Grateley House School

School and residential progress monitoring inspection report

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Grateley House School Pond Lane, Grateley, Andover, Hampshire SP11 8TA

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checked during this inspection

Residential provision outcome The school does not meet all of the national

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7, 7(a), 7(b), 8, 8(a), 8(b), 32(1) and 32(1)(c)  At the last standard inspection, Part 3 of the independent school standards was found to be fully met. However, the Department for Education’s (DfE’s) inspection commissioning form asked that some aspects of Part 3 be checked during this monitoring inspection, particularly aspects regarding safeguarding, pupils’ behaviour and record-keeping.  The proprietor has ensured that arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils continue to be strong. Procedures to recruit new staff include the appropriate pre- employment checks. The school’s safeguarding policy, which is published on the school’s website, is compliant with current guidance issued by the Secretary of State.  Leaders keep clear and accurate records of incidents of a safeguarding nature. Recording and reporting of notifiable incidents are given a high priority. Leaders talk with

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Main inspection findings

clarity and detail about individual incidents. Liaison with outside agencies, including designated officers, when required, is strong. Paragraph 9, 9(a), 9(b) and 9(c)  Leaders and teaching staff manage the behaviour of pupils in the school well. Staff are aware of key policies and are trained appropriately, including in the use of de-escalation techniques.  Pupils who sometimes struggle to stay in classrooms have different options open to them and are able to make choices when required. This includes the use of the ‘student services’ classroom, which is manned at all times by suitably trained and experienced staff. As a result, challenging behaviour is managed well, disruptions to learning are minimised and pupils are spending much less time outside of classrooms than they did in the past.  Since the last standard inspection, leaders have introduced a ‘nurture’ classroom for pupils who are new to the school. This is mainly for younger pupils in Years 7 and 8 and

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Main inspection findings

is aimed at smoothing their transition into the school. Leaders’ records show this initiative to have been successful at reducing the proportion of time younger pupils spend out of class.  Pupils talked positively to the inspector about how support put in place during the last year had improved their learning and attitudes to school. Paragraphs 14 and 15  High staff-to-pupil ratios ensure that pupils are properly supervised at all times. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Routines and systems take into account the complex needs of pupils.  Leaders’ records show that attendance has improved significantly since the last inspection. Pupils now have different options when anxiety or complex emotional issues get in the way of their learning. Most pupils manage their time in school well. As a result, absence from classrooms, even for short periods of time, has been reduced to a more acceptable level.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraph 16, 16(a) and 16(b)  The proprietor and school leaders have ensured that the school has a risk assessment policy which is implemented effectively. Risk assessments for individual pupils or different aspects of the school’s provision are constantly updated and fit for purpose. School staff are well informed. Communication is strong. As a result, the school is a safe environment where risks are managed well, including those associated with the challenging and complex behaviour of some pupils.  Leaders’ actions have ensured that Part 3 continues to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraph 30  At the last integrated inspection, some aspects of the national minimum standards for residential special schools were found not to have been met. Because some aspects of standard 5 continue to be unmet in the residential provision, paragraph 30 of the independent school standards is unmet. Therefore, Part 5 of the independent school standards continues not to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c) and 34(2)  At the last full inspection, Part 8 was found not to have been met because elements of both the independent school standards and the national minimum standards for the residential provision were found not to have been met.  Leaders have been successful at improving the qualitative aspects identified as requiring improvement at the last inspection. In particular, pupils’ attendance has improved significantly due to new initiatives put in place, including better recording, monitoring and analysis of the reasons for pupils’ absence.  Other aspects identified as areas for improvement in the educational provision at the last inspection have also been addressed successfully. A new tracking system to record pupils’ progress and attainment is in place and being used successfully by leaders and

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Main inspection findings

teaching staff alike.  Although the school’s action plan to address the shortcomings identified at the last inspection was assessed as unacceptable by the DfE, leaders’ actions to improve key aspects of the educational provision have been successful. Development planning focuses on the right things. As a result, the quality of education at the school is improving.  At the time of this monitoring inspection, leaders and the proprietor were unaware that the action plan submitted to the DfE had been found to be unacceptable.  Because not all of the independent school standards and national minimum standards are met, Part 8 continues to be unmet.

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Main inspection findings

The national minimum standards that were assessed during this inspection Standard 1.1  At the previous inspection, inspectors found that the proprietor and leaders had not ensured that the residential provision fulfilled the school’s statement of purpose. The school’s statement of purpose has been amended and now more accurately reflects current practice within the residential provision.  This standard is now met. Standard 5.1  At the previous inspection, documentation did not demonstrate that managers had considered the impact of new resident pupils on the existing residents in a house. It was not clear from records how managers assessed risks in relation to the placement of residential pupils in houses.  Impact risk assessments are now in place for residential pupils. These provide details of the risks associated with individual pupils’ behaviour and the risks associated with the behaviour of other pupils within the house. However, risk assessments do not identify

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Main inspection findings

measures to reduce and mitigate the identified risk. In one impact risk assessment sampled, managers identified that there was a significant lack of information to assess risk robustly but the pupil, nonetheless, was placed in the house.  This standard remains unmet and the evidence demonstrates that it is not clear that appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified. Consequently, national minimum standard 6.3 is also not met. Standard 15.1  At the last inspection, the school did not deploy a sufficient number of competent staff to fulfil the school’s statement of purpose and meet the individual needs of all pupils resident in the school.  Staff vacancies remain an ongoing issue in the residential provision. Managers are proactive in continuing to recruit new staff but the vacancy rate for residential support staff remains high. Currently, staff shortages are covered by overtime, agency staff and

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Main inspection findings

teaching assistants from the school. Consequently, the quality of care is not compromised.  Because leaders and managers now ensure that there are appropriate levels of staffing in the residential provision, this standard is now met.

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standards for residential special schools

The school does not meet the requirements of the schedule to The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’), the national minimum standards for residential special schools and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection, as set out in the annex of this report. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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School details

Social care unique reference number SC012450

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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 Other independent special school

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School details

School status 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 13

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School details

Email address grateley.admin@cambiangroup.com Date of previous standard inspection 5–7 June 2018

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Information about this school

 Grateley House is an independent residential special school for pupils, usually in the average- or higher-ability range, who have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Many pupils have other associated difficulties. Each pupil has an education, health and care plan and is usually placed at the school by their local authority. The large majority of pupils are residential, although the school also provides for a small number of day pupils.  This was an integrated progress monitoring inspection following an integrated standard inspection in June 2018 when the school was judged to require improvement and not all of the independent school standards or national minimum standards for residential special schools were found to be met.  The school works in partnership with River Bourne Community Farm to create part-time alternative provision opportunities. The school also works with a range of post-16

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Information about this school

providers to enhance and extend the offer for post-16 students. The current links are: Andover College, Charlton Road, Andover SP10 1EJ; Sparsholt College, Westley Lane, Sparsholt SO21 2NF; Peter Symonds College, Owens Road, Winchester SO22 6RX; and Wiltshire College Salisbury, Southampton Road, Salisbury SP1 2LW.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous standard inspection in June 2018.  This was the first progress monitoring inspection since the previous standard inspection.  The school was required to draw up an action plan after the previous standard inspection. The action plan was found to be not acceptable when assessed in December 2018.  The inspection team worked closely together throughout the inspection. Combined inspection activities included visits to classrooms and communal areas of the school, as well as a wide range of meetings, including with representatives of the proprietor.  Social care regulatory inspectors visited residential accommodation during and after the

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Information about this inspection

school day to observe provision and speak with pupils and staff.  The inspection team spoke with pupils, staff from education and care teams, therapists, leaders and managers. They also sampled a range of the school’s documentation and records relevant to compliance with the independent school standards and national minimum standards.  The inspection team took account of responses to the point-in-time survey received since the previous inspection from pupils, parent, carers and staff. They also considered 10 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View.

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Inspection team

Christopher Peel Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 30 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that, where the school provides accommodation, regard is had to Standard 5 of the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools or, where applicable, Standard 5 of the National Minimum Standards for Residential Special Schools.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school-

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently;

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils.

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residential special schools

 Suitable sleeping accommodation is provided for children. It is well organised and managed, with risk assessments undertaken and the findings acted upon to reduce risk for all children. Where children are aged eight years or over, sleeping accommodation for boys is separate from sleeping accommodation for girls (NMS 5.1).

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residential special schools

 The school ensures that the welfare of pupils at the school is safeguarded and promoted by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written risk assessment policy and appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified (NMS 6.3).

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special schools

 A suitable statement of the school’s principles and practice, to be known as the statement of purpose, is available to parents and staff, is made known to children through an appropriate method of communication and is seen to work in practice. The statement describes the overall purpose of the school and describes any theoretical or therapeutic model underpinning the practice of the school. It also explains the ethos and philosophy of the school and provides an outline of provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (NMS 1.1).  There is a sufficient number of competent staff deployed appropriately, both as a staff group and on individual shifts, to fulfil the school’s statement of purpose and meet the individual needs of all children resident in the school (NMS 15.1). guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website:

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special schools

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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special schools

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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special schools

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visitwww.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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special schools

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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special schools

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special schools

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