Brompton Hall School

Inspection report for residential special school - Brompton Hall School 1 Brompton Hall School Brompton Hall School, High Street, Brompton-by-Sawdon, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO13 9DB Residential provision inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential special school

This is a local authority maintained residential special school for 60 boys.

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Information about this residential special school

All children have an education, health and care plan (EHC plan), reflecting social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Children are between eight and 16 years of age when they attend the school.

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Information about this residential special school

Following a period of consultation, the local authority decided to close the residential provision of this school by September 2024. No new children will begin to attend the residential provision. As a result, the number of residential children has reduced since the last inspection.

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Information about this residential special school

The residential provision provides accommodation for up to seven children, offering weekly boarding places. There are two residential areas in the main building of the school.

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Information about this residential special school

The school has an interim headteacher, who is also the designated safeguarding lead and the residential lead. She has been in post since September 2022.

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Information about this residential special school

The inspectors only inspected the social care provision at this school.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The residential special school is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted. Inspection report for residential special school - Brompton Hall School 2 Date of previous inspection: 11 January 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good Inspection report for residential special school - Brompton Hall School 3

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improvement to be good

The quality of the residential accommodation is not consistently good. Damage is not always quickly repaired and debris from breakages is not cleared away immediately. Some areas of the residential accommodation do not look homely and well cared for. The toilets and showers are not regularly maintained. One shower cubicle had black mould that was clearly visible. Other aspects of the bathrooms required attention. Steps were taken to improve this during the inspection. However, children had been washing in unhygienic facilities for some time. This does not provide children with a strong message that their welfare is important to staff.

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improvement to be good

Arrangements for medication are not consistently safe. Staff do not always follow proper procedures, including for the transportation and administration of medication. This places children at risk of harm. Action was taken by the headteacher to address immediate concerns during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy their residential stays. Many have attended for several years, and they know each other very well. Children have strong relationships with staff, most of whom they have grown up with. Staff use their positive relationships to help and support children. Children trust staff and generally respond positively to the care they receive.

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improvement to be good

Children talk to staff about their plans for the future. Staff support children who are worried about leaving school. For some children, this makes a difference to the choices that they make. However, children do not have structured support to help them develop life skills, such as budgeting. This means that there are gaps in the help that children receive to prepare for adulthood.

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improvement to be good

Children’s educational progress is supported through their residential stays. Children are well prepared for lessons because staff ensure that there are good bedtime and morning routines. Staff help children to complete additional schoolwork when this is required for them to meet their potential. This is helping children to work towards their goals and to make choices about the next stage of their lives.

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improvement to be good

The planned closure of residency means that the number of residential children has reduced significantly. Consequently, activities can be arranged according to individual children’s interests. Children enjoy the school’s motorbikes, playing football, using games consoles and cooking. Children also go shopping and enjoy trips to the beach and other places of interest. Relationships with each other, as well as with staff, are supported through these activities.

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improvement to be good

Children talk to staff about the issues that matter to them most. This includes various topics, such as their future education and the choice of daily activities. Children are learning that their voice is important and that they have a right to be heard. Staff Inspection report for residential special school - Brompton Hall School 4 also talk to children about respect for themselves and for each other. Some children take part in groups, including an equality and diversity group. The work on diversity is helping to reduce the use of derogatory language in the school.

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improvement to be good

Written records of concern do not follow statutory guidance. The sequence of events is not always clear. Incident reports do not always include actions taken by staff to keep children safe. This hinders leaders’ oversight of safeguarding practice. It is also a missed opportunity to improve the safety and well-being of children in future.

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improvement to be good

Individualised risk assessments identify concerns for children. They set out what staff must do to keep children safe. However, these assessments have not always been available to staff. Risk assessments are not routinely updated with information pertinent to the residential provision. They are not always reviewed in line with children’s changing needs. Work is underway to improve guidance to staff. It is too soon to evaluate the effectiveness of these changes.

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improvement to be good

Staff help to keep children safe. They respond quickly to incidents that might result in children being at risk. For example, if children leave the school site during residential time, staff immediately follow. They report concerns to the police. This reassures children, who know that staff will protect them.

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improvement to be good

Staff carry out regular searches of children and their belongings. This is to make sure that children do not bring items into school that might cause themselves or others harm. Records of searches, including any items removed, are not documented. This does not conform to statutory guidance. It also reduces the ability of staff and leaders to monitor patterns of concern and to share such issues with family or professionals.

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improvement to be good

Children’s behaviour is generally good. Staff provide clear routines and boundaries for children, who respond positively to expectations. This leads to a calm, settled atmosphere, as children are at ease with each other and with staff.

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improvement to be good

The recruitment of new staff generally complies with statutory guidance. On one occasion, it was not clear that all checks had been carried out. During the inspection, it was clarified that checks had been carried out, but not recorded. There was no impact on children. New processes are now in place to prevent such oversight.

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good

There have been changes in the leadership of the school. The recently appointed interim headteacher also has responsibility for safeguarding and for the residential provision. She manages her time well and has the support of other leaders. However, Inspection report for residential special school - Brompton Hall School 5 her ability to oversee all aspects of the school is stretched. She has focused on the issues that matter most to children, but other areas require improvement.

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good

Staff receive input to enhance their knowledge and skills. They have received training that helps them to care for children effectively. Most staff value the training on a more therapeutic approach to caring for children. However, staff have not had at least termly supervision of their practice since the last inspection. This limits the potential for staff to raise issues and for leaders to consider practice concerns. This shortfall is repeated from the last inspection.

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good

The interim headteacher knows the strengths and weaknesses of the school. She is quick to address issues that arise and consistently does so with a focus on the needs of children. She is developing her oversight of the residential provision. For example, she monitors practice to bring about improvements. Staff value knowing what is expected of them, particularly during this period of change.

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good

The school continues to be well supported by the interim executive board. Board members with responsibility for safeguarding and for the residential provision have extensive relevant experience. The board provides good support to the headteacher, as well as challenge when necessary. This oversight is helping the headteacher to make changes to the residential provision. Board members accept that further improvement is needed.

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good

The independent visitor continues to make regular visits to the school. He always speaks to children and staff and looks at the quality of the accommodation. The interim headteacher responds to any recommendations that he makes. This provides essential external scrutiny of children’s care during their residential stays. Inspection report for residential special school - Brompton Hall School 6

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special schools

The school does not meet the following national minimum standards for residential special schools:

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special schools

 Leaders should ensure that accommodation is well lit, heated and ventilated, cleaned and maintained. (‘Residential special schools: national minimum standards’, page 14, paragraph 9.4)  Leaders should ensure that all medication is safely and securely stored and that accurate records are kept of its administration. Where applicable, schools have regard to statutory guidance. (‘Residential special schools: national minimum standards’, page 18, paragraph 12.8)  Leaders should ensure that arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school. (‘Residential special schools: national minimum standards’, page 20, paragraph 13.1)  Leaders should ensure that all staff have at least termly supervision. (‘Residential special schools: national minimum standards’, page 32, paragraph 26.6)  Leaders should ensure that all concerns, discussions and decisions made, and the reasons for those decisions, are recorded in writing. Records should include:

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special schools

a clear and comprehensive summary of the concern; details of how the concern was followed up and resolved; a note of any action taken, decisions reached and the outcome. (‘Keeping children safe in education’, paragraph 68, page 19)  Leaders should ensure that any search by a member of staff for a prohibited item and all searches carried out by police officers are recorded in the school’s safeguarding reporting system, including whether an item is found. (‘Searching, screening and confiscation, advice for schools’, paragraph 44, page 15)

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Points for improvement

 Leaders should encourage children to develop daily living skills, independence, health and employment skills, taking account of their needs and in line with any EHC plan. These activities are described in the ‘Special educational needs and disability code of practice’ under supporting successful preparation for adulthood. (‘Residential special schools: national minimum standards’, page 28, paragraph 23.1) Inspection report for residential special school - Brompton Hall School 7

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Children Act 1989 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the national minimum standards. Inspection report for residential special school - Brompton Hall School 8

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Residential special school details

Social care unique reference number: SC007923

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Residential special school details

Type of school: Residential special school

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Residential special school details

Email address: headteacher@bromptonhall.n-yorks.sch.uk

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Inspectors

Jane Titley, Social Care Inspector (lead) Jamie Richardson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential special school - Brompton Hall School 9 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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