The Ryes College

Pump Farm, Bures Road, Assington, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 5NA

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a), 7(b)  The proprietor has not taken all of the necessary action to keep pupils safe.  Safeguarding arrangements are not secure. Not all safeguarding concerns raised by staff are followed up thoroughly, in a timely manner. There are significant gaps in the information recorded about the actions taken to protect pupils from harm. Information about the actions taken by staff and external agencies, and the impact of these actions, are not recorded systematically to keep vulnerable pupils safe.  A newly installed perimeter fence has reduced incidents of pupils placing themselves and others in danger by leaving the school without permission.  New arrangements implemented due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) are helping staff to maintain pupils’ welfare, health and safety. For example, daily health checks of pupils’ welfare are made as they arrive in school. They are asked to hand in their mobile phones

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Main inspection findings

to keep them safe in school.  This standard is not met. Paragraph 9, 9(b)  Changes have been made to the behaviour policy to promote a positive school ethos where pupils take care of each other. There is a reduction in the number of incidents this term requiring physical intervention by staff, compared with this time last year. However, serious incidents continue to happen that require staff to intervene, some of which have led to serious harm to other pupils and to staff.  The behaviour policy is not implemented effectively. Staff work together to manage the most challenging behaviour of pupils. However, recent changes in staffing, and the arrival of new pupils at the start of this term who are unaware of the school’s procedures, mean that the revised procedures to manage behaviour are not fully established.  Pupils are expected to adhere to the school’s revised policy of rewards and sanctions. Records of the sanctions imposed upon pupils for serious misbehaviour are shared with

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Main inspection findings

the management committee. A number of fixed-term exclusions have taken place this term of pupils whose behaviour has failed to meet the expectations of staff.  Pupils who met with inspectors during the inspection said that they feel safe in school. Lunchtimes continue to be calm and orderly.  This standard is not met.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraph 15  The previous inspection found shortfalls in the school’s admissions register. Improvements have been made to the register to make it more manageable. Leaders have chased up information about pupils who left the school earlier this year. This is ongoing, as it is proving difficult to locate some older pupils. Leaders have informed the local authorities that these pupils no longer attend the school.  This standard is now met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraph 18(2), 18(2)(a), 18(2)(b), 21(1), 21(3), 21(3)(a), 21(3)(a)(ii), 21(3)(b)  The proprietor has taken action to ensure that the school’s single central register contains all of the information required by statutory guidance.  Leaders have responded promptly to concerns raised at the time of the previous inspection relating to the necessary pre-employment checks of staff. Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and prohibition checks are made, dated and recorded on the school’s single central register. Information about these and other checks is stored in the recruitment files of staff.  This standard is now 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)  The proprietor has not ensured that school leaders have taken all of the necessary action to ensure that all of the independent school standards are met.  Not enough has been done to check that child protection procedures are sufficiently rigorous and that safeguarding records are fully maintained.  Behaviour management is not secure. Staff are managing challenging situations where pupils display serious misbehaviour, but leaders have little evidence to show that the revised policy and procedures are helping to modify and improve pupils’ behaviour.  Following the previous inspection, plans for improvement slowed due to the impact of COVID-19. Despite this, the headteacher and his team of senior leaders have made some improvements. The single central register is complete. The site is more secure. A

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Main inspection findings

revised action plan is now in place. Not all of the proposed actions in the plan have measurable success criteria to hold staff accountable.  The management committee has been re-organised to increase the effectiveness of the school’s governance. Additional training has taken place to enable it to monitor the school’s work more effectively. These changes are new and have not led to significant improvement.  This standard is not met.

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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

Annual fees (day pupils) £36,820 to £41,652

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School details

Email address office@theryescollege.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 5–7 December 2017

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Information about this school

 The school is currently registered with the Department for Education (DfE) to admit up to 36 pupils.  The school provides education for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs including autism spectrum disorder, Asperger syndrome diagnosis, attachment disorders, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and specific learning difficulties.  All pupils have an education, health and care plan and are funded by local authorities. Most pupils arrive having been excluded from mainstream schools or having missed long periods of schooling.  The school does not use supply staff.  The proprietor, The Ryes College Limited, runs another school, Argyll House, Norfolk.  The school’s inspection history: – The school’s first standard inspection was in June 1998. The quality of education was judged good. – In July 2005, Ofsted conducted another standard inspection. The quality of education

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Information about this school

was judged inadequate. – In March 2006, Ofsted conducted a progress monitoring inspection. Not all of the independent school standards were met. – In November 2006, Ofsted conducted an emergency inspection. The independent school standards were not met. – In April 2008, Ofsted conducted a standard inspection. The school was judged inadequate. – In February 2009, Ofsted conducted a progress monitoring inspection. The independent school standards were not met. – In July 2009, Ofsted conducted a progress monitoring inspection. The independent school standards were not met. – In January 2010, Ofsted conducted a progress monitoring inspection. The independent school standards were not met. – In October 2010, Ofsted conducted a progress monitoring inspection. The independent school standards were not met. – In June 2011, Ofsted conducted a progress monitoring inspection. The independent school standards checked at the time were met.

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Information about this school

– In December 2011, Ofsted conducted a standard inspection. The school was judged good. – In November 2014, Ofsted conducted a standard inspection. The school was judged good. – In April 2015, Ofsted conducted a material change inspection. Following this inspection, the DfE issued the school with a new unique reference number. – In December 2017, Ofsted conducted a standard inspection. The school was judged good. – In May 2018, Ofsted conducted a material change inspection. Following the inspection, the DfE changed the school’s registration details and increased the maximum number of pupils on roll from 24 to 36. – In January 2020, Ofsted conducted an emergency, one-day inspection. The independent school standards were not met.

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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 at no notice under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008.  I met with the headteacher, other senior leaders and the proprietor’s chief executive officer. I met with a small group of pupils to gain their views about the school. I did not visit lessons in classrooms due to the school’s COVID-19 arrangements.  I looked at a range of documents relating to safeguarding arrangements, including the school’s policy and procedures for safeguarding, the single central register and child protection records. I also looked at other information, including behaviour logs and

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Information about this inspection

exclusion records, and the admissions register.

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Inspection team

John Mitcheson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Part 3 Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 15 The standard in this paragraph is met if– – the proprietor ensures that an admission and attendance register is maintained in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006.

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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)(a) no such person is barred from regulated activity relating to children in accordance with section 3(2) of the 2006 Act where that person is or will be engaging in activity which is regulated activity within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 4 to that Act; – 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.

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

 21(1)The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor keeps a register which shows such of the information referred to in sub-paragraphs (3) to (7) as is applicable to the school in question.

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

 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 1st May – 2007, whether– – 21(3)(a)(ii) a check was made to establish whether S is barred from regulated – activity relating to children in accordance with section 3(2) of the 2006 Act; – 21(3)(b) in relation to each member of staff (“S”), whether a check was made to establish whether S is subject to a prohibition order or an interim prohibition order, including the date on which such check was completed.

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

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 9 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor promotes good behaviour amongst pupils by ensuring that– – 9(b) the policy is implemented effectively;

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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 role 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. 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 8. Quality of leadership in and management of 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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of 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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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