St. Andrew's Academy

Inspection Report St Andrew's School, 28 June 2016 to 30 June 2016 Page 1 of 11 St Andrew's School

p.1

St Andrew's School, St Andrew's View, Derby DE21 4EW

p.1

Inspection dates 28 June 2016 to 30 June 2016

p.1

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

p.1

The quality of care and support Outstanding 1 How well children and young people are protected Good 2 The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Good 2

p.1

The residential provision is good because

 Children and young people thoroughly enjoy their residential experience.  Children and young people receive excellent care from highly committed, skilled and passionate staff. This helps to build their confidence and self-esteem.  Staff support children and young people extremely well to be able to experience a broad range of activities that they would not have experienced otherwise.  Children and young people get the chance to develop their independence skills to the extent that parents are pleasantly surprised that they become ready for their life as an adult.  Staff support children and young people to be able to take proportionate and well managed risks in order to develop new skills. As a result, their safety improves and their confidence grows.  Parents are unanimous in their view that their child or young person directly benefits from residence. They say that staff help them considerably in the joint

p.1

The residential provision is good because

work needed to ensure that children and young people can reach their full potential.  There are positive comments about all staff from parents, children, young people and other professionals.  Leaders and managers are enthusiastic and energetic about their work and always make sure that children and young people are completely at the centre of everything that they do.  Children and young people feel listened to and are confident in the knowledge Inspection Report St Andrew's School, 28 June 2016 to 30 June 2016 Page 2 of 11 that staff are there to assist them.  There is one shortfall: the monitoring of risk assessments is not always thorough. Although the school environment is safe, this shortfall means that the effectiveness of risk minimisation strategies may not be carefully evaluated.

p.1

schools

The school does not meet the following national minimum standard for residential special schools:  The records specified in Appendix 2 are maintained and monitored by the school and action taken as appropriate. (NMS 13.8) In particular, in relation to risk assessments regarding the safety of the building.

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the issues specified in Appendix 2 are monitored and that action is taken to improve outcomes for children and young people as appropriate. In particular, in relation to risk assessments regarding the safety of the building. (NMS 13.8)  Ensure that staff training programmes contain a curriculum whereby the needs of children and young people with disabilities in residential care are well considered.  Ensure that policies are developed so that they are less generic and more specific towards the pupils with learning disabilities. Inspection Report St Andrew's School, 28 June 2016 to 30 June 2016 Page 3 of 11

p.2

Information about this inspection

This inspection was announced on the morning of the first day. The residential provision was inspected, which is on the same premises as the main school. Group and individual discussions took place with children and young people. In addition, staff, managers, parents and professionals were spoken with. The school’s policies and children’s and young people’s records were scrutinised. The inspectors shared a meal with children and young people and engaged in discussions with them during the late afternoon and evening, when they were in residence.

p.3

Inspection team

Phillip Morris Lead social care regulatory inspector

p.3

Inspection team

Social care regulatory inspector Inspection Report St Andrew's School, 28 June 2016 to 30 June 2016 Page 4 of 11

p.3

Information about this school

St Andrew's School is a Derby City local authority co-educational residential special school. There are 89 pupils on roll, whose ages range from 11 to 19 years. All pupils have statements of special educational need for autism and severe learning disabilities. There are 21 children and young people who access the residential service, which operates from Monday to Friday and a maximum of 10 pupils at any one time reside at the school during the week. The residential accommodation is provided in an annex attached to the main school and a bungalow for older pupils in the school grounds. The school is situated in a suburb of Derby city. The residential provision was last inspected in June 2015. Inspection Report St Andrew's School, 28 June 2016 to 30 June 2016 Page 5 of 11

p.4

Inspection Judgements

The overall experiences and progress of children and young people Good

p.5

Inspection Judgements

Children and young people thoroughly enjoy their residential experience. They experience new activities, and learn new things. The extended day curriculum enables them to achieve their school targets. As a result, they develop their confidence and self- esteem. Children and young people feel valued and protected. The residential provision is very well organised. Children and young people feel very proud to be at this school. They take particular pride in the progress that they make in developing improved social skills and better behaviour. One young person illustrated this point by saying that the school is ‘marvellous’. Parents report a positive difference to their child or young person. Their positive comments about children’s and young people’s progress include ‘there is a massive difference’, ‘personal care has improved’ and ‘confidence has visibly increased’. One group of parents confirmed that the impact of residence on their young people is ‘life

p.5

Inspection Judgements

changing’. Safeguarding is a priority and children and young people are safe. However, the process for checking risk assessments is not always effective and there is the potential for health and safety issues to develop or drift if this is not put right.

p.5

Inspection Judgements

The quality of care and support Outstanding

p.5

Inspection Judgements

Staff are instrumental in enabling children and young people to make strong progress. The experienced, longstanding and committed team know children and young people exceptionally well and how to care for them. They also know what they need to do in order for children and young people to make as much progress as possible. They and have high aspirations for children and young people. Overwhelming evidence from parents suggests that young people’s outcomes are outstanding because of the quality of the care and support that young people receive. Parent’s comments include, ‘I am overwhelmed with the support and care she has received from the staff team and particularly the residential staff team.’ Young people make excellent progress in key aspects of their lives. For example, they learn to develop strategies to manage their anxieties. They also learn to effectively manage health issues because they are taught about the importance of taking

p.5

Inspection Judgements

medicines, how to manage their own health conditions, and the importance of healthy eating and exercise. Children and young people are well prepared for adulthood. The annex to residence ensures that there is somewhere for older pupils to practice their independence skills. Young people are expected to undertake shopping, kitchen tasks, food preparation, laundry and cleaning when they use this facility. As a result, they are better equipped to face the demands of life beyond the school. Highly effective joint working with parents and carers promotes very positive progress. Inspection Report St Andrew's School, 28 June 2016 to 30 June 2016 Page 6 of 11 Parents and carers spoke extremely positively to inspectors about how their child or young person is cared for exceptionally well. They reflected with great positivity and high emotion on the very positive impact for their child. For example, they talked about

p.5

Inspection Judgements

improvements to appearance, personal hygiene and self-esteem. They also commented very positively on how they are supported by staff. They reported that this support gives them the confidence that they need to enable their child or young person to take proportionate risks, so that they can develop and progress. Young people are involved in developing the residential provision. The regular school council meetings work extremely effectively to promote choice, further enhancing confidence and teaching young people that they can have their say. Recent examples of the implementation of children’s and young people’s ideas are the purchase of new yoga mats and discussions about age-appropriate activities. Children and young people choose to use the residential provision. Where they do not wish to come to residence they are listened to. However, staff know the young people that could benefit, and do at times actively persuade parents and young people to

p.6

Inspection Judgements

access the service. This is because they know that they can make a big difference to young people’s self-esteem and progress. When there are new admissions, parents are happy that these are managed well. One parent commented, ‘I was surprised. He settled immediately.’

p.6

Inspection Judgements

How well children and young people are protected Good

p.6

Inspection Judgements

Young people live in a safe environment. They are very well protected by staff and are comfortable in the knowledge that there is always someone to turn to if they have a problem or a worry. This adds to their sense of safety. Policies and procedures are available, which provide key information to staff on how they should protect children and young people. Some policies do not incorporate the additional vulnerability of young people with disabilities in residential care, although the experienced staff team is fully aware of their added vulnerability. Their attitude of ‘it could happen’ facilitates the realistic and practical attitude towards protecting the children and young people. Staff are knowledgeable about issues such as e-safety, child sexual exploitation and radicalisation, further protecting children and young people. Recruitment and selection procedures are effective. This reduces the risk of unsuitable

p.6

Inspection Judgements

adults working in the school. Positive behaviour is consistently promoted. There have been no restraints since the last inspection, demonstrating the staff’s strong communication skills. Children and young people are encouraged very positively and are regularly praised and rewarded for their good behaviour. The highly positive and inclusive approach assists children and young people in developing more socially acceptable behaviour. Children and young people report a very low level of bullying. They are very confident that staff help them if bullying should become a problem. They know that there is a zero tolerance to bullying, which helps them to feel confident to tell a staff member if they have any concerns. No residential pupils have been missing since the last inspection. Staff supervision levels are suitable for the numbers of children and young people. This ensures that staff can always account for their whereabouts, keeping them safe at all times.

p.6

Inspection Judgements

Inspection Report St Andrew's School, 28 June 2016 to 30 June 2016 Page 7 of 11 Children and young people are assisted particularly well in order to take proportionate and appropriate risks to further progress their skills. For example, they are taught how to make hot drinks safely, cook safely and to manage their money in the community. Parents feel supported in this area. They feel more able to assist their child or young person to take the risks after they know that they have previously practiced skills in residence. Parents are clear that their child’s or young person’s safety increases, while at the same time being able to learn and make progress. One parent stated ‘school have given me the confidence to let go and let my child do different things’. The school is a safe place for children, young people, staff and visitors. There is a high regard for health and safety, the security of the building, and fire safety systems.

p.7

Inspection Judgements

Children and young people are able to recite what they should do in the event of a fire. However, risk assessments do not always provide a full picture of how risks and potential hazards are monitored.

p.7

Inspection Judgements

The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

p.7

Inspection Judgements

Leaders are good at managing a residential school of this nature because they fully understand the needs of the children and young people and genuinely want them to do well in their life. Parents and other professionals speak extremely highly of the management team and all are highly confident that the residential part of the school is very effectively run. Leaders know the strengths and developmental areas well and work to ensure that there is continued progress. For example, the head of care is currently working to improve self-evaluation, to assist her and her team in reflecting on practice. Monitoring does extend to each area of work but is not always as robust regarding areas of risk around the building, including fire protection. While safety could be established for inspection purposes, managers found this a difficult process, suggesting that they did not already have a good understanding prior to the inspection. There is the potential for

p.7

Inspection Judgements

areas of risk to develop if this monitoring is not improved. There are high expectations from leaders and managers and this ethos filters down to staff at every level, further motivating an already highly committed staff team. Although staff morale is said to be low because of a recent pay review within the organisation, staff and managers are clear that their commitment has not faltered throughout this process. Staff say that they are happy with their level of supervision and support. They have regular meetings with their manager, although these are not recording in writing. They also receive an annual performance management meeting, which appraises their performance ensuring that the high quality of care is maintained. Staff are well trained, well deployed, experienced and longstanding. This means that they know the operation of the school, its policies and procedures, and the needs of children and young people very well. Staff training does not always consider the added

p.7

Inspection Judgements

vulnerability of children and young people with disabilities. Despite this, staff have developed an extensive knowledge in this area over their numerous years of service. A high value is placed on strong partnerships with parents and carers and this work is at the heart of the school’s ethos. This joint working is instrumental to children’s and young people’s positive progress. Parents’ comments include ‘the school go out of their way to communicate any time of the day and night’, ‘the school are very good with communication overall’ and ‘it’s great, very supportive and offers a great deal of care Inspection Report St Andrew's School, 28 June 2016 to 30 June 2016 Page 8 of 11 and support to the carers’. A social worker also commented positively and discussed a multi-agency approach which benefits children and young people stating, ‘The head of care identifies and takes action promptly. She gets the right professionals around the

p.7

Inspection Judgements

table, as they require.’ Inspection Report St Andrew's School, 28 June 2016 to 30 June 2016 Page 9 of 11

p.8

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.9

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.9

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 St Andrew's School, 28 June 2016 to 30 June 2016 Page 10 of 11

p.9

School details

Unique reference number N/A Social care unique reference number SC053344 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 21 Gender of boarders Mixed Age range of boarders 11 to 19 Headteacher Date of previous boarding inspection 9 June 2015 Telephone number 01332 832746 Email address hflockton@standrews.derby.sch.uk Inspection Report St Andrew's School, 28 June 2016 to 30 June 2016 Page 11 of 11 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.10

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.11

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.11

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.11

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.11

School details

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

p.11