Newbury Manor School

School and boarding report/School and residential report

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Newbury Manor School Newbury Manor, Newbury, Near Mells, Frome, Somerset BA11 3RG

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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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Sixth form provision Good Overall experiences and progress of children and young people in the residential provision Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have ensured that the independent school standards and the national minimum standards for residential schools are met.  Leaders have high expectations of all pupils. Pupils leave Newbury Manor School well prepared for their next challenge.  Staff develop warm, trusting relationships with pupils. This approach helps with the school’s ethos to ‘connect before correct’ regarding managing behaviour.  Leaders use therapies to support pupils effectively. Pupils benefit from high-quality speech and language and occupational therapy.  Pupils make strong progress with their academic and social and emotional development. Leaders have prioritised nurturing pupils in equal measure.  Leaders do not routinely check how effective new strategies in teaching, learning and assessment are supporting pupils to learn effectively.  Leaders have not developed a clear approach to use the pupil premium strategy effectively.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school’s self-evaluation does not include an assessment of the performance of the boarding provision.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. Over time, the incidence of challenging behaviour has significantly reduced. Pupils enjoy school and attend well.  Staff provide a curriculum that is bespoke to each individual pupil. Pupils make strong progress in a wide range of subjects.  Pupils who have pre-verbal communication access high-quality sessions. Activities are precise and closely aligned to meet pupils’ emerging needs.  Pupils make strong progress in their writing. Over a short period of time, pupils develop their skills quickly to enable them to write well.  The teaching of mathematics does not consistently build on pupils’ prior knowledge. This makes it hard for pupils to master a concept they have found hard to understand.  The school’s work to develop pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural understanding is

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

not yet fully embedded.  The school’s approach to debriefs following incidents of restraint in the boarding provision is not fully effective. Compliance with regulatory requirements and national minimum standards for residential special schools

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school meets the requirements of the schedule for The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) the national minimum standards for residential special schools and associated requirements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management to ensure that: – the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is monitored more closely to ensure that new approaches are embedded effectively – there is an increased strategic approach to the use of the pupil premium.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment to make sure that: – there is a consistent approach to the teaching of mathematics, which builds on pupils’ prior knowledge.  Improve pupils’ personal development and welfare to ensure that: – pupils access the full personal, social and health education (PSHE) and social, moral, spiritual and cultural (SMSC) curriculum.  Improve the quality of the residential provision and pupils’ boarding experiences further by ensuring that leaders: – develop the school’s self-assessment process to include the residential provision – further increase the level of detail in records maintained by staff – make sure that, following the use of restraint, debriefs with pupils are always carried

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

out by a member of staff not involved in the restraint.

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Good

 Leaders have ensured that the independent school standards are met.  Leaders have created a special place that puts pupils at the heart of all they do. Pupils often arrive with previously poor experiences of schooling. Leaders ensure that pupils settle well through a thorough transition process, working effectively with other settings and agencies.  Leaders’ management of behaviour is effective. Some pupils display challenging behaviours. Nonetheless, leaders adopt their approach of ‘connect before correct’, when managing behaviour. They aim to develop strong, trusting relationships before seeking to improve pupils’ behaviour. Consequently, pupils behave well and staff relationships with pupils are warm and deeply rooted in mutual respect.  Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. They provide them with a chance of achievement which has not been possible in previous settings. Leaders’ motto of ‘turning

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Good

a cycle of failure into a culture of success’ epitomises their approach. As a result, pupils attend school, achieve well and are well prepared for life after school.  Leaders have an astute understanding of, and closely track, pupils’ academic progress. They have a clear understanding of where progress is strongest or weaker, and put in place interventions to bring about improvements. Leaders also track pupils’ social development effectively.  Leaders have put in place a curriculum that works for all pupils. It is designed to consider each pupil’s stage of development and specific needs. Pupils develop their knowledge, skills and understanding well. This results in many pupils leaving school more prepared to succeed in their next endeavour, whether schooling, employment or in adult care.  Leaders ensure that pupils are provided with specific therapies that meet their precise needs. Occupational therapy and speech and language therapy are of high quality and

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Good

pupils make strong progress in these areas.  Parents are overwhelmingly positive about leaders and the school. Parents are particularly positive about how well staff know their child and the progress they make.  Leaders have ensured that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good. Staff benefit from regular, high-quality training which ensures that leaders’ vision and expectations are shared with everyone. Leaders are currently overseeing several new strategies to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. However, the monitoring of this work is not consistently robust. Leaders are not routinely checking how effectively staff are embedding these new approaches.  Leaders have an accurate evaluation of the school’s performance. They have carefully identified areas for improvement and demonstrated the impact of their work. For example, leaders recognised that the teaching of literacy outcomes across the school

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Good

needed improvement. This aspect of their work has been successful. As a result, pupils have developed their literacy skills effectively.  Leaders have ensured that safeguarding is effective.  Leaders support members of staff well. They have high regard for all staff and have put in place measures that support their well-being. For example, through supervision sessions. As a result, staff feel valued and are proud to be members of the school.  Leaders’ use of the pupil premium is underdeveloped. Plans for its use to support pupils to achieve well are too vague and do not show the impact the additional funding has had. Leaders have not managed the use of the pupil premium precisely enough.  Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development of the residential provision. Monitoring systems have improved since the previous inspection. There is a detailed development plan in place for the residential

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Good

provision to ensure its ongoing improvement. The school’s self-assessment is detailed and transparent. However, the self-assessment does not include the performance of the residential provision.  Leaders and managers provide a supportive environment for the staff team. Staff receive regular and effective supervision which helps them develop their practice. The records of supervision sessions have improved since the appointment of a new care coordinator. The staff team meets regularly to discuss pupils’ academic and personal development and to review and develop the quality of the team’s work. Staff feel well supported by leaders and managers.  Staff receive good-quality training which is closely linked to the needs of the pupils. Training captures developments in modern child care practices, including lessons learned from serious case reviews.  Staff are highly skilled at using a wide range of communication approaches to gain the

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Good

views of pupils. Staff ensure that pupils’ views are integral to the operation of the residential provision.  Leaders, managers and staff have built very effective relationships with other professionals. As a result, there is a cohesive approach to pupils’ care. Leaders and managers challenge professionals when they feel that a pupil is not receiving the support needed to flourish at the school.  The residential provision is achieving its aims and objectives as set out in the statement of purpose.  Safeguarding arrangements at the school are strong. Staff spoken with during the inspection have a clear understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. Staff respond swiftly in response to any concerns for welfare. Safeguarding records are well maintained.  Staff are skilled at identifying and reducing risks for pupils. They are aware of the additional vulnerabilities pupils they care for have, including around online safety and

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Good

exploitation. Staff work with pupils to develop their understanding of risk at a level appropriate to their understanding.  Behaviour is very well managed. A positive approach to understanding behaviour in the context of pupils’ needs results in an approach where sanctions are not required.  Restraint is used rarely to protect pupils from harm. When used, it is for the minimum amount of time using the lowest level of hold. However, there have been times when the debrief with pupils in the boarding provision after a restraint has been carried out by staff involved in the restraint.  The recruitment of staff follows safer recruitment guidance which protects pupils from those who may wish to harm them.

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Governance

 The operations director, who is also the chair of governors, has a precise understanding of the school’s performance. He works closely with the headteacher to establish improvement priorities and these are monitored closely to establish the impact they have. The operations director shares the same vision, passion, high expectation and aspiration as the headteacher. As a result, they have maintained the school’s strong performance since the previous inspection.  Governors have access to all of the information they need to establish accurately how effective the school is. They scrutinise this information closely and challenge leaders to improve the school further. Governors are kept up to date with key indicators of the school’s performance including incidence of challenging behaviour, pupils’ academic progress and social and emotional progress.  The managing director of the proprietor, Priory Education Services, works closely with

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Governance

school leaders and shares the same level of understanding about the school. This is because information is shared across all layers of leadership effectively.  The system in place for updating the school’s website is too slow. Leaders’ attempts to ensure that the website is compliant are too complicated and waste valuable time. This frustrates leaders’ efforts to focus their attention on the school and pupils. The proprietor takes responsibility for the school’s website and there is acknowledgement that the current system for updating the website requires revision.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders ensure that staff recruitment procedures are robust. They only appoint staff that are suitable to work with pupils. Once staff are appointed, leaders provide an in-depth induction which helps them understand the school’s safeguarding procedures as well as key training. Training is a mixture of online and face to face, providing opportunities for staff to make links to the unique setting they are working in. As a result, staff are knowledgeable about the school’s safeguarding procedures and act proportionately when concerns about pupils arise.  Leaders have prioritised safeguarding pupils above all else. They have created and nurtured a culture where staff are vigilant to concerns about pupils. Staff act in a timely manner to share concerns with those responsible for safeguarding across the school. Leaders pass this information on to the relevant external agencies. They follow concerns

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Safeguarding

up with vigilance until they are satisfied that these concerns have been recorded and appropriate action put in place. In addition, leaders’ close work with families has provided much-needed support at home and in school. As a result, pupils feel safe and are safe. All parents that completed Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, agree that pupils are safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers are skilled at meeting the needs of pupils. Teachers know pupils well and use this knowledge to provide suitable levels of challenge and support. As a result, pupils make strong progress.  Staff have high expectations of all pupils and promote a ‘can do’ attitude. This has resulted in many success stories across the school, where individual pupils have made significant progress. By the end of their school journey, pupils are better prepared for their next challenge.  Staff build warm relationships with pupils. Through leaders’ approach of ‘connect before correct’, staff engage with pupils’ interests and personalities. Through this, trust is established, and pupils engage well in learning activities. There is a high level of mutual respect between staff and pupils.  Teachers offer pupils a bespoke curriculum which considers their individual needs closely. As well as supporting pupils’ academic progress, teachers put pupils’ social and emotional

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

progress at the heart of their work. Teachers make precise choices about how best to support pupils’ development. Consequently, pupils’ social and emotional development as well as academic progress is good.  Teachers communicate pupils’ progress effectively with parents and carers. Annual reports celebrate achievements and recognise next steps. In addition, teachers celebrate pupils’ weekly achievements. As a result, parents are kept well informed about pupils’ development and progress.  The teaching of phonics is effective. Staff use their knowledge of what pupils already know to plan effective learning activities. Pupils apply their knowledge when reading unfamiliar words and spell words with increasing accuracy when writing.  In literacy, teachers plan and provide activities that build on pupils’ prior learning. Teachers use precise information about pupils’ progress when deciding the level of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

challenge. During these activities, teachers identify pupils’ next steps precisely and adjust teaching accordingly. Consequently, pupils make strong progress from their starting points.  Teachers deploy support staff effectively. Staff use questioning and instruction well to guide pupils. Adult interventions are effective and timely, which supports pupils to engage in their learning and make good progress.  Pupils’ workbooks are immaculately presented. Staff are proud of pupils’ achievements and are eager to present them in a way that reflects pupils’ efforts.  The approach to teaching mathematics is not consistent. Sequences of lessons are not building on pupils’ previous learning routinely. As a result, if pupils struggle, they have few opportunities to practise and refine their knowledge.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils enjoy school. They are happy members of the school community. This is because there are strong relationships between staff and pupils as well as pupils and their peers. Leaders pride themselves on keeping pupils safe and managing potential risks. Leaders have ensured that staff are equally as vigilant when ensuring that pupils are kept safe. Pupils feel happy, valued and safe.  The school’s personal, social and health education (PSHE) and social, moral, spiritual and cultural (SMSC) curriculum are not fully developed. Pupils develop the key skills they need to succeed in life such as developing money sense and social interaction in real-life scenarios. However, pupils’ access to these opportunities is dependent on individual teachers. As a result, pupils do not access the full curriculum offer.  Pupils are confident and self-assured. They are proud of their achievements and eager to

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Personal development and welfare

let staff know if they want to share them.  Staff actively promote pupils’ contribution to the school. Through the school’s pupil council, pupils take part in activities such as arranging a charity event, promoting safer internet day and producing a welcome to Newbury Manor School film. Pupils play a pivotal role in their life at school. To become a member of the pupil council, pupils are invited to complete an application form, another example of how leaders provide real-life opportunities for pupils.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Through leaders’ approach to connect with pupils before correcting behaviour, staff build strong relationships with pupils. Once trust is established, their efforts to improve pupils’ behaviour are successful. Consequently, there is a feel-good factor that permeates the school and the atmosphere is calm and purposeful.  The incidence of challenging behaviour has reduced over time. Staff are highly skilled at de-escalating and preventing behavioural occurrences. They use their in-depth knowledge of pupils to look for signs of distress and respond accordingly. As a result, serious incidents have reduced, and pupils behave extremely well.  Pupils attend well. Prior to joining Newbury Manor School, most pupils had large gaps in their schooling with many missing two terms or more. However, pupils attend school regularly with improving attendance. While persistent absence is higher than national

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Behaviour

averages, there are mitigating reasons such as medical appointments that impact greatly on the school’s attendance figures.  Pupils are courteous and polite, they are thankful to staff and greet visitors to the school warmly. Pupils are grateful for staff members’ help and intervention. Whether or not pupils are able to verbally communicate their thanks, they all show their appreciation. Pupils love school and the help that they receive.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils make strong academic progress from their starting points. From the day that pupils first start at the school, they make great strides across the curriculum. Pupils are making significant gains and are accessing increasingly more difficult work.  Pupils’ social and emotional progress is positive. Staff assess pupils against the school’s own ‘star’ criteria. These aim to equip pupils with key skills such as living skills, self-care, well-being, self-esteem and socially responsible behaviour. Over time, pupils make good progress and are increasingly prepared for life after school.  Pupils make good progress in literacy. Despite pupils beginning their academic journey from varying starting points, they develop their knowledge well. For example, one pupil was mark-making at the beginning of the academic year but is now working toward writing her name. Teachers provide pupils with high-quality opportunities to write and

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Outcomes for pupils Good

they apply what they have been taught well.  Pupils who have pre-verbal communication make positive progress. Sessions are challenging, engaging and pupils enjoy the activities on offer. During these sessions, pupils develop their pre-verbal communication through activities such as sensory stories as well as key skills such as turn-taking.  Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Considering their prior experiences of schooling, which were often negative, pupils leave the school with a sense of purpose and are ready for adulthood. Some pupils leave before the compulsory school age and move back into mainstream education. Over time, pupils’ strong progress has resulted in an increased preparedness for the next stage of their lives.  Pupils’ progress in mathematics is not as strong as seen in literacy. Across a series of lessons, pupils do not get opportunities to build on their prior learning. While activities are

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Outcomes for pupils Good

suitably challenging, pupils have few opportunities to catch up if they are struggling or access further challenge.

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Sixth form provision Good

 Students who have pre-verbal communication make strong progress. They access a curriculum that helps prepare them for when they leave school. Students make good progress in the schemes of work which will result in accreditation. As a result, students develop the skills they will need to rely on when they finish at Newbury Manor School.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment in the sixth-form provision is of high quality. Teachers closely consider the needs of students and have a good understanding about students’ aspirations.  Pupils access high-quality and modern facilities. Leaders have invested in a sixth-form building which provides space for students to continue their learning. Students access the computer suite, common room and a modern kitchen. They learn how to make hot drinks in a safe environment and have a place to call their own and continue their studies.  Students are well prepared for life after sixth form. Over time, their destinations after

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Sixth form provision Good

leaving Newbury Manor School have been positive. Students’ experiences after sixth form include attending local colleges, securing employment and securing a mortgage on their own property. The sixth-form provision equips pupils well for adulthood.  Students receive high-quality careers advice. This advice is impartial and closely considers students’ interests and the appropriateness of the preferred destination. Consequently, they are well prepared for their chosen choice of future employment or education opportunities.

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Good

 Pupils’ healthcare needs are met. Staff ensure that pupils have access to the medical and support services they need. The storage of medication is secure and good records of delivery and administration of medication are maintained. Each pupil has an up-to-date healthcare plan.  The therapeutic input is good and is integrated across all aspects of the school. Therapists are involved with pupils prior to their arrival at the school and throughout their life at the school.  Pupils receive good-quality individualised care from staff who know them very well. Staff are passionate about their work and have pupils’ best interests at the heart. Staff have built strong trusting relationships with the pupils and treat them with dignity and respect.  Since the previous inspection work undertaken with pupils on sexual health has improved, but further work continues in this area of the school’s work.  The care taken at the admission stage has led to pupils’ placement at the school being

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Good

successful.  Pupils benefit from their residential experience. In addition to taking part in a wide range of fun and purposefully activities, they learn to develop their social skills and improve their communication skills.  The residential environment is welcoming, personalised and nurturing. All pupils have their own room with en-suite facilities. The number of nights pupils access the residential provision is tailored to meet their individual needs.  Records of maintained by staff are well organised and clear. These records would benefit from increased detail to evidence fully all the work undertaken by staff.

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School details

Social care unique reference number SC033016

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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. The inspection of residential provision was carried out under the Children Act 1989, as amended by the Care Standards Act 2000, having regard to the national minimum standards for residential special schools.

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School details

Type of school Residential special school with autistic spectrum disorders School category Independent residential 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 7

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School details

Number of boarders on roll 10 (of which 5 are full time)

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School details

Email address newburymanor@priorygroup.com Date of previous inspection 24–26 November 2015

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Information about this school

 Newbury Manor is a specialist day and residential school for up to 35 male and female pupils between the ages of seven and 19, with a maximum of eight residential places. It first opened in 1996. All pupils have autistic spectrum disorders, often with additional complex needs.  Newbury Manor School is part of Priory Education Services.  The school leadership team includes a headteacher, who is in school day to day, and an operations director who oversees a hub of local schools. There is a local leadership team which includes a head of care, an autism and behavioural leader, a referrals manager and site manager.  Of the current 37 pupils on roll, all have an education, health and care plan.  Several pupils are disadvantaged, in that they are known to qualify for free school meals or are looked after by their local authority.

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Information about this inspection

 During this inspection, the Department for Education asked inspectors to consider a material change to increase the number of places for day students from 35 to 45. Inspectors recommended to the Department for Education that the proposed changes should be accepted, making the total approved capacity of the school to be 45 pupils.  Inspectors took account of the views of 15 parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. Inspectors also met with parents to gather their views.  Inspectors considered 41 questionnaires returned by members of staff.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the Operations director, the assistant headteacher, the autism leader, the teacher of pupils who have pre-verbal communication, the sixth- form leader and the literacy leader.  Inspectors considered the school’s self-evaluation, current school improvement priorities, minutes from governing body meetings and information about pupils’ progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in each class. On some occasions, school leaders joined inspectors. Inspectors scrutinised a range of pupils’ workbooks from across the school.

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Inspection team

Nathan Kemp, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Wendy Anderson Social Care Regulatory Inspector

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Inspection team

Paula Marsh Ofsted 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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