Hartwell School

Hartwell School Yarm Road, Stockton TS18 3TN

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Inspection dates 11 and 12 December 2024

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Part 6. Provision of information Paragraphs 7, 7(a), 7(b), 9, 9(a), 9(b), 9(c), 10, 14, 15, 16, 16(a), 16(b), 32(1)(c)  The school has an up-to-date safeguarding policy that takes account of current government requirements. This policy is available to parents and carers on the school website. This policy is based on the Witherslack Group policy, but it has been appropriately personalised to the school and its context. It is clear, for example, who parents and staff should report their concerns to.  The proprietor has completed the necessary checks to ensure that adults at the school are suitable to work with children. The school has a single central record. It records all of the required pre-employment checks accurately.  The school makes sure that staff receive up-to-date training on keeping children safe. In addition to formal training sessions, staff receive safeguarding updates via the ‘7-

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Main inspection findings

minute’ safeguarding briefings. Staff understand the complex needs of the pupils in the school and their role in keeping them safe. Staff know who to report concerns to and how to record these. Leaders with designated responsibility for safeguarding quickly respond to any concerns that are reported. They know when to refer these concerns to outside agencies and they do this swiftly.  The school has a suitable behaviour policy, which is available on its website. It clearly states the school’s expectations for pupils’ behaviour, the consequences for poor behaviour and the rewards for behaving well. This policy also includes the school’s approach to restrictive physical intervention. The policy states that this should be used as a last resort.  The school maintains detailed records of all behaviour incidents and restrictive physical interventions. The records for restrictive physical interventions show that

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Main inspection findings

these are used as a last resort and not as a form of punishment. Behaviour logs show that the school’s behaviour systems are having a positive impact on most pupils’ behaviour over time. Teaching, therapeutic, clinical and pastoral staff work closely together to identify pupils’ needs and adapt pupils’ behaviour support plans to help pupils improve their behaviour over time.  During the inspection, some pupils reported that the behaviour of a small number of other pupils upsets them or disrupts their learning. When this occurs, staff act quickly to ensure pupils’ needs are met effectively and to minimise disruption to other pupils’ learning. Furthermore, leaders involve external agencies and other specialists to meet pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities well.  Some pupils have experienced bullying. However, pupils know they can report this to any member of staff, and they trust staff to deal with it quickly. The school keeps

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Main inspection findings

detailed records of all bullying incidents.  The school ensures that pupils are well supervised throughout the school day. In addition to the classroom teacher, pupils are supported by teaching assistants in their lessons. Supervision at social times is also sufficient. Staff support pupils both indoors and outdoors during these times.  The school maintains an accurate record of all pupils currently on roll. The school follows correct procedures when pupils leave the school, and it records pupils’ destination school when they leave. Attendance registers are taken twice daily, and the school accurately records absences and the reasons for those absences. A small number of pupils also receive some of their education at other providers. In these circumstances, there is daily contact with the provider about attendance, and the school updates its own registers with this information.  The school has a suitable risk assessment policy in place. It also has individual risk

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Main inspection findings

assessment plans for each pupil. The school creates these plans using the input of school staff, including therapists and external agencies. Staff monitor these plans and, if they are not working, staff quickly adapt their approaches and amend the plans. As a result, the risk of harm to pupils is minimised.  These independent school standards (the standards) are met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 7. Manner in which complaints are handled Paragraphs 33 to 33(k)  The school has adopted the Witherslack Group complaints policy. This policy is in writing. Parents and carers can access it via the school’s website. The policy details how complaints can be made on a formal and informal basis, including the timescales for the management of these complaints. The school keeps a log of all complaints that have been made to the school.  At the time of this emergency inspection, the proprietor had failed to put in place a sufficient level of independence when complaints reach the final stage of investigation. The standards require formal complaints at stage 3 to be considered by a panel, one member of which should be independent to the leadership and management of the school. Inspectors found that the Witherslack Group’s complaints policy did not include this requirement. This meant that if a complaints panel was ever

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Main inspection findings

convened at stage 3, the complaint may not have been considered by anyone impartial to the leadership of the school.  Prior to the publication of this report, The Witherslack Group updated its complaints policy. The school has adopted it. It now ensures that, where there is a panel hearing of a complaint, one panel member is independent of the management and running of the school.  The standards in this part are met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1) to 34(1)(c)  As a result of this emergency inspection, the proprietor made adjustments to the school’s complaints policy as it was non-compliant with the standards. The complaints policy is now compliant with the standards.  The school, through its policies and practice, works to promote the well-being of pupils. Staff receive appropriate training to their roles. Concerns are reported and recorded swiftly. The school reports serious concerns to outside agencies without delay. Pupils in the school have complex needs, and the school has systems in place to provide the support pupils need to access their education in a safe environment.  The standard in this paragraph is met.

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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

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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School details

Of which, number on roll in sixth form 0

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £67,375 to £87,621

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School details

Website www.witherslackgroup.co.uk/hartwell-school

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School details

Email address hartwell@witherslackgroup.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 1 to 3 February 2022

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Information about this school

 Hartwell School is an independent special school for pupils aged five to 18. All pupils have social, emotional and mental health needs. Many pupils have a diagnosis of autism. All pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The headteacher has been in post since September 2024. This is an interim position before a new headteacher starts in January 2025.  The school’s most recent standard inspection was from 1 to 3 February 2022.  The school uses three unregistered alternative provisions.  The school is located at Yarm Road, Stockton, TS18 3TN.  The school is registered to admit 120 pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) as a result of a number of concerns raised about the school and the Witherslack Group in general. This was one of a number of inspections carried out at the same time.  The DfE commissioned the inspectors to check the school’s provision for the welfare and safety of pupils, the school’s complaints procedure and leadership and management.  The inspection was conducted without notice at the request of the DfE.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteachers, the regional director from the Witherslack Group who is responsible for the school, and other members of staff. Inspectors also spoke to representatives from the proprietor body.  Inspectors reviewed documents relating to safeguarding, pupils’ behaviour, bullying, complaints and risk assessments. Inspectors spoke to pupils and staff from a range of areas in the school.

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Information about this inspection

 An inspector considered the views of parents submitted via Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. He also reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for school staff.

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Inspection team

Mark Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Adam Sproston 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

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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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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