Draycott Moor College

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Draycott Moor College Draycott Old Road, Draycott-in-the-Moors, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST11 9AH

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7, 7(a) and 7(b)  At the previous inspection in January 2017, safeguarding was judged to be ineffective because of poor monitoring, poor supervision arrangements for pupils it educated off- site, poor behaviour management, poor risk assessment practice and uncertainty about whether or not some checks for the single central register had been adequately carried out.  The school has developed a suitable safeguarding policy that has regard to the current statutory requirements. The safeguarding policy is published on the school’s website and is therefore easily accessible to all parents and carers.  The safeguarding policy contains useful supporting information. A flow-chart is included, which provides a helpful way for staff to navigate through the different pathways and procedures. In this way, school leaders make clear what staff need to know and need to

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Main inspection findings

do to keep pupils safe.  The procedures for safeguarding and behaviour management have improved because monitoring by school leaders is cohesive. For example, the safeguarding policy states that staff will convene a multi-agency meeting prior to any exclusion of vulnerable children. This measure is also included in the behaviour and exclusions policies. When safeguarding and behaviour issues overlap, this approach results in greater consistency in implementing school policies.  Leaders have put in place training for all staff to increase their awareness and knowledge of safeguarding procedures. The deputy headteacher has attended designated safeguarding lead training as planned. The headteacher has still to update her training and this is due to take place this term.  Since the last inspection, staff vetting procedures have been tightened up and all checks are now adequately carried out. Consequently, the single central register meets

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Main inspection findings

requirements.  The school now meets these standards. Paragraphs 9 and 9(b)  At the previous inspection, inspectors judged pupils’ behaviour to be inadequate and reported that staff did not implement the school’s behaviour policy consistently.  For those pupils who are struggling to cope in the school setting and are at risk of exclusion, a multi-agency meeting is to be arranged to consider possible options and support from other agencies. This means that the school will no longer rely on parents to supervise learning at home as a behaviour management strategy.  Each pupil’s efforts and achievements are assessed every lesson. The pastoral manager analyses this information and notifies staff during twice-daily briefing meetings of any emerging issues. The results are also used to inform individual learning and behaviour plans. In this way, issues are dealt with earlier and fewer escalations have occurred. This

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Main inspection findings

approach has contributed to improvements in the way staff manage behaviour and a reduction in the number of serious incidents of inappropriate behaviour.  The ethos of the school has improved considerably. Staff supervise their classes throughout the day, including at lunchtimes and breaks. Staffing has stabilised and there is less reliance on supply staff. As a result, communication has improved. Staff and pupils are now able to build constructive relationships because they have the time and opportunity to do so.  Relationships have improved because staff and pupils have the time to work at them, and also because staff genuinely enjoy working with their pupils. Consequently, mutual trust is developing.  Behaviour has improved because training and monitoring ensure that the school’s behaviour policy is now implemented consistently. There are fewer disruptions and a swifter return to learning. For example, during the inspection, the inspector witnessed

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Main inspection findings

two separate situations where pupils felt the need to leave a class. In both instances, staff were on hand to monitor and support those involved by quietly encouraging them to diffuse their anxieties and return to class. In both instances, the behaviour policy was implemented consistently and with dignity.  More pupils are spending increased time learning because behaviour is better managed. The school knows its pupils well and this includes checking how well each one is doing and identifying what support is needed. This improvement is reflected in the progress that pupils are making. Assessment information for English, mathematics, science and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education shows that the majority of pupils are reaching or exceeding expectations. There is less improvement in science though, and leaders are aware of this.  Although attendance remains below national averages, the school has established strong

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Main inspection findings

procedures for following up absence. Green shoots are emerging. For example, the previous two terms’ attendance has been 83%. This term it is 77% because a few pupils have been absent from the start of term. However, the attendance of the majority of pupils is in line with, or just below, national figures, indicating that more pupils are attending more often.  These standards are now met. Paragraph 14.  At the previous inspection, inspectors identified that staff did not appropriately supervise pupils who were educated off-site.  Since the last inspection, the school has changed its approach to the way it manages pupils who are educated off-site. The school has decided not to continue using off-site provision where parents supervised learning. Pupils were not learning and were not safe.  Currently, three pupils are educated off-site at a local college as part of their routine timetable. To ensure their safety, pupils are taken to college by school staff who stay

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Main inspection findings

with them, then bring them back to school afterwards.  The school has developed rigorous procedures for checking the whereabouts of pupils, and staff work closely with education welfare services, youth justice services and other agencies to safeguard their pupils.  This standard is now met.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraphs 16, 16(a) and 16(b)  At the previous inspection the school’s risk assessments were not fit for purpose.  The school has done a lot of work, through training, monitoring and reviewing, to improve the quality and consistency of its risk assessment procedures. Risk assessments are developed for each individual pupil and are under constant review. Individual risk assessments inform group risk assessments.  Daily staff briefings are used to share information quickly, which means that staff are prepared for any potential difficulties that may arise during the day.  Risk assessment is dynamic. For example, during the inspection, an afternoon trip had been planned. The trip organiser brought the risk assessment to the headteacher for signing off in line with the school’s risk assessment policy. The headteacher carefully probed the organiser’s planning to ensure that it was secure prior to sign-off. During the

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Main inspection findings

day, pupil absence altered the plans and the risk assessment was adjusted and signed off at each change by the headteacher. This made sure that pupils and staff were kept safe during off-site activities.  These standards are now met.  All of the standards in this part that were checked during this inspection are met.

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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)

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Main inspection findings

 At the previous inspection in January 2017, leadership and management were judged to be inadequate because safeguarding, behaviour and risk assessments were not monitored effectively and new systems were not embedded enough to be effective, and this compromised pupils’ safety and well-being.  School leaders and the proprietorial body have taken decisive action to address the shortfalls of the last inspection. They carefully reviewed the evidence and the associated judgements, and used their evaluations to draw up an action plan that was approved by the Department for Education (DfE), with modifications required for some timescales.  The proprietorial body takes an active interest in the school. The headteacher and the chair of governors have collaborated on a governance document that sets out the relationship between school and governors and provides a clear framework of accountability. This is useful in clarifying the strategic and operational elements of

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Main inspection findings

leadership and management.  The headteacher reports to the governing body regularly and responds to challenges posed by governors. This is evidenced in reports, notes of meetings and visits. In this way, governors and the proprietorial body are kept informed of developments and progress, and school leaders are held accountable for what they do.  As the action points are nearing completion, the headteacher has started the next cycle of school development planning, which has been aligned to the independent school standards and the Equality Act 2010 accessibility plan. This approach increases understanding of the requirements and provides a focus for auditing the skills and knowledge needed. In this way, school leaders are systematically and thoroughly making sure that the school meets all requirements and expectations effectively and consistently.  The headteacher has worked hard to engender team spirit and teamwork into the ethos

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Main inspection findings

of the school. This has been achieved through a detailed review of organisational needs, a carefully structured staff training programme and a rigorous review of policies and procedures relating to safeguarding, the management of pupils’ behaviour and risk reduction.  The impact of this work is seen in safer working practices and the improved supervision of pupils. It is also reflected in the improved school ethos which actively promotes the well-being of pupils, a more stable staff team where communication is more effective, and happier staff and pupils. Additionally, a reduction in serious incidents and exclusions, better outcomes for pupils and slightly better, but fragile, attendance levels can be linked to this work.  The standards in this part are met.

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Main inspection findings

Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010  At the previous inspection, the school did not have an accessibility plan.  The school has produced a suitable accessibility policy. Leaders have reviewed the site for any barriers that physically disabled pupils might meet. There are no changes required to the physical environment at present.  Leaders have developed and delivered a specialised series of training events and workshops for staff. These sessions improve staff’s understanding of how to deliver interventions that help support pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs.  Although the legislation requires a three-year plan, leaders have been pragmatic and are incorporating the accessibility plan into the annual school development planning cycle. This ensures that equality issues are integral to the way the school operates, and that planning takes account of the different and changing needs of pupils as the roll

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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The school now meets the following independent school standards

 Part 3 paragraphs 7, 7(a), 7(b), 9, 9(b), 14, 16, 16(a) and 16(b)  Part 8 paragraphs 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b) and 34(1)(c)  Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010

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School Details

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.

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School Details

Proprietor Horizon Care – Paul Callendar

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School Details

Email address draycottoffice@horizoncare.co.uk

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School Details

Date of previous standard inspection 24–26 January 2017

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Information about this school

 Draycott Moor College is an independent school situated in the village of Draycott Moor, Staffordshire. It is one of six schools in the Midlands, Kent and Rochdale that are run by a parent company called Horizon Care and Education Group. The company’s main offices are based in Cannock, Staffordshire.  The school caters for primary and secondary aged pupils with a range of complex needs. Most have had difficulties in mainstream schools because of anxiety-related disorders.  The catchment area is widespread and, as a result, all pupils are brought to and from school by taxi or in parents’ cars.  The school does not have a religious ethos.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the Department for Education (DfE), which is the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of this first monitoring inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  The DfE approved the action plan that was drawn up after the previous inspection with modifications required for some timescales. The action plan was evaluated on 30 May 2017.  The school did not have any prior notice of this one-day progress monitoring inspection.  The inspector met with school leaders and a representative of the proprietorial body to discuss progress against the school’s action plan. She also met teaching and support staff, administrative staff and pupils for further discussions. The inspector reviewed the

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Information about this inspection

school’s updated policies for safeguarding, behaviour management, risk assessment, the school’s accessibility plan and the single central register.  School information relating to attendance, physical interventions, behaviour support plans, pupil progress and risk assessments were also scrutinised. The inspector reviewed reports to governors, notes of meetings, staff training logs and the school’s planned training programme. She also reviewed the school’s draft development plan that will supersede the current action plan in due course.  The inspector was shown around the school by the deputy headteacher and headteacher on separate occasions. The inspector also took the opportunity to walk round the school unattended to observe staff and pupils at work and during breaks.

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Inspection team

Elizabeth Ellis-Martin, lead inspector Ofsted 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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