Fieldstone School

School material change inspection report

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School for Inspiring Talents The Growing Rooms, Seale Hayne, Howton Lane, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 6NQ

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a), 7(b)  The headteacher places a high priority on safeguarding pupils. He and his senior leaders form an effective safeguarding team. Staff receive regular training and so they understand the vulnerabilities of the pupils who attend this school. The headteacher ensures that there is a culture of vigilance at the school.  The proprietor and the board of directors have a clear understanding of their statutory responsibilities. Through regular checks, they maintain close oversight of the school’s procedures for safeguarding pupils.  These standards are likely to be met. Paragraph 11  Senior leaders have a health and safety policy that is reviewed by the board of directors. This policy is understood by staff and implemented effectively. As a result, staff are clear about the actions they should take to ensure their own, their colleagues’ and the pupils’ well-being.

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Main inspection findings

 The standard is likely to be met. Paragraph 12  The proprietor has ensured compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Suitable fire safety equipment is in place on both sites and in the proposed new teaching spaces. This equipment is well maintained and readily accessible. Records of recent fire drills show that the evacuation procedure is effective and understood by all staff.  The standard is likely to be met. Paragraph 14  Staff work with pupils intensively in small groups and frequently on a one-to-one basis. Pupils often receive individual therapeutic help from members of the school’s multidisciplinary team. Nevertheless, senior leaders have plans to recruit more staff if pupil numbers increase. The current and proposed level of supervision is high.  The standard is likely to be met. Paragraph 16(a), 16(b)  The school has a suitable, written, risk assessment policy. Risk assessments are in

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Main inspection findings

place for individual pupils and for activities. For example, a recent educational visit to Plymouth Aquarium was covered by a detailed risk assessment. Senior leaders make sure that staff act on risk assessments and so they reduce the risks that are identified.  These standards are likely to be met. Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors Paragraphs 17 to 21(8)  The proprietor, the directors and the headteacher are fully aware of their responsibilities to recruit staff who are suitable to work with children. They act diligently to fulfil these responsibilities. Several leaders have been trained in safer- recruitment practice. The school’s single central record is well maintained. It contains details of all staff, directors and the proprietor. Before new staff begin working at the school, suitable checks are made on their identity, barring, prohibition, medical fitness, criminal record and suitability to work in the United Kingdom.

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Main inspection findings

 The standards in this part are likely to be met. Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraphs 22 to 31  The school’s existing teaching rooms, and the proposed new teaching rooms, have suitable toilets for pupils and for staff. At the time of the inspection, the school’s own checking process had recently identified the failure of the hot water supply for handwashing. The site maintenance staff have restored the hot water supply and have acted to regulate the water temperature. All toilets in the existing area and the proposed new suite of teaching rooms now have hot and cold running water.  Senior leaders ensure that labelled sources of drinking water are available on both sites. These would be adequate for an increased number of pupils. An extra small kitchen is available in the proposed new area on the first floor, in addition to the existing kitchen on the ground floor.  Pupils are provided with physical education lessons in a sports hall and swimming pool

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Main inspection findings

on the Seale Hayne site. Pupils have access to suitable changing rooms at both of these.  Pupils are given daily opportunities to play outside in a safe, fenced area adjacent to the school buildings. Leaders have plans to provide more outdoor play equipment for this area and so make this area more stimulating for pupils. The outdoor area would be suitable to accommodate the proposed increase in pupil numbers.  Senior leaders have ensured that suitable rooms are available for the medical examination and short-term care of pupils at each site.  The proprietor checks the standard of the accommodation at both sites regularly. The school leases the Seale Hayne site from the Dame Hannah Rogers Trust. This trust employs a site maintenance team. The team reacts quickly to any requests from the headteacher for minor repairs. The existing facilities are maintained to a good standard and so they are safe for pupils to use. The proposed extra teaching rooms

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Main inspection findings

are covered by the same arrangements.  The existing teaching rooms, and the proposed new ones, have suitable heating, ventilation and lighting. The new rooms are well decorated. They have modern windows and fittings. The proprietor has fitted sound insulating material to the walls of the new rooms and so ensured that their acoustic properties are suitable.  The directors’ records show that all external lighting has been checked recently and is in good working order.  The standards in this part are likely to be met. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1) to 34(1)(c)  The proprietor, directors and senior leaders have taken due regard of the independent school standards in their proposal to adapt rooms in their existing building to create more teaching space. The school’s plans to accommodate an additional eight pupils are well considered and reasonable.  Leaders and managers continue to actively promote the well-being and safety of

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Main inspection findings

pupils.  The standards in this part are likely to be met. Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010  Senior leaders have a written accessibility plan that meets the requirements of paragraph 3 of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.  The standard is likely to be met.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school is likely to meet the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that are relevant to the material change.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 162(4) of the Education Act 2002, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s likely compliance with the independent school standards relevant to the material change that the school has applied to make.

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 27 February–5 March 2018

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recommendation

Age range of pupils 5 to 16 5 to 16 5 to 16

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recommendation

Number of pupils on the school roll 34 54 54

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Gender of pupils Mixed Mixed Number of full-time pupils of compulsory school age 34 54

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities 34 54

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Of which, number of pupils with an education, health and care plan 34 54

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Of which, number of pupils paid for by a local authority with an education, health and care plan 34 54

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of full-time equivalent teaching staff 6 7

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of staff in the welfare provision 7 7

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Information about this school

 The School for Inspiring Talents is owned by Life Chance Education Limited (LCE). The proprietor is the chief executive officer of LCE. The board of LCE has two other directors.  The school opened in October 2014.  The school has accommodation on two sites. The main site is at Seale Hayne, where the school leases rooms from the Dame Hannah Rogers Trust. The second, much smaller, provision is in Torquay, where the school leases rooms from The Spires College.  The school appointed a new executive headteacher in September 2018. He oversees three heads of schools. Two are based at Seale Hayne in an ‘upper’ and ‘lower’ school, and one is based at The Spires College.  The school provides education for pupils who have been excluded or withdrawn from mainstream schools. Pupils have a range of social, emotional and mental health difficulties. All pupils have an education, health and care plan and are placed at the

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Information about this school

school by local authorities.  In December 2018, the Dame Hannah Rogers Trust announced its intention to sell the buildings it owns at Seale Hayne. It is not yet clear what effect, if any, this will have on the lease arrangement with the school.  The school proposes to increase the maximum number of places it offers from the current figure of 46 pupils to a new maximum of 54 pupils. The total number of pupils currently on roll is 34. Of these, 10 pupils are taught at the Torquay site and 24 are taught at the Seale Hayne site.  The school proposes to convert office accommodation, that it already leases at Seale Hayne, to provide additional teaching rooms for the lower school. Other parts of the school will remain unchanged.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out by Ofsted at the request of the Secretary of State for Education. It was carried out under section 162 of the Education Act 2002.  The lead inspector met with the proprietor and the executive headteacher. He undertook a tour of the upper school and the lower school at the Seale Hayne site jointly with the respective heads of school. The lead inspector visited the Torquay site and reviewed the facilities there with the head of school.  The lead inspector evaluated a range of documentation, including the school’s policies required under the independent school standards and other documents relating to health and safety.

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Inspection team

Paul Williams, 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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