Breckenbrough School Limited

Inspection report for residential special school - Breckenbrough School Limited 1 Breckenbrough School Limited Breckenbrough School Ltd, Sandhutton, Thirsk, North Yorkshire YO7 4EN Residential provision inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential special school

Breckenbrough School is a residential special school for boys aged from nine to 19 years old. The school caters for up to 60 students, with provision for 37 boarders. There are currently 17 boarders. Boarding accommodation is in the main school building and in a house in the grounds. There are a range of facilities, including a motocross track, a bike maintenance garage, a design technology room, an all- weather football pitch and a gym.

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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: 6 November 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding Inspection report for residential special school - Breckenbrough School Limited 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

 The students make exceptional progress in all areas of their development. Many of the students succeed for the first time because they are in a setting that understands their very complex needs.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The students feel they can be themselves here because they are understood by the staff and other students. Consequently, their self-esteem and individuality flourishes. One student said: ‘It really is much more than a school.’

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Key findings from this inspection

 The students’ life chances improve significantly because they learn the skills they need to function beyond attending at this school.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The students thrive in an environment where relationships are built on trust and respect.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Arrangements to ensure that the students are kept safe are effective.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The leadership team is exceptionally aspirational for the students. This approach is reflected by the staff team.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The students are helped to reach their maximum potential because the leadership team monitors social educational progress effectively.

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outstanding

The students grow in confidence and start to form their own identity. The students thrive in an environment that understands them as individuals and where diversity is celebrated. One student said: ‘For some students, this is a second chance. A chance to make something of themselves in an environment that understands them, with students who accept them.’

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outstanding

The students benefit tremendously from an approach that finds the positives in everyone. The staff help each student find what they are good at. The staff then help the students to develop their strengths. For some of the students, this is the first time they have ever succeeded socially or academically.

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outstanding

The confidence and self-esteem of the students improve because the staff team helps the students to understand the world around them. The students experience an exceptionally nurturing approach from the staff. This approach creates strong relationships between the students and the staff. The relationships are firmly built on Inspection report for residential special school - Breckenbrough School Limited 3 trust and respect.

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outstanding

The students’ emotional well-being improves significantly because of the highly positive approach that staff use. The school’s psychologist provides bespoke support to the students to help the students deal with anxieties and she helps them develop coping strategies. This support helps the students to realise that they can achieve.

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outstanding

The students are encouraged to undertake a range of physical activities. They regularly access the on-site gym, the all-weather football pitch, and the school’s motocross track. This helps to improve the students’ physical fitness. The students’ mental health also improves as their confidence and self-esteem grow.

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outstanding

The students learn how to identify healthy food and make good food choices. Some of the students choose to work with the school’s nutritionist, which has a positive impact. As a result of this work, some students expand their diet choices, lose weight, concentrate better and they learn how to cook healthy meals ready to be independent in later life.

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outstanding

The students benefit tremendously from the on-site education. The seamless approach between the school and social education enables the students to learn consistently through the 24-hour curriculum.

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outstanding

The students learn a range of life skills, which help them to transition successfully into college, work and university. The students feel their time here helps them significantly to prepare for life after school. One student said: ‘Our good moments here might enrich us. The bad moments will define us. This builds us up for the sometimes harsh and unforgiving reality of the world beyond this school.’

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outstanding

Safeguarding procedures are effective. The students are kept safe and they feel safe. The staff follow a proactive approach to monitoring potential safeguarding issues. The staff share information about the students effectively throughout the day. The staff who are designated as safeguarding leads monitor this information and act immediately to prevent harm to students.

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outstanding

The staff team manages risks to the students effectively. The staff are equipped with the knowledge to reduce the likelihood of any risks arising. Recent research around managing specific risks to the students is embedded in practice. The new student support plans provide staff with a clear picture of the complex needs of each student. The support plan is helping the staff to manage the environment to reduce the likelihood of risk occurring.

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outstanding

The behaviour of the students improves significantly. The staff use their exceptional knowledge of the students, alongside their strong relationships with them, to help the students to develop personal coping strategies. Over time, the students’ anxieties Inspection report for residential special school - Breckenbrough School Limited 4 reduce significantly. The students use their coping strategies successfully to access social activities and education, both inside school and out in the community.

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outstanding

The staff undertake a wide range of training, which gives them the knowledge to identify wider risks that could affect the students, such as radicalisation and criminal exploitation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leadership team is exceptionally aspirational for every student to achieve. The leadership team is devoted to providing student-centred care, which gives the students the skills to achieve their maximum potential. The staff team consistently follows this aspiration and drive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leadership team’s improvement plans demonstrate its awareness of strengths and areas it wishes to develop. The leadership team continually strives to improve practice using recent research that relates to the needs of specific students. The leaders are involved with initiatives that help them to keep up to date with positive practice. The leadership team is well supported in monitoring progress by strong oversight from the governing body.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leaders have robust systems for monitoring social educational progress. This enables them to track each individual and work with the students to identify what is going well and which areas they need to develop.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The motivated staff team enjoys its work. The staff feel valued and supported by the leadership team. The staff receive regular supervision, which helps them to reflect on their practice. Inspection report for residential special school - Breckenbrough School Limited 5

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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 - Breckenbrough School Limited 6

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Residential special school details

Social care unique reference number: SC007922

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Residential special school details

Headteacher/teacher in charge: Simon Banister

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Residential special school details

Type of school: residential special school

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Residential special school details

Email address: simon.banister@breckenbrough.org.uk

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Inspector

Jamie Richardson: social care inspector Inspection report for residential special school - Breckenbrough School Limited 7 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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Inspector

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