Belle Vue School

School progress monitoring inspection report

p.1

Belle Vue School Jockey Lane, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3JN

p.1

Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7 to 7(b), 15, 16 to 16(b), 34(1)(c)  The school’s safeguarding policy is published on the website for parents and carers. However, the policy has not been updated to comply with the requirements of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) September 2024. Furthermore, several key aspects of the written safeguarding policy refer to outdated guidance.  On the day before the progress monitoring inspection, an updated version (November 2024) of the school’s safeguarding and child protection policy was uploaded to the school’s website. This policy is not compliant with KCSIE 2024 requirements. Furthermore, school leaders, the new proprietor, the new safeguarding governor and staff were unaware of the latest updates and did not know who had uploaded the new policy to the website.  The updated safeguarding policy refers to a different setting and provision. Leaders and

p.1

Main inspection findings

the new proprietor body were unaware of the oversight until the lead inspector brought this to their attention. Additionally, the policy includes references to documents which do not exist, and to different roles which are not accounted for in the current staffing arrangements.  The school has introduced a new system for recording and responding to safeguarding concerns. Despite this, some safeguarding records reviewed by the inspector were not sufficiently rigorous. This means that, although records clearly identified the concern, there was some lack of clarity about the actions taken immediately and over time. Additionally, some records are not easily accessible. The school does not scrutinise records as a matter of routine to inform practice or to update risk assessments.  Some staff are not clear about the school’s new system for recording safeguarding concerns or about how to access this. They are not sufficiently knowledgeable about the

p.1

Main inspection findings

role of the local authority designated officer and are overly reliant on senior staff for advice.  The school’s recruitment procedures and processes are inconsistent. Some recent leadership and staff appointments appear to be in breach of statutory duties. For example, the headteacher was appointed following an informal meeting with the previous chair of governors. The school does not hold any record of the discussion or of the internal recruitment processes followed. A recent staff appointment appears to have been made through similarly informal procedures.  The school has not completed relevant risk assessments and suitability checks to ensure pupil safety and welfare. Its risk assessment arrangements for pupils attending off-site placements and other activities involving work with external adults are weak. For example, the school was not aware of the need to complete an appropriate risk assessment for long-term work-experience placements prior to this inspection.

p.1

Main inspection findings

 Entries on the attendance and admission register are not in line with Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006. One of the placing local authorities served notice that they intended to withdraw pupils from the school from 20 September 2024. The local authority has also shared this information with the Department for Education (DfE). However, the school has not yet removed these pupils from its admission and attendance records.  The relevant standards in part 3 are not met. Paragraph 14  Levels of supervision are high. Much of the teaching is carried out in very small groups. The school makes sure that pupils are not left unattended. There is a suitable staff-to- pupil ratio at all times.  This part of the standard is met. Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraphs 18(2) to 18(2)(e), 18(3), 21(1), 21(2), 21(3) to 21(3)(b)  The school’s single central record (SCR) meets statutory requirements. Appropriate

p.2

Main inspection findings

recruitment and suitability checks, including prohibition from teaching checks and separate barred list checks, have been completed for all staff. The date of all required pre-appointment checks is recorded on the SCR for all new staff.  The school has also ensured that the relevant management checks have been carried out on the member of the proprietor body and governors. There is a new chair of the proprietor body who took up post shortly before this inspection. An application for suitability checks has been made to the DfE but these checks have not yet been completed. The school has recorded its own suitability checks on the SCR.  This part of the standards is met. Part 6. Provision of information Paragraphs 32(3), 32(3)(f)  A suitable complaints policy is available on the school’s website. However, the policy and the website do not provide details about the number of complaints registered under the

p.2

Main inspection findings

formal procedure in the preceding year. The school was not aware of this requirement of the standards until it was brought to its attention during this inspection.  The relevant standard in this part is not met. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1) to 34(1)(c)  Since the previous emergency inspection in February 2024, the school has experienced a period of change. Several leaders and staff have since left their roles and the number of pupils on roll has dropped dramatically.  The school’s post-Ofsted action plan was submitted to the DfE in July 2024 and subsequently accepted by the DfE in September 2024. Evidence from this inspection shows that the action plan has not been implemented fully. Key aspects of the plan such as staff training, developing distributive leadership, risk assessments and checks for compliance to meet the standards remain variable.  The new proprietor took ownership of the school on 24 October 2024. He has extensive

p.2

Main inspection findings

expertise and experience of working with pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and managing specialist settings.  During the inspection, leaders did not have the required information readily to hand. Some of the information was provided by the end of the inspection, but leaders took time and needed to ask for support from each other to access relevant documents and files. Additionally, they lack training to access information confidently on the school’s new online systems.  Leaders express the desire to provide a safe and secure school environment for pupils. However, they do not have the requisite knowledge to carry out all aspects of their role. For example, they do not demonstrate confident use of the school’s recording systems. The school’s oversight of any trends and patterns in safeguarding, risk assessment, attendance and admissions records is variable.  This part of the standards is not met.

p.3

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.

p.4

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.

p.5

School details

School status Independent special school

p.5

School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

p.5

School details

Of which, number on roll in sixth form 5

p.5

School details

Email address office@bellevue.kent.sch.uk

p.5

School details

Date of previous standard inspection 26 to 28 April 2022

p.5

Information about this school

 Belle Vue School is owned by Keefields Ltd. It was purchased by the new chair of the proprietor body who has been in post since 24 October 2024. Suitability checks with the DfE have been applied for. The chair of the proprietor body is the only director and is also the school’s chair of governors. The proprietor has appointed an experienced safeguarding governor. This governor is working with the previous chair of governors for continuity.  The proprietor body owns two schools. The other school is Cornfields School in Ashford, Kent. These schools are registered and inspected separately.  The headteacher was promoted to their role by the previous chair of governors and started in his post in September 2024. The headteacher currently holds strategic and operational oversight of two schools managed by the proprietor.  Since the emergency inspection in February 2024, there have been several leadership and

p.5

Information about this school

staffing changes. An interim executive headteacher and a school improvement partner, who were appointed after the previous monitoring inspection, left their posts in June 2024.  The school caters for pupils with SEND, all of whom have education, health and care plans. These cover the following areas of SEND: ⁻ cognitive learning needs ⁻ specific learning difficulties ⁻ moderate learning difficulties ⁻ behavioural, emotional and social development needs and difficulties ⁻ communication and interaction needs ⁻ speech, language and communication needs ⁻ autism ⁻ sensory and/or physical needs. All places are funded by a local authority.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the DfE, which is 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 received its last standard inspection in April 2022. Since then, the school received an emergency inspection in February 2022 where some standards were found to be not met. Following this inspection in February, the DfE required the proprietor body to produce a statutory action plan. The plan was submitted on 24 July 2024 and evaluated as acceptable by Ofsted on 29 August 2024 and accepted by the DfE on 11 October 2024. This inspection was the first progress monitoring inspection since the school was judged not to comply with the standards in February 2024.  The inspection was carried out with no notice and lasted one day.

p.7

Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with the headteacher, the special needs coordinator, the office administrator, the new proprietor, who is also the chair of governors, and the safeguarding governor. Additionally, she met with members of staff on a one-to-one basis.  The inspector had a tour of the school site with the headteacher. She spoke with pupils in classes.  The inspector examined school policies, records, safeguarding information and the single central register of pre-employment checks. She spoke with officers of two of the placing local authorities. The day after the on-site inspection, the inspector also met online with an officer from Medway Council.  Before the inspection, the inspector checked the school’s website and considered all relevant information about the school.

p.7

Inspection team

Shazia Akram, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.7

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

p.8

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 7 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that- – 7(a) arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school; and – 7(b) such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.

p.8

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 – 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils.

p.8

The school does not meet the following independent school standards

Standards that were met at the previous inspection and un-met at this inspection

p.8

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 15 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that an admission and attendance register is maintained in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006.

p.8

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 risks that are identified.

p.8

Part 6. Provision of information

 32(3) The information specified in this sub-paragraph is- – 32(3)(f) details of the complaints procedure referred to in paragraph 33, and the number of complaints registered under the formal procedure during the preceding school year. 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 .

p.8

Part 6. Provision of information

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.

p.10

Part 6. Provision of information

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 .

p.10

Part 6. Provision of information

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.

p.10

Part 6. Provision of information

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Part 6. Provision of information

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Part 6. Provision of information

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10