Marland School

Inspection report for residential special school - Marland School 1 Marland School Devon County Council, Marland School, Peters Marland, Torrington, Devon EX38 8QQ Residential provision inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential special school

Marland School is a local authority maintained school. It is a member of a foundation trust with other special schools within the local authority. Marland School provides weekly residential care, over four nights, for up to 40 boys between the ages of 10 and 16 years. The school provides education and care for boys who have social, emotional and mental health needs. At the time of this inspection there were 32 children on roll.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 22 November 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good Inspection report for residential special school - Marland 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

 Children are looked after by a stable, well-trained staff team. As a result, they make steady progress in all areas and form trusting and loving relationships.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff are supported by experienced and knowledgeable leaders and managers who are committed to improving the outcomes of the children.

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Key findings from this inspection

 A well-structured leadership team drives change and advocates for developments extremely well. An example of this is the construction of a purpose-built residential accommodation that provides children with space and opportunities to further develop independence skills.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Leaders, managers and staff know the children very well. They provide an environment that is nurturing, safe and welcoming, where children thrive. Parents and carers spoke highly of the progress and safe care of their children.

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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

 When searches of children’s belongings take place, they are not in line with policy and procedure, and records kept do not evidence clearly the reason the search has taken place.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Reporting of safeguarding concerns is not, in every case, prompt and does not accord with protocol. Inspection report for residential special school - Marland School 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure that arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of children at the school; and such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State. (Residential Special School National Minimum Standards 11.1)

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Recommendations

 Any search of boarders’ personal belongings should be carried out in accordance with section 550ZA of the Education Act 1996 and with regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State. (Residential Special School National Minimum Standards 9.4) Inspection report for residential special school - Marland School 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in all areas. They benefit from a safe and supportive environment where courtesy and respect for others are promoted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

It is a real strength of the school that so many staff have a pastoral concern for the children, both formal and informal. Children, carers and parents commented favourably on their positive relationships with staff, and the availability of different staff to help them if they have problems. Parents told inspectors that they ‘couldn’t praise the school highly enough’, and the progress their children have made since starting is ‘impressive’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and children form positive relationships and feel secure. When children do raise worries or complaints they say they are addressed quickly and positively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported well to prepare for their moves towards independence. A wide variety of planned activities and learning support complements the children’s academic studies. Examples of learning include safe use of the internet, healthy eating, substance misuse and issues in relation to bullying, gender and sexuality.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All staff place a strong emphasis on consultation and inclusion of children. This means children are kept central to decision-making. School counsel, daily meetings and regular visits from an independent listener provide forums where children’s voices are heard.

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improvement to be good

Children said that they feel safe and that this is due to many factors, for example knowing there are staff they can talk to and knowing that the building is safe. Parents and social workers also told inspectors that they feel confident that children are kept safe.

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improvement to be good

Children live in an environment that provides good physical safety. For example, they have their own accommodation, secured by their own personal fob entry key, and systems are in place to protect them from safety hazards. This safety is demonstrated through the routine use of policies and procedures, which are reviewed as circumstances change. All equipment used is regularly checked and serviced to ensure that it is safe. Good assessment systems are in place for on-site and off-site activities and organised trips. In addition, children know and understand how to use the recreational areas safely, both indoors and outdoors.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a good understanding of the children’s therapeutic needs. Collaborative Inspection report for residential special school - Marland School 5 working with social workers and qualified Thrive practitioners results in behaviour and care plans that are informed by current research. Structured and personalised responses mean that challenging behaviours are reducing significantly. Children are gradually learning how to manage their anxieties and worries.

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improvement to be good

Children rarely go missing from the home. If this does happen, staff are proactive in their responses. They follow each child’s missing-from-home protocol and report to all relevant agencies in a timely manner.

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improvement to be good

Complaints and serious incidents involving children and staff are responded to quickly, and comprehensive detailed records are kept. Inspectors found that the designated safeguarding leads were not always following protocol by liaising with the local area designated officer prior to undertaking an investigation. However, there is no evidence of this failing having an adverse impact on the children and staff and any subsequent investigation.

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improvement to be good

Inspectors found staff performing routine searches of children’s personal belongings when they return to school after being at home. A strategy adopted by staff to reduce risk is not fair or lawful as there was insufficient evidence of how children give consent, and neither do the records provide an explicit rationale for each search.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership and management of the residential school are good. Care of the children is well organised, and the senior management team is ably led by the head of the school. Strong leadership and management lead to a committed group of staff who understand the aims and ethos of the school, and the roles and areas of responsibility of members of staff. The head of school and the head of care have a hands-on management approach, and both have a very visible presence in the residential accommodation. Staff, social workers, parents and carers spoke extremely positively of the leaders and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are well established in their roles and, by continuing with their professional development, they remain up to date with research and practice. Since the last inspection they have driven improvements, resulting in positive outcomes for children. Advocating for additional funds for new accommodation has resulted in children living in a much improved residential special school that provides them with better opportunities to grow and develop.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff contribute to the improvement of the school. Effective use is made of stakeholders’ and parents’ feedback, and children’s views are valued and proactively sought. Regular children satisfaction surveys and children’s council meetings are an integral part of school life, and this helps to shape the development of the residential provision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and reviewing of the school, coupled with rigorous scrutiny by the independent visitor and the governing body, take place regularly. Well-written Inspection report for residential special school - Marland School 6 reports are presented at local authority meetings, demonstrating that children are helped and supported to share their views, and that challenge takes place when necessary.

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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 - Marland School 7

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Residential special school details

Social care unique reference number: SC022231

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Residential special school details

Headteacher/teacher in charge: Mr Keith Bennett

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Residential special school details

Type of school: Residential special school

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Residential special school details

Email address: admin@marland.devon.sch.uk Inspection report for residential special school - Marland School 8

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Inspector(s)

Linda Bond, social care inspector (lead) Inspection report for residential special school - Marland 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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