St Anne's School and Sixth Form College

Inspection of St Anne’s School and Sixth Form College Boothferry Road, Hessle HU13 9AR

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Sixth-form provision Good Overall experiences and progress of children and young people in the residential provision

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Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 27 and 28 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Anne’s School and Sixth Form College is a caring and welcoming school, where all pupils feel valued. Excellent relationships exist between staff and pupils. The view of one pupil reflects that of many, stating: ‘We’re all one big community and family. We celebrate that in our school.’ Pupils feel safe and trust adults to listen to them. Staff use consistent routines and thoughtful approaches to support and communicate with individual pupils. Pupils communicate effectively with staff if they have a worry or concern, which includes bullying. Pupils feel that this rarely happens, but if it does, then staff ‘help fix it’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and how they behave. Pupils benefit from a broad and relevant curriculum from the early years to the sixth form. They enjoy following the carefully adapted curriculum, which meets their individual needs. They are well prepared for their next steps in education and for adulthood.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a calm and orderly environment throughout the school. Pupils behave well and enjoy exploring the grounds and playing in the well-resourced outdoor areas during break and lunchtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities, such as acting as school councillors, where they have a say in what they learn and do in school. Pupils in the sixth form enjoy their roles as librarians and visiting their college and work placements.

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better?

Leaders have high aspirations for every pupil. They have developed different learning pathways to ensure that individual pupil’s needs are met. These pathways are underpinned by an ambition that enables all pupils to communicate what they know, including their wishes, feelings and concerns, effectively. Leaders achieve this through carefully planning how the curriculum supports individuals from the time they join school until they leave.

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better?

All pupils access a full curriculum, which supports them to succeed. Leaders identify and plan what they want pupils to know. They consider the needs of all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, in terms of their academic, social and emotional stage of development and in preparing them for adulthood. For example, in mathematics, pupils learn to count, including how to add and subtract when they are shopping for food and taking cookery lessons. Students in the sixth form benefit from work experience opportunities and visits to a range of potential post-19 destinations, including further education and enterprise providers.

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better?

Leaders organise learning so that pupils access the curriculum from their individual starting points. Teachers consider individual outcomes and targets stated in their education, health and care (EHC) plans when planning lessons. Teachers regularly 27 and 28 June 2023

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repeat and revisit what has been taught, which helps pupils to remember. They closely monitor pupils’ learning, regularly checking what they understand. Leaders are yet to develop a small number of subjects in the same way. Activities ensure that individuals can participate and learn effectively. However, in the early years, children do not have enough opportunities for meaningful and purposeful learning in the activities provided. Leaders recognise the need to train staff to support children and facilitate learning in these areas.

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Leaders are determined that all pupils experience the joy of books and reading for pleasure. Every opportunity is taken to promote reading. Leaders plan a series of events throughout the year, such as a poetry day, visiting authors and World Braille Day. All pupils, including children in the early years, love to participate in sensory stories or read their individual books.

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There is a well-considered reading programme in place, which enables pupils to read with confidence. Staff receive training in how to deliver this. Teachers successfully select appropriate learning activities for pupils. Some pupils learn to read through the use of Braille. Teachers are highly skilled at checking the sounds that pupils know. For example, non-verbal pupils point to letters that are read by adults.

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Leaders have given careful thought to the wider personal development of pupils through the curriculum. Pupils understand the importance of healthy relationships, mental and physical health and how to stay safe. They learn about fundamental British values through the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum and aspects of tolerance and respect through learning about friendship.

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Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. They know pupils very well and are alert to changes in their mood and behaviour. They have the relevant training, which enables them to support pupils if changes occur. This, alongside established systems and strategies in place to support pupils, results in good behaviour across the school.

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The school has undergone a period of significant change since the last inspection. The new leadership team, including newly appointed co-chairs of governors, has given much stability to the school. Leaders have been well supported by the local authority through this period of transition. Staff feel heard, and early career teachers feel well supported.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have effective arrangements in place to identify pupils who may be at risk and provide the support they need. They ensure that all staff receive relevant safeguarding training. Staff have a comprehensive understanding of the signs that they need to look out for that could suggest a pupil needs help or protection. Staff record any concerns appropriately. 27 and 28 June 2023

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Staff are appropriately trained to use restrictive physical intervention (RPI). Leaders identify pupils who may require this form of support. Leaders develop plans based on appropriate strategies, which are then used by staff as and when necessary. Debriefing sessions take place after an incident has occurred. Inspectors found no evidence of the inappropriate use of RPI. However, not all staff use the school’s reporting systems as well as leaders expect. This means that leaders do not have sufficient oversight of incidents that occur.

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Leaders ensure that they complete all required checks before adults work in the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum for children in the early years does not promote opportunities for them to develop their learning in the outside areas of provision as well as it should. This means that adults do not support children as well as they could do to develop their knowledge and skills in the different areas of learning. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is planned effectively so that adults can support children in their learning and play in the outdoor provision.  In a very small number of subjects, leaders are redesigning their curriculum. Leaders should continue to complete these developments to ensure that consistency of quality in all curriculum areas is maintained.  There is variability in the extent to which some staff record the actions taken in line with the school’s policy following incidents of RPI. Additionally, leaders do not have sufficient oversight of emerging patterns in the use of RPI. Leaders should

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

ensure that all staff maintain records appropriately and should use this information to regularly review trends in the use of RPI so that appropriate action can be taken in a timely manner.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 27 and 28 June 2023

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5

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 27 and 28 June 2023

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number

Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire

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number

Inspection number 10250473 Type of school Special

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Co-chairs of governing body Yvonne Briggs and Andy Day

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 8 February 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, there has been significant changes to leadership. A new headteacher was appointed in January 2023. There is a new assistant headteacher, a human resource manager and pastoral lead. In addition, there have been a number of new teachers and learning support assistants that have left and joined the school.  The school is a special school which caters for pupils from the ages of two to 19 years. 27 and 28 June 2023

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 The school provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties. Some pupils have profound and multiple learning difficulties. Many pupils have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. All pupils have an EHC plan.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school relocated to a new building in September 2022.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and members of the senior leadership team. The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the co- chairs of governors. The lead inspector also met with two local authority representatives.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: communication, early reading, PSHE, mathematics and creative arts. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the day and spoke to pupils

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Information about this inspection

while they were in class.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents relating to safeguarding, including the school’s single central register. Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding leads.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s survey for parents, Parent View, and its pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Jenny Thomas, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephanie Innes-Taylor His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Steve Shaw His Majesty’s Inspector 27 and 28 June 2023

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Gemma McDonnell Social Care Regulatory Inspector

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Ricky D’Arcy Social Care Regulatory Inspector 27 and 28 June 2023

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regulates and inspects 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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