Frewen College

Inspection report for residential special school – Frewen College 1 Frewen College Frewen Educational Trust Ltd, Brickwall, Rye Road, Northiam, Rye, East Sussex TN31 6NL Residential provision inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential special school

Frewen College is an independent day and residential special school for children aged between seven and 19 years of age. The school provides specialist education for children with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, sensory integration or speech and communication difficulties. At the time of the inspection, there were 114 pupils on roll and 28 residential pupils. Boys reside in the main school building and girls in a separate house in the school grounds.

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Information about this residential special school

Inspection dates: 18 to 20 September 2019

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The residential special school provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of previous inspection: 3 October 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good Inspection report for residential special school – Frewen College 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have successfully created a homely environment for residential pupils. Residential pupils respond to the nurturing, individualised support provided by the staff and make significant progress. They respond to clear routines and boundaries and enjoy their experience of boarding at the school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Collaborative working with education staff and therapists helps the staff to provide valuable support for residential pupils to develop their self-confidence and self- esteem. Their residential experience has a positive effect on their educational attainment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Residential pupils enjoy their time after school. A wide range of activities enable them to pursue their interests and extend their social experiences. Residential pupils are active in putting forward their views informally on a day-to-day basis with the staff and more formally through regular one-to-one sessions and forums such as the student council. The managers and the staff are responsive and act upon residential pupils’ requests, demonstrating that they are listened to and that their views are important.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The health needs of residential pupils are a priority for staff. A full-time matron monitors residential pupils’ health. Their emotional well-being is a focus for all the staff. External, specialist health professionals are consulted when necessary. The support that the staff provide has resulted in significant improvements in some residential pupils’ emotional health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The managers and the staff have given some thought and created opportunities to help residential pupils to develop their independence skills in preparation for adulthood. However, there are no clear, structured plans to guide the staff in assisting residential pupils to acquire appropriate daily living skills which also consider the need to protect themselves.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

An experienced designated safeguarding officer effectively manages any concerns about the welfare of pupils. Appropriate referrals are made to external safeguarding agencies. Weekly meetings provide opportunities for the safeguarding team to discuss concerns. The staff receive regular training to enable them to identify issues affecting the well-being of pupils.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Behaviour management strategies are sensitively applied to meet the needs of residential pupils who have difficulties with appropriate communication and social interaction. The staff focus on helping residential pupils to find solutions to the issues Inspection report for residential special school – Frewen College 3 that arise and to support them to improve their social skills and learn to respect each other.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Relationships between the staff and residential pupils are meaningful and sincere. Residential pupils appreciate the support that the staff provide. The staff know them well and give consistent and predictable support to help them to manage their day- to-day lives. The staff are aware of residential pupils’ specific vulnerabilities. Detailed risk assessments provide the staff with guidance to protect residential pupils, when necessary.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Pastoral plans for each residential pupil highlight their current specific support needs. Key-work sessions with residential pupils focus on their development needs. All residential pupils have health plans, but some do not specify the significant issues identified and addressed in a risk assessment. Consequently, residential pupils are not benefiting from a fully coordinated approach to identifying their needs and the support required to help them to develop.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers know the residential pupils very well, and also know their individual needs and the support that they require from the staff. All the staff share a commitment to help residential pupils to achieve their personal best. The head of boarding role-models confident and sensitive approaches with the residential pupils, which the staff replicate and which the residential pupils respond to positively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that they receive good support from managers, who are consistent and approachable. Formal supervision is in place, in addition to ongoing informal advice and guidance. The new structure for supervision is not yet fully embedded and is not yet fully aligned with the supervision policy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training is undertaken by staff, and this is relevant to their roles. New staff are promptly given opportunities to commence relevant courses and gain qualifications. However, the staff have not received the necessary training to ensure that they understand the specific needs relating to residential pupils who have an autism spectrum disorder.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Residential pupils are benefiting from improved communication and liaison with the school’s therapy team and the matron. Working together, the staff are able to apply consistent strategies to meet residential pupils’ identified needs and provide the support that they require to make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are keen to drive forward improvement. The recommendations in the reports by the independent visitor are used constructively. Future development plans demonstrate a commitment to improve residential pupils’ experiences. Inspection report for residential special school – Frewen College 4

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff receive training that focuses on meeting the specific needs of boarders. In particular, ensure that they undertake appropriate training in autism spectrum disorder.  Ensure that supervision for staff is fully aligned to the supervision policy.  Ensure that plans and risk assessments are timely and address effectively any known vulnerabilities that each child may have.  Ensure that residential pupils have individual independence plans at the appropriate time that recognise their need to develop independence while protecting themselves from being in unsafe situations or with unsafe people.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Children Act 1989 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the national minimum standards. Inspection report for residential special school – Frewen College 5

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Residential special school details

Social care unique reference number: SC049345

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Residential special school details

Headteacher/teacher in charge: Nick Goodman

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Residential special school details

Type of school: Residential special school

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Residential special school details

Email address: office@frewencollege.co.uk

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Inspector

Jan Hunnam, social care inspector Inspection report for residential special school – Frewen College 6 to 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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