Lakeside School

Inspection report for residential special school - Lakeside School 1 Lakeside School Lakeside School, Winchester Road, Chandler’s Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO53 2DW Residential provision inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential special school

Lakeside School is a maintained local authority day and residential special school for boys aged between 11 and 16 with social, mental and/or emotional health difficulties. Many residential pupils have associated difficulties, including autistic spectrum disorder and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. At the time of the inspection, there were 92 children on roll and 15 residential pupils. The residential provision consists of two houses located on the school campus.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The residential special school provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the school contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people.

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outstanding

Date of previous inspection: 28 March 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding Inspection report for residential special school - Lakeside School 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This residential special school is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Leaders and managers and all the staff share a commitment to support the residential pupils to fulfil their potential and to develop the skills that they will need for their future.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The experienced and stable staff team members recognise and respond to the residential pupils’ individual needs. They know the residential pupils extremely well and are able to provide highly personalised, nurturing care and support to advance the residential pupils’ development.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Safeguarding the residential pupils is at the centre of the support provided by the staff. The staff continuously deliver safeguarding messages and reminders to the residential pupils about how to keep themselves safe.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Residential pupils form extremely positive relationships with the staff. They develop a sense of safety, protection and trust in the staff through thoughtful and consistent support. Relationships between residential pupils are also positive, with no incidents of bullying.

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Key findings from this inspection

 A strong governing body provides robust scrutiny, challenge and oversight of the residential provision. The governors prioritise the safety of the pupils and support initiatives to keep them safe.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Residential pupils thrive and make excellent progress, with improvements in their social skills, independence and educational achievements.

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Key findings from this inspection

The residential special school’s areas for development are:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Bathrooms are in need of some modernisation and refurbishment. Inspection report for residential special school - Lakeside School 3

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Recommendations

 Consider modernising and refurbishing the bathrooms. Inspection report for residential special school - Lakeside School 4

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outstanding

Through highly personalised care and support, residential pupils thrive and make excellent progress. The staff demonstrate a genuine interest in pupils’ welfare and well-being. The residential pupils are positive about their experiences, which are directly related to the trusting relationships that they form with the staff.

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outstanding

Parents acknowledge the valuable contribution that the residential provision has made to their child’s progress. A parent said, ‘Staff go above and beyond. They are very thoughtful and consider the whole child, with an excellent understanding of him as an individual.’ Parents value their children’s progress in social skills, social development and their independence skills. One parent remarked that her son had ‘made excellent progress and now helps at home’. Parents welcome the support provided by the staff, not just for their child but for them as parents too.

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outstanding

The staff strive to focus always on the residential pupils as individuals, helping them to develop a strong sense of their self-identity through meeting their individual needs. The support from the staff assists the residential pupils in developing the skills that they need to cope as adults; this support extends to all aspects of their lives. Staff encourage the residential pupils to maintain healthy lifestyles, providing guidance on such matters as healthy eating, exercise and activities. Residential pupils benefit from the support of specialists when appropriate to promote their well-being. The emotional needs of the residential pupils are given a high priority. The staff are currently undertaking training in mental health awareness, enabling them to identify any emerging issues and ensure that residential pupils receive relevant support.

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outstanding

The residential staff work collaboratively with the school staff to promote the residential pupils’ educational progress. As part of their daily routine, the residential pupils willingly accept additional maths and reading support provided by the residential staff. The staff know the academic progress that residential pupils are making and target support to positively influence their learning.

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outstanding

Developing and extending the residential pupils’ independence skills are fundamental to the ethos of the residential provision. The recent development of an independence house provides opportunities for the residential pupils to practise their skills, with close guidance from the staff. In addition, the residential pupils are now able to achieve recognition, through an accredited programme of learning, for their independence skills and development. The staff demonstrate a continuous focus on preparing the residential pupils for their futures. This is not solely through helping them to develop practical skills. The staff also know the importance of preparing the residential pupils emotionally, so that they have the resilience to cope in the adult world and, as a result, their life chances are maximised.

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outstanding

The views of the residential pupils are important to the staff. Daily meetings after Inspection report for residential special school - Lakeside School 5 school provide a forum for residential pupils to choose an evening activity and to discuss other issues. Regular key-work sessions enable the staff to engage with the residential pupils individually to seek out their opinions. The residential pupils stated that they are confident about speaking to any member of staff if they have worries or concerns. The school council is a forum for residential pupils to put forward their views, ideas and suggestions on the day-to-day life of the school.

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outstanding

The residential pupils reside in comfortable accommodation. The residential staff strive to provide a warm, homely environment. However, the bathrooms are in need of refurbishment and modernisation.

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outstanding

Protecting the residential pupils and educating them to keep themselves safe underpins the practice of all staff. The safeguarding of pupils is embedded into all aspects of school life and consistently has a high priority in the work of the senior leadership team and the role of the governors.

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outstanding

The staff know the residential pupils extremely well. They recognise and understand the specific vulnerabilities of the residential pupils and address these on an individual level. A whole-school approach addresses safeguarding issues such as radicalisation, e-safety and bullying through assemblies, the curriculum and tutor time. This approach extends the pupils’ awareness and understanding of the risks that they face. The staff and the residential pupils discuss specific safeguarding topics during after-school daily meetings. This continuous revisiting of issues reinforces to the residential pupils how to keep themselves safe.

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outstanding

The staff are well trained, confident and alert in their safeguarding role. They have up-to-date knowledge and a clear understanding of current issues that can present a risk to the residential pupils. The school social worker plays an important role in safeguarding the pupils. She has been instrumental in introducing and embedding a new system for recording any concerns relating to the welfare and well-being of the pupils. This system quickly alerts the team of appropriately trained designated safeguarding officers to any concerns. The social worker monitors closely a full chronology of all concerns to ensure that appropriate action is taken to protect the pupils. Highly effective liaison and partnership working between the social worker, designated safeguarding officers, families and external safeguarding agencies promote the welfare of the pupils.

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outstanding

Extremely positive relationships between the staff and the residential pupils are at the heart of successful behaviour strategies. The residential pupils develop a sense of safety, protection and trust in the staff through their thoughtful and consistent support. Placement plans, individual targets, behaviour management plans and risk assessments clearly demonstrate that the staff understand the specific needs of each residential pupil. Staff implement highly individualised strategies to support residential pupils’ development and progress in all aspects of their lives. Inspection report for residential special school - Lakeside School 6 Physical intervention is used rarely in the residential provision. The staff are well trained in this form of behaviour management but are confident and skilled in de- escalating potentially challenging behaviour at an early stage and in helping the residential pupils to manage their difficulties. There have been no incidents of

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outstanding

residential pupils being reported as missing.

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outstanding

The team of designated safeguarding officers are proactive in monitoring all aspects of safeguarding within the school. They closely monitor incidents, sanctions and pupils’ absenteeism as part of their safeguarding role. Pupils are rightly seen to be at much greater risk of harm if they are not attending school. Appropriate action is taken, including home visits by the social worker and liaison with the virtual school where the child is looked after.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The highly experienced and knowledgeable senior leadership team uses its considerable expertise and skills to create a culture of positivity in which all the staff share the common aim of supporting pupils to do as well as they can and helping them to develop the skills that they will need in the future. With these aims in mind, the senior leaders and managers strive to improve the provision. The recent development of an independence house enhances the residential pupils’ experience, providing opportunities for them to take more responsibility for themselves. The introduction of a structured and accredited life skills programme enables all the residential pupils to learn the skills that they will need at an appropriate pace and level.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Led by an appropriately qualified and energetic head of care, the highly competent, stable staff team members work cohesively, supporting each other to meet the diverse needs of the residential pupils. Through performance and development reviews, comprehensive training and regular supervision, the residential staff receive effective support from the managers to improve their practice and maintain high standards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A small but efficient governing body provides robust scrutiny, challenge and oversight of the residential provision. A high degree of monitoring ensures that the leaders, managers and the staff continue to deliver high standards of care and support. A governor with specific responsibility for overseeing the residential provision visits the houses regularly. Their written reports, with recommendations, help to drive forward action to improve the service. Inspection report for residential special school - Lakeside School 7

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the school knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Children Act 1989 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the national minimum standards. Inspection report for residential special school - Lakeside School 8

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Residential special school details

Social care unique reference number: SC012456

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Residential special school details

Headteacher/teacher in charge: Gareth Evans

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Residential special school details

Type of school: Residential special school

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Residential special school details

Email address: gareth.evans@lakeside.hants.sch.uk Inspection report for residential special school - Lakeside School 9

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Inspector

Jan Hunnam, social care inspector Inspection report for residential special school - Lakeside School 10 to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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