student said, ‘I have learnt to manage my behaviour, I am not so angry now.’ Students enjoy staying at the school and they speak well of their personal achievements. One student said, ‘I have done so much better in school than I thought I would do.’

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Inspection judgements

Students make good academic progress and learn new life skills. They are well prepared for adult life. One student said, ‘I am learning how to write a CV and learn interview skills.’ Students’ views and opinions are sought, they feel supported and listened to by staff, and are confident that their complaints are taken seriously.

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Inspection judgements

Leaders and managers take robust action to investigate allegations or suspicions of harm, and ensure that it is handled fairly and quickly.

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Inspection judgements

There is effective leadership and management of the school. Leaders and managers are visible in the residential provision, and are aware of its strengths and weaknesses.

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Inspection judgements

Students receive good pastoral care and individualised support. They are very well supported by a highly committed team of staff.

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Inspection judgements

Since the previous inspection, the format in which placement plans are presented has been reviewed. As a result, the plans now provide staff with clear guidance on how to meet students’ individual targets and how their achievements are measured. The placement plans are supported by good quality risk assessments that identify the known risk and are regularly reviewed to reflect the students’ current needs. Their personal files contain the required information, and there is good evidence of productive key-working sessions to help students’ development.

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Inspection judgements

The school provides a personalised curriculum for each student. A new system has been developed this academic year which makes a clear link between aspiration and Inspection Report Marland School, 22 March 2016 Page 6 of 12 educational attainment. Residential staff work well with young people to establish their future career goals. These goals are set out against the required qualifications and those already achieved. While the system is still being embedded, it serves to join up the approaches further between education and care, linking them with purpose to the individual outcomes for each student.

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Inspection judgements

Students receive an excellent choice of social and leisure opportunities. They choose from a wide range of activities that are on offer every evening and at weekends. Activities that students enjoy include cycling, swimming, football, games of pool, and trips to the coast, skateboarding, ice-skating and using computers. They speak highly of the choices that are on offer to them and are enthusiastic about experiencing new activities. This area is a strength of the school.

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Inspection judgements

There are very positive and nurturing relationships between staff and students. Interactions are caring and supportive, and staff treat students with respect. One student said, ‘You know that staff care about us and don’t see this just as a job.’

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Inspection judgements

Students’ independence is promoted well. The residential accommodation has an independence flat that is used to enable older students to prepare breakfast and evening meals.

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Inspection judgements

Students benefit from good healthcare support. They are well looked after if they are poorly. They know how to contact the waking night staff and the sleeping-in staff during the night if they need to.

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Inspection judgements

Staff do not ensure that there is a robust audit trail of medicines that are brought into the residential accommodation by parents. In addition, these medicines do not always arrive at school in their original packaging. One student administers their own prescribed ointment, but a self-administration risk assessment has not been conducted in respect of this. These weaknesses have the potential to place students at risk of harm.

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Inspection judgements

Students continue to have mixed views about the quality of meals. Some students consider that meals are good and that there is plenty of choice, while other students consider that there could be further improvement. Students confirmed that matters relating to meals are raised at the school council, and that their views and opinions are sought and acted upon. In discussion, staff consider that the meals have improved since the previous inspection. During the most recent visit by the independent visitor, she sat with students at teatime and noted that students did not grumble about the food.

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Inspection judgements

Leaders and managers advise that, since the previous inspection, the school has received extremely positive news in respect of its residential provision. There is to be a phased approach to provide a new purpose-built residential accommodation and full refurbishment of the current accommodation. Students and staff are enthusiastic about Inspection Report Marland School, 22 March 2016 Page 7 of 12 these plans. One student said, ‘we will have our own bedroom and bathroom.’ Another said, ‘we will have better privacy’ and yet another said, ‘I can’t wait, it’s going to be pretty cool.’ Students and staff confirm that they have been involved in the preliminary discussions on the proposed new provision.

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Inspection judgements

The principal said that it is hoped that building works will commence in summer 2016. The current accommodation does not provide students with a homely environment. The fabric and layout of the current building are dated and have an institutional feel. However, leaders and managers ensure that the accommodation is maintained and presented in a satisfactory manner.

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Inspection judgements

How well children and young people are protected Good

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Inspection judgements

When concerns about students’ welfare occur, the staff responsible for safeguarding matters provides detailed information to external safeguarding agencies. Leaders and managers work in partnership with the local area designated officer and the multi- agency safeguarding hub to ensure that young people are protected. All residential staff receive safeguarding training, and as a result, demonstrate a good awareness of safeguarding procedures and protocols.

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Inspection judgements

Students say that they feel safe and are very clear on whom to speak to if they have any worries or concerns. They are provided with good access to telephone numbers for ChildLine and other external agencies, including contact details to a support service if they feel that are being exposed to child sexual exploitation.

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Inspection judgements

Positive behaviour is promoted, and generally students behave well. Students understand the school’s rewards system and work hard towards gaining rewards.

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Inspection judgements

The monitoring of restraint is robust. Leaders and managers critically analyse all incidents of restraint and countersign all records pertaining to them. They have developed comprehensive monitoring systems of restraint across the whole of the school. Records demonstrate that there has been a decrease in both the use of restraint and the duration of its use since the previous inspection. One staff member said, ‘the whole ethos has been a massive and welcome change, we base everything on relationships now.’ All residential staff receive effective training in the school’s preferred method of de-escalation and restraint.

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Inspection judgements

Sanctions are not excessive. Staff use a small range of strategies to help students to develop positive behaviour and to learn from their actions. All recorded strategies are low level and effective.

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Inspection judgements

Bullying is taken seriously, and if it occurs is immediately dealt with by leaders and managers. Students do not report that bullying is a concern in the school. Inspection Report Marland School, 22 March 2016 Page 8 of 12 There has been an increase students going missing since the previous inspection. Predominantly this increase related to one student who is no longer at the school. The incidents of ‘students missing’ were significantly reduced when he left. The ‘missing’ protocol does not give staff clear guidance on the action for staff to take if a young person goes absent or is missing. In addition, students do not always receive a ‘return home’ interview by staff or an independent person. The records of when students go missing do not always include a comprehensive description of the action staff take to find them.

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Inspection judgements

Since the previous inspection, leaders and managers have reviewed staff recruitment. As a result, these files are now maintained in a more accessible and well-structured way. Currently new staff do not have to provide leaders and managers with the dates when they were in full time education. As a result, leaders and managers complete additional work to establish new staffs’ full employment history. However, full recruitment and vetting checks are in place.

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Inspection judgements

Leaders and managers ensure that regular checks are undertaken of the school’s gas and electrical services. Detailed environmental risk assessments are conducted and regularly reviewed. An improvement since the previous inspection is that leaders and managers now include the residential accommodation in the school’s environmental risk assessments.

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Inspection judgements

Regular checks are undertaken on the school’s fire systems. This includes the annual service of the fire system and firefighting equipment. However, there is no clear audit trail to demonstrate that the work that has been completed on the school’s fire system if faults are identified. Leaders and managers will confirm the action that has been taken following this inspection.

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Inspection judgements

Students are knowledgeable about what to do in the event of a fire. They are able to explain and demonstrate the action that they would take. All staff have received fire safety training. This was a recommendation at the previous inspection.

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Inspection judgements

The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

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Inspection judgements

The residential provision is an extremely important part of the school, and there is strong leadership and management of this provision. It is effectively and well managed. Leaders and managers have a good awareness of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They work collaboratively to drive improvement and ensure that students have a positive experience. Leaders and managers have met the four recommendations that were made at the previous inspection.

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Inspection judgements

There is good external monitoring of the residential provision. The independent monitoring visitor reports on the outcomes for students and gives clear recommendations on how to Inspection Report Marland School, 22 March 2016 Page 9 of 12 further improve the provision. Following the most recent visit in March 2016, the independent visitor’s recommendations included the following: develop data collection for accidents and incidents; make progress with the Year 11 independence programme; and implement students’ suggestions. Leaders and managers are taking action to deal with these recommendations.

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Inspection judgements

Complaints are taken seriously by leaders and managers, and there are clear audit trails to demonstrate how students’ complaints are responded to. Students sign their satisfaction with the outcome of their complaint.

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Inspection judgements

There are adequate numbers of staff on duty to meet the individual and collective needs of the students. Residential staff speak highly of the support that they receive from leaders and managers. In particular, they are positive about the head of care. One member of staff said, ‘since he’s been in charge our standards of care have improved, he pushes us to improve.’ Another member of staff said, ‘he’s an excellent leader, he is supportive and organised and he will identify how we can improve our practice.’

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Inspection judgements

Staff receive formal supervision regularly. However, records of these meetings do not demonstrate that supervision meetings are purposeful or focus on their performance, and they lack detail and direction. Annual appraisals are conducted for each member of care staff. These records demonstrate that the appraisal process gives due consideration to the contribution that each staff member makes to the service.

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Inspection judgements

Staff receive good training opportunities, which equips them well for their role. Recent training includes that on child sexual exploitation, ‘Prevent’ awareness and medicines. However, it is noted that staff who have supervisory responsibilities have not recently received supervision training. The vast majority of staff are trained to the required level 3 qualification. Three staff are enrolled to undertake this training and three staff are undertaking a level 5 qualification.

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Inspection judgements

A very small number of Parent View questionnaires were completed. Those who responded did not raise any concerns about the school.

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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

Outstanding A school where the experiences and progress of children and young Inspection Report Marland School, 22 March 2016 Page 10 of 12 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.

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What inspection judgements mean

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.

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What inspection judgements mean

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.

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What inspection judgements mean

Inadequate A school where there are serious and/or widespread failures that 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 Marland School, 22 March 2016 Page 11 of 12

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School details

Social care unique reference number SC022231

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School details

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.

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School details

Type of school Residential Special School

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School details

Date of previous boarding inspection 03 March 2015

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School details

Email address k.bennett@marland.devon.sch.uk Inspection Report Marland School, 22 March 2016 Page 12 of 12 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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