Cambian Southwick Park School

Southwick Park, Gloucester Road, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire GL20 7DG

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7, 11 and 14  Leaders have not ensured that there are adequate arrangements in place to effectively promote pupils‟ welfare. When incidents of poor behaviour do occur, some members of staff do not give sufficient thought to the triggers or underlying reasons. Consequently, such incidents reoccur.  Although staff are trained in safeguarding, some do not apply their learning in the workplace. Leaders are not routinely checking that staff have the depth of understanding that is required.  Staff-to-pupil ratios generally meet those set out in pupils‟ statement of special educational needs or education, health and care plan. However, supervision is not always as effective as it needs to be. In part, this is because some members of staff have not been adequately trained or have not fully taken on board the training they have been given.  The school‟s safeguarding policy was updated earlier this year. It has regard to the

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Main inspection findings

latest guidance issued by the Secretary of State, „Keeping Children Safe in Education‟ (September 2016), and is available to parents and carers on request. However, the requirements of the other guidance issued by the Secretary of State with respect to safeguarding have not been consistently implemented.  The standards regarding the arrangements to safeguard pupils, promote their welfare and properly supervise pupils are, therefore, not met. Paragraph 13  Leaders have ensured that there are adequate numbers of staff trained in first aid. First-aid kits are well stocked and accident reports note when first aid has been given.  The standard in this paragraph is met. Paragraph 16  Risk assessments are in place for individual pupils and the site. These are of variable quality and ambiguous in places. Insufficient consideration is given to actions which could reduce the likelihood of pupils causing themselves or others harm.

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Main inspection findings

 The standard in this paragraph is not met. Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraphs 18, 19 and 21  In the main, checks are in place for employed staff and agency workers. Some of the specific checks for the principal are not recorded on the school‟s single central register.  Leaders have not ensured that the check required to show that teachers are not prohibited from teaching has been carried out for all teachers.  Some agency workers currently working in the school did not have their details recorded on the school‟s single central record at the time of inspection. Details of the checks were provided to the inspector.  The standard relating to suitability of staff and supply staff to work with pupils is not met. Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraph 25  Leaders have ensured that the school building and the classroom located in an adjacent building are maintained to an adequate standard.

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Main inspection findings

 Rooms are adequately heated and provide pupils with sufficient space to carry out their learning activities.  The standard in this paragraph is met. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34  The proprietor and principal have not ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  The frequent changes of leadership and lack of clear lines of accountability, in the past, have hindered the roll-out of changes since the inspection in September 2016. Although leaders have invested in staff training, they have not ensured this has had the impact that they had hoped for.  The implementation of the arrangements for safeguarding do not have sufficient regard to the most recent guidance issued by the Secretary of State.  The standard in this paragraph is not met.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet 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, as set out in the annex of this report. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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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

School status Independent special school

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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School details

Of which, number on roll in sixth form 6

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School details

Principal Darren Jackson Annual fees (day pupils) Annual fees (boarding) £81,090 £155,040 to £212,670

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School details

Website www.cambiangroup.com/ourservices/servic e/home/tabid/106/id/7/s/14/xmps/1816/de fault.aspx Email address education@cambiangroup.com

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 20–22 September 2016

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Information about this school

 Cambian Southwick Park is registered as an independent special school for 40 boys and girls aged from seven to 19. Pupils have complex needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, severe learning disabilities and severe social, emotional and mental health difficulties. The school is owned by the Cambian Group.  The school opened in January 2013. Nearly all pupils live in the children‟s home on the same site as the school. All pupils are placed by local authorities.  The principal took up post on 30 October 2017. The head of education took up post on 1 September 2016.  There are currently 18 pupils on roll, aged nine to 17. All pupils have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan.  The proprietor, who is the company representative, has responsibility for the governance of the school. A new director of the company has recently been given responsibility for the local governance of Southwick Park School.

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Information about this school

 No pupils attend alternative provision.  The school‟s last standard inspection took place on 20–22 September 2016, when it was judged to be inadequate. At a progress monitoring inspection on 20 May 2017, the school met all of the independent school standards that were checked at the time.

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Information about this inspection

 This emergency inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools following a number of complaints regarding pupils‟ welfare and safety.  The inspection was carried out with no notice.  The inspection focused on the pupils‟ health, safety and welfare, the suitability of staff and supply staff to work with children, and procedures for handling complaints. The procedures for safeguarding pupils were scrutinised.  Inspectors met with the head of education, members of staff, and pupils, and met with the proprietor‟s representative.  The inspector analysed a range of documentation provided by the school and spoke to the designated officer for safeguarding at the local authority by telephone.  Inspectors took into account the complaints that had been received by the registration authority since the previous inspection.

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Inspection team

Iain Freeland, lead inspector Her Majesty‟s Inspector

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 7 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that–

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 7(a) arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school; and

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 7(b) such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 11 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that relevant health and safety laws are complied with by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written health and safety policy.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 14 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that pupils are properly supervised through the appropriate deployment of school staff.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 16 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that–

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 16(a) 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

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 16(b) appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 18(2) The standard in this paragraph is met if–

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 18(2)(b) no such person carries out work, or intends to carry out work, at the school in contravention of a prohibition order, an interim prohibition order, or any direction made under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act, or any disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in either such direction;

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 18(2)(c) the proprietor carries out appropriate checks to confirm in respect of each such person–

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 18(2)(c)(iv) where appropriate, the person‟s qualifications are checked.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 18(3) the checks referred to above must be completed before a person‟s appointment.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 19(2) The standard in this paragraph is met if–

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 19(2)(a) a person offered for supply by an employment business to the school only begins to work at the school if the proprietor has received–

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 19(2)(a)(i)(aa) that the pre-employment vetting checks (referred to in paragraph 21(3)(a)(i) to (iv), (vii) and (b)) have been made to the extent relevant to that person;

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 19(2)(c) before a person offered for supply by an employment business begins work at the school, the person‟s identity is checked by the proprietor of the school (irrespective of any such check carried out by the employment business before the person was offered for supply);

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 21(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor keeps a register which shows such of the information referred to in sub-paragraphs (3) to (7) as is applicable to the school in question.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 21(3)(a) in relation to each member of staff (“S”) appointed on or after 1st May 2007, whether–

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 21(3)(a)(iii) a check was made to establish whether a member of staff is subject to any direction made under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act or any disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in such a direction;

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 21(3)(a)(iv) checks were made to ensure, where appropriate, that each member of staff had the relevant qualifications;

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 21(3)(b) in relation to each member of staff, whether a check was made to establish whether they are subject to a prohibition order or an interim prohibition order, including the date on which such check was completed.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 21(5) The information referred to in this sub-paragraph is, in relation to supply staff–

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 21(5)(a) whether written notification has been received from the employment business that–

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 21(5)(a)(i) checks corresponding to those referred to in sub-paragraph (3)(a)(i) to (iv), (vi) and (vii) have been made to the extent relevant to any such person; and

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 21(5)(a)(ii) an enhanced criminal record check has been made and that it or another employment business has obtained an enhanced criminal record certificate in response to such a check,

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 21(5)(b) whether a check has been made in accordance with paragraph 19(2)(e) together with the date the check was completed; and

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 21(5)(c) where written notification has been received from the employment business in accordance with a contract or other arrangements referred to in paragraph 19(2)(d) that it has obtained an enhanced criminal record certificate, whether the employment business supplied a copy of the certificate to the school.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school–

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently;

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils. 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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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