Cambian Bletchley Park School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Cambian Bletchley Park School Whaddon Way, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK3 7EB

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a), 7(b)  Safeguarding was found to be ineffective at the last standard inspection in December 2018. Leaders, some of whom were new to their role, were not following statutory procedures. Record-keeping was weak, concerns were not always followed up appropriately and the safeguarding policy did not reflect local procedures.  While the headteacher and deputy headteacher have made substantial progress in improving safeguarding procedures by implementing their action plan, there are still some significant weaknesses. Many of the improvements they have made have not been embedded or monitored thoroughly.  The Cambian Group’s safeguarding policy has been personalised to the school and includes details and photographs of the main leaders responsible for safeguarding. The policy reflects the context of the school and the complex needs of the pupils that the

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Main inspection findings

school serves. The current safeguarding policy is published on the school website, as required. However, information in the policy about how referrals can be made to children’s services are neither specific to the local authority where the school is located nor the local authorities that place pupils at the school.  The school has adopted an online system to record safeguarding concerns and the actions leaders take as a result. Following initial training, all staff are now able to record their concerns using this system, and leaders can then take the appropriate action. The system allows leaders to have an accurate chronological record of all concerns and actions for individual pupils.  Staff have received extensive additional safeguarding training since the previous inspection. This includes face-to-face training led by school leaders, online basic safeguarding training required by the Cambian Group and additional online safeguarding

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Main inspection findings

units relating to specific topics. There is not an accurate record of training completed by staff. Three different lists of completed training have many gaps in them, and therefore it is not possible to know whether staff have missed essential training or to follow this up.  Despite having recent training on the ‘Prevent’ duty, child sexual exploitation and female genital mutilation, some staff do not have a secure enough understanding of these topics, particularly female genital mutilation.  There have been improvements in the procedures for administering medication (including controlled drugs) to pupils. Only since April has the administration of medication been required to be witnessed by a second staff member. Medication is stored securely, and records are kept showing when it is administered. Leaders do not routinely check these records. When pupils have refused medication, or there has been ‘a near miss’, the school’s policy has not been followed.

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Main inspection findings

 Leaders and the proprietor do not yet have a thorough enough oversight of all aspects of safeguarding. For example, the current induction pack for new staff contains an out- of-date school safeguarding policy and company guidance on safeguarding that relates directly to the 2014 statutory guidance rather than the current statutory guidance.  The unmet standards in this part continue to be unmet.

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Main inspection findings

Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraph 18(2), 18(2)(b), 21(1), 21(3), 21(3)(a), 21(3)(a)(iii), 21(3)(b)  At the time of the previous inspection, it was found that prohibition-from-teaching checks had not been carried out or recorded on the single central record of recruitment checks. This was put right during the inspection.  The headteacher and business manager have completed further training in the administration of the single central record of recruitment checks. The school uses the agreed Cambian format for their single central record.  On a monthly basis, the headteacher has checked the register and recorded that she has done so. The record had not been checked by any senior managers from Cambian since the inspection, despite the failings found in December 2018.  All of the required checks have been completed for staff who have joined the school since the previous inspection and are recorded on the single central record.

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Main inspection findings

 The regional education lead for Cambian helped the business manager to make some minor administrative changes to the single central record during the monitoring visit to ensure it was compliant.  All of the standards in this part are now met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34, 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c)  The standards in this part were unmet at the time of the previous inspection, because there were unmet independent school standards and this had a negative impact on the well-being of pupils.  The leadership team has been restructured, with the appointment of a deputy headteacher and two other new senior leadership roles.  The school’s action plan stated that those responsible for governance would audit the independent school standards regularly. This has not happened.  Although a governance group, chaired by Cambian’s director of education, meets termly, it has not been focused enough either on the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection or the rapid improvement needed. The proprietor has been ineffective in helping the school to improve. The school’s leaders have not monitored improvements

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Main inspection findings

sufficiently well.  A new regional educational lead has been in post since May 2019. She now knows what needs to be achieved quickly to ensure that the school meets the independent school standards. She has a key role going forward, holding leaders to account but also ensuring that the proprietor meets its statutory duties.  The standards in this part are unmet.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet the requirements of the schedule to The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) 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

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.

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School details

Type of school Other independent 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 6

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School details

Email address laura.sharman@cambiangroup.com

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 4–6 December 2018

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Information about this school

 Cambian Bletchley Park opened in 2015 in purpose-built premises. It has places for up to 60 pupils.  All pupils have education, health and care plans funded by seven different local authorities. Almost all pupils have been diagnosed with conditions associated with autism spectrum disorder. Many have communication difficulties and challenging behaviour, which require a high level of staff support.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  Until October 2018, the school was led by an executive headteacher. Since then, the former head of school has been appointed as headteacher.  The school is part of the Cambian Group, which owns more than 40 schools and colleges nationwide. There is no governing body. Leaders are held to account at termly meetings of Cambian staff, chaired by the director of education. There has been a very recent change in the education lead who provides additional support and challenge to the

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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 inspection.  The inspection was carried out with no notice.  Her Majesty’s Inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and the regional education lead for the Cambian Group.  The inspector toured the school with a member of the leadership team and spoke to a range of pupils and students.  The inspector met with a representative group of teaching and support staff.  A wide range of documentation was scrutinised, mainly relating to safeguarding procedures, systems and training.

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Inspection team

Lee Selby, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards

Standards that were not met at the previous inspection and remain un-met at this inspection

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 7 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that–

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 7(a) arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school; and

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 7(b) such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.

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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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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors

 18(2) The standard in this paragraph is met if– – 18(2)(b) no such person carries out work, or intends to carry out work, at the school in contravention of a prohibition order, an interim prohibition order, or any direction made under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act, or any disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in either such direction.  21(3) The information referred to in this sub-paragraph is– – 21(3)(a) in relation to each member of staff (‘S’) appointed on or after 1 May 2007, whether– – 21(3)(a)(iii) a check was made to establish whether S is subject to any direction made under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act or any disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in such a direction; – 21(3)(b) in relation to each member of staff (‘S’), whether a check was made to establish

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors

whether S is subject to a prohibition order or an interim prohibition order, including the date on which such check was completed. 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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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors

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