Fountain House Education Suite

Inspection of Fountain House Education Suite Five Rivers Child Care, 47 Bedwin Street, Salisbury SP1 3UT

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values of respect, adaptability, integrity, support and excellence spread through all that the school offers. Staff subscribe wholeheartedly to these values in all that they do, building exceptional relationships with the pupils in their care. Pupils receive strong therapeutic and pastoral support. They enjoy school and feel safe in this nurturing setting.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders in this school have high expectations of the pupils in their care, and pupils achieve well. Before joining the school, all pupils have spent a significant amount of time either attending other schools on a part-time basis or rarely attending school at all. When they join the school, staff check pupils’ academic starting points and provide a tailored curriculum that meets their needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is rare. Pupils feel confident to talk to a member of staff if they have any worries or concerns. Pupils’ attendance is excellent. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils’ behaviour improves significantly when they join the school. Although behaviour incidents still occur, they significantly reduce over time when compared with pupils’ starting points.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests are exceptional. The impressive range of enrichment activities helps to develop pupils’ character and self- esteem well.

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better?

Leaders have developed a broad and ambitious curriculum for all pupils. Staff check that pupils understand what they have been taught. Pupils respond well to the feedback that they receive from their teachers. Most pupils are taught on a one-to- one basis. This means that most of the time, pupils’ misconceptions or gaps in knowledge are picked up swiftly. However, sometimes pupils’ misunderstandings are not addressed. This is because, in some cases, teachers lack the subject knowledge they need to support pupils as well as they could. In some subjects, the essential knowledge that pupils must learn in detail is not clearly identified.

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better?

There is a strong focus on improving pupils’ spelling and handwriting skills when they join the school. Pupils receive additional intervention and support to improve their handwriting skills. Teachers use a range of effective resources to support pupils’ learning, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For instance, during the inspection, a teacher used a virtual reality headset to help a pupil to understand the purpose of a church altar when a visit to a church was not possible at that time.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised the teaching of reading. Most pupils enjoy reading and they read regularly. When pupils show an interest in a book, teachers adapt lessons to include themes from this book across the curriculum. When pupils join the school, their reading needs are quickly diagnosed. Those pupils who cannot read fluently 11 to 13 July 2023 are taught phonics every day. However, staff are not trained in the school’s new phonics programme. Pupils who are learning to read are not always supported as well as they should be. The books that pupils are given to practise reading are not consistently matched to the sounds that they know.

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better?

There are demonstrable improvements in pupils’ behaviour when they join the school. Staff are caring and calm when pupils’ behaviour escalates. Pupils take pride in their work and the presentation of their work. They are enthused by the school’s reward systems. Inspectors observed teachers using the school’s reward systems consistently. Pupils told inspectors that when they misbehave or have a difficult day, they can start again. Pupils know that each day is a fresh start. Pupils said that staff ‘come back and love us every day.’

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better?

When pupils join the school, their attendance significantly improves. Pupils enjoy attending school. They told inspectors that teachers make learning fun and do everything they can to support them. Inspectors agree that this is the case.

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better?

Pupils actively participate in the myriad of enrichment activities on offer. These are based on pupils’ individual interests and talents. For instance, pupils enjoy learning about planting, tending to crops and animals, and foraging when they attend a farm with staff as part of their curriculum. The school goes beyond the expected so that pupils have a rich range of experiences. Pupils gain accreditation in a variety of enrichment activities, such as communicating in Spanish, fundraising for charity, reading for pleasure, using athletic skills, computer coding and taking part in a musical production. Pupils enjoy receiving certificates for their enrichment activities. They are excited to build up a portfolio of their achievements that they can take with them when they leave the school.

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better?

At the time of the inspection, there were no secondary-age pupils on the school’s roll. The proprietors have the capacity to meet the needs of secondary-age pupils by providing impartial careers advice and guidance should the need arise.

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better?

Pupils learn about public institutions in England, such as the police service, fire brigade and Parliament. They have a growing understanding of the importance of fundamental British values. Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy learning about different religions and cultures. For instance, they enjoy World Day for Cultural Diversity, when they learn about cultures that are different from their own. Pupils feel confident to share their opinions through weekly student council meetings. Pupils enjoy contributing to their local community, undertaking activities such as litter-picking in the community.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that there is an accessibility plan. The school meets the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. The proprietor ensures that the necessary health and safety checks are completed on the building.

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better?

The proprietors have high expectations of staff. All staff are proud to work at the school. The headteacher and the proprietors ensure that staff workload and well- being are carefully considered. Staff feel well supported in managing pupils’ 11 to 13 July 2023 behaviour. All staff attend regular training and weekly meetings with the relevant clinicians to inform them about individual pupils’ needs and how they are best able to support them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff complete a wide range of safeguarding training. They understand the school’s safeguarding reporting systems well. They are aware of the local safeguarding risks to pupils in their care, as well as any further identified risks. Pupils are taught about online safety and how to stay safe when offline. A clinician supports the social and emotional needs of pupils.

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Safeguarding

The school’s safeguarding policy is available on the school’s website. It is in line with current government guidance. Leaders ensure that necessary checks are carried out on staff before they join the school.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In some subjects, there are broad learning objectives in place but the small pieces of essential knowledge that pupils need to know have not been identified clearly. This means that sometimes, pupils are not able to use what they know when they are learning something new. Leaders must ensure that the school’s curriculum clearly identifies the essential knowledge in each subject that pupils need to know and in what order.  Staff do not have the subject-specific knowledge they need to deliver all aspects of the school’s curriculum. This may prevent pupils from achieving as well as they could. Leaders must ensure that all staff are able to access appropriate subject- specific training so they have the knowledge to teach the school’s new curriculum well, and pupils’ learning is supported effectively.  Staff have not received training in the school’s new phonics programme. This means that pupils who are not fluent readers do not catch up as quickly as they

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

could. The books that pupils read do not consistently match the sounds that they know. Leaders should ensure that all staff are trained in the school’s phonics programme and books are well matched to the sounds that pupils know so that all pupils are consistently supported to read well. 11 to 13 July 2023

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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. 11 to 13 July 2023

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Proprietor Five Rivers Childcare Limited

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £52,200 to £72,995

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School details

Email address matthew.palmer@five-rivers.org

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 and 8 November 2018 11 to 13 July 2023

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Five Rivers Childcare Limited, which runs seven other schools across the country.  The headteacher is the executive headteacher of two other schools in the organisation.  All places are commissioned by local authorities.  Most pupils who attend the school have an education, health and care plan.  Since the previous inspection, the school has requested a material change to increase the age range of pupils on the school’s roll. The Department for Education approved the increase in the age range of pupils in 2019.  At the time of the inspection, there were five pupils on the school’s roll. There were no pupils of secondary age on the school’s roll.  The school does not use any alternative education provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection 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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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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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 did deep dives in reading, mathematics, art, and personal, social, health and economic education. Here, inspectors visited lessons, talked to pupils about their work, looked at pupils’ work and spoke to teachers and curriculum leaders. Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans in these subjects and all other subjects.  Inspectors met with all staff, the headteacher, the national alternative provision leader and the education adviser for the organisation.  The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with a social worker. The lead inspector also held a virtual meeting with the chair of the board of proprietors and the chief executive officer.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents relating to the school’s work to

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Information about this inspection

safeguarding pupils. The school’s single central record, which includes the recruitment checks made on staff before they join the school, was checked. 11 to 13 July 2023 Inspectors also looked at some of the school’s behaviour, attendance and safeguarding records and analysis.  The lead inspector talked to staff about the safeguarding training they receive and the impact of their training on their work with pupils.  The lead inspector toured the school site to check compliance with the independent school standards for premises.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s policies and other documents required by the independent school standards.  Inspectors considered the views of staff who had responded to Ofsted’s staff survey. Inspectors also considered the views of parents and carers who had responded to Ofsted Parent View and the responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Michele Costello, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Garry Stout Ofsted Inspector 11 to 13 July 2023 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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