St Anne's School and Sixth Form College

Inspection Report St Anne's School and Sixth Form College, 14/11/2016 Page 1 of 12 St Anne’s School and Sixth Form College St Helens Drive, Welton, Brough HU15 1NR

p.1

Inspection dates 14/11/2016 to 16/11/2016

p.1

The overall experiences and progress of children and young people Outstanding 1

p.1

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

p.1

The residential provision is outstanding because

 School leaders and governors are rigorous in their review, evaluation and improvement processes, thereby ensuring high standards of care.  There is excellent leadership that drives a culture of continuous improvement and delivers an outstanding service.  Staff are highly motivated, well trained and supported by managers. They enjoy coming to work and providing the best care they can for residential pupils.  The residential provision is an integral part of the school and residential pupils benefit from the significant contribution it makes to their academic, personal, social and emotional development.  Pupils’ individual health and welfare needs are extremely well supported.  Residential pupils thrive in an environment where staff recognise their individual strengths and vulnerabilities. Diversity is respected and disability is not seen as a barrier, so that residential pupils develop their potential and benefit from the

p.1

The residential provision is outstanding because

enrichment the school provides.  Parents are extremely positive about the school experience and the impact it has on their children and as families.  Very robust safeguarding procedures ensure that residential pupils are safe.

p.1

schools

The school meets the national minimum standards for residential special schools. Inspection Report St Anne's School and Sixth Form College, 14/11/2016 Page 2 of 12

p.1

What does the school need to do to improve further?

Senior leaders should make further representations to the local authority, with the aim of changing the local authority’s policy so that students over the age of 18 attending the sixth form can continue with their short breaks in the Residence. Inspection Report St Anne's School and Sixth Form College, 14/11/2016 Page 3 of 12

p.2

Information about this inspection

The headteacher was given two and a half hours’ notice of the inspection. The inspector spoke to a range of residential pupils, boys and girls, across different year groups, individually and in small groups. Time was spent observing routines during school, at breakfast and teatime, and evening activities and the ways in which residential pupils and staff interact. Inspectors met with the headteacher, the head of care, the senior leadership team, four governors, including the chair of the governors, and residential staff. Parents’ views were collated from the Ofsted Parent View website, face-to-face discussion and parental survey forms from the school’s own consultation. Inspectors consulted with a representative from the local authority safeguarding team and placing social workers, and examined a range of records, policies and procedures in relation to the safeguarding and care of residential pupils.

p.3

Inspection team

Simon Morley Lead social care inspector Inspection Report St Anne's School and Sixth Form College, 14/11/2016 Page 4 of 12

p.3

Information about this school

This is a local authority maintained residential special school. The school has 140 pupils on roll, aged from 2 to 19 years, who have a range of severe and complex needs. The school has an attached residential facility, the Residence, which has separate access from the school. Currently, 46 pupils use the Residence, with up to 14 pupils staying each night. Pupils stay at the Residence for short breaks of one or two nights each week, on a regular basis. There is flexibility for extra nights and longer stays, both on a planned and emergency basis. Pupils also stay at weekends and during some of the school holidays. The school is in the village of Welton near the town of Brough. The residential provision was last inspected in January 2016. Inspection Report St Anne's School and Sixth Form College, 14/11/2016 Page 5 of 12

p.4

Outstanding

Outcomes for residential pupils are excellent. They clearly benefit from the very positive, trusting relationships they have with staff. Across the whole school, the needs of pupils and their welfare are clearly at the centre of practice. Staff provide residential pupils with sensitive, nurturing care as well as helping them succeed in developing their skills and independence.

p.5

Outstanding

Taking into account their different disabilities and looking at their journey through school and into the sixth form, they make very significant progress. All of the Year 11 pupils progress into the sixth form and some pupils make this transition early. Staff help sixth form students to develop ‘Work Experience Records’, similar to CVs, to find meaningful work experience and employment. A number of students are employed in other schools, a cafe, a hairdresser’s, a local pub and a water-sports company. The school is also part of a new pilot scheme with a large local employer to provide more students with employment.

p.5

Outstanding

At school, sixth form students work in the school shop and cafe, and participate in animal care, gardening and recycling projects. Disability is not seen as a barrier and staff support all students to take part and contribute to these activities. For example, some students weigh and bag items of school produce and others will sell these to members of the public. Students are proud of their efforts and the money they raise, which they invest back into these projects. They have helped to extend the garden and add a new polytunnel. As a result of such experiences, these young people grow in stature, confidence and self-esteem.

p.5

Outstanding

The school’s values are clearly seen in the considerate behaviour of residential pupils who are, for the most part, tolerant and respectful of each other, staff and visitors. Residential pupils benefit from the inclusive ethos of the school and commitment of staff in helping them socialise, contribute to the running of school and be part of their community. Parents commented, ‘There is progress in her social behaviour, sharing and manners. She is more outgoing and wants to do more for herself,’ and, ‘The socialising with peers is invaluable.’

p.5

Outstanding

The attention to detail, respect for residential pupils’ individual needs and the commitment from staff to overcoming barriers to disability have a strong impact on pupils’ ability to make substantial progress. Overall, the academic, personal, social and emotional progress of residential pupils is significant and sustained. Their quality of life is much improved and there is a valuable boost to their future life chances and outcomes as adults. Once pupils reach the age of 18, while they still attend school as sixth form students, the local authority does not support the continuation of a short-break service. This can be difficult for parents and pupils, and despite school leaders taking this up with the local authority there has been no change in policy.

p.5

Outstanding

Parents and placing authorities are extremely positive about the school and the care that residential pupils receive. Leaders are responsive to their feedback and are always trying Inspection Report St Anne's School and Sixth Form College, 14/11/2016 Page 6 of 12 to improve the service. For example, there is now more information on the school’s website, and the coffee morning has helped strengthen relationships with parents, who are better informed about the school. Short breaks are flexible and are managed very effectively to help safeguard young people. For example, one pupil stayed for a month while the placing authority completed a family assessment. A social worker commented, ‘The care is fantastic and I cannot praise them enough for the support they give.’ There is excellent communication with social workers, and school leaders provide a strong input to placing authorities’ child protection procedures and care plans.

p.5

The quality of care and support Outstanding

Residential pupils benefit from the exceptional, nurturing and highly individualised care that the experienced and highly motivated staff provide. Parents commented: ‘Staff are very knowledgeable of, and sensitive to, individual needs. The Residence has a very welcoming, family like atmosphere where my son feels safe and cared for,’ and, ‘The staff at the Residence are very good, caring and professional. They take great care of the pupils.’ Residential pupils start as day pupils and their use of the Residence is carefully and thoughtfully planned according to their needs. The staff are very successful in supporting pupils from their admission, all the way through school and in the sixth form.

p.6

The quality of care and support Outstanding

Staff are very sensitive to the needs of residential pupils and strive hard to get to know them well. Staff communicate regularly with parents and healthcare professionals so that residential pupils’ needs are fully met. The school nurse, occupational, speech and language therapists and physiotherapists all contribute to the pupils’ high levels of support. Parents commented, ‘I know he is in capable hands,’ and, ‘They (staff) give the best care and stimulation.’ Care, teaching and healthcare staff work closely together to ensure high levels of continuity and consistency of care. Consequently, residential pupils, achieve a wide range of positive outcomes.

p.6

The quality of care and support Outstanding

School leaders ensure that healthcare arrangements are rigorous and robust. Health and care plans are comprehensive, with clearly detailed and relevant information to ensure that pupils’ health and welfare needs are met. These cover specific and complex needs in relation to disability, diet, epilepsy, sensory impairment and emotional well-being. Residential pupils enjoy the wholesome, nourishing food on offer and special dietary requirements are catered for. Residential pupil's health is additionally safeguarded by the effective arrangements for administering medication.

p.6

The quality of care and support Outstanding

Staff encourage residential pupils to be involved in decisions about their care as much as possible, based on their age and understanding. There are robust arrangements for consulting residential pupils and they know how to complain if they want to. Signs, symbols and assistive technology, such as eye gazers, are used to promote communication. A representative from the local authority children’s rights team visits regularly and talks to residential pupils. Their views are shared with the manager, who takes appropriate action. Parents are also consulted and there has been the first and very successful coffee morning with another planned. Parents commented about staff, ‘They are always extremely approachable, staff are fabulous and any issues are dealt with professionally, they are so friendly, I can talk about anything.’ In addition there is Inspection Report St Anne's School and Sixth Form College, 14/11/2016 Page 7 of 12

p.6

The quality of care and support Outstanding

an active parents support and social group. These arrangements help parents both socially and with the care of their children.

p.7

The quality of care and support Outstanding

Staff ensure that support and targets for residential pupils are strongly focused on individual needs, such as social skills, independence, self-care skills and sensory stimulation. The manager ensures that the care of residential pupils is regularly reviewed and new targets are set to reflect their progress. A new assessment framework, along with parental feedback, demonstrates how much pupils achieve. For example, parents commented, ‘He has made lots of progress, he tries to help and his sleep has improved,’ and, ‘He is grown up and blossoming, he makes his needs known and gets along with peers,’ and, ‘Great progress with self-help skills socialising and interacting.’ Care is highly sensitive to individual needs and covers the diversity of pupils’ abilities. For example, one pupil may be developing social skills while another is exploring sensory awareness and stimulation.

p.7

The quality of care and support Outstanding

Residential pupils are empowered to take part in a wide range of social and leisure pursuits at school and in the wider community. They enjoy the ‘Library Bus’, trampolining, going to a local youth club and gardening. They also raise money for charity, help in the school’s cafe and shop and won a silver prize at the Yorkshire Garden Festival. These activities help them integrate into the community, develop their academic, social and leadership skills and boost their confidence and self-esteem.

p.7

The quality of care and support Outstanding

Accommodation for pupils is of a suitable standard. There are plenty of activity areas and pupils enjoy the sensory room. There are appropriate aids and adaptations in place for pupils with physical disabilities. Staff make effective use of the space and short breaks are managed well, grouping pupils together of similar age, with similar needs and who are friends with each other. Pupils can contact their families and parents can telephone each night to check on their children.

p.7

How well children and young people are protected Outstanding

The managers and staff have an excellent understanding of safeguarding practice. Policies and procedures are thorough and robustly implemented by staff who are confident in their role. Practice is scrutinised effectively through the oversight of the governors. Everyone takes safety very seriously and there is a strong, proactive approach to learning from any incidents and complaints. This keeps safeguarding high on the agenda and reinforces the regular training that staff, managers and governors all undertake. The chair of the governors is also part of the local authority’s safeguarding children board. Along with his knowledge and experience, this ensures that there are strong links with partner agencies that have a shared responsibility for safeguarding.

p.7

How well children and young people are protected Outstanding

Residential pupils are safe and free from harm. Parents confirm their safety when staying at the school, for example, one parent commented, ‘He is safe and well cared for.’ There are no missing from school incidents and pupils are supported to lead a healthy lifestyle free from the risks of smoking, alcohol and substance misuse.

p.7

How well children and young people are protected Outstanding

Pupils enjoy being at the school and learn to respect each other, the staff and school property. There is no bullying and staff are vigilant to any arguments or poor behaviour Inspection Report St Anne's School and Sixth Form College, 14/11/2016 Page 8 of 12 between pupils. Staff respond immediately to any such incidents with sensitivity, so that all pupils feel safe and secure. Residential pupils feel comfortable and trust the staff, with whom they have good relationships. They also make friends with each other.

p.7

How well children and young people are protected Outstanding

Promoting positive behaviour is a strength of the school. Staff develop individual strategies to support residential pupils to take responsibility for and to improve their behaviour. The strong ethos of respect and understanding is consistently applied. Consequently, physical intervention by staff is rare and used only as a last resort in behaviour management to prevent harm to individual pupils or others. The new electronic recording system helps identify any patterns or trends, and managers are able to take action to reduce the number of incidents that occur. This is very beneficial for pupils and staff.

p.8

How well children and young people are protected Outstanding

Staff know and understand residential pupils’ individual vulnerabilities and put this knowledge about risk to good use in keeping pupils safe. At the same time, staff empower residential pupils to develop their independence and take appropriate risks as part of growing up. This is based on individual needs and includes residential pupils enjoying the summer camp and trips out. Sixth formers take up different employment roles and extend their range of activities to include water sports. This demonstrates a positive and effective risk-awareness approach to promoting pupil progress and independence rather than being risk-averse and limiting pupils’ potential.

p.8

How well children and young people are protected Outstanding

Staff recruitment is robust, with rigorous vetting procedures for new staff to ensure that only suitable people are employed to work with vulnerable pupils. All staff receive appropriate child protection training that educates them about issues such as child sexual exploitation, radicalisation and risks of social media. There are clear lines of accountability for reporting any concerns about pupils. Leaders with designated safeguarding responsibilities are very effective in discharging their duty to keep pupils protected. They are robust in raising any concerns about pupils with local authority children’s services and ensure that they share any allegations about staff with relevant agencies. Leaders are quick to implement necessary actions as a result, to keep pupils safe.

p.8

How well children and young people are protected Outstanding

The residential provision’s physical environment is monitored effectively, keeping pupils very safe and secure. Staff regularly complete a range of health and safety checks, including fire safety checks, and there are appropriate evacuation plans for pupils with physical disabilities. Leaders take a very effective approach to e-safety and have achieved awards from other agencies renowned for their experience in this area.

p.8

The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Outstanding

The leadership and management arrangements are exceptional, particularly the exceedingly high level of monitoring, review and evaluation of practice. The school governors are very effective in holding senior leaders to account and they play a key role in ensuring that there are high standards of care. A number of governors visit regularly and assess the quality of residential pupils’ experiences. Governors assist the school’s leaders and managers in challenging partner agencies to uphold their responsibilities. They are pivotal in raising awareness of the issues facing residential pupils with mental Inspection Report St Anne's School and Sixth Form College, 14/11/2016 Page 9 of 12 health needs and the impact this has on them as individual pupils, as well as their families.

p.8

The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Outstanding

Senior leaders robustly track educational progress and last year implemented a new system to assess and monitor the social, emotional and personal development of residential pupils. Monitoring data is used to target care and to support residential pupils to achieve their full potential. Parents and pupils are fully involved in this process and feedback from parents indicates that they consider their children’s progress to be excellent.

p.9

The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Outstanding

The manager of the Residence undertakes regular self-assessment of the service. She knows the strengths of the service well and strives for further improvements. She benefits from recommendations made by an independent visitor, who regularly assesses the quality of the residential provision. This additional tier of monitoring effectively combines with the governor’s oversight in delivering comprehensive and robust governance. Development of the residential provision is a prominent part of the school’s improvement plan, with effective strategies in place to provide more for the pupils.

p.9

The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Outstanding

Senior managers in care and education work closely together to ensure that the residential provision is a central part of the school community. The staff are aspirational for residential pupils and fully committed to ensuring that the pupils are well cared for and benefit from the organised and smooth running of the residential provision. Staff have high expectations of the contribution the residential provision makes to residential pupils’ academic, social and personal progress.

p.9

The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Outstanding

Since the last inspection, there have been a number of improvements, including meeting the previous advisory recommendations. There is a new framework for assessing residential pupils’ progress, risk assessments are of better quality, there is a new electronic recording system, there are more facilities for the sixth form and more involvement with other schools and organisations. These are all contributing to the excellent standards of care.

p.9

The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Outstanding

Staff are experienced and undertake a wide range of training, aimed at meeting the diverse complex needs of vulnerable pupils. This includes autistic spectrum disorder, alternative feeding methods, provision of oxygen, support with epilepsy and sensory stimulation. Staff have the skills and competencies to deliver excellent standards of care for pupils with these needs. Underpinning this are a good induction process, regular team meetings, staff supervision, appraisals and effective communication. All staff feel that they receive a lot of support from the manager and enjoy their work.

p.9

The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Outstanding

There is incredibly low staff turnover and the staff know the residential pupils and their families well. This enhances the consistency in care, based on well-developed care plans. Residential pupils benefit enormously from the very individualised support and guidance they receive. High staffing levels allow for individual and group needs to be met in a way that pupils feel safe, valued and respected. Inspection Report St Anne's School and Sixth Form College, 14/11/2016 Page 10 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 St Anne's School and Sixth Form College, 14/11/2016 Page 11 of 12

p.10

School details

Unique reference number 118145 Social care unique reference number SC056736 DfE registration number 811 7018 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 46 Gender of boarders Mixed Age range of boarders 2 to 18 Headteacher Lesley Davis Date of previous boarding inspection 12/01/2016 Telephone number 01482 667379 Email address stannesschool.sixthform@eastriding.gov.uk Inspection Report St Anne's School and Sixth Form College, 14/11/2016 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

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 children looked after, 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