Phoenix School of Therapeutic Education

School material change inspection report

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Phoenix School of Therapeutic Education 83 East Bank Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S2 3PX

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7, 7(a), 7(b), 11, 12, 14, 16, 16(a), 16(b)  The headteacher promotes a culture of safeguarding across the school that is supported by a comprehensive safeguarding policy, detailed safeguarding records and safer recruitment evidence on staff files.  The safeguarding policy references current statutory guidance and is accessible from the school’s website.  The proprietor provides all staff with child protection training and ensures that the designated safeguarding lead has attended enhanced safeguarding training.  Teachers know their pupils well and plan activities that take into account pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs. There is a meeting at the start of every morning and afternoon school session to ensure that information essential to support the emotional well-being of pupils is shared between hospital and school staff.  The headteacher ensures that pupils are appropriately supervised by school staff and,

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Main inspection findings

as a result, pupils’ behaviour in the school is calm and attitudes to learning are positive.  The proprietor has a specialist health and safety manager who has ensured that there is a comprehensive health and safety policy which is understood and implemented by school staff.  The headteacher ensures that all relevant fire safety procedures are in place and that there is regular servicing and checking of fire alarms, extinguishers and electrical equipment. The headteacher has produced a comprehensive fire risk assessment which reflects the needs of the pupils in the school.  The headteacher has developed a robust risk assessment process which covers all aspects of school life, including trips out of school. The headteacher provides induction training for new staff and visitors to the school which communicates the high expectations he has of members of staff in relation to the reduction of risks for

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Main inspection findings

pupils.  School leaders have already implemented the material change that they have requested as they have more pupils on roll than they are registered for. School leaders have ensured that the independent school standards in this part are met and are likely to continue to be met if the Department for Education (DfE) approves the implementation of the material change requested by the school.

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Main inspection findings

Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraphs 18(1), 18(2), 18(2)(a), 18(2)(b), 18(2)(c), 18(2)(c)(i)–(iv), 18(2)(d), 18(2)(e), 18(3), 19(2), 19(2)(a), 19(2)(a)(i), 19(2)(a)(i)(aa), 19(2)(a)(i)(bb)–(dd), 19(2)(a)(ii), 19(2)(b), 19(2)(c), 19(2)(d), 19(2)(d)(i)–(ii), 19(3), 20(6)(a), 20(6)(a)(i)– (ii), 20(6)(b), 20(6)(b)(i)–(iii), 20(6)(c), 21(1), 21(2), 21(3), 21(3)(a), 21(3)(a)(i)–(viii), 21(3)(b), 21(5), 21(5)(b), 21(5)(c), 21(6)  The proprietor ensures that pre-employment checks are completed in line with current government guidance for all adults who work in the school.  The headteacher maintains a central register of this information which is monitored by the proprietor.  School leaders have already implemented the material change that they have requested as they have more pupils on roll than they are registered for. School leaders have ensured that the independent school standards in this part are met and

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Main inspection findings

are likely to continue to be met if the DfE approves the implementation of the material change requested by the school.

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Main inspection findings

Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraphs 23(1), 23(1)(a), 23(1)(b), 23(1)(c), 24(1), 24(1)(a), 24(1)(b), 24(2), 25, 26, 27, 27(a), 27(b), 28(1), 28(1)(a), 28(1)(b), 28(1)(c), 28(1)(d), 28(2), 28(2)(a), 28(2)(b), 29(1), 29(1)(a), 29(1)(b)  School leaders have requested an increase to the number of pupils they can admit to the school. The estimated pupil capacity of the existing school buildings is above the upper limit of 38 pupils that the proprietor has requested on the material change application to the DfE. However, the headteacher has judged that pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs require calm learning environments with low occupancy rates and this is built into his plan for the expanded school.  The school has a central suite of four classrooms which includes a computer room and food technology room. Teaching spaces are also located around the hospital as some

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Main inspection findings

pupils need teaching on or near their ward. There is a pleasant garden courtyard where pupils can have lessons or social time outside and this leads onto a spacious sports area.  The proprietor employs a health and safety lead officer who, along with the headteacher, checks all the spaces that are used for teaching, both within the school’s central suite of rooms and on the hospital wards, to ensure that they are compliant with health and safety regulations.  The proprietor has ensured that all classrooms and outside spaces are welcoming and well maintained. The school buildings are light, airy and pleasant.  School leaders have already implemented the material change that they have requested as they have more pupils on roll than they are registered for. School leaders have ensured that the independent school standards in this part are met and are likely to continue to be met if the DfE approves the implementation of the material

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34  The proprietor has established a structure of governance in the form of a local education board which meets half termly and reports to a national education board which meets three times a year. The governors at both local and national level have a wide range of skills and expertise and are able to support and challenge the headteacher and monitor the progress of the school.  The headteacher and the medical director of the hospital work closely together to ensure that hospital admissions take into account the school’s ability to meet the needs of any new pupils. The school has recently had to provide education for five more pupils than it is currently registered for with the DfE and, as a result, has already implemented the material change before authorisation to do so.  The governors have monitored the increase to pupil numbers in the school and have

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Main inspection findings

ensured that there has been investment from the proprietor group with regard to the staffing and resourcing of the expanded school.  School leaders have already implemented the material change that they have requested as they have more pupils on roll than they are registered for. School leaders have ensured that the independent school standards in this part are met and are likely to continue to be met if the DfE approves the implementation of the material change requested by the school.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets 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 compliance with the independent school standards relevant to the material change that the school has applied to make.

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School details

School status Independent special school

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School details

Website www.cygnethealth.co.uk/locations/cygnet- hospital-sheffield/phoenix.school Email address edwardhall@cygnethealth.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 4–6 July 2017

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recommendation

Age range of pupils 11 to 17 11 to 17 11 to 17

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recommendation

Number of pupils on the school roll 32 38 38

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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 32 38

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities 32 38

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Of which, number of pupils with an education, health and care plan 13 Up to 38

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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 13 Up to 38

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of full-time equivalent teaching staff 4 4

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of staff in the welfare provision 1 4

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Information about this school

 Phoenix School is a specialist provider of education for pupils admitted to Cygnet Hospital Sheffield. Pupils are admitted to the hospital due to a significant emotional and mental health crisis. The hospital has three wards, one of which is a psychiatric intensive care unit.  The school is owned by Cygnet Healthcare Limited, a national provider of specialist mental health services. Pupils may have an education, health and care plan but this is not a requirement to be admitted to the school. Referrals to the school come through the local authority and places are also commissioned directly by local schools.  The school is currently registered for up to 27 pupils but has 32 pupils on roll at present and this has been reported to the DfE.  The school currently has a staff team comprising the headteacher, four full-time equivalent teachers and a welfare officer and there are planned appointments of two

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Information about this school

teaching assistants and a higher-level teaching assistant.  The school’s last standard inspection was in July 2017. There has been no change of headteacher or proprietor since that inspection.  The proprietor group provides the function of governance in the form of a local board of education which meets half-termly and which is overseen by a national board of education which meets termly.  The school has no specific specialism or religious affiliation.  The school is based on one site and does not use any alternative education provision at present.

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Information about this inspection

 This material change inspection was commissioned by the Department for Education to consider the school’s application to increase the school’s maximum capacity from 27 to 38 pupils. The Department for Education requested a particular focus on paragraphs 7, 11, 12, 14 and 16 of Part 3, Parts 4 and 5 in full and paragraph 38 of Part 8 of the independent school standards.  This was the school’s first material change inspection.  The inspector met with the proprietor’s representative, school leaders, including the designated safeguarding leader, and the medical director of the hospital where the school is located to discuss the implications and preparations for the proposed material change.  The inspector visited lessons, spoke to pupils and some parents and toured the school premises checking the facilities against the independent school standards.  The inspector scrutinised documentation taken from the school website and provided

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Information about this inspection

by the headteacher during the course of the inspection. These documents covered all aspects of school life and included the school’s statutory policies, curriculum plans, logs relating to the health, safety and well-being of pupils, staff files and records of meetings relating to the proposed expansion of the school.

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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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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