St. Andrew's Academy

Inspection report for residential special school - St. Andrew’s Academy 1 St. Andrew’s Academy St. Andrew’s School, St. Andrew’s View, Derby DE21 4EW Residential provision inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential special school

This school is based in Derby and is part of Shaw Education Trust. The school provides education and residential provision for disabled children, including children with learning disabilities and/or autism. All students have an education, health and care plan.

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Information about this residential special school

The residential accommodation is provided in an annex attached to the main school. At the time of the inspection, the school had 10 students accessing the residential provision. A maximum of 10 students can stay in residence at any one time.

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Information about this residential special school

The head of care has been in post since September 2021 and is suitably experienced.

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Information about this residential special school

The inspectors only inspected the social care provision at this school.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The residential special school provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of previous inspection: 27 February 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good Inspection report for residential special school - St. Andrew’s Academy 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy good experiences in the residential provision. The team of staff are dedicated and knowledgeable childcare practitioners. They nurture children and work hard to form trusting relationships. Peer interactions are positive and encouraged. Staff create an atmosphere of tolerance towards each other. The caring and nurturing staff work with children if they need additional support or help to build their confidence. They are positive adult role models, who teach children a wide range of life skills. As a result of this nurturing approach, children thrive and enjoy positive outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The residential care team has high aspirations for the children. The cohesive residential and education teams support children to reach their individual targets. This promotes children achieving improved academic outcomes. Staff teach children a wide range of skills, which benefits academic attainment. Staff support children to develop improved self-regulation. Educational and other successes for children are celebrated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Good-quality care and a wide range of activities enable children to have stimulating experiences. Children enjoy opportunities that they may otherwise not have. There is a strong ethos of outdoor learning. Children are underway with the bronze Duke of Edinburgh award. At the time of this inspection, five children were enjoying a residential outdoor activity for the week. These opportunities promote improved physical health, self-confidence, and the development of independence skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff enjoy taking children out into the community so that they can take part in lots of different activities. Staff are keen to provide children with as many opportunities as possible to sample life outside of the school. This is because they appreciate how it will enhance the children’s overall development and understanding of the community and world they live in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have extensive knowledge of children’s individual communication needs and have various tools to support effective communication. Staff learn Makaton with the aim of using this in addition to other forms of communication. Therefore, children have several ways to communicate their needs, which promotes their voice being heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have several options to make their views, wishes and feelings known. They can make complaints or provide their views about their care. Leaders and managers ensure that complaints or comments made by children are acted on and responded to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The residential provision is a warm and welcoming place to be. Leaders and managers have ensured that progress has been made with the living environment. Inspection report for residential special school - St. Andrew’s Academy 3 The home is well maintained and suitably furnished. The children’s bedrooms are individualised for their residential stays. The shared spaces are practical.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children say that they feel safe while at the school. Staff are creative in teaching children about risks and staying safe. All children have individualised risk assessments. These are detailed and capture the specific needs of each child, guiding staff in what they must do to keep children safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Safeguarding practice continues to be steadfast. There have been no instances of children going missing or any restrictive physical interventions since the last inspection. Risks to children are well understood. Clear plans are put in place, with strategies to minimise potential risk. Leaders, managers, governors and staff understand safeguarding risks. This means that they are vigilant and have professional curiosity.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There is a clear and proactive multi-agency approach to keeping children safe. The staff are observant and vigilant. Children are provided with consistent and reliable daily routines and structure. Staff provide emotional warmth and understanding. This supports children to feel protected and secure.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Education around keeping safe is woven into the classroom work that children undertake daily. When assessed to be safe, staff support children to take measured risks in line with their abilities and aspirations. This allows children to explore and widen their life experiences.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Good processes are in place for the administration of medication. When appropriate, and part of a wider plan to support the children with their independence, children are supported to administer medication themselves. However, leaders and managers cannot assure themselves that this process is fully accountable. There is no management oversight of medication administration procedures.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Safer recruitment practices are followed when new staff are recruited. This ensures that staff are safe to care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The head of residential care is well established and experienced to fulfil his role. There is a strong commitment by the senior leadership team for the residential element of the school to be a success. The head of care and the headteacher work effectively together ensuring a holistic approach to children’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The residential team is well established and highly effective. The head of care provides steadfast leadership of this small team. The team is aspirational for all children. The team has an excellent morale and a sense of shared ownership. This ensures a continued and dynamic improvement drive across the residential provision. Inspection report for residential special school - St. Andrew’s Academy 4 The manager is keen to continually promote staff development. Staff begin their training as part of a thorough induction programme. They then continue to enhance their skills and knowledge with additional and child-specific training when required. Therefore, children receive individualised care and support to meet their complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular team meetings are held, which staff find highly beneficial. Staff share their views openly and feel that their views are supported and respected. Staff receive regular and focused supervision discussions that support their ongoing professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have well-established working relationships with a wide range of professionals and partner agencies. They continue to develop new networks to share and improve practice. For example, they attend regional manager meetings and visit other residential settings. This practice ensures that the residential team provides the best possible care and outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective internal and external quality assurance secures a good analysis of the operation of the residential setting. This means that leaders and managers have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Firm plans are in place to drive continual improvement. The governing body ensures that there is a high degree of independent scrutiny. The residential governor carries out termly visits. They spend time with children and offer constructive challenge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All national minimum standards are met. One recommendation for improvement has been identified at this inspection. Inspection report for residential special school - St. Andrew’s Academy 5

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Point for improvement

 School leaders should ensure that monitoring systems are strong enough to identify any errors with medication administration procedures.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Children Act 1989 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the national minimum standards. Inspection report for residential special school - St. Andrew’s Academy 6

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Residential special school details

Social care unique reference number: SC053344

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Residential special school details

Headteacher/teacher in charge: David Braybrooke

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Residential special school details

Type of school: Residential special school

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Residential special school details

Email address: david.braybrooke@sas.set.org

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Inspectors

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Lizette Watts, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential special school - St. Andrew’s Academy 7 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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