Treloar School

Inspection report for residential special school - Treloar School 1 Treloar School London Road, Holybourne, Alton, Hampshire GU34 4GL Residential provision inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential special school

Treloar School is a non-maintained residential special school, approved by the Department for Education for the care and education of children aged two to 19 years who have physical disabilities. Students are accommodated in a purpose-built house or attend daily. The school site is accessible to all students. There is a medical centre staffed for 24 hours a day and medical professionals also visit the school. Additional support onsite is provided by professionals, including those from educational psychology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy dieticians and counselling psychotherapy. There are also rehabilitation engineers, caterers and a transport department on-site.

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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: 15 March 2018

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outstanding

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

 Students benefit from attending this school. They develop and improve their self- confidence, self-esteem and in some cases are beginning to have control over their lives.  Staff are inspirational and aspire for each student to achieve their best within their individual capabilities and students make outstanding progress.  The voice of students is apparent in every aspect of the school. Students make meaningful contributions that are heard and listened to.  Students and their families receive an exceptional, inspirational service from a dedicated, multi-disciplinary staff group and management.  Highly effective, thoughtful and proactive planning occurs to ensure that risks and complexities that arise from students’ complex needs are understood and well managed.  Students take part in a wide variety of fun and exciting activities. Many students have opportunities that they thought they would never have.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The food is of a very high quality. It meets students’ dietary needs and preferences and is presented appealingly even when pureed.  School staff maintain positive, open, transparent and collaborative links with families.  Leaders and governors have a realistic understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Governors are dedicated, knowledgeable and skilled people who provide a robust additional layer of challenge and scrutiny.  Staff share their expertise with others outside of the school and set high standards for others to aspire to.

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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

 To ensure that all professional discussions with staff regarding practice are recorded. Inspection report for residential special school - Treloar School 3

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Recommendations

 To ensure that a record is kept of all conversations pertinent to practice. Inspection report for residential special school - Treloar School 4

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outstanding

Students thrive while at Treloar. They live in a place where they feel safe and valued. They all make outstanding progress and some achieve beyond expectations. Those who were once quiet, shy and lacked confidence are now confident and resilient young people with aspirations and aims for their futures. They are all very well prepared for life and their future beyond the school. This is a community which promotes everyone’s abilities, enjoys and celebrates difference and has a life changing impact on the students’ and their families’ lives. One student said, ‘We all look out for each other. It’s a tight community.’

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outstanding

Secure and trusting relationships are formed often over several years. Students and staff get to know each other very well, which leads to the students’ needs being very well known and met.

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outstanding

All students have a voice and every effort is made to ensure that each and every one is enabled to develop their ability to communicate with others. The use of assistive technology is inventively and creatively supported by knowledgeable experts and this has a meaningful impact on students’ lives. There are numerous avenues for students to express their views such as house meetings and the school council. This develops a sense of belonging and an ability to have an impact on the place in which they live.

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outstanding

The programme of activities offered encourages and promotes opportunities to develop friendships, to grow in confidence, to learn new skills and to socialise with friends while having fun. The I can do attitude means that any potential barriers are overcome and no activity is seen as impossible or not accessible. Students are offered a wide variety of exciting and enriching activities, which provide challenge while developing resilience, self-confidence and a sense of achievement and joy. Students are active and accepted in the local community in which the school is based. One student said, ‘Before I came here, I only expected able-bodied people to be able to do those things. I surpassed the barrier and I have officially stepped out of my comfort zone.’

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outstanding

The dedicated multi-disciplinary approach ensures that each student accesses an individualised package of care that is bespoke to their needs. Students’ progress is a priority and focus. Communication between staff, parents, carers and students is fluid and positively impacts on the support offered as it is current and able to adapt swiftly to meet any change in need.

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outstanding

The technology department informed by the multi-disciplinary team has a can do ethos and so it enables students to be as independent as they can. Staff are ambitious and proud of the students’ achievements. Inspection report for residential special school - Treloar School 5 Healthcare is excellent. All students’ needs are known by the team that works alongside and supports each student. Emotional health and well-being is promoted through a diligent and sensitive approach, with students able to access support as needed. There is a sensitive awareness of the challenges that students and their families face. Support is available for all, which has benefited those who have accessed it.

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outstanding

The admission process is incredibly thorough. The complex needs of students mean that each admission is carefully considered, with staff being well prepared and ready for the student’s arrival. A carefully considered, nurturing approach is followed to ensure that the student is well supported and assured that their needs will be met. Students maybe totally reliant on others to meet their needs, but staff are sensitive to their preferences and choice is actively promoted and students are treated with respect, privacy and dignity.

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outstanding

Students have regular contact with family and friends. This is facilitated using a variety of means and communication systems. Staff also maintain good, regular contact with families to ensure that they are fully involved in and aware of the students’ lives and their weekly activities, feelings, challenges and achievements.

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outstanding

Students are offered good-quality food, which they enjoy and are fully involved in choosing. The food is prepared to a high standard and presented to meet individual needs and all specialist diets, needs and palates are catered for. The food that is pureed is presented in its original shape and this has had a positive impact on students, who now eat a wider variety of foods and maintain better health.

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outstanding

Safeguarding is everyone’s business in the school. An open and transparent culture is embedded, and everyone’s safety is valued. All staff have a clear understanding of their roles, responsibilities and how to report a concern to others. Students are clear about what they can expect to keep them safe and are involved in conversations where safety and risk are explored, which benefits their knowledge and understanding of risk.

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outstanding

Students have numerous people they trust and can confide in. Those who are new to the school quickly form relationships of trust with staff. Students feel safe and say that they are valued, in control, have something to contribute and their voice has meaning and is listened to.

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outstanding

Staff are quick to identify risk and act to reduce and manage it. Managers have effective relationships with safeguarding agencies and refer and report concerns to them promptly. Managers and staff are not fearful to explore, to seek guidance and to have professional discussions to explore concerns. The school maintains records that provide a clear evidence trail from instigation to outcome for each event. Inspection report for residential special school - Treloar School 6 Internal investigations are of very good quality and provide detail, clarity and rationale for outcomes, decisions and recommendations. Those responsible for managing safeguarding concerns are appropriately trained and experienced and they ensure that they are informed of actions and outcomes. They advocate on behalf of students to ensure that others are acting on concerns raised.

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outstanding

Complaints are well managed. Records provide clear evidence of investigations and findings, with outcomes and responses to complainants. Complaints made by students are recorded and responded to. Staff meet with students to explore their concerns, worries and complaints and appropriate outcomes are reached.

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outstanding

The school multi-disciplinary approach to behaviour has a positive impact on students, who benefit from consistent, clear approaches. Staff support students to explore and manage their anxieties and behaviours. Staff are trained in the school’s preferred approach to behaviour management. Their ethos of supporting students to develop and to learn positive strategies to enable them to self-regulate their behaviour, emotions and feelings has a positive impact on students. The number and frequency of incidents have reduced and this in turn has reduced the students’ anxiety levels, increasing their ability to engage in activities and education.

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outstanding

Physical intervention is avoided, with staff using a wide variety of positive de- escalation strategies. Staff record when they restrict and restrain a student, for example if they override a student’s ability to drive their electric wheelchair. Students are fully involved in the consideration and formulation of how best to support them to manage their behaviour. Staff use a variety of methods and communication systems to gain a student’s views and feelings following an incident and this information then informs future management and distraction strategies.

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outstanding

Staff regularly review and re-assess risk to ensure that students are provided with opportunities to have more freedom as they grow and develop new skills. All staff have a can do approach to everything. They focus on achieving the best outcomes for the student and for each student to be enabled to be as independent as possible. Staff regularly explore and review any restriction in place or use of a piece of equipment or restraint that may inhibit a student. They consider the risks and how they can work towards removing any barriers or restrictions.

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outstanding

Students are well educated and informed about risk and the part that they play in keeping themselves safe. Staff encourage and support students to explore information that enables them to make informed choices. Students develop self- awareness and a sense of responsibility for their own actions. They all complete e- safety awareness training and understand about how to keep safe on the internet.

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outstanding

Safer recruitment processes are thorough, robust and all appropriate checks are completed.

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outstanding

The environment is well managed, maintained and safe. Access is very well controlled without compromising students’ ability to move freely around the site. Inspection report for residential special school - Treloar School 7

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The school is effectively led and managed by inspirational leaders, managers and staff. The whole-school community has high aspirations, goals and a clear, positive ethos that drives the school. Standards of care are exceptional and the collective whole-school individual approach to each student enables them to excel and achieve their full potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders form and sustain positive relationships and partnerships with many people outside of the school and in the local community. The relationships formed with business and other organisations create opportunities for students to be fully involved in the local community. Leaders, managers and staff share their knowledge, expertise and facilities with many to ensure that others benefit from their resources. This school is an exemplar in several fields such as the use of assistive technology, food presentation and enrichment activities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders, managers and staff have a clear understanding of the progress that each student makes through the effective and thorough assessments, target setting and regular reviews. The multi-disciplinary approach is a strength of the school and the multi-agency contribution to students’ plans is clear. Staff are quick to request reviews if it is felt that plans are not having the desired effect. Every person within the multi-disciplinary team is valued and their contributions are explored and considered to achieve the best, holistic plan for the student.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders, managers and staff form valued, open, honest and transparent relationships with parents. They ensure that parents are kept up to date about every aspect of their child’s life while they are at school.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff access regular supervision that is meaningful and explores staff performance and allows opportunities to explore thoughts and feelings about their work. Staff access a huge menu of training. Staff receive bespoke training that enables them to meet the individual needs of students. The school is a learning community and staff are enabled and encouraged to develop their knowledge and skills. The competency of staff, especially in delegated health tasks, is reviewed and assessed to ensure that practice is safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Skilled leaders and managers have a clear understanding of their strengths and areas for development. They have detailed, thorough plans in place to improve identified areas for improvement. Plans are regularly monitored and reviewed, with updates provided to governors and trustees. Leaders use several systems to monitor and review all areas to ensure that the high standard of care provided is sustained. Leaders welcome reviews and visits from professionals, regulatory bodies and others that provide regular, critical and beneficial oversight. Leaders, managers and staff have a collective ethos of reflective practice and no one is complacent.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The governance of the school is provided by a team of skilled, knowledgeable people Inspection report for residential special school - Treloar School 8 who provide robust external oversight. They regularly visit the school and the visits provide additional scrutiny and challenge. Governors are very involved in school life. They share the whole-school commitment to achieve high standards for all and support students to achieve their absolute best.

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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 - Treloar School 9

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Residential special school details

Social care unique reference number: SC012024

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Residential special school details

Headteacher/teacher in charge: Mr Martin Ingram

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Residential special school details

Type of school: Residential special school

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Residential special school details

Email address: info@treloar.org.uk Inspection report for residential special school - Treloar School 10

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Inspectors

Amanda Maxwell, social care inspector (lead) Paul Taylor, social care inspector Inspection report for residential special school - Treloar School 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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