Kent House Hospital School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Kent House Hospital School Crockenhill Road, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 4EP

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7, 7(a), 7(b), 12, 16, 16(a), 16(b), 25, 34 (1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c)  At the previous inspection, the premises were not compliant with fire safety legislation. Visits by the London Fire Brigade and an external fire risk assessor identified multiple areas that contravened the minimum requirements. Healthcare and education leaders had failed to seek and examine the available evidence in order to check the school’s compliance with legislation.  This inspection confirmed that healthcare and education leaders have worked together successfully to implement fully the school’s action plan. Leaders have used significant investment to bring the premises up to the required standards, including in relation to fire doors, emergency lighting, smoke detection and alarms. External fire risk assessors carried out a fire risk assessment on 4 October 2019 and confirmed that the premises

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Main inspection findings

now comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.  Leaders now check compliance with all the independent school standards with greater accuracy than in the past.  The school’s approach to safeguarding complies with all statutory requirements. A suitable safeguarding policy is available online. The inspection found that the school’s culture of, and commitment to, keeping pupils as safe as possible remains strong. Now that the fire safety concerns have been resolved, pupils’ safety is no longer at risk.  Leaders have ensured that all the independent school standards checked during this inspection are now met.

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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 were checked during this inspection. 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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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 7 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that- – 7(a) arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school.  12 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.  16 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that- – 16(a) 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 – 16(b) appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 25 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the school premises and the accommodation and facilities provided therein are maintained to a standard such that, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of pupils are ensured.

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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- – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their roles so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and – 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils.

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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 Hospital school for pupils sectioned under the Mental Health Act School status Independent special school

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School details

Proprietor Partnerships in Care Ltd (part of Priory Education & Children’s Services) Chair Andy Cobley

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School details

Website www.priorychildresservices.co.uk

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School details

Email address KentHouseHospitalSchool@priorygroup.com

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 30 April–2 May 2019

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Information about this school

 Kent House Hospital School is an independent special school in the London Borough of Bromley. Pupils attend the school following admission to the hospital.  The school is part of, and governed by, Priory Education & Children’s Services.  The school is registered for boys and girls.  There is no separate sixth-form provision for pupils aged over 16.  The school’s most recent inspection was a full standard inspection in May 2019.  Pupils are placed in the school by a range of local authorities.  The school makes no use of alternative providers.

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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.  Since the school’s full standard inspection in May 2019, leaders were asked to submit an action plan. Ofsted judged the school’s action plan to be acceptable. It was subsequently accepted by the Department for Education (DfE).  The DfE requested that this first progress monitoring inspection consider whether particular independent school standards contained within Parts 3, 5 and 8 are now met.  The inspection was conducted without notice.  The inspector conducted the on-site inspection on 3 October 2019. He met the headteacher and the executive headteacher. He had a tour of the premises with the

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Information about this inspection

support services manager and reviewed key documents and policies in relation to the independent school standards that were checked. On 4 October 2019, following an external fire risk assessment visit during the day, the inspector spoke with the fire safety officer and considered the written fire safety risk assessment report.  There were no recent responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents and carers, Parent View, to consider.

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Inspection team

James Waite, lead inspector Ofsted 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

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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Inspection team

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

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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

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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