Meadows School

London Road, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 0RJ

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Inspection dates 7 March to 9 March 2016

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children and young people

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

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The residential provision is outstanding because

 Residential pupils benefit greatly from their time at the school and thoroughly enjoy staying in the residential units.

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The residential provision is outstanding because

 Excellent collaborative multidisciplinary working across the whole school campus ensures that each pupil is closely supported to achieve their potential.    Each residential pupil’s unique needs and vulnerabilities are understood. Bespoke care plans ensure that they receive the support and nurturing they require.

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The residential provision is outstanding because

 A vastly experienced team of staff is led by a determination to achieve the best for the pupils in their care.

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The residential provision is outstanding because

 Members of staff receive excellent support and varied training. This ensures that they continue to provide high-quality care to the residential pupils.

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The residential provision is outstanding because

 One minor shortfall identified during this inspection was related to an administrative error and has had no impact on the well-being of the residential pupils.

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Compliance with the national minimum standards for residential special schools

The school meets the national minimum standards for residential special schools.

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Compliance with the national minimum standards for residential special schools

What does the school need to do to improve further?  Ensure that the record of sanctions is consistently completed. (NMS 13.8) Inspection Report Meadows School, 7 March 2016 Page 2 of 10

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Information about this inspection

The school was given four hours’ notice of the inspection. Meetings were held with the Principal, Deputy Principal (Care), residential staff, therapists, a governor, residential pupils, staff in charge of recruitment, a parent, visiting police officers and a social worker. Two evenings were spent in the residential accommodation observing staff and residential pupils’ interactions and activities. The inspector also joined pupils for meals. A number of records were examined, and contact was made with representatives of local safeguarding agencies.

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Inspection team

Paul Taylor Lead social care inspector Inspection Report Meadows School, 7 March 2016 Page 3 of 10

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Information about this school

Meadows School is a non-maintained residential special school owned by Barnardo's children's charity. At the time of the inspection there were 65 pupils on roll. There were 10 residential pupils, seven boys and three girls. The residential accommodation is provided in two houses. The boys' house is located within the school grounds and the girls reside in a house within walking distance of the school. The school is situated in Southborough, Kent, close to Tunbridge Wells, and caters for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Inspection Report Meadows School, 7 March 2016 Page 4 of 10

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young people

The emotional stability, nurturing care, and clear routines and boundaries enjoyed by the residential pupils provide a basis for them to make excellent progress. This significant and sustained growth is reflected in development of social skills, behavioural improvement and academic achievement.

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young people

The leadership team places the progress and well-being of pupils at the centre of practice. Close understanding of each residential pupil in their care ensures that their successes are celebrated with pride, and their need for additional and nurturing guidance, at times of challenge and stress, is provided carefully and sensitively. The staff team is very experienced and committed to being a positive force in the pupils’ lives. As a result of the high-quality care and commitment provided, residential pupils feel valued and know that the staff want what is best for them.

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young people

The progress made by residential pupils is measured and monitored. Systems are in place which collate data that can be assessed to gauge each pupil’s academic and behavioural achievements. Additionally, each pupil’s resilience is assessed, with a view to evidencing how they have progressed from the point of admission. Other evidence, from residential pupils themselves, parents and members of staff, underpins the positive impact of living at the school. ‘She has come on brilliantly’, was a comment from a Social Worker. ‘She is a different child’, said a parent. This establishes that residential pupils make huge strides in their lives.

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young people

All staff are aware of the vulnerabilities of each residential pupil in their care. Their safety is treated with utmost priority, and staff work closely with pupils, parents and other stakeholders, such as the police and safeguarding agencies, to provide a protective and supportive environment.

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young people

Residential pupils are able to express their views and feelings freely. The warm, trusting relationships they have with members of staff ensure that they can discuss any concerns and issues.

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young people

Residential pupils enjoy their boarding experience. They appreciate the variety of activities on offer, as well as the support they receive to attend school. ‘I would give this school nine out of 10’, reported a residential pupil. Additionally, they all receive excellent support and structure regarding the development of their independence skills, and preparation for further education and adulthood. ‘She couldn’t even get to school when she was at home, now she goes on her own every day’, said a parent.

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young people

The quality of care and support Outstanding

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young people

The quality of support that residential pupils receive is excellent. Each residential pupil’s specific needs are known and met, and the committed staff make every effort to nurture and develop the young people in their care. Subsequently, residential pupils make excellent progress, especially bearing in mind their starting points. ‘I wouldn’t be at school, I would be in prison if it wasn’t for here’, said one residential pupil.

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young people

Close collaboration between the professional disciplines in the school ensures that each residential pupil has a bespoke package of care. The on-site psychologist gives professional advice and guidance to pupils and staff, and this enables them to make significant strides in their social skills and academic work . Additional professionals, such as the school counsellor and speech and language therapists, add further expertise and ‘wrap around’ care for each pupil. Inspection Report Meadows School, 7 March 2016 Page 5 of 10 Members of residential staff work closely with their education colleagues. This ensures close and fluid communication, and an ability to act swiftly to meet any changing needs or crises which may occur.

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young people

Each residential pupil’s identity and background are valued and promoted. Care plans reflect their needs, based upon their histories and experiences prior to admission to the school. As a result, support is tailor-made to nurture, protect and encourage personal growth. This enables residential pupils to develop resilience, and to improve their self-esteem and achievements to a meaningful degree.

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young people

The residential units are maintained to a very good standard. They are comfortable and spacious, and enable the residential pupils to relax in homely, relaxing environments. Each residential pupil has their own room, which they are encouraged to personalise, and their own key.

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young people

A balance is maintained between providing residential pupils with varied and enriching activities on-site, and, at the same time, encouraging them to join clubs and make friends in the community. This encourages independence and a chance to develop their social skills and confidence. This approach has been very effective and the residential pupils have thrived with the opportunities they have been given. In addition to social activities, older residential pupils have the opportunity to attend college, vocational training and work experience. This consolidates their awareness of the wider world, and prepares them for their adult lives and responsibilities.

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young people

Residential pupils’ health is promoted to an excellent standard. There is a culture of healthy living embedded in the school routines. This means that all pupils are encouraged to exercise and eat healthily. In addition, any health needs are known and met, and specialists such as diabetes nurses are used for advice, if needed. Particular attention and excellent support is given to ensuring that pupils’ emotional and psychological health is promoted and protected. Medication monitoring systems are robust and ensure that residential pupils receive their medication as prescribed by medical professionals.

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young people

Residential pupils are positive about the food provided and are able to assist members of staff in preparing meals in the residential units. Cultural and medical dietary needs are known and met.

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young people

Each residential pupil has a bespoke care plan, which outlines their needs and targets. Residential pupils are actively involved in developing their targets with key workers, and this ensures collaboration and investment in their care. As a result, care is personalised and focused on each residential pupil’s unique needs and preferences.

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young people

Residential pupils have access to the internet, mobile telephones and the landlines based in their residential units. This means that they can contact their families and friends easily. Parents report that communication with staff is excellent and that they are kept up to date with any important information.

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young people

How well children and young people are protected Good

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young people

Residential pupils report feeling safe living at the school. They are seen to be confident in expressing their views and know to whom they can complain. They have numerous avenues to pursue in the event that they wish to express their views, opinions and complaints. As a result, they feel that their voices are heard and that they are listened to.

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young people

Members of staff are all trained in safeguarding matters, including recognition of child sexual exploitation and those at risk of radicalisation. Senior members of staff work effectively with Inspection Report Meadows School, 7 March 2016 Page 6 of 10 representatives from the local safeguarding children board and refer any concerns appropriately. Good records show how issues have been addressed so that young people are kept safe, and action plans are implemented when necessary. These include good quality risk assessments, which identify each residential pupil’s vulnerabilities and how staff need to respond in order to keep them safe. Examples of this include well-coordinated responses when a pupil has gone missing, which have ensured the pupil’s safe return.

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young people

Members of staff are acutely aware of the dangers posed by the internet and supervise its use closely. In addition, the residential pupils have a good awareness of the risks involved and how to keep safe. This information has also been provided to parents to encourage consistency and to consolidate the protection for the residential pupils when they are at home at weekends and during school holidays.

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young people

Residential pupils are clear that bullying is not tolerated, and that staff address any issues rigorously. Any incidents involving conflict are resolved by the use of restorative meetings. These establish clear boundaries and expectations, and give pupils the opportunity to rectify and reflect upon their behaviour.

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young people

Members of staff are routinely trained in methods of physical intervention used at the school. Physical restraint is very rare in the residential units, with staff using their considerable skills in managing behaviour and de-escalation very effectively. Positive behaviour is celebrated both formally in assembly and in ongoing acknowledgment of the efforts made by residential pupils. This means that positive behaviour improves significantly, and pupils develop their coping skills and strategies to an excellent degree.

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young people

The use of sanctions is also rare. The recording of these is not consistently made in the books kept for this purpose. On occasion, staff have recorded them in the daily record rather than the sanction book. This can make it difficult for senior staff to monitor, however, the sanctions have been appropriate and residential pupils report that they are fair and effective. This minor administrative error has not had any impact on the well-being of the residential pupils.

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young people

The recruitment system operated by the school ensures that all new members of staff are vetted thoroughly before commencing work. This includes background checks and checking of referees. As a result, only adults with appropriate backgrounds and work histories are employed.

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young people

There are routine checks of the fire safety systems which are underpinned by regular fire drills. This ensures that all the residential pupils know what to do in the event that they need to evacuate the building in an emergency.

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young people

The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Outstanding

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young people

The leadership and management of the residential provision are outstanding. There are high expectations of performance embedded in the culture, and this includes leaders, staff and residential pupils. As a result, residential pupils make excellent progress, especially when bearing in mind their starting points.

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young people

A strong sense of community, together with residential pupils being aware that members of staff will advocate for them and support them, means that there is a feeling of belonging and safety. ‘It’s like a family’, said one residential pupil.

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young people

A very stable and vastly experienced staff team provides stability and consistency to the young people they care for. The staff receive regular training to ensure that they have up-to-date skills and knowledge to carry out their roles to a high standard. This is underpinned by regular supervision and annual appraisals, and there is unanimous feedback about the high quality of Inspection Report Meadows School, 7 March 2016 Page 7 of 10 support they receive from managers and colleagues.

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young people

Care plans and intervention plans are detailed and outline how each residential pupil needs to be supported. Other records are completed to a good standard. One minor administrative shortfall regarding the consistent recording of sanctions has not had an impact on the well-being of the residential pupils.

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young people

There is robust monitoring of practice and quality of care. An independent visitor meets residential pupils and stakeholders as part of the external monitoring of practice. This is further supported by a governor carrying out additional visits to the residential provision and routine internal auditing by senior members of staff. Action plans are implemented if any shortfalls are identified, and residential pupils are informed about any progress on issues they have raised. For example, the independent visitor advocated strongly on behalf of the residential pupils to improve internet access and this has been accomplished. The level of scrutiny achieved is welcomed by the staff team and feedback is seen as a learning opportunity. This means that complacency is avoided, and practice is reviewed and reflected upon.

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young people

External professionals and stakeholders such as parents, social workers, members of safeguarding teams and police officers speak highly about how the residential provision supports the young people living there. The relevant agencies are alerted to safeguarding concerns so that action plans to protect the residential pupils can be implemented and their safety promoted.

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young people

All national minimum standards are met or exceeded. Inspection Report Meadows School, 7 March 2016 Page 8 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 Meadows School, 7 March 2016 Page 9 of 10

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School details

Unique reference number 119029 Social care unique reference number SC024060

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DfE registration number

This inspection was carried out under The Children Act 1989, as amended by 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 10 Gender of boarders Mixed Age range of boarders nine to 19 Headteacher Mike Price Date of previous boarding inspection 5 February 2015 Telephone number 01892 529 144 Email address meadowsschool@barnardos.org.uk Inspection Report Meadows School, 7 March 2016 Page 10 of 10 guidance 'raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/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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DfE registration number

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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DfE registration number

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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DfE registration number

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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DfE registration number

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DfE registration number

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

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