Sedgemoor Manor School

Mark College, Mark House, Blackford Road, Mark, HIGHBRIDGE, Somerset, TA9 4NP

p.1

Inspection dates 06/10/2015 to 08/10/2015

p.1

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

p.1

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

p.1

Summary of key findings

The residential provision is good because  Children and young people make good academic progress and learn new life skills. They thoroughly enjoy their experience in the residential provision and speak highly of the residential care staff, and of the care and support they receive.  The school has a comprehensive policy for child protection. Children and young people say that they feel safe, and they are safe.  The residential accommodation is safe, homely, well maintained and decorated and furnished to a good standard. It is well managed and is an integral part of the school.  Children and young people speak enthusiastically of the wide variety of social, leisure and recreational facilities that are on offer to them.  Positive behaviour is promoted and children and young people behave well. A strength of this service is that residential staff do not use restraint, as the emphasis is on the use of de-escalation.

p.1

Summary of key findings

 The school promotes a culture of inclusion and respect for others. There are a large number of children and young people from various countries who reside at the school. They are considerate and respectful of each other’s culture and religion.  Areas for improvement include reviewing processes to clearly evidence audit trails in relation to safeguarding, medicines, and the recording of sanctions. Seeking the views in respect of the meals provided, continuously reviewing staffing levels and matters relating to the hot water supply to some shower facilities.

p.1

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

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 ensure that there is a comprehensive and clear audit trail of all child protection concerns, and that the records are held in one place.

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 ensure that the duration of the sanction and the views of children are recorded when sanctions have been imposed.

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 ensure that there is a clear audit trail of the stock levels of all prescribed medicines and homely remedies.

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 seek the views on the provision of meals from children and young people and take appropriate action based on the outcomes of their views.

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 ensure that all showering and bathing facilities are maintained to a satisfactory level to provide a good supply of hot water and satisfactory water pressure.

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 continually review the staffing levels following recent appointments to ensure adequate staffing levels are maintained at all times in order to meet the school's statement of purpose. Inspection Report Mark College, 06/10/2015 Page 2 of 12

p.2

Information about this inspection

The school was contacted on the morning of the inspection and the inspector arrived at the college at 11:30am. The inspector visited all of the residential provisions, observed staff interaction, and arranged group meetings with children and young people and with the residential staff. In addition, the inspector scrutinised a variety of records, documents and policies and procedures.

p.3

Inspection team

David Kidner Lead social care inspector Inspection Report Mark College, 06/10/2015 Page 3 of 12

p.3

Information about this school

Mark College is owned and operated by Priory Education Services, a national organisation which manages a number of health, social care and education settings. It is a 38-week secondary co-educational residential special school for pupils with primary learning needs around dyslexia and associated language disorders.

p.4

Information about this school

The school accommodates a number of ethnically diverse residential pupils, including some from overseas.

p.4

Information about this school

The college has three purpose-built boarding houses located together in the centre of the site. Two new flats are also used to promote semi independence living for older young people. Inspection Report Mark College, 06/10/2015 Page 4 of 12

p.4

Inspection Judgements

The overall experiences and progress of children and young people Good

p.5

Inspection Judgements

Children and young people make good academic progress and learn new life skills. They thoroughly enjoy their experience in the residential provision and speak highly of the residential care staff. They feel supported, and listened to.

p.5

Inspection Judgements

Children and young people know how to keep themselves safe, they say that they feel safe, and are safe. The school has recently provided them with workshops in e-safety and social media. This ensures that they are given guidance and support when using the internet and social media.

p.5

Inspection Judgements

They develop the skills and confidence they need to prepare them for life after leaving the school. When they leave the school a large number move to further education and others to higher education, some acquire an apprenticeship.

p.5

Inspection Judgements

Children and young people benefit from a wide variety of social, leisure and recreational activities in which they have a keen interest, including sporting activities such as rugby. In addition, they enjoy, bowling, trips to town, archery, cinema, shopping, ‘manhunt’ and using the trampoline. One young person said ‘there’s always something to keep you busy’.

p.5

Inspection Judgements

Children and young people are very aware of their peers’ individuality, and they respect each other’s culture and religion. They are provided with facilities that meet their religious and cultural needs, this includes an area where they can pray if they so wish.

p.5

Inspection Judgements

Children and young people are comfortable and happy in their residential accommodation. They develop friendships with each other and have trust in adults.

p.5

Inspection Judgements

The school has a comprehensive admissions process that ensures a thorough assessment of prospective children and young people’s needs is obtained prior to their arrival at the school. The school works hard to understand children and young people’s needs so that their arrival at the school is carefully planned and a positive experience.

p.5

Inspection Judgements

Children and young people receive good pastoral care and individualised support from Inspection Report Mark College, 06/10/2015 Page 5 of 12 staff. Placement plans reflect their individual needs and these are supported by good quality risk assessments that clearly identify any known risks, and guidance for residential staff to follow.

p.5

Inspection Judgements

Residential staff are enthusiastic and committed to meeting the children and young people’s needs and place them at the centre of their practice. One staff member said that their role is ‘to provide a supportive and caring environment’ and ‘encourage children and young people’s independence’. Children and young people speak highly of the residential staff. One young person said ‘they are lovely and helpful’. Other young people said ‘they are kind and helpful’ and ‘they are always there for you’.

p.6

Inspection Judgements

Children and young people’s independence is promoted. Some accommodation areas are arranged in smaller settings in order to promote their independence. As a result, young people occupying these areas have easy access to facilities that assists and develops new skills such as cooking, washing their clothes and ironing.

p.6

Inspection Judgements

Children and young people are able to keep in touch with their family and friends. There is a telephone available in all residential accommodation areas that families can call to speak to their child.

p.6

Inspection Judgements

Children and young people benefit from good health care support. They are all registered with the local general practitioner and have access to a variety of therapeutic services if required. They feel that they are well looked after and know how to gain support from sleeping in staff during the night if they feel unwell.

p.6

Inspection Judgements

Since the previous inspection the management of medicines has been reviewed and prescribed medicines are now stored and administered from one identified area. There is good storage and safekeeping of medicines. However, comprehensive records are not kept of the stock levels for homely remedies and all prescribed medicines. This does not assist in maintaining a clear audit trail. The Acting Principal agreed to review these arrangements.

p.6

Inspection Judgements

Young people are encouraged to be independent in the management of their medicines. Where this is deemed appropriate, risk assessments are conducted to support them in the management of their medicines. They are then provided with lockable facilities in their bedrooms, for the safekeeping of their medicines.

p.6

Inspection Judgements

Children and young people eat all of their meals in the school’s main dining room. In addition, each accommodation area has facilities for them to prepare drinks and snacks and fresh fruit is readily available. There are very mixed views about the quality and portion size of the food provided. Some children and young people consider that the food is good, and others consider that it can be improved. The Acting Principal has acknowledged that a formal survey needs to be conducted to gain informed opinions Inspection Report Mark College, 06/10/2015 Page 6 of 12 from the children and young people and act upon the findings.

p.6

Inspection Judgements

Children and young people benefit from residential accommodation that is homely in appearance, well maintained, and decorated to a good standard. There are lots of homely touches such as pictures and soft furnishings that promote a family style environment. All bedrooms are of single occupancy and some have en-suite facilities. All children and young people have an electronic key card to their bedroom, this promotes their privacy. They say that they are delighted with their bedrooms and say that they have everything that they should want. Although, the school ensures that only people who are authorised to access the residential accommodation do so, on occasion day pupils may access the residential accommodation with the support of school staff. The Acting Principal agreed to review these arrangements.

p.7

Inspection Judgements

Toilet, bathing and shower facilities are very well presented and clean. Children and young people confirm that they respect each other’s privacy and dignity and said that staff always knock on the doors. Some reported that on occasions the showers are not always hot and that the water pressure is poor.

p.7

Inspection Judgements

How well children and young people are protected Good

p.7

Inspection Judgements

The school has a comprehensive policy for child protection. Any allegations or suspicions of harm are handled fairly and quickly. The designated safeguarding lead ensures that these are reported to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and, where appropriate, to the local multi-agency safeguarding hub. However, leaders and managers do not always ensure that they keep detailed records of the contact made, and the outcomes following advice and discussions. This does not clearly record the action taken and provide a robust audit trail, with records kept in one place.

p.7

Inspection Judgements

Where leaders and managers have undertaken internal investigations following consultation with the LADO, they follow the school’s disciplinary policies, procedures and protocols.

p.7

Inspection Judgements

Children and young people say that they feel safe. They are able to identify staff they can speak to if they were worried about something. One young person said ‘if you need to talk to someone, they will always help’. The views on the safety of pupils from parents who have completed the online parent questionnaire all consider that their child is safe at the school. Children and young people do not go missing from the school.

p.7

Inspection Judgements

Positive behaviour is promoted and children and young people behave well. They are knowledgeable about the school’s rewards system for promoting good behaviour and are Inspection Report Mark College, 06/10/2015 Page 7 of 12 enthused to gain the rewards. The rewards system has a positive effect on their behaviour.

p.7

Inspection Judgements

All residential staff receive training in the schools preferred method of de-escalation and restraint. A strength of this service is that residential staff do not use restraint as the emphasis is on the use of de-escalation. Sanctions are imposed if required. These are fair and proportionate. However, not all sanctions are recorded in detail, such as the length of the sanction, and that children and young people’s views are always recorded. Through their monitoring of these records, senior managers have identified this as an issue and said that this will be addressed without delay.

p.8

Inspection Judgements

There are a large number of children and young people from various countries who reside at the school. They are considerate and respectful of each other’s cultures and religion. One young person said ‘one speciality about this school is that there is no racism’, ‘no one judges you’ and ‘we respect each other’s cultures’. The school does not tolerate discrimination and if this does occur, it is dealt with immediately. Children and young people do not identify bullying as a concern.

p.8

Inspection Judgements

The school operates safe recruitment procedures. Staff do not commence employment at the school until all the required checks have been completed.

p.8

Inspection Judgements

The school provides a secure and safe environment. There are robust and effective systems are in place to monitor and promote health and safety. Regular checks are undertaken on the gas and electrical services and detailed environmental risk assessments are conducted and regularly reviewed.

p.8

Inspection Judgements

Fire safety is promoted. There is regular servicing of the fire system and firefighting equipment. Children and young people are knowledgeable of the action to take in the event of an emergency. They are aware of the fire escape routes and take part in regular fire drills.

p.8

Inspection Judgements

The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

p.8

Inspection Judgements

There are temporary arrangements in the management structure of the school. There is currently an Acting Principal in post who is supported by a Managing Principal who predominantly works off site. The staff liaise regularly together to ensure senior managers are aware of the functioning of the school and any arising issues.

p.8

Inspection Judgements

The school's statement of purpose clearly outlines the aims of the residential provision and the residential provision is seen as an important part of the school. The residential provision is well led and managed. Inspection Report Mark College, 06/10/2015 Page 8 of 12 Leaders and managers have a good awareness of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The improvement plan identifies areas of improvement and reflects on recent achievements. Current areas identified for improvement include the further development and implementation of the independence and transition programme, a review of the induction programme and review meetings in respect of the children and young people and to develop a new staff training programme.

p.8

Inspection Judgements

The school has strong internal and external evaluation procedures and regular and effective monitoring.

p.9

Inspection Judgements

‘Parentview’ questionnaire responses confirms that all respondents consider that their child is well looked after and, that the boarding/welfare provision is well organised and managed effectively.

p.9

Inspection Judgements

Residential staff receive regular and effective support and supervision. The format for recording supervision has improved since the last inspection. This has resulted in supervision records demonstrating their awareness and understanding of the placement plans. In addition, residential staff confirm that they feel very well supported and that there are robust on-call arrangements in times of support and advice.

p.9

Inspection Judgements

The training opportunities for residential staff are good. They receive regular training in safeguarding, first aid and behaviour management. In addition, they have received training in autism, Asperger’s and epilepsy. This ensures that they receive specific training in order to meet the needs of the children and young people. Those residential staff who do not have a formal qualification to level three diploma are enrolled on a course to achieve this.

p.9

Inspection Judgements

Leaders and managers ensure that there is adequate residential staff deployed to each accommodation area. Following a recent review of staffing levels, the Acting Principal confirms that two further residential staff have been appointed and checks are underway before they can be confirmed in post. She said that staffing levels are kept under regular review to ensure that good staffing levels are maintained. Inspection Report Mark College, 06/10/2015 Page 9 of 12

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

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 Mark College, 06/10/2015 Page 10 of 12

p.10

School details

Unique reference number 123933 Social care unique reference number SC033024 DfE registration number This inspection was carried out under the Children Act 1989, as amended by the Care Standards Act 2000, having regard to the national minimum standards for residential special schools. Type of school Residential Special School Number of boarders on roll 39 Gender of boarders Mixed Age range of boarders 10 to20 Headteacher Chris Sweeney Date of previous boarding inspection 25/09/2014 Telephone number 01278 641632 Email address markcollege@priorygroup.com Inspection Report Mark College, 06/10/2015 Page 11 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

p.11

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.

p.12

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

p.12

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

p.12

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'.

p.12

School details

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

p.12