Parkside House School

School material change inspection report

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Parkside House School Station Road, Backworth, North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear NE27 0AB

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7 (a-b)  The school has a safeguarding policy in place as required by the independent school standards (the standards).  Leaders have not ensured that all necessary checks are made on alternative education providers before pupils attend, as required by the Department for Education (DfE) statutory guidance, ‘Keeping children safe in education’.  Staff do not have a good understanding of local safeguarding risks. They are also unclear about the school’s whistleblowing procedures.  Actions taken when there are concerns about pupils, including any follow up actions, and the impact of these actions, are not consistently recorded. There are gaps in safeguarding record-keeping.  The actions taken by leaders when pupils need help and support is not consistently timely. This means that some pupils do not get the right support when they need it.  Necessary checks have not been made on a contractor used by the school when there

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Main inspection findings

is potential for crossover between the contractors and pupils at the school.  Leaders are unclear about the internet filtering system the school uses to prevent pupils from accessing inappropriate information. The school’s designated safeguarding lead (DSL) did not know how leaders would be alerted to any unsafe internet use, or if there had been any alerts in the last year.  Leaders are not consistently recording the name of a pupils’ new school when they are removed from the school’s roll. Sometimes leaders are unsure if a pupil has started at their new school.  This standard is not met. Paragraph 11  The school has a comprehensive health and safety policy.  Leaders carry out regular checks on the school building to ensure that it is safe. For instance, there is a legionella risk assessment. Frequent checks are made on the school’s water supply. There is a comprehensive health and safety quality assurance

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Main inspection findings

calendar to ensure that all necessary checks are carried out in a timely manner.  An additional building has been constructed on the school site to accommodate 20 more pupils. This building is well maintained and decorated. It is a pleasant space for both pupils and staff.  This standard is met. Paragraph 12  Leaders have ensured that there is a member of staff trained as a fire officer. This member of staff carries out, and records, regular fire safety checks.  A fire risk assessment has been completed and actions have been taken to remedy any issues found. For instance, a new fire alarm system has recently been installed. Fire exits are clearly shown. There is a fire assembly point. Regularly fire drills take place and are recorded. Emergency lighting is checked regularly by the fire officer.  At the time of the inspection, no pupils required a personal emergency evacuation plan.  This standard is met.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraph 14  Pupils are appropriately supervised. There are two members of staff in each class of no more than six pupils. Pupils are well supervised during breaktimes.  This standard is met. Paragraph 16 (a-b)  Leaders have ensured that the school has a risk assessment policy in place.  Examples of risk assessments seen during the inspection show that leaders take appropriate action to minimise risks to pupils. For instance, when they attend off-site provision for physical education (PE) lessons.  This standard is met. Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraph 18(1), 18(2)(a)-(e), 18(3), 18(4), 20(6)(a)-(c), 21(1), 21(2), 21(3)(a)-(b), 21(4), 21(6)  At the start of the inspection, the single central record, which includes records of the checks made on staff, was not fully compliant with the DfE statutory guidance.  Section 128 checks, which establish if individuals have been barred from taking part in

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Main inspection findings

the management of independent schools, had not been carried out on all necessary staff. Leaders ensured that this was resolved by the end of the inspection.  The required checks on three members of the board of proprietors had not been recorded on the school’s single central record. This was resolved by the end of the inspection.  There was no information on the school’s single central record to indicate that non- teaching staff’s qualifications had been checked, where required. This was added to the school’s single central record during the inspection.  The school does not use supply staff. However, leaders are aware of the necessary checks they need to make should they use supply staff in the future.  This standard is met. Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraph 22, 23(1), 23(1)(a), 23(1)(b), 23(1)(c), 23(2), 24(1)(a), 24(1)(b), 24(2)  There are separate toilets for boys and girls. There is also a separate staff toilet. The

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Main inspection findings

additional new building contains two additional toilets for boys and two additional toilets for girls. There are no separate toilets for sixth-form pupils. However, leaders informed the inspector that younger pupils do not have access to the toilets at the same time as older pupils.  There is a medical room with a sink, a folding bed and a first aid kit. The medical room is near to a toilet. There are no pupils with complex needs on the school’s roll.  Pupils have access to the changing rooms and showers at off-site leisure centres used by the school for PE lessons. The risk assessment specifies that pupils do not use the changing room and shower facilities at the same time as the public.  These standards are met. Paragraph 25, 26, 27, 27(a), 27(b), 28(1), 28(1)(a), 28(1)(b), 28(1)(c), 28(1)(d), 28(2), 28(2)(a), 28(2)(b)  There are suitable lighting and acoustics in each classroom, including in the new

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Main inspection findings

additional building on the school’s site.  The school has external light, including outside the new building.  The school has systems in place to check the buildings to ensure the health and safety of pupils. For instance, portable appliance testing is carried out and fire extinguishers are checked by an external company annually.  The school is situated in the vicinity of a primary school and an ambulance centre. The new additional building on the school’s site has been fenced off.  Drinking water facilities are provided. During the inspection, drinking water signs were removed from the toilets.  These standards are met. Paragraph 29(1), 29(1)(a), 29(1)(b)  Three off-site leisure centres are used for PE lessons.  There is an outdoor grassed area for pupils to use at breaktimes.  These standards are met. Part 6. Provision of information Paragraph 32(1)(c)  The school’s safeguarding policy is published on the school’s website and is easily

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Main inspection findings

accessible to parents and carers. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1)(a)-(c)  Leaders have not ensured that the standards are continually and consistently met over time.  A group of pupils, who the inspector held a discussion with, say they feel safe in school. They told the inspector that when pupils make homophobic and transphobic comments that staff deal with this quickly. However, there is not a strong culture of safeguarding at the school. Some of the standards in Part 3 are not met. This puts pupils at risk.  These standards are not met. Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010  Leaders have ensured that there is an accessibility plan. This plan covers the curriculum, improving information and improving the physical environment, as required by schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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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 are relevant to the material change, as set out in the annex of this report.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 162(4) of the Education Act 2002, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s compliance with the independent school standards relevant to the material change that the school has applied to make.

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

School status Independent special school

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School details

Proprietor Acorn Care and Education Limited

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £22,525 to £45,848

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School details

Email address admin@parksidehouseschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous standard inspection 3 to 5 March 2020

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recommendation

Age range of pupils 10 to 19 Not applicable Not applicable

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recommendation

Number of pupils on the school roll 46 55 35

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recommendation

Reason for inspector’s recommendations  Leaders have requested an increase in the number of pupils from 35 to 55. The additional building will accommodate an additional 20 pupils. However, not all the standards checked during this inspection are met.

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of full-time pupils of compulsory school age 35 55

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities 46 55

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Of which, number of pupils with an education, health and care plan 46 55

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Of which, number of pupils paid for by a local authority with an education, health and care plan 46 55

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of full-time equivalent teaching staff 9 9

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of staff in the welfare provision 5 5

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Information about this school

 Parkside House School is an independent special school for pupils who have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.  All pupils have an education, health and care plan.  There are 11 pupils who are currently attending the school part-time. These pupils will attend the school full-time from the end of September 2022.  The school uses three unregistered alternative education providers: Wheels Project, Hill Top Farm and Northumbria Youth Action.  The school uses three off-site leisure providers for PE lessons.  The previous standard inspection took place in March 2020. The school was judged to be good in all areas.  There has been a change of proprietor since the previous standard inspection. The new proprietors took over the school in September 2021.  This is the school’s first material change inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was commissioned by the DfE because the school applied to increase the number of pupils at the school from 35 to 55.  The material change has already been implemented. The school is registered to have 35 pupils on roll. There are currently 46 pupils on the school’s role.  The DfE makes the decision about whether the material change should be approved.  The inspector scrutinised the school’s documentation relevant to the standards that the DfE requested were checked during the inspection.  The inspector toured the school premises, including the additional building that has been built on the school site to accommodate an increase in pupil numbers.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, who is also the DSL, a group of staff, and a group of pupils.  The inspector met with the school’s chair of the governing body, who is also the acting regional director. A virtual meeting was held with the chair of the board of proprietors.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector held a telephone discussion with the three alternative education providers used by the school. The inspector also held a telephone discussion with two of the three leisure centre providers used by the school for PE lessons.

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Inspection team

Michele Costello, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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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 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 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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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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