Purbeck View School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Purbeck View School Northbrook Road, Swanage, Dorset BH19 1PR

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a), 7(b), 16, 16(a), 16(b)  The standard inspection of June 2017 identified that the school’s arrangements for safeguarding were not effective. This was because the culture of safeguarding was weak. Leaders did not have a secure understanding of how effectively statutory guidance was being implemented. They had not ensured that the school’s safeguarding policy was well understood and fully implemented by staff.  At the time of this inspection, the school’s safeguarding policy was evaluated and found to conform to the most recent government legislation. The policy was appropriate to ensure the safety of pupils. The safeguarding policy is reviewed annually and is available on the school’s website.  Staff have a good understanding of the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures. All staff are expected to read documentation and adhere fully to the requirements laid

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Main inspection findings

out. Induction procedures ensure that new staff are given appropriate training to enable them to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively. In discussions, staff demonstrated a good understanding of the actions to take should they have any concerns regards the safety or welfare of a pupil, for example pupils at risk of child sexual exploitation or radicalisation and extremism.  Leaders have put in place a risk assessment policy which has been implemented across the school. Risk assessments are in place for individual pupils and for planned activities. These are checked by leaders to ensure that they are fit for purpose. Nonetheless, leaders know that the quality of risk assessments needs further work to ensure that they are incisive and identify the precise risk to individual pupils.  Leaders’ increased focus on improving the school’s policies and procedures since the previous standard inspection has resulted in a stronger culture of safeguarding to

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Main inspection findings

minimise risks to pupils and to keep them safe from harm.  The standards in paragraph 7 and paragraph 16 are now met. Part 6. Provision of information Paragraph 32(1), 32(1)(f), 32(2), 32(2)(c), 32(3), 32(3)(f)  The previous standard inspection reported that leaders were not meeting the requirements to provide parents with an annual report on their children’s progress. Inspection evidence found that a detailed report is sent out to parents outlining the progress their child has made academically and socially. This annual report closely marries the findings against the child’s education, health and care plan.  In addition, the school did not make available to parents the name and address for correspondence of the chair of the governing body. Examination of the school’s website shows the contact details of the chair of the governing body and other key members of the school leadership team are easily accessible for parents and carers.

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Main inspection findings

Part 7. Manner in which complaints are handled Paragraph 33, 33(a), 33(b), 33(c), 33(d), 33(e), 33(f), 33(g), 33(h), 33(i), 33(i)(i), 33(i)(ii), 33(j), 33(j)(i), 33(j)(ii)(k)  The previous standard inspection reported that leaders had not ensured that an effective procedure was in place to deal with the handling of complaints from parents and carers.  The complaints policy on the website allows for an informal resolution of complaints at an early stage. It then clearly outlines the procedure for making a formal complaint in writing. If the complainant remains unhappy, the procedure sets out that a panel of three people, including one person who is independent of the Cambian Group, will be convened. The complainant may be accompanied to the panel. The policy includes a clear flow chart for complaints which contains timescales and other aspects of complaints management.  Inspection evidence shows how leaders keep careful records of any complaints received

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Main inspection findings

to their resolution, including the actions the school has implemented to resolve parental concerns and complaints. In addition, leaders write to parents to indicate how many complaints have been made during the term and of actions taken.  The standard in paragraph 33 is now met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c)  The standard relating to the quality of leadership and management was unmet at the last standard inspection as the proprietor and school leaders had not ensured that all of the independent school standards were met consistently.  The Department for Education (DfE) accepted the school’s action plan with modifications. Leaders revised its action plan quickly to ensure that it incorporated all of the DfE’s required modifications.  The proprietor took rapid action following the standard inspection to recruit experienced leaders. The leadership structure has been strengthened to ensure that the actions taken to tackle the unmet standards are implemented quickly and effectively. Minutes of governors’ meetings record increased rigour and challenge in holding leaders to account for the quality of education and care they provide for pupils.

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Main inspection findings

 Current leaders are ambitious to drive forward improvements that ensure continual progress which enables pupils to receive a high quality standard of education. They have quickly gained the trust and support of staff, eloquently summed up with the comment, ‘We are very lucky to have a wonderful new leadership team. They have taken a broken team and put us back together again.’  Nonetheless, senior leaders confirm that there is further work to do to ensure that middle leaders rigorously monitor and develop the quality of teaching and learning so they know what does or does not work well and why. Leaders also recognise that systems they have implemented to improve the quality of education pupils receive have yet to be embedded.  The standard in paragraph 34(1) is now met.

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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. Welfare, health and safety of pupils, paragraph 7, 7(a), 7(b), 16, 16(a), 16(b)  Part 6. Provision of information, paragraph 32(1), 32(1)(f), 32(2), 32(2)(c), 32(3), 32(3)(f)  Part 7. Manner in which complaints are handled paragraph 33, 33(a), 33(b), 33(c), 33(d), 33(e), 33(f), 33(g), 33(h), 33(i), 33(i)(i), 33(i)(ii), 33(j), 33(j)(i), 33(j)(ii)(k)  Part 8. Quality of leadership and management of schools paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c)

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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

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 21

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School details

Annual fees (boarders) 38 week day place: £77,520 38 week residential: £147,900 52 week residential: £202,980

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School details

Email address pvs.office@cambiangroup.com

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 27–29 June 2017

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Information about this school

 Purbeck View School is registered as an independent special school and a children’s home for boys and girls aged from seven to 19 who have complex needs, including autism, severe learning disabilities and severe emotional, social and mental health difficulties. The school is owned by the Cambian Group.  The principal started in post in September 2017.  All pupils have an education, health and care plan.  A very small minority of pupils are eligible for the pupil premium funding. The school does not receive funding from the Year 7 catch-up fund or the sports premium.  No pupils use alternative provision.  The school’s last standard inspection took place on 27–29 June 2017 when it was judged to be inadequate.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the 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 inspection was the first progress monitoring inspection undertaken since the last standard inspection and was carried out with no notice.  After the previous inspection, which found the school’s overall effectiveness to be inadequate, the school was required to produce an action plan to explain how it would meet the independent school standards that were unmet at that time. This action plan was evaluated on 16 November 2017 and was approved with modifications by the DfE.  Prior to the inspection, the lead inspector scrutinised a range of documentation, including that provided by the registration authority for independent schools. This

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Information about this inspection

included the previous inspection reports and the school’s responses to the unmet standards set out in their action plan, relating to Parts 3, 6, 7 and 8. In addition, the lead inspector carefully checked the school’s policies, and other information available to families on its website, to check compliance with the unmet standards identified at the previous standard inspection.  Throughout the inspection, the inspector met with school leaders, held discussions with staff and spoke with pupils. The lead inspector also met with a director from the Cambian Group to discuss the effectiveness of actions taken since the previous standard inspection.

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Inspection team

Jen Southall, 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 visitwww.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

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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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