Fountain House Education Suite

Fountain House Education Suite C/O Five Rivers Child Care Ltd 47 Bedwin Street, Salisbury, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 3UT

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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This is a good school

 As a result of developing increased self-esteem and making positive relationships with others, pupils make more than expected progress in English and mathematics from low starting points. They also make good progress in a range of other subjects.  Personal development is at the heart of the school’s ambitions for the next stage in pupils’ lives. Improved relationships lead to significant progress in attitudes to learning and consequent academic progress.  Pupils develop a good understanding of British values and public services and institutions in England. They are helped to understand British values through a programme of visits and activities.  Teaching based on planning for individual pupils’ needs leads to pupils’ increasing knowledge and skills. Literacy and numeracy are improved through teaching these skills in other subjects of the curriculum. Teachers help pupils to learn through discussing and developing their own ideas.

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This is a good school

 Leadership and management are good and developing well, following recent changes. Leaders have an accurate view of the school and have used this understanding to plan for improvement. Leaders are held to account by a robust structure established by the proprietor.  Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe and report concerns. They are learning to be tolerant of others and to respect all members of society equally.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 New leadership and management structures, particularly around teaching quality, need time to show full impact.  The school’s approach to marking pupils’ work is not fully effective in improving learning.

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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.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop and embed the evaluation of teaching and learning to raise pupils’ achievement still further.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Establish and implement a marking policy which will ensure consistent practice in helping pupils to improve their skills, knowledge and understanding.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The proprietor has ensured that the school meets all the independent school standards. Standards which were unmet at the pre-registration inspection are now met.  The proprietor has recently put in place arrangements to hold leaders and managers to account and ensure that pupils make good progress. This scrutiny of the school’s work is already having a positive impact.  Leaders and managers are deeply committed to successful outcomes for the pupils and to meet the school’s challenging aim to place pupils into neighbourhood schools. They have ensured that their ambition is shared throughout the school.  The curriculum provides learning in all the areas of experience required by the independent school standards. Pupils have continuing homework tasks and a rich provision of extra-curricular activities.  There is a significant concentration on basic skills, in which pupils have often fallen well below age-related

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

expectations. The development of literacy and numeracy across the curriculum is good. The provision in science is effective.  Pupils learn how to plan and record outcomes of an experiment by using the planning model for another activity, for example, making pancakes. They have gathered their own results and have had some help in recording them.  Pupils have visited a number of museums and exhibitions which have raised their curiosity and generated discussion.  Pupils grow in confidence by gaining accreditation in a wide range of activities from the Unit Award Scheme.  Leaders are successfully developing support for good teaching and learning by monitoring the quality of teaching in the school as part of rigorous performance management procedures. This includes detailed scrutiny of pupils’ work. Teachers appreciate their access to a programme of continuing professional development.  Leaders ensure that pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain through a comprehensive programme of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

personal, social and health education which includes activities within the school and its community. Pupils end every day with ‘celebration’ which develops their self-confidence and self-esteem.  All staff work tirelessly to develop supportive relationships with pupils to ensure that pupils with social, emotional and mental health difficulties have improved their behaviour and personal development, and made good progress.  The school is housed in a welcoming building and the premises fully meet the requirements of the independent school standards.  The governance of the school The school has no specific governing body. Leaders are held to account by the recently developed structure based on a management group which reports to the board of the company. ̶ Members of the management group visit the school regularly, observe teaching, scrutinise pupils’ work and offer valued support. ̶ In conjunction with the management group, leaders have accurately evaluated the school’s strengths and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

areas for development, and planning is in place to move the school forward.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. ̶ The single central register fully meets the regulations. ̶ The school’s safeguarding policy is published on its website and meets requirements. ̶ All staff have current training at the designated levels in child protection. ̶ All recruitment procedures involve at least one person trained in safer recruitment. ̶ All staff have confirmed their reading of Keeping Children Safe in Education, as required. Adults and pupils have a good awareness of safeguarding matters.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 In the early stages following its opening, the school did not have stable staffing and pupils’ progress was affected by some uncertainty and regular change.  Since the appointment of the teacher-in-charge, the environment has stabilised and pupils’ progress has accelerated.  Teaching is based on thorough planning, from effective schemes of work to individual planning based on each pupil’s identified learning needs. These plans are successfully delivered, in part due the high levels of trust and understanding generated between teachers and pupils.  The school does not have consistent practice in marking because there is no whole-school marking policy. Although teachers mark pupils’ work thoroughly and make comments in books, not all pupils fully understand what they are expected to do to improve their work.  Teaching helps pupils to increase their knowledge and understanding through a participative approach.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Teachers listen to pupils’ ideas and give them serious consideration. This works well when the pupil, and not the teacher, identifies if the suggestion works or not.  The school has a clear framework for assessment. Pupils have personal targets, both socially and emotionally, and academic. In line with the school’s framework, teachers and pupils work together to evaluate targets regularly.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils join the school with very low self-esteem and lacking the skills to create good relationships with adults and other pupils. They have already attended several schools, had some months out of school and have become disengaged from education.  Since arriving at Fountain House, they have made rapid progress in developing their self-confidence and are successfully re-engaging with learning. Their relationships with adults and other pupils are improving significantly. Pupils have also rediscovered the pride in making relatively small, but important, steps in academic progress.  Pupils’ attendance is above average and punctuality is consistently improving.  Placing authorities have noted positive developments in areas of pupils’ self-confidence, self-esteem and re- engagement with learning.  There is little or no bullying in the school. There are occasional outbursts but these are decreasing, are

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Personal development and welfare

instinctive and not based on racist, sexist, homophobic or other bullying motives.  Pupils understand the characteristics of the people they have met from other cultures. They study other faiths and visit places of worship. They celebrate festivals such as Chinese New Year. The school successfully instils in pupils equal value of all members of society. Pupils have successfully completed the Unit Award Scheme: ‘Introduction to Racism’ module.  Pupils understand the difference between right and wrong and are learning to be accountable for their actions. The school places a strong emphasis on the right of pupils to choose and to have their opinion heard.  The school’s health and safety policy and practice are effective in keeping everyone safe. This includes fire safety, first aid provision, electrical and gas safety, and risk assessment for both activities and individual pupils.  Pupils learn about British values by comparing society in the Victorian age with that of the present.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils have moved their position from one of inflexibility to being reflective and able to apologise following incidents of inappropriate behaviour.  The school ensures that a balanced view is presented of any political issues.  Pupils benefit from a range of therapies including cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and eye movement desensitising and reprocessing (EMDR) and from the work of a child psychotherapist.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good because it has improved rapidly in a short time.  The school’s policy to prioritise rewards over sanctions has resulted in a dramatic decrease in aggressive and confrontational behaviour in a short time. The level of interventions has decreased accordingly.  Pupils are beginning to understand the impact of their behaviour on others and to recognise the rights of others to work in a calm environment.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils join the school with very low age-related standards. Assessment on entry to Fountain House showed a decline from the outcomes reported by previous schools.  From the starting points established on entry to Fountain House, pupils make above expected progress in a short time, but remain well below age-related standards in English and mathematics. They make good progress in other subject areas, especially food technology and science.  In order to achieve this improvement, the school has successfully raised pupils’ self-esteem and self- confidence alongside academic learning.  Pupils’ attitudes, which were negative and resistant to learning, have been replaced by pride in achievement, a willingness to be praised and a positive understanding of the school’s rewards culture. Pupils whose lack of self-esteem necessitated one-to-one tuition are gradually integrated into activities with others.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils who previously rejected reading seek opportunities to read, for example by joining the local public library. As a result, pupils improve their reading and develop their comprehension skills effectively.  The school is committed to its aim of returning pupils to neighbourhood schools and pupils are in the early stages of making progress towards this aim.

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School details

Unique reference number 142068 Inspection number 10008633 DfE registration number 383/6003 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. Type of school Independent Special School School status Independent school Age range of pupils 7–11 years Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 2 Number of part time pupils 0 Proprietor Five Rivers Chair Masaumi Malik Headteacher Andrew Halliwell Annual fees (day pupils) £48,724 Telephone number 0113 276 1711 Website www.five-rivers.org Email address Andrew.halliwell@five-rivers.co.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Fountain House Education Suite is a day school for up to six boys and girls aged seven to 11 years who have social, emotional and mental health difficulties.  All pupils are looked after by their local authority and all have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan.  Pupils have previously attended a number of schools and, prior to joining Fountain House Education Suite, had several months out of education.  The school is located in Leeds. The proprietor is Five Rivers Ltd, a national provider of residential accommodation, therapeutic interventions and education for children looked after by local authorities.  The school has two male and no female pupils on roll.  The school aims to support pupils to enter neighbourhood secondary schools on leaving.  This is the school’s first inspection since it was registered as an independent special school in April 2015.

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Information about this school

The school admitted its first pupils in June 2015.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out with one day’s notice.  The inspector checked the school’s compliance with the independent school standards. He viewed the school’s website, carried out a scrutiny of school policies, schemes of work and other documentation.  The inspector observed lessons covering core subjects and activities, analysed the school’s assessment records and scrutinised pupils’ work.  The inspector met with senior leaders, including a discussion with the headteacher about the school’s science provision, the company’s head of education, the school’s education consultant, and the deputy head of care. He met pupils informally.  The inspector analysed staff questionnaires. There were insufficient responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, to generate a report. The inspector considered evidence provided by a placing authority.

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Inspection team

Peter McKenzie, 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

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/government/organisations/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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Inspection team

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

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