Phoenix School of Therapeutic Education

Inspection of Phoenix School of Therapeutic Education 83 East Bank Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S2 3PX

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school provides exceptional education for pupils in a secure hospital setting. Pupils are admitted to the hospital with significant emotional and mental health needs. They live in wards attached to the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a calm, nurturing environment. Staff across the school and wards gain a comprehensive understanding of pupils’ individual needs. The school’s partnership with hospital clinicians and therapists provides the right balance of education and support for pupils’ mental health needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are highly supervised. Skilled staff provide admirable support to help pupils to manage their emotions and behaviour well. Established routines and clear expectations help pupils to feel safe. They develop strong, positive relationships with staff. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are supported to attend well. This includes teaching pupils on the wards when they are too ill to go to the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high aspirations of and for its pupils. Teachers do their absolute best for pupils. They successfully inspire pupils to engage in learning. They help pupils to achieve as well as they can. Each pupil has a curriculum precisely tailored to their individual needs. Most obtain a range of qualifications. The school’s determined ambition, to help pupils have ‘the confidence and self-belief to progress further in life’, is being realised.

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better?

School and ward staff work seamlessly together. They assess, identify and meet pupils’ individual needs extremely well. Before being admitted to the hospital, most pupils have missed significant periods of education due to their ill health. The school makes sure that each pupil’s curriculum pathway is ambitious and that their learning is purposeful. Teachers match learning impressively well to the curriculum in pupils’ mainstream schools when possible.

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better?

Sixth-form students, as with all pupils across the school, receive an extraordinarily high level of support. Leaders leave no stone unturned in doing all that is possible to meet the individual academic needs of pupils who are placed here. There is an exceptionally broad range of bespoke pathways in place. All pupils, including those in the sixth form, do as well as can reasonably be expected in the difficult circumstances with which they are faced. Pupils enjoy excellent one-to-one teaching and support. Teachers take genuine pleasure in helping pupils to make significant progress academically, personally and socially.

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better?

Teachers, including those who teach sixth-form students, have expert knowledge of the subjects they teach. They support pupils to be resilient and develop their self- esteem. They check often what pupils know and can remember. Teachers use flexible strategies to support pupils in lessons. They take time to make sure that pupils learn in a way that is calm and meets their individual style of learning. Pupils 4 to 6 June 2024 are motivated and engage well in learning. The range of qualifications, courses and awards on offer is impressive. Pupils are rightly proud of what they achieve. Leaders take every opportunity to support pupils to gain accreditations so that they are well prepared for when they leave the hospital. This includes for adulthood and their next steps in education, training or employment.

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better?

All pupils have individual care plans and education plans. These plans contain a remarkable level of detail about pupils. Teachers use this information well to identify precise targets for pupils to work towards. Where pupils have an education, health and care plan (EHC plan), learning is appropriately mapped and tailored to meet the stated outcomes.

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better?

Since the last inspection, the school has prioritised reading, and especially the joy of reading. This work has been remarkably successful. There is now a strong culture of reading. Teachers provide prompt support for pupils who struggle to read. This includes extra reading practice and support for phonics when necessary. Pupils read regularly and with enthusiasm. They enjoy the recently renovated library which now includes audiobook choices. They appreciate that they can borrow books which cover a broad and diverse range of literature and authors. Staff and pupils across the hospital are encouraged to share and publicise their current reading recommendations.

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better?

The curriculum to promote pupils’ personal development is exemplary. Leaders rise above the challenges that this secure school setting presents for some aspects of pupils’ personal development. They make sure that no matter how long their stay in hospital, pupils understand and recognise their potential. Pupils develop their resilience and strength of character. They benefit from high-quality therapeutic support for their mental health needs. They enjoy music and art enrichment activities. They learn first aid and how to cope with risks to their safety in the wider world. Whenever possible, pupils enjoy trips to the theatre, places of worship and visits in the local community. They enjoy learning from visiting speakers such as community police officers. They participate in debates about issues such as the legal justice system, diversity and consent. They are encouraged to explore their interests and share them with others. For example, the school is proud of the leaflet a pupil

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better?

created to raise awareness of the work of young carers. This was so successful that it has been shared with all the proprietor’s group of hospitals. Pupils are particularly thrilled to be taking an active part in planning and organising their upcoming school prom. Pupils, including those in the sixth form, receive high-quality independent advice and guidance about further education, employment and training.

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better?

Staff morale is high. Staff describe working here as a joy and a privilege. They develop a high level of expertise. They receive strong support for their welfare and workload.

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better?

The proprietor and governors are highly skilled and knowledgeable. They ensure that the school meets the independent school standards. The proprietor maintains frequent and thorough checks on the education, health, safety and welfare of pupils. 4 to 6 June 2024 Appropriate policies and procedures are in place to keep pupils safe. Strategies and policies for dealing with behaviour, health and safety are suitable. The school’s safeguarding policy, which reflects the latest guidance, is available on the school’s website. The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 4 to 6 June 2024

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

School category Independent special school

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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form

Email address phoenixschool@cygnethealth.co.uk

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form

Date of previous inspection 11 to 13 February 2020 4 to 6 June 2024

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Information about this school

 The school provides education for pupils admitted to Cygnet Hospital Sheffield. Pupils are admitted to the hospital with significant mental health needs. The hospital has three wards. One of these wards is a psychiatric intensive care unit.  Some pupils have an EHC plan. Referrals to the school come through a range of local authorities across the country.  The school is registered to admit 38 pupils.  The school does not use any alternative education provisions.

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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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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 held meetings with the headteacher, the national head of education for the proprietor, the deputy headteacher, the designated safeguarding leads, the national special educational needs coordinator for the proprietor, the education officer, some curriculum leaders and some teachers and staff. Inspectors also met with representatives of the governing body, including the hospital director and clinical manager. Inspectors spoke to some parents and carers on the telephone.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, including reading, mathematics and personal, social and health education. Inspectors looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons and spoke to teaching staff. They spoke to some pupils, with an

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Information about this inspection

adult present, about their learning. Inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with the curriculum leaders for science and humanities, scrutinised leaders’ planning and looked at samples of pupils’ work for these subjects.  The lead inspector toured the school with the headteacher.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive 4 to 6 June 2024 culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first. Checks were made on staff training and safeguarding procedures.  Inspectors checked the implementation of risk assessment and health and safety policies, including the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

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Inspection team

Stephanie Innes-Taylor, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

James Duncan His Majesty’s Inspector 4 to 6 June 2024 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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