Spring Valley School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Spring Valley School Spring Valley, The Old Rectory, Risley Lane, Breaston DE72 3AU

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7 to 7b, 32(1), 32(1)(c)  The proprietor ensures that the school’s arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff are well trained. They understand their responsibilities and carry these out well. The school has maintained a strong culture of vigilance.  Leaders ensure that pupils and their families who need additional help and support receive these swiftly. Staff work well with external services when required. Record keeping is thorough.  The school continues to ensure that all pre-employment checks are undertaken before adults start working with pupils, including supply staff. These checks are recorded on the school’s single central record.  The school’s safeguarding policy and revised health and safety policy are on the school’s website.  The requirements of these standards continue to be met. Paragraph 11  At the previous standard inspection, the school had not ensured that regular health and

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Main inspection findings

safety checks of the premises were securely carried out.  Leaders now undertake regular and systematic checks of the premises. Any concerns identified are swiftly remedied. Leaders ensure that the school’s revised health and safety policy is implemented consistently and securely. Paragraph 12  At the standard inspection, the school had not ensured that appropriate and regular checks were made in relation to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.  The school has since completed a fire safety audit of the school premises using the expertise of an external service. Leaders have swiftly remedied the small number of minor issues identified during this check. Paragraph 16 to 16(b)  At the standard inspection, the school’s risk assessment policy was not implemented consistently well.  Since the previous inspection, the school’s risk assessment policy and procedures have been revised. Leaders provide staff with precise guidance on how to identify, assess and

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Main inspection findings

mitigate potential risk. Comprehensive risk assessments are in place for all pupils, for the school’s use of local facilities and for specific school trips and visits.  The school’s risk assessment policy is now implemented consistently and effectively. Individual pupil risk assessments demonstrate appropriate identification of control measures to mitigate risk, promoting pupils’ welfare at all times.  The school now meets all the previously unmet standards in this part.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1) to 34(1)(b)  At the previous inspection, leaders had not demonstrated that all the standards were met securely and consistently. The school’s practices in relation to health and safety, fire safety and risk assessments were not effective.  Since the previous inspection, the proprietor has ensured that leaders have rectified these issues securely and consistently.  The previous inspection identified that the curriculum for some subjects was not as ambitious as others. The school is developing the curriculum in art and religious education to ensure that these subjects are appropriately ambitious for all pupils.  These previously unmet requirements of this standard are now met.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets 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. 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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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 law 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.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 16 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that - – 16(a) the welfare of pupils at the school is safeguarded and promoted by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written risk assessment policy; and – 16(b) appropriate action is taken to reduce the risks that are identified.

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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.

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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

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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School details

Email address mattw@caretodayparallelparents.net

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 19 to 21 September 2023

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Roaches School Network, a group of schools operating as part of Parallel Parents Ltd.  The school is registered to provide full-time education for up to 24 pupils. There are currently 12 pupils on roll.  The school provides full-time education for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. All pupils have an education, health and care plan each.  The headteacher was not present during the inspection.

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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 that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  Following the most recent standard inspection in September 2023, at which the school was judged not to comply with the standards, the Department for Education (DfE) required the school to prepare an action plan.  Ofsted evaluated the action plan on 14 November 2023. The DfE rejected the plan on 12 December 2023.  The inspection was carried out without notice, in line with the commission from the DfE. The inspection was the school’s first progress monitoring inspection since the previous standard inspection.  The inspector met with the deputy headteacher and the chair of the governing body. The inspector also reviewed the school premises in relation to health and safety.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with two class teachers who were also subject leads for art and religious education.  The inspector reviewed a range of school documentation relating to the school’s provision including the school’s action plan, safeguarding records and individual pupil risk assessments. The inspector also reviewed the school’s policies for safeguarding and health and safety.  The inspector spoke with a small number of pupils and staff at the school.  The inspector checked the school’s single central record and pre-employment checks.

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Inspection team

Chris Stevens, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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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