Hollingwood Infant School

School and residential emergency inspection report Cruckton Hall School 10 October 2016 Cruckton, Shrewsbury SY5 8PR

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided  Not applicable for this inspection Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils  Not applicable for this inspection Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7, 7(a), 7(b), 8, 8(a)  Safeguarding practices meet statutory requirements. Appropriate arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils and young people at the school.  Leaders have ensured that sound arrangements are in place to meet the requirements of guidance issued by the Secretary of State, which are reflected by the school’s recently updated safeguarding policy. The headteacher has ensured that all staff are trained and updated with the latest statutory safeguarding guidance. There is a robust system in place to ensure that staff are kept up to date with any changes, concerns or training.  As a result of the above, these standards continue to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraph 8(b)  Appropriate policies are in place to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils and young people in the residential part of the school.  However, appropriate actions to reduce identified risks to pupils and young people are not always taken in the residential part of the school. Leaders agree that more comprehensive advice for the residential care staff will provide better support to promote improved decision-making and risk management.  As a result of the above, this standard is not met.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraph 14  Leaders have ensured that pupils and young people are properly supervised in the school through the appropriate deployment of school staff. As a result, this standard continues to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraphs 16, 16(a), 16(b)  Leaders have ensured that an effective risk assessment policy is in place and appropriate actions are taken to reduce risks identified by the school staff. However, leaders agree that more comprehensive advice for the care staff would provide better support to promote improved decision-making and risk management.  As this standard relates to the school rather than the residential provision, this standard continues to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors  Not applicable for this inspection

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Main inspection findings

Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools  Not applicable for this inspection

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Main inspection findings

Part 6. Provision of information  Not applicable for this inspection

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Main inspection findings

Part 7. Manner in which complaints are handled  Not applicable for this inspection

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c)  Leaders actively promote the well-being of pupils and young people in the school.  However, leaders have not ensured that the strong safeguarding practice delivered by the school staff is always reflected in the residential part of the provision at the school. For example, appropriate actions to reduce identified risks to pupils and young people are not always taken in the residential part of the school. Leaders agree that improvements are needed to ensure that the safeguarding practice in the residential part of the school is as strong as in the educational part of the school.  As a result of this, these standards are not met.

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Main inspection findings

Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010  Not applicable for this inspection

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Main inspection findings

Statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage  Not applicable for this inspection

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Main inspection findings

Residential provision Compliance with the national minimum standards for residential special schools that were assessed during this inspection Standard 6.3  An appropriate risk assessment policy is in place to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils and young people in the residential boarding part of the school.  However, appropriate actions to reduce identified risks to pupils and young people are not always taken. Leaders agree that more comprehensive advice for the residential care staff would provide better support to promote improved decision- making.  As a result, this standard is not met.

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Main inspection findings

Standard 11  Safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements. However, appropriate actions to reduce identified risks are not always taken by the residential care staff.  Leaders have ensured that arrangements are in place to meet the requirements of guidance issued by the Secretary of State, which are reflected by the school’s recently updated safeguarding policy. The headteacher has ensured that all staff are trained and updated with the latest statutory safeguarding guidance.  Overall, this standard is not met.

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Main inspection findings

Standards 13.1, 13.2, 13.3, 13.4, 13.5, 13.6, 13.8, 13.9  The effectiveness of the residential part of the school is monitored and action is taken where necessary. Meetings are held at the beginning and end of each day to ensure smooth transitions.  Leaders and managers are experienced and demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role. Staff say that they are well supported in their roles and that communication systems are effective.  As a result, these standards continue to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Standard 13.7  Leaders ensure that records are maintained carefully. However, not all policies are followed consistently by staff; for example, the ‘e-safety’ policy states that pupils’ and young peoples’ internet use will be monitored by staff at all times. Inspectors found evidence that not all internet use is monitored.  As a result, this standard is not met.

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Main inspection findings

Standards 15.1, 15.2, 15.3, 15.4, 15.5, 15.6, 15.7, .15.8, 15.9, 15.10  The residential staff understand their roles well and are regularly supervised by senior leaders. They know the communication and alert systems, which are in place.  Staff regularly receive training and updates on a range of topics, including, for example, the latest version of ‘Keeping children safe in education’. The number of staff on duty at all times and the arrangements for quickly contacting managers meet the requirements of this standard.  As a result, these standards continue to be met.

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standards for residential special schools

The school does not meet the requirements of the schedule to The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’), the national minimum standards for residential special schools and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards

 The proprietor must ensure that arrangements have regard to the national minimum standards for residential special schools (paragraph 8(b)).  The proprietor must ensure that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role. The proprietor must also ensure that leaders and managers fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards and the national minimum standards for residential special schools are met consistently (paragraphs 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c)).

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residential special schools

 The school ensures that the welfare of pupils at the school is safeguarded and promoted by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written risk assessment policy and appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified (NMS 6.3).  The school follows and maintains the policies and documents described in Appendix 1 of the national minimum standards for residential special schools (NMS 13.7).  The school ensures that arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of children at the school and that such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State (NMS 11).

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School details

Unique reference number 128619 Social care unique reference number SC401364 DfE registration number 893/6017 Inspection number 10022736 This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school. The inspection of residential provision 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 Special school School status Independent residential special school Age range of pupils 8 to 19 Gender of pupils Boys Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 36 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 10 Number of part-time pupils 0 Number of boarders on roll 28 Proprietor Kisimul Group Ltd

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School details

Chair Margaret Hill Headteacher Jo Burdon Annual fees (day pupils) £91,945 Annual fees (boarders) £120,156 to £183,150 Telephone number 01743 860206 Website www.cruckton.com Email address donna.varley-turner@kisimul.co.uk Date of previous standard inspection 9–11 June 2015

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Information about this school

 Cruckton Hall School is a residential special school located near Shrewsbury. It was originally registered in 1981 and educates boys aged 8 to 19 years. It is also a registered as a children’s home.  At its last full inspection in June 2015, the school was judged to be inadequate and a number of the independent school regulations were not met. The school submitted an action plan outlining its proposals to address the failings identified in the inspection report. This was evaluated and accepted by Ofsted in October 2015.  Ofsted carried out a progress monitoring inspection in January 2016 and an emergency inspection in March 2016. Inspectors did not find any standards which were unmet during these inspections.  All pupils have a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder and associated conditions (ASD), and in particular Asperger syndrome. Many pupils have other diagnoses of special educational needs, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

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Information about this school

 All pupils have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan. Almost all have histories of severely challenging behaviour. Many have not attended school regularly for some time. About a fifth are looked after by different local authorities from across England and Wales.  The very large majority of pupils are White British. Very few have English as an additional language.  The school works with a number of alternative providers and off-site specialist facilities, namely Shrewsbury College Group, North Shropshire College, Berrywood Stables and Synchrony Development (equine therapy). Some pupils are accompanied by staff from the school, at least initially, when they attend off-site placements.  The school receives the pupil premium funding for a small number of pupils who are in the care of a local authority. This funding provides additional support for pupils in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals.

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Information about this school

 The school and the residential provision are owned by the Kisimul Group, which also owns two other independent special schools in England. The group employs a number of company managers for different aspects of their schools’ work, such as for health and safety, safeguarding and education.  The current headteacher joined the school in April 2016 to work alongside the previous headteacher before becoming the substantive headteacher in September 2016.  The school has widened its provision to include post-16 education from September 2016.

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Information about this inspection

 This was a no-notice emergency inspection, commissioned by the Department for Education as a result of concerns about pupils’ welfare, health and safety. This aligned inspection was completed with a Social Care Regulatory inspector, who has produced a separate report.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, registered manager of the residential provision and other senior leaders. Inspectors also met with some of the care staff.  There were no recent responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.  In order to check the school’s compliance with the independent school standards and the national minimum standards for boarding, inspectors examined policies, records and other documents. These included verifying the checks recorded on the school’s single register of the suitability of adults to work with children.

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Inspection team

Stuart Bellworthy, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-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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Inspection team

Parent View 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. 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/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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