Hospital and Outreach Education

Inspection of Hospital and Outreach Education Delapre Learning Centre, Alton St, Off Main Rd, Far Cotton, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN4 8EN

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is James Shryane. This school is part of The Skylark Partnership Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Jim Bowyer, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Karen Frazer. 13 and 14 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values of hope, resilience, trust, compassion, cooperation, respect and honesty underpin all the work at Hospital and Outreach Education. Depending on their medical needs, pupils may be at the school for short or long periods of time. When pupils are in school, they enjoy being there and are keen to learn. Pupils know that the staff really care. One pupil said: ‘I am no longer invisible; I can be me.’ The school takes care to understand each pupil’s personality, interests, talents and future goals.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say there is no bullying. There are many adults to help support pupils with their learning and their everyday lives. This care and help are a real strength and, as a result, pupils feel safe. The school has high expectations of pupils. Clear routines are in place and behaviour at the school is exemplary. Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and trusting. Communication between school and hospital staff is strong.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers have positive views about the school. A parent of a pupil said: ‘They have all made some tough times a whole lot easier to manage. Without the school, our child would not have been able to achieve what they have.’

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better?

This school succeeds in its aim to support pupils who are unable to attend their enrolled school due to their health needs to continue their learning. Before pupils start here, the school finds out lots of information about them. This information informs pupils’ learning plans. There is swift liaison with home schools so that the school understands pupils’ learning pathways. However, the targets from pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans are not always precisely reflected in pupils’ learning plans.

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better?

The school has a curriculum that is ambitious and well sequenced for all pupils. Most pupils in this school did not attend their previous school regularly. The majority now attend school almost all the time. They enjoy the chance to re-engage with their learning. The curriculum focuses on their emotional well-being as well as academic subjects.

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better?

The school has prioritised reading. They provide a wide range of reading material for all age groups and abilities. The school has a clear approach to teaching phonics for younger pupils. Phonics teaching is at an early stage of development for older pupils.

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better?

Low-level disruption to learning is rare in this school. Pupils show compassion, cooperation and respect for each other.

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better?

The school’s focus on pupils’ wider development is exceptional. Pupils learn about people from a wide range of backgrounds and explore different faiths. The well- 13 and 14 September 2023

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constructed personal, social and health education curriculum outlines the most important knowledge that will help prepare pupils for life beyond school. Pupils can take courses in things that interest them, such as theatrical make-up. The school provides effective careers information, education, advice and guidance. Most pupils go on to college placements.

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Leaders, including governors and trustees, know their school very well. They work closely with external partners, including the NHS, and families to ensure that pupils get what they need.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 While there is swift liaison with home schools so that leaders understand the learning pathways of pupils, the targets from pupils’ EHC plans are not always precisely reflected in pupils’ learning plans. This means that pupils may not always be getting the precise support they need. Leaders need to refine the individual learning plans for pupils so that they meet the bespoke needs of all pupils, across all sites within the provision, including precise targets from EHC plans.  Pupils enjoy reading texts in lessons and the youngest pupils in the general hospital education receive bedside phonics lessons using their home school resources and programmes. However, the provision for phonics teaching and/or catch-up reading tuition is at an early stage of development for older pupils. Leaders need to ensure that they further develop phonics, and that staff are adequately trained in its delivery.

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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. 13 and 14 September 2023

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 September 2023

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School details

School category Academy alternative provision converter

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This school joined The Skylark Partnership Trust in 2019.  Hospital and Outreach Education caters for pupils who are experiencing medical or mental health conditions. The school has four settings, two of which admit pupils as inpatients to tier 4 child and adolescent mental health services units, one at Stanwick Lakes, which supports pupils as part of the outreach provision, and a site at the Delapre Learning Centre for daily education for pupils who are medically unable to attend school.  The school also supports the education of children and pupils who are admitted to Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital.  The outreach provision supports pupils in the community with medical or mental health needs. Pupils are taught at home or at the Stanwick Lakes site.  Pupils may also be taught via the use of AV1 telepresence robots that give remote access to school.  The school’s population is fluid. Most pupils are dual-registered with their home

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Information about this school

school. Pupils taught in the general hospital settings remain solely registered at their enrolled school during their time attending the hospital school provision.  The school teaches around 300 pupils over the course of a year. 13 and 14 September 2023

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 The range of SEND in the school continually changes. All pupils have a medical or mental health need, and some may have EHC plans. Pupils’ needs typically include social and emotional mental health needs, autism or moderate learning difficulties.  The school currently uses no providers of alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.  Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading; mathematics; English and art. For each deep dive, they discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also spoke to pupils about their learning.  To further look at the curriculum, inspectors also met with leaders about the curriculum plans in some other subjects, including looking at examples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to discuss the

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Information about this inspection

actions leaders take to keep pupils safe. The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s single central record of pre-employment checks.  Inspectors met with pupils to gather their views about the school.  The lead inspector examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self-evaluation, improvement plans, records of governance and documentation relating to pupils’ attendance and behaviour. Inspectors also reviewed the documents available on the school and trust websites.  The lead inspector met with the headteacher to discuss the school improvement plan and self-evaluation.  Inspectors observed informal times, including lunchtime.  Inspectors met leaders to discuss professional development.  Inspectors met with support staff.  The lead inspector met with the CEO of the trust. 13 and 14 September 2023

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 The lead inspector met governors and trustees.  Inspectors took account of responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Anne Maingay, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Matthew Rooney Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 September 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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