Wilsic Hall School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Wilsic Hall School Wadworth, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN11 9AG

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a)  Staff are not always clear who the designated safeguarding lead is. This is because posters in the main building and the policy on the website confuses safeguarding leads in the education setting with those in the care setting. Staff are not able to clarify who the designating safeguarding lead is and who the deputy is. However, all staff spoken to during the inspection said that they would report any concerns and were confident that they would be taken seriously by senior leaders.  Not all staff sign appropriate documentation to show when they enter and leave the premises. Therefore, as at the previous inspection, there is not an accurate list of the staff that are on the premises each day. School leaders have different views over who is responsible for checking signing in procedures. Staff are confused with fire evacuation procedures. Documentation reflects this confusion.

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Main inspection findings

 Pupils regularly meet with an independent person should they wish to voice any concerns.  School leaders have not ensured that safeguarding is effective. They have not addressed safeguarding issues raised at the previous inspection. These standards remain unmet. Paragraph 7(b) and 32(1)(c)  School leaders have ensured that a safeguarding policy is available on the school website for parents and carers to access. This policy pays regard to the most recent guidance issued by the Secretary of State. Staff are familiar with this policy and receive regular safeguarding training.  This standard is now met. Paragraph 12  Staff do not complete fire evacuation documentation thoroughly. For example, the time of the evacuation is not always noted. Visitors to the school and school staff use the administration building and the school building. There are discrepancies with signing-in procedures and fire evacuation procedures between these two buildings. Fire evacuation

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Main inspection findings

procedures for the school building are more consistent and effective than those of the administration building.  This standard remains unmet. Paragraph 13  Staff complete electronic first aid records thoroughly. Staff ensure that actions taken following a first aid incident are clearly recorded.  This standard is now met. Paragraph 16, 16(a), 16(b)  Staff use an appropriate form to write risk assessments for a range of activities and environments. Senior leaders finished risk assessments for climbing and play equipment during the inspection.  Individual pupil risk assessments are thorough. These risk assessments take account of individual pupil’s views and prioritise the safety of the pupil.  These standards are now met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraph 18(1), 18(2)(c)(ii), 18(3), 20(6), 20(6)(a), 20(6)(a)(i), 20(6)(a)(ii), 20(6)(a)(b), 21(6)  The single central record, which records the recruitment checks made on staff, is up to date and completed accurately. All checks, including pre-recruitment checks on a candidate’s medical fitness to complete their role, are completed.  All management personnel, including directors of the Hesley Group, are included on the single central record.  These standards are 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 chief executive officer of the Hesley Group has a clear overview of strategic responsibility for safeguarding at school level, education board level and, ultimately, himself.  However, lines of accountability at school level are not clear. School leaders and directors at education board level do not audit safeguarding well at an operational level. For example, it is not clear who is responsible for monitoring the single central record, signing in procedures, fire evacuation procedures and safeguarding notices. Leaders at school and director level allow too many mistakes to be made, for example incorrect safeguarding leads named on the safeguarding policy on the website. This was rectified during the inspection. Consequently, safeguarding is not effective.  The Department of Education (DfE) required school leaders to have completed actions

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Main inspection findings

identified on their action plan by July 2021. Some of these actions were completed during the inspection.

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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

School status Independent special school

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School details

Email address whsadmin@hesleygroup.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous standard inspection 11 to 13 December 2018

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Information about this school

 Wilsic Hall has capacity for 36 pupils aged between 11 and 19 years. Most pupils who attend the school have education, health and care plans.  Pupils who attend the school have complex needs. Most have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, and some have a range of other diagnoses.  The school does not use any alternative education providers.  The school’s last standard inspection was in December 2018, when it was judged to be good overall. An additional inspection in February 2020 judged all standards inspected to be met. An additional inspection in March 2021 judged that the standards inspected were not met.  The school is part of the Hesley Group and is overseen by the directors of the Hesley Group. Governance arrangements consist of an education board which reports to the group’s board of directors.  The government website, Get Information About Schools, does not currently indicate who the proprietor is. School leaders were advised during the inspection to update this

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Information about this school

information.  Since the last inspection, there have been changes in the leadership of the school. An interim headteacher was put in place following the last inspection. A new interim headteacher took up post five days prior to this inspection. The current interim headteacher is also the headteacher of another school in the Hesley Group.

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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.  This inspection took place over one day and was conducted with 30 minutes’ notice.  Both inspectors toured the school building and used the administrative building as their base.  Inspectors met with over seven staff individually. They also met with school leaders and directors, including the interim headteacher, two deputy headteachers, the assistant director and the chief executive officer.  Inspectors met with and observed pupils in lessons.  Both inspectors studied a range of documentation, which all supported how leaders were safeguarding pupils at the school. These documents included the single central

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Information about this inspection

record, recruitment checks, accident and incident records and safeguarding reports.

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Inspection team

Jo Sharpe, 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– – 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[12].

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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.

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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(b) such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.  13 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that first aid is administered in a timely and competent manner by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written first aid policy.  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 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors

 18(2) The standard in this paragraph is met if– – 18(2)(c) the proprietor carries out appropriate checks to confirm in respect of each such person.  20(6) The standard in this paragraph is met in relation to an individual ("MB"), not being the Chair of the school, who is a member of a body of persons corporate or unincorporate named as the proprietor of the school in the register or in an application to enter the school in the register, if– – 20(6)(a) MB- – 20(6)(a)(i) is not barred from regulated activity relating to children in accordance with section 3(2) of the 2006 Act where that individual is or will be engaging in activity which is regulated activity within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 4 of that Act; and – 20(6)(a)(ii) does not carry out work, or intend 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

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors

disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in either such direction; – 20(6)(b) subject to sub-paragraphs (7) to (8), the Chair of the school makes the following checks relating to MB- – 20(6)(b)(i) where relevant to the individual, an enhanced criminal record check; – 20(6)(b)(ii) checks confirming MB’s identity and MB’s right to work in the United Kingdom; and – 20(6)(b)(iii) where, by reason of MB’s living or having lived outside the United Kingdom, obtaining an enhanced criminal record certificate is not sufficient to establish MB’s suitability to work in a school, such further checks as the Chair of the school considers appropriate, having regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.  21(6) The information referred to in this sub-paragraph is, in relation each member ("MB") of a body of persons named as the proprietor appointed on or after 1st May 2007,

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors

whether the checks referred to in paragraph 20(6)(b) were made, the date they were made and the date on which the resulting certificate was obtained. 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 1231, 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

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 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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