Pebble Brook School

Inspection report for residential special school - Pebble Brook School 1 ` Pebble Brook School Pebble Brook School, Churchill Avenue, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP21 8LZ Residential provision inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential special school

Pebble Brook School is a maintained school, which currently provides 118 day places. The boarding will continue to operate until the end of the summer term, 2018. Only three boarders currently stay Monday to Thursday nights, and a further four stay for one or two nights per week.

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Information about this residential special school

This school was judged inadequate at the inspection of 14 March 2017, primarily because of the condition of the boarding premises. On 11 July 2017, a monitoring visit was undertaken by Ofsted, which found good improvement in the health and safety of the setting although the premises remain dated.

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Information about this residential special school

The premises were viewed at this inspection, but the decision of the local authority to close the boarding provision means that the need for long-term improvement need not be referred to in this report, which is specifically about the support given to the seven children who will continue to use this service until late July.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The residential special school provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of previous inspection: 14 March 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate Inspection report for residential special school - Pebble Brook School 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This residential special school is good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Boarding staff know children well and have established good influential relationships with them.  Children described being happy and safe in the boarding provision. Children were observed to be relaxed with staff and with each other.  Children are kept safe by a well-led culture of safeguarding. The shared knowledge about issues affecting children and the considered responses of staff enable this culture to continue.  Children’s behaviour is primarily supported through a strong, positive approach which, first and foremost, seeks to encourage good behaviour. This has led to good outcomes across the school site, including the boarding provision.

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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

 The information that is available about safeguarding incidents is thorough but does not include closing summaries and it does not always make clear the rationale behind the actions that were taken.  The monitoring of the condition of the premises has missed minor matters, for example ill-fitting toilet-cubicle doors, although these were quickly rectified when pointed out. Inspection report for residential special school - Pebble Brook School 3

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Recommendations

 Safeguarding chronologies should include a closing summary and should record the rationale for the actions taken.  The independent visitor and/or the head of care should more closely monitor the suitability of premises, specifically to ensure that repairs are undertaken promptly. Inspection report for residential special school - Pebble Brook School 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive a high quality of individualised care when staying in the boarding provision. All boarders who spoke to the inspector relish the experience that they have here. They enjoy good relationships with staff and, for the most part, with each other. They experience activities that they may not have the opportunity to take part in at home, for example swimming regularly, which for some has included learning to swim.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Boarding time is relaxed and was seen to be enjoyed well, although there is always plenty happening. All children in the boarding provision have been staying here for a significant time, and they have developed a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress in their school life and in acquiring wider skills for life. They enjoy boarding time, which until 8.00pm is often shared with a small number of day pupils who have an extended school day. The time in the residential unit is sociable, but boarders can retire to their single bedrooms when they wish to. Each evening, staff arrange activities off or on site, which children may join. These are very popular. The opportunities to enjoy group activities, including using the school’s sports facilities, enrich children’s free time, and staff lead these activities well. Earlier in the week of this inspection, many children had eaten at a restaurant, and for some this was a new experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience consistent and well-thought-through support, which complements the parenting they receive at home. The school liaises closely with parents, including providing weekly reports, which ensure that parents know how their children have experienced the week. Staff speak to parents frequently; a parent spoken with during this inspection expressed high praise for the boarding staff and for the school leadership.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are listened to closely by staff, and children’s views influence boarding practice. Children who spoke with the inspector said that they are confident in the staff, and they said that they feel able to speak to the head of care whenever they choose to. They can also access an independent counsellor should they need to, whose name is displayed on notice boards.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have targets which they work towards with the support of boarding and teaching staff. They develop in their conduct and behaviour, they learn skills for independence and they gain confidence through new experiences. These achievements are acknowledged by leaders who plan to give boarders certificates at the end of the school year to mark their time and achievements here. Inspection report for residential special school - Pebble Brook School 5

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The school has a safeguarding leadership team comprising the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and two further designated safeguarding leads. They meet weekly to ensure that they all remain up to date on any ongoing safeguarding issues. They plan actions collaboratively and liaise closely with external agencies and, where relevant, with families. This team offers strong and effective leadership in all safeguarding matters. All safeguarding referrals are easily tracked through the use of a spreadsheet. This inspection found very thorough record-keeping and sound decision-making, although the individual files did not have closing summaries, and sometimes the rationale for actions had to be inferred because it was not explicitly recorded. This has not affected the safeguarding outcomes, but it does make external audit more difficult.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The leadership team is alert to family matters that may require support, and children benefit greatly from the additional protection that leaders’ watchfulness brings. Bullying is minimal in this school, and the alert staff ensure that there is early intervention and resolution to disputes between children. It was noted that, even where relationships have been strained, the culture of the school and long-term work with both parties have resulted in improved relationships between children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are trained for their roles and they displayed a good and up-to-date understanding of the issues affecting children in school and of wider topical safeguarding matters. Boarding staff are also very alert to changes in the demeanour and mood of the children in their care and they are able to voice this to senior leaders.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

All boarders spoken to reported feeling safe and they also said that they have trusted adults in the school who they could speak to about any concern.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Behaviour in the school is of a very good standard and behavioural interventions are well thought through. This is coordinated through a small behaviour support team; the team ensures that the behaviour support plans and risk assessments for those children who need them are of a consistent quality. Implementation of behaviour support is a whole-school approach; this has resulted, across the school, in a significant decrease in the need for physical intervention in behavioural incidents of more than 60% between the school years 2015/16 and 2016/17. The figures for the current year indicate a continuing reduction; this is testimony to the very rigorous search for alternative ways to intervene. All instances of restraint are reviewed and reflected on. Behaviour support plans seen were of good quality, and their detail was known to the staff working directly with those children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Health and safety in boarding and in the school are well managed. Evidence of compliance with fire and electrical safety was seen during this inspection. Inspection report for residential special school - Pebble Brook School 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders in this school have high aspirations for children. They communicate this directly to children and they role model a very high standard of interaction, which staff follow. This leadership is central to the good standard of care that is achieved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are central to decision-making in the school and their needs are well understood and prioritised by leaders and managers. Children’s particular situations are always well known to them. For example, the head of care is very familiar with the personalities and needs of all children who board.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Boarding staff all receive twice-termly supervision and they describe this as being helpful to them. Records are well maintained, and these evidence that supervision is child centred. The head of care and other leaders also make themselves available for staff to talk to; staff value this accessibility.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training for staff is up to date in all essential areas. The relatively low turnover of staff, even during a time of upheaval for the school (through the closure of boarding), demonstrates that a good working environment has been achieved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The school benefits from good strategic oversight, and this has contributed well to the culture of the school. However, the boarding premises, which have been poorly invested in over a long period of time, continue to need minor work; this was found during the inspection but had not been picked up routinely. Although the physical environment is safe, clean and reasonably decorated, the local authority has not translated its ambition for children into an enriching environment. This weakness remains but is no longer central to the inspection findings because the boarding was due to close approximately four months after this inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out by one inspector over one day. He looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, and considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. He watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. He 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 - Pebble Brook School 7

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Residential special school details

Social care unique reference number: SC023096

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Residential special school details

Headteacher/teacher in charge: David Miller

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Residential special school details

Type of school: Residential special school

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Residential special school details

Email address: office@pebblebrookschool.com Inspection report for residential special school - Pebble Brook School 8

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Inspector

Kenneth Smith, social care inspector Inspection report for residential special school - Pebble Brook School 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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