Fullerton House School

Fullerton House School Off Tickhill Square, Denaby, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN12 4AR

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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 Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and managers ensure that all the independent school standards are met.  Pupils make outstanding progress in developing their behaviour as teachers meet pupils’ complex behavioural needs extremely well.  School leaders evaluate the quality of teaching and learning accurately and use this information to develop the quality of teaching and learning.  Pupils make good progress in their achievements which prepares them well for the next stage of their education and care.  The board of directors is in the process of forming a new governing body with the intention of enhancing the current leadership.  There is a lack of clarity and accountability in the roles and responsibility of some leaders and managers.  Adults build good relationships with pupils and this has a very positive influence on pupils’ learning.  Pupils make good progress in their personal development as they quickly become confident in new environments and with new people.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Teachers use resources imaginatively to meet pupils’ learning needs.  At times, the quality of teaching by some teachers in some subjects, such as phonics, is not as strong as it is from others.  Teachers are not consistently linking learning targets in lessons to pupils’ individual learning plan targets.  Leaders and managers have not ensured that communication about pupils between care staff and education staff is systematic.  Senior leaders plan a very individualised curriculum for pupils which supports the good progress that they make.

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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 ensuring that: – roles and responsibilities are clear so that all leaders and managers understand who is accountable for each aspect of school leadership and that all leaders are held to account for the effectiveness of their role – the daily sharing of information between care and education staff is rigorous and effective in promoting the pupils’ well-being.  Improve the quality of teaching, assessment and learning by ensuring that: – teachers link their daily lesson plans to targets set in pupils’ individual learning plans – the teaching of phonics across the school is more systematic so that it more accurately meets individual pupils’ needs – adults model appropriate language – pupils’ targets in lessons are made clear to support staff so that they have clearer expectations of their outcomes.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher leads his team well. He has a very accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and this is reflected in the school’s self-evaluation. Staff acknowledge that, ‘The headteacher has a clear vision.’  Senior leaders have organised a good induction programme and continuous training for all staff. Consequently, staff feel well supported, as reflected in the comment made by a member of staff, ‘My training has been excellent, due to my training my teaching has improved.’  Staff communicate well with parents and carers who consider, for example, that ‘staff are positive and friendly’ and that Fullerton House School is ‘the best school to meet (their child’s) complex needs’.  Every pupil has a bespoke curriculum organised to meet their multi-faceted needs. Staff build on skills learned inside school by allowing pupils the opportunity to practise them in the community. For example, pupils are taken out to the local bakery to choose and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

purchase goods.  Pupils develop understanding of British values through regular assemblies and discussion. The ethos of the school supports values of democracy, liberty and respect every day.  Pupils also learn about different religions and cultures, for example when they study India and learn about Buddhism.  The senior teacher has a good system in place which accurately follows pupils’ progress across all subjects. He meets with teachers termly to discuss pupils’ progress. Together, they set aspirational targets and take specific action to support pupils who are not reaching them.  The senior teacher also works closely with the headteacher and with colleagues from a local outstanding school, to moderate pupils’ work and share good practice.  School leaders work well with at least ten local authorities. They ensure that communication is frequent and that detailed information is readily available for meetings

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

such as multi-disciplinary meetings.  School leaders have not ensured that the daily sharing of information between care and education staff is as rigorous and effective as it could be.

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Governance

 The board of directors support the school well. They have ensured that all areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection have been addressed and that the independent school standards, as at the previous inspection, are met.  The board of directors ensure that pupils always have the resources they require to help them flourish, such as ear defenders and weight vests, as well as extra staff when needed.  The headteacher and general manager gather and analyse information, for example incidents, accidents and attendance. Consequently, board members are reliably well informed about how well the school is performing.  The board of directors continually evaluates the effectiveness of the current governance structure. They are in the process of forming a governing body for the school. It is anticipated that this body of persons will support, challenge and act as an advisory body for school leaders.

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Governance

 Directors acknowledge that at times there is a lack of clarity about how leaders are held to account, and not all leaders know who is responsible for some aspects of leadership.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff receive regular training to ensure that they are familiar with the most recent government guidance. Three members of senior staff have designated safeguarding lead (DSL) training, with one person leading as DSL and the others deputising in their absence.  The DSL circulates a staff quiz to pick up on any misunderstandings and appropriate action is taken to resolve any issues that arise.  The DSL ensures that records of any incidents are thorough and stored appropriately. Contact is made with outside professionals, for example the local authority and the police, as and when appropriate to promote pupil’s well-being.  Senior leaders have ensured that a safeguarding policy is available on the school website and contains all the relevant information, including the most recent government guidance.  Pupils’ growing confidence and communication skills with adults indicate that they feel

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Safeguarding

safe, and parents who made their views known comment that they consider that their child ‘is safe’.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers have established good routines that help pupils feel safe and confident in their learning environment.  Adults ensure that they develop communication skills that will support pupils in learning to communicate with others, in the way that they find easiest. Different techniques are used appropriately, such as pictorial or hand signs.  Teachers carefully prepare lessons so that resources are readily available to aid learning and stimulate enjoyment of learning.  Adults have developed strong relationships with pupils, which helps equip them to be in the right frame of mind to learn.  Pupils receive valuable and regular feedback from teachers which encourages them in their learning and helps other adults know how well pupils are working towards their targets.  Pupils quickly settle into their new learning environment as every effort is made to meet their needs. For example, adaptations to learning environments include, for example, the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

use of screens to support pupil’s privacy and minimise disruption.  Teachers work closely with the clinical staff to set aspirational targets in pupils’ individual learning plans (ILP). They make sure that targets are very focused and specific for every pupil’s needs.  Pupils’ ILP targets help them make progress which is assessed. However, individual lesson targets are sometimes not well linked to these targets and learning therefore becomes less focused on pupils’ very specific needs.  When taught well, systematic synthetic phonics is helping pupils build a bank of known letter sounds which then helps them to blend and segment simple words. For some pupils, phonics is not taught in a systematic way and pupils struggle to read words containing sounds they have not been taught.  Teaching assistants and support staff generally support pupils’ learning well. However, when teachers make expectations and targets clear they are even more effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Some teachers are not good at modelling language to pupils so that when they are becoming familiar with basic sentences, they are not confused by colloquial phrases.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils quickly settle into their new surroundings and become more confident learners as adults ensure that the transition arrangements work well for the individual pupils.  In the pupils’ new environment, adults know how to meet individual needs well. Pupils who have previously been taught in isolation due to violent behaviour quickly become able to integrate into full-time education alongside their peers.  Teachers work closely with clinical staff to ensure that methods of communication are individualised to help pupils learn. Pupils who were previously non-verbal and non- communicative quickly become confident in communicating using pictorial signs, sign language or speech.  The strong relationships that teachers build with their pupils gives pupils the confidence to do activities such as attend local swimming baths, having previously been unable to

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Personal development and welfare

access any kind of community resources.  In assemblies and personal, social and health education lessons, pupils are helped to understand how to keep themselves safe, for example with road safety or when interacting with strangers. Pupils are then given the opportunity to put learning into practice as they venture out on public transport for the first time.  Pupils have attended careers fairs and spoken to people from different professions to help them make careers choices. A member of staff is now responsible for ensuring that pupils have access to impartial careers advice. Pupil’s personal development is not outstanding as not all older pupils have had the opportunity to speak to the advisor at the time of the inspection.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding as pupils’ behaviour rapidly improves soon after starting Fullerton House School.  Pupils’ behaviour is managed exceptionally well by adults as there are clear procedures to follow and staff are well trained.  Pupils do not receive sanctions for any disruptive behaviour and therefore exclusions are zero. Adults take the time to understand why pupils behave as they do and then address their emotional needs to improve behaviour.  Pupils’ attendance is high. Many pupils who did not previously access education or were on very restricted timetables now enter the school eagerly every day with a smile.  Pupils take a pride in their work and some are happy to share what they have done with visitors.  Many pupils who would previously have not spoken to unknown adults are now so self- disciplined that they will welcome visitors to their classroom and spontaneously shake

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Due to their complex needs, pupils’ academic attainment is low and steps of progress are small. However, progress from their starting points is good and often outstanding.  Pupils who previously accessed little or no academic education make good progress across all subjects. This is because teachers take time to adapt the teaching environment and teaching resources to help pupils learn.  Between September 2016 and July 2018 approximately 85% of all pupils made good or outstanding progress in English. Pupils’ progress in mathematics in the same period was not as strong, at approximately 75%. Pupils’ progress is often stronger in English, due to the greater progress made in communication skills.  Pupils who left the school at the end of the last academic year all left with some form of accredited learning, for example in English, mathematics, information communication technology, arts and crafts. This, and their progress in improving their personal

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Outcomes for pupils Good

development and behaviour, means that they are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment.  Fourteen pupils in the previous academic year took part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award scheme. One pupil made outstanding progress from his starting point, as he achieved the bronze award.

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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 category Independent residential special school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £69,549 to £72,323

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School details

Email address fhsadmin@hesleygroup.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17–19 November 2015

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Information about this school

 Fullerton House School accepts up to 36 pupils aged between eight and 19 years. Currently there are 31 pupils attending the school. Two pupils are day pupils, with 29 pupils having a 52-week residential placement.  All pupils currently attending have an education, health and care plan. Most pupils have, along with other diagnoses, a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder.  Pupils are taught in five different classes, in mixed year groups, based on their individual and complex needs.  The school’s last standard inspection was in November 2015, when it was judged to be good in all aspects.  The school does not use any alternative education providers.  The governance of the school takes the format of a board of directors from the Hesley Group. Leaders and managers are in the process of forming a governing body.  A general manager has overall daily responsibility for both the care and the education

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out over two and a half days by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors.  The inspector held meetings throughout the inspection with the headteacher, the senior teacher and the general manager. She also met with class teachers and clinical staff.  The inspector observed lessons and looked at pupils’ work in books in all subjects with the headteacher.  The inspector met with the chief executive officer of the Hesley Group Ltd, the head of policy and regulation manager and the operations director.  The inspector spoke with pupils informally and observed behaviour throughout the school day.  The inspector spoke to two representatives from placing local authorities.  One response to Parent View was received. Not enough responses were received to show the results of this questionnaire. One parent responded to the Ofsted online text service. Thirteen responses to the staff questionnaire were received. All these views were

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Information about this inspection

considered.  The inspector toured the school’s buildings inside and out, to check whether the relevant independent school standards were met and pupils’ welfare is taken into account.  A range of documentation was examined by the inspector, including policies, the record of safeguarding checks and other safeguarding documentation. All documentation relating to the independent school standards were studied and their implementation and effectiveness considered.

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Inspection team

Jo Sharpe, 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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