Maple House School

Maple House 546-548 Manchester Road, Rossendale, Haslingden, Lancashire BB4 6LN

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The proprietor and leaders ensure that the school meets all the independent school standards.  Leaders and staff share a strong commitment to provide high-quality education. Some leaders in school are relatively new to their roles and are still developing their skills in leadership and management.  Pupils overcome considerable barriers to learning. They make good progress and achieve well in a wide range of subjects, particularly mathematics and computing.  Pupils’ manners and conduct are good. Pupils make considerable progress in overcoming significant social, emotional and mental health issues, to improve their conduct and self- esteem strongly.  The school curriculum is broadly designed to meet pupils’ needs. The strong promotion of literacy and numeracy skills ensures that pupils are able to access learning with confidence. However, the range of sports studied in physical education is limited. Leaders have not

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

fully embedded careers education into the curriculum.  Teachers make good use of assessments to inform their planning, particularly in English and mathematics. Staff are adept at asking questions to check pupils’ understanding and to develop their learning.  Pupils feel safe and know how to keep safe, including while online, because of the good- quality teaching that they receive.  Excellent relationships and trust exist between pupils and staff. As a result, pupils say that they are confident that any concerns that they have will be quickly and effectively addressed.  Pupils rarely miss a day of school.  Leaders frequently check pupils’ progress and use this information effectively to hold teachers to account. However, refinements to recording systems for assessment in subjects other than mathematics, English and science are not fully embedded.  Teaching in humanities provides limited opportunities for pupils to develop their

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

knowledge and understanding in greater depth.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by: – further enhancing the skills and knowledge of leaders who are new to their role – ensuring that leaders refine the curriculum in physical education to extend the range of sporting activities available to pupils.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by: – ensuring that the systems to record pupils’ attainment and progress in subjects other than English, mathematics and science are fully embedded and aid leaders’ evaluations of pupils’ progress and attainment in these subjects – enhancing the opportunities for pupils to apply their skills and develop their knowledge and understanding in greater depth in history and geography.  Enhance the quality of advice and guidance relating to careers education provided for secondary-aged pupils.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The proprietor and leaders have ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  The head of education has a clear vision and passion to provide the best education for his pupils. This is shared by all members of staff, who commit to the consistent application of school policies.  Leaders’ high expectations of pupils and staff are firmly rooted in the school’s ethos of mutual respect. This provides pupils with a haven in which they nurture strong trust and positive relationships with adults and, as a result, develop good manners, learn and succeed.  Leaders ensure that they meet the requirement to provide information for parents, carers and others on request, including those required by the standards on the proprietary company’s website. Leaders frequently share information with the children’s home to ensure the effective transition of pupils at the start and end of the day.  The positive written responses from social workers about pupils placed in the school, and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

discussion with an education consultant working with the school, affirm the positive work of the school leaders. These professionals recognise the considerable impact that school staff have on the academic and social development of the pupils.  This is a caring school that promotes fundamental British values effectively. Pupils develop strong spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. They learn about a range of faiths, cultures and human relationships through a carefully planned curriculum that prepares them well for life within British society.  Teachers’ professional development links closely to the school’s priorities, particularly its responsibilities for keeping pupils safe. Good induction processes and frequent updates ensure that staff receive the correct training to help them to meet statutory requirements and do their job well. This includes safeguarding and positive handling.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Teachers bolster their teaching skills and knowledge through appropriate training. For example, teachers have taken part in training about coding to ensure that they have sufficient subject knowledge to teach this element of the computing curriculum effectively.  The school follows a curriculum that broadly meets requirements. It is based, where possible, on the national curriculum. The curriculum promotes pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills particularly well, alongside the development of positive behaviours and self-esteem.  Leaders and teachers effectively modify subject schemes of work in their day-to-day planning to meet pupils’ individual needs well, particularly in mathematics and computing. As a result, pupils are able to close gaps in their knowledge and understanding and they make considerable improvements in their behaviour and attitudes to learning. There is a wide range of additional activities and therapies provided by professionals employed by

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

the proprietary company. These include chartered child psychologists and education psychologists. They greatly enrich and promote pupils’ opportunities to learn.  The curriculum ensures that pupils undertake weekly physical education lessons and develop their physical skills and stamina. However, the range of sports and activities on offer is limited.  Pupils who are of secondary school age receive some impartial advice and guidance relating to their future careers and guidance, including visits to careers fairs. However, these are also limited. Leaders are aware of these curriculum limitations and are taking actions to address these. However, it is too soon to see the impact of their actions.  Leaders do not receive any additional pupil premium or special educational needs funding from local authorities placing pupils in the school.  Leaders ensure that local authorities receive appropriate reports about how fees are used

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

to support pupils placed there by local authorities and/or in receipt of an education, health and care plan.  Leaders have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school because of their frequent monitoring. They undertake termly observations of teaching. In addition, leaders check teachers’ planning and the quality of pupils’ work in their books. These activities, coupled with more frequent informal learning walks to watch the school at work, keep leaders well informed about the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.  Regular formal assessments ensure that leaders and teachers are up to date about how pupils are progressing, particularly in English, mathematics and science. Records of pupils’ attainment and progress are used effectively by leaders to hold teachers to account.  Leaders keep up-to-date records and logs of events within the school, including those that record incidents of bullying, use of physical restraint by staff and/or serious behaviour

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

incidents. These records are detailed and well maintained and include the clear recording of any outcomes, actions or learning points.  Leaders evaluate the information that they collect during their monitoring activities. They use this to inform their judgements of staff performance and to identify school development priorities.  Leaders’ development plans are well structured and detailed. They contain appropriate priorities for development. These include the development of those leaders new to their role and the development of the careers guidance curriculum.  Some leaders in school are new to their leadership roles. They have a strong commitment to the school’s vision, but are still honing their skills and experiences of management and leadership. As a result, occasionally, they do not implement the school’s policies with the same eye for detail as most of the senior leadership. Senior leadership are aware of this

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

and are taking appropriate actions, including coaching and mentoring, to effectively support and nurture the new leaders’ development.

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Governance

 The governance of the school is effective and has ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  The proprietors of the school have a strong vision to promote change for the better for the vulnerable pupils in their care. They know their school well because of the quality of information that they receive and because of their regular visits to the school.  The proprietors hold the head of education closely to account for pupils’ learning, progress, and social and pastoral development. The head of education provides high- quality leadership and management of the school. He also provides detailed information and answers in-depth questions about all aspects of the school’s operation at frequent supervisory meetings with the proprietors.  The proprietary company has ensured that appropriate monitoring and filtering is in place for the school’s internet connection.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The school’s detailed safeguarding policy considers the most up-to-date guidance from the Secretary of State. It is published on the education section of the proprietary company’s website.  The proprietors ensure that the school meets all the statutory requirements for safeguarding. The suitability of adults to work with children in school is checked effectively before staff take up their appointments.  Effective systems ensure pupils’ safe and appropriate access to the electronic devices and the internet. Effective systems are in place to ensure that child protection records and safeguarding information are thorough, detailed and easily accessible to appropriate authorities.  All staff are highly vigilant and trained to a high standard to protect pupils from potential safeguarding risks, including radicalisation and extremism. Leaders’ frequent briefings

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Safeguarding

ensure that staff are kept up to date and that staff have a deep understanding of the risks to each individual pupil.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers’ high expectations and good subject knowledge in nearly all subjects, particularly in mathematics, English and computing, contribute well to the planning of effective learning. Teachers typically plan activities carefully to capture pupils’ interests. As a result, nearly all pupils sustain their concentration, attention and focus. This allows them to make good progress. For example, in a computing activity focused on constructing signs controlled by proximity sensors, pupils demonstrated the resilience required to persevere to debug their program code.  Pupils, including those with an education, health and care plan, develop their confidence and vocabulary, and communicate well. This is because of the effective teaching that they receive in English and personal and social education. For example, pupils were keen to engage in conversation with the inspector and explain what they were learning. They also

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

clearly and confidently articulated their own perceptions of the school’s impact on their lives.  Educational visits and charitable activities provide pupils with additional opportunities to apply their communication skills and develop their knowledge and understanding of the wider world and fundamental British values. Pupils raise funds for national heart health charities and visit a range of different experiences. These include visits to a sea life centre, a careers fair and sporting activity centres.  Teachers and teaching assistants respond quickly and effectively to pupils’ emotions, which can change rapidly. Teachers adapt their teaching styles and what is being taught to meet pupils’ needs and seize upon their interests. Consequently, pupils increasingly overcome short attention spans and very challenging behaviours to make good progress from their starting points. For example, a teaching assistant’s calm but firm guidance

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

during a reading session ensured that a pupil who had left the session quickly rejoined the teaching activity. This was following a short supervised ‘time out’ in another room.  Teachers’ effective use of practical activities ensures that pupils consolidate their knowledge and grow in confidence in the application of their skills, particularly in subjects such as science and food technology. For example, pupils recently undertook the careful creation of a working model of a volcano while studying chemical reactions in science. They also regularly cook for each other on a Friday.  Pupils’ confidence and self-esteem prosper because of the strong relationships that they have with their teachers and teaching assistants. Staff care deeply for their pupils and ensure that the atmosphere in school is one that encourages pupils’ trust and respect. As a result, pupils grow in confidence and frequently participate well in their learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The work in pupils’ books shows that teaching is planned in sequence, particularly in English and mathematics, where it builds well upon pupils’ prior learning and allows them to succeed. However, work in books also highlights that in history and geography, teaching does not provide pupils with enough opportunities to apply the skills that they are learning to develop their knowledge and understanding at greater depth.  Teachers check the accuracy of their assessment through regular moderation activities with other schools in the proprietary company and through frequent sharing of information at end-of-day briefings. However, current assessment records contain limited information about the progress and attainment made by pupils in subjects other than English, mathematics and science. Leaders are taking actions to amend their recording systems, but their actions have not been fully embedded.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils overcome many obstacles to their learning, including those relating to their mental health and self-esteem. This is because of the school’s carefully considered personal, social and health education curriculum and the effective use of staff to provide structured and consistent support and guidance. Consequently, pupils reinvigorate their commitment to learning and grow in confidence and self-esteem. They raise their aspirations for the future.  Pupils value their excellent relationships with staff and the effective care and guidance that they receive. As a result, pupils are prepared well for the next stages of their education and they are ready for life in modern British society.  Pupils demonstrate a good understanding of how to keep safe, including while online, because of the teaching they receive as part of a well-considered personal, social and

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Personal development and welfare

health education programme. Pupils demonstrate a mature understanding of the diversity of modern Britain, including that related to race, religion, gender and sexuality. Pupils understand the importance of showing respect and tolerance for the different groups of people found in modern Britain, but also acknowledge the entitlement to have their own personal opinions and feelings.  Pupils receive good spiritual, moral, social and cultural education. They study a range of cultures and faiths through well-structured schemes of work. In school, pupils learn effectively about democratic processes, the rule of law and the value of tolerance. The school council meets regularly and contributes well to school leaders’ and the proprietor’s decision-making.  Pupils do receive some impartial advice and guidance about their future lives and careers, including the opportunity to visit career fairs. However, these are limited and not as well

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Personal development and welfare

integrated into the school’s curriculum.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils’ attendance is extremely high. It is above national averages and often considerably better than in pupils’ previous educational establishments. Pupils, including those who are dual-registered in a mainstream school, rarely miss a day of school. When they do, it is typically for good reasons linked to medical needs or meetings that cannot be changed.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school. Pupils have a good understanding of the different types of bullying, including the use of homophobic terms and online abuse, and know that bullying is wrong. Pupils say that they nearly always get along well with each other and they found it difficult to recollect any bullying incidents. They are confident that teachers and other adults would deal quickly and effectively with any instances of bullying if they did occur.  Pupils’ manners around the school are good. Pupils typically show respect for each other

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Behaviour

and the adults in the school because staff consistently and calmly demonstrate respect and manners to them. Staff set clear boundaries that are consistently enforced.  Pupils typically have positive attitudes to learning and concentrate well in class.  Pupils’ conduct around the school is typically good. Pupils try hard and frequently succeed in considerably improving their behaviours to meet carefully considered targets. However, there are times when pupils’ social and emotional needs result in a deterioration of behaviour. The consistent application of the school’s behaviour policies allows staff to resolve those incidents quickly to minimise the resultant interruptions to an individual’s learning and that of others.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 All pupils currently attending the school have disengaged or been excluded from the mainstream education system. They typically enter the school with extremely challenging behaviour and large gaps in their knowledge and understanding. From low starting points, they make good progress.  Pupils make excellent progress in developing their social and emotional skills because of the teaching, support and guidance that they receive. As a result, the sanctions imposed on pupils for breaches of behaviour dramatically reduce in line with the time a pupil spends at the school. Pupils become well mannered, typically well behaved and interested learners who then return to mainstream schools to continue their learning.  Pupils currently in school have not undertaken any external accredited assessments or qualifications due to their age. However, work in pupils’ books shows that they make strong progress from their starting points in a range of subjects and particularly in

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Outcomes for pupils Good

mathematics and computing. As a result, the differences are quickly diminishing in attainment between the pupils in school and with other pupils nationally.  Pupils’ mathematical understanding improves rapidly because of the systematic teaching that they receive. Pupils frequently apply their skills to solving mathematical problems. For example, younger pupils undertook an investigation into the possible amounts that can be created using a set combination of coins, including explaining their methodology and the pattern that they had identified.  Pupils’ spoken and written English skills are developed well. Older pupils demonstrate a clear understanding of the differences of formal and informal writing. They use a range of techniques effectively in their writing, including metaphors and similes.  Reading is promoted strongly across the school. Pupils have free access to a good range of contemporary fiction that is well matched to their range of abilities. Teachers and

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Outcomes for pupils Good

teaching assistants regularly hear pupils read. Consequently, pupils quickly develop their reading skills to allow them to access other areas of the curriculum effectively.  Computing is a strength in the school. Pupils eagerly engage in computing lessons and their resultant outcomes reflect their enthusiasm for the subject. Pupils make good use of the advanced skills that they are taught to design and create, using computer-aided design, three-dimensional printing and chess sets which are used during their recreation time. Additionally, pupils demonstrate well-developed analysis skills, resilience and persistence when debugging computer programming code.  Work in pupils’ books shows that progress in developing knowledge and understanding at greater depth in some subjects such as history and geography is not as strong. This is because pupils are taught the basic knowledge of topics such as Greek history. However,

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Outcomes for pupils Good

they have limited opportunities to apply their geographical and historical skills to undertake deeper studies of the topics covered.

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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

Type of school Other Independent Special School

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School details

Chair Karen Mitchell-Mellor/Andrew Constable

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £29,250 per year

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School details

Website www.halliwellhomes.co.uk/education

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School details

Email address mathew.hargreaves@halliwellhomes.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Maple House is a small independent school which meets the needs of up to ten male and female pupils with extreme or very severe social, emotional and mental health difficulties, including those who have been placed in a residential setting. It shares a site with a separate residential care home that is also run by the proprietary company.  The school was registered in March 2017 and is part of the Halliwell Homes education group of schools.  The school aims ‘to provide the best quality education and care for vulnerable children through a vibrant curriculum which fully prepares pupils for their future economic wellbeing and nurture outstanding personal development’.  All pupils attending the school are involved with child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and a minority have an education, health and care plan.  The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was conducted with one day’s notice to the school.  The inspector observed learning throughout the school, checked the school’s compliance with the independent school standards and looked at samples of pupils’ work across a range of subjects. The inspector spoke with pupils about their work and school life.  The inspector held meetings with leaders, senior managers of the proprietary company, teachers and other adults working in the school. The inspector held telephone conversations with an educational consultant who works with the school and with the chair of the proprietary company.  The inspector scrutinised an extensive range of school documentation, including policies, planning, documentation relating to the leadership and management of the school and information about the progress, behaviour and attendance of pupils in the school. He scrutinised the school’s records and systems to check the suitability of adults to work in

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Information about this inspection

the school.  The inspector considered the one response received from a local authority social worker placing a pupil in the school and the five written responses to the staff questionnaire.  There were no responses to the online parent questionnaire, Parent View.  There were no responses to the online pupils’ questionnaire.  The inspector made a thorough tour of the school.

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Inspection team

John Nixon, 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.

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Inspection team

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

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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Inspection team

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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