Hestia School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Bigby Street, Brigg, North Lincolnshire DN20 8EF

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 11, 12  The previous standard inspection in June 2023 found that the school was not implementing its health and safety policy consistently well. Routine checks were not made on important safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers or exit door locks. The school was not routinely aware when important maintenance was required to ensure pupils’ safety.  The school has acted with urgency to address these concerns. It has implemented a robust system of rigorous checks on all aspects of health and safety. Records reflect how fire safety is now maintained effectively. The school has allocated roles of responsibility to ensure that weekly inspections of both school buildings are carried out. Leaders are quickly informed of any concerns, and issues are addressed quickly.  The school now meets the independent school standards (that standards) that were

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Main inspection findings

Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraph 25  The previous standard inspection found that in some areas of the building, the premises and facilities were not maintained satisfactorily. There were some areas that did not meet all the requirements to ensure that the requirements of part 3 and part 5 of the standards were met. At the time of the inspection, the school had begun to work with an external agency to prioritise the parts of the building that needed to be developed.  The school has now improved many areas of its premises. New lighting has been put into some corridors and classrooms. Where needed, buildings have been refurbished to a high standard, and pupils have access to exciting learning opportunities in the new kitchen area and hairdressing salon.  However, some aspects of the buildings require further maintenance. While the school’s system of weekly checks ensures that, when issues are identified, they are addressed,

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Main inspection findings

these systems are not yet sufficiently embedded. Occasionally, maintenance issues are still not reported in a timely manner. Leaders acknowledge that there is more to do to ensure that staff understand that reporting building and safety issues is everyone’s responsibility.  At the time of the previous standard inspection, it was not clear which toilets had been designated for girls’ use in the upper school. There is a single-sex toilet block currently available for boys in the main building of the upper school and a single girls’ toilet in the sports area. This is not well maintained. Leaders are aware that before they admit any female pupils, they will need to ensure that single-sex toilet facilities are available for both boys and girls on this site.  This previously unmet standard remains unmet.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b)  At the previous inspection, a small number of standards were unmet. These standards related to the maintenance of the building and the effective implementation of the health and safety policy.  The school took swift action to address these concerns. It submitted a clear action plan to the Department for Education, the registration authority for independent schools. This action plan identified how the school would work with external support to review health and safety policies and implement regular checks on fire safety equipment, implement weekly full-site inspections, and ensure that staff are given information about their health and safety responsibilities.  Leaders have taken effective action to implement many of these actions. Records reviewed during this progress monitoring inspection highlight that regular checks are

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Main inspection findings

made on fire extinguishers and first-aid boxes and resources in both school buildings. Leaders have clear roles of responsibility to ensure that any reported concerns are actioned and maintenance work is carried out where needed. However, some maintenance or safety issues are still not reported in a timely manner by all members of staff. There is more to do to ensure that all staff fully understand the new reporting systems and that it is their responsibility to report any issues or concerns swiftly.  The school does not meet the previously unmet standards in this part.

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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 were checked during this inspection, as set out in the annex of this report. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which 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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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

Annual fees (day pupils) £34,000 to £36,500

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School details

Email address admin@demeterhouseschool.com

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 27 to 29 June 2023

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Information about this school

 Demeter House is an independent special school. The school is registered to provide full- time education for up to 100 pupils. Currently, there are 68 pupils on roll.  All pupils who attend this school have an education, health and care plan. Many pupils have social, emotional or mental health needs. Some have sensory needs and/or a diagnosis of autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.  The pupils are placed at the school by several different local authorities.  The school operates on two different sites. The lower school is known as Hera House and operates from the Appleby site. The upper school is known as Hestia School and operates from the Brigg site.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  The school’s previous inspection, at which the school was judged not to comply with the independent school standards, was a standard inspection and took place from 27 to 29 June 2023.  This was the school’s first progress monitoring inspection since the standard inspection in June 2023.  The DfE required the school to prepare an action plan. This was a statutory requirement.  Ofsted evaluated and accepted the school’s action plan on 13 November 2023.  The progress monitoring inspection was conducted without notice.  To check compliance with the independent school standards, the inspector met with the

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Information about this inspection

proprietor, the headteachers of the lower and upper school, and other staff. The inspector toured the site and scrutinised school policies and records.  The inspection also considered the school’s safeguarding arrangements, including the single central record of pre-employment checks and whether the school’s safeguarding policy is available to parents and carers. These requirements of the independent school standards are met.

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Inspection team

Andrea Batley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards

Standards that were not met at the previous inspection and remain un-met at this inspection

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 25 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the school premises and the accommodation and facilities provided therein are maintained to a standard such that, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of pupils are ensured.

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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

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

◼ 11 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that relevant health and safety laws are complied with by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written health and safety policy.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

◼ 12 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. 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 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

Parent View You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/ofsted .

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

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