Heath House Hospital School

Inspection of Heath House Hospital School Priory Hospital Bristol, Heath House Lane, Stapleton, Bristol BS16 1EQ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

The headteacher leads a strong staff team and is ambitious for all pupils. Staff work together tirelessly to help pupils begin to recover from their mental illness and to take part in lessons again. The school provides a caring and safe environment. Many pupils have missed a large amount of time at school. Pupils are fearful of being back in school when they first arrive. Staff focus on working with pupils to develop their well-being so that they begin to want to learn again. All staff buy into the school’s mantra of ‘we never stop trying to get it right for every pupil every day’. Teachers strive to make sure that they plan individual support and learning tasks for each pupil. The work set builds on what pupils already know and can do. Teachers encourage pupils to complete coursework if they are ready to take external examinations. Leaders are determined to do all that they can to help pupils experience personal and academic success.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff mange pupils’ behaviour with skill and understanding. Pupils show kindness and respect to their peers and teachers. They accept that they are all different and have individual needs, some of which are extremely challenging. School staff and hospital staff work together well. Nonetheless, despite great encouragement, some pupils are not able to attend education classes regularly.

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better?

When pupils arrive at the school, staff carry out a detailed check on what they know, what they can do and their well-being. Teaching staff work closely with parents and families to make sure they understand the support provided for the development of learning, well-being and educational opportunities. Parents say this close communication at such a difficult time is very helpful.

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better?

Staff work to foster pupils’ positive well-being. Pupils stay at the school for a relatively short period of time. Nonetheless, they begin to understand and manage their medical conditions and anxious behaviours. Most pupils are not ready to learn when they join the school. Staff plan small steps of learning to build pupils’ trust to enable them to regain some self-confidence. As pupils begin to settle, they start to tackle work set for them in lessons. Staff encourage pupils to develop a love of reading. Many read well and spoke with feeling about books they have enjoyed reading.

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better?

Teachers plan work to meet the individual mental health and learning needs of each pupil, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Teachers make sure that this work helps pupils to build on what they have been learning in their home schools. However, pupils have experienced significant setbacks before joining the school. Staff change their curriculum plans swiftly to meet the needs of 11–13 February 2020

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the pupils. This approach helps pupils experience small steps of success and begin their journey back to improved health.

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Leaders have thought deeply about the purpose of their curriculum and what their pupils need as individuals. Pupils study the full range of subjects. Curriculum plans are well organised and take account of pupils’ interests and abilities. For example, pupils capable of studying for English language GCSE, or post-16 art qualifications, complete coursework to a high standard. Others make smaller steps of progress towards managing their complex mental health needs. Some curriculum plans in subjects such as humanities and science are less well developed. The subject leaders are on a journey to develop their leadership skills. Consequently, leaders’ plans are not fully developed to support pupils to do well in these subjects.

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Teachers and teaching assistants manage pupils’ behaviour with skill and compassion. In turn, pupils show respect to staff and to each other. Staff work hard to build positive relationships with the pupils. The pupils receive a wide range of personal development opportunities. Staff encourage discussion in lessons to help pupils respect individual differences and to understand about other faiths and religions. The school supports pupils to be good citizens to prepare them for returning to their communities. For example, pupils designed cards to sell for a national charity. However, some pupils do not attend education classes as often as they should. Governors and leaders have worked hard to address this, working closely with their medical colleagues. There is still further work to do to encourage pupils to attend classes when they are well enough to do so.

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Leaders work with pupils and their families, together with the medical team, to plan pupils’ return to their mainstream school or college. Some pupils achieve this goal. However, for others, leaders work with medical colleagues to make sure that pupils are placed in the specialist settings that they need.

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Pupils receive structured careers lessons so that they can make individual and informed choices for their next steps. Firefighters from a local fire station visited the school. Pupils also listened to a paramedic to help them think about possible career choices.

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Staff support pupils who are over 16 to continue their college coursework, for example in art. Teachers encourage pupils to study English and mathematics to help them work towards GCSE level. However, some pupils’ attendance in education is limited due to their complex medical and health needs. Many have not attended school for long periods of time and have experienced breakdown in previous placements.

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Leaders are committed to giving staff the support they need to manage their workload and support them when the work becomes challenging. Staff value this support greatly.

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The proprietor and the governors know the school’s strengths and where improvements are needed. They have made sure that the independent school 11–13 February 2020

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standards are met and check these standards regularly. The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. The site services manager checks the school site diligently so that pupils live and learn in a safe and welcoming environment.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff take safeguarding very seriously. They place the highest priority on keeping pupils safe. Staff receive regular training and know what to do if they identify concerns. The school has planned an internet safety day to take place this term so that pupils learn to stay safe online.

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Safeguarding

Staff work with pupils to develop their understanding of personal safety. They help pupils manage their emotions and feelings. Pupils say the education classes are a safe place to be. The school does not tolerate any form of bullying. No incidents of bullying have occurred since the school opened.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Leaders prioritise the development of pupils’ well-being to enable them to settle, build trust with staff and engage in learning. Some pupils do not attend regularly because they are not ready to learn or need to attend meetings related to their mental health illness. The school needs to continue to work with the hospital staff to ensure that pupils’ attendance in education sessions is the best it can be.  The headteacher provides strong leadership. The school now needs to ensure that subject leadership is strong across the curriculum. Some subject leaders need to develop their leadership skills to support the headteacher in her work as the school continues to grow. Due to the specialist nature of the pupils’ needs and the size of the leadership and staff team, it would be beneficial for governors to consider succession planning for the successful future of the school.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the provider and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 11–13 February 2020

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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form

Proprietor Priory Education Services Ltd

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Annual fees (day pupils) £175 per day (maximum) related to pupils’ attendance Telephone number 01179 525 255

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Website www.priorychildrenservices.co.uk

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Email address fionawiseman@priorygroup.com

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Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Heath House Hospital School is operated by Priory Education Services Ltd. This is a subsidiary of The Priory Group. The school is situated within Priory Hospital Bristol.  This inspection is the school’s first standard inspection since registration with the Department for Education on 13 June 2019. 11–13 February 2020

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 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school provides education for pupils with acute mental health illnesses. The pupils are referred to the hospital by the NHS and their education is funded by their home local authority.  Most pupils stay at this school for between six and 12 weeks. Occasionally, some stay for longer periods of time or return following a breakdown in a subsequent placement. When pupils start at the school, families are provided with information that includes the school’s safeguarding policy and the school prospectus.  Pupils are registered with their home school and staff in these schools work with Heath House to set and assess pupils’ work. This supports pupils to return to their mainstream school following discharge from hospital if appropriate. Other pupils will transfer to other specialist placements following discharge from hospital.  Pupils are placed as inpatients within the hospital, Banksy Ward and Brunel Ward.

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Pupils who are inpatients on Banksy Ward are educated on the ward. Pupils who are inpatients on Brunel Ward are educated in Heath Cottage, a separate building on the hospital site.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection 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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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors worked with the headteacher, leaders and governors throughout the inspection. Inspectors spent time on Banksy Ward and Brunel Ward, and in Heath Cottage.  Inspectors held meetings and had discussions with the headteacher, subject leaders and governors. The lead inspector also spoke with a parent, the hospital director and several staff members to seek their views on the quality of education at the school. Inspectors spoke informally to pupils in lessons and in breaktimes to understand their views about the education they receive at Heath House Hospital School.  Inspectors considered English, mathematics, personal, social, health and economic education and science in depth. In order to do this, inspectors evaluated the school’s curriculum planning in these subjects and spoke with subject leaders, staff and pupils. Inspectors also looked at the work completed by pupils and visited lessons. In addition, the lead inspector evaluated other subjects

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Information about this inspection

such as humanities and looked in detail at the school’s well-being programme and careers education work. 11–13 February 2020

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 The lead inspector held meetings with the designated safeguarding leads, including the headteacher and site manager for the hospital site. Inspectors spoke with staff and parents to seek their views and understanding of the school’s safeguarding procedures. Inspectors scrutinised training records and reviewed a range of documentation relating to safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.  The lead inspector took account of staff views recorded on Ofsted’s online questionnaire. There were no responses on Ofsted Parent View or free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Catherine Leahy, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

David New Ofsted Inspector 11–13 February 2020

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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