St Mary's School and 6th Form College

Inspection report for residential special school - St Mary’s School and 6th Form College 1 St Mary’s School and 6th Form College Wrestwood Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex TN40 2LU Residential provision inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this residential special school

St Mary’s School and Sixth Form College is a non-maintained special school which currently provides day and residential placements for children and young people between the ages of five to 19. The school provides education for pupils who have communication and interaction difficulties associated with autism spectrum disorder. The residential provision can accommodate up to 24 children in single bedrooms. At the time of this inspection, 16 children were accessing the residential provision.

p.1

Information about this residential special school

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

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The residential special school provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the school contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people.

p.1

outstanding

Date of previous inspection: 20 September 2023

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding Inspection report for residential special school - St Mary’s School and 6th Form College 2

p.1

outstanding

Residential children make excellent progress because of their warm and nurturing relationships with the staff. Staff have an exceptional understanding of each child’s needs and do all they can to make sure that they have a rewarding and enjoyable stay. Children are confident in their surroundings and are excited to be in the residential area. They beam with excitement and joy when they are talking to staff and each other.

p.2

outstanding

Parents and carers are consistently positive about the experiences that their children have when they are staying in the residential provision. They talk proudly of their child’s progress and the friends that they have made. They highlight how approachable the staff are and say that their child is well looked after.

p.2

outstanding

Excellent joint working between staff and other professionals means that children receive consistent care. Joint working with speech and language therapists ensures that children have social stories to help them navigate any challenging or new situations. Additionally, occupational therapists help staff to support children to learn new tasks and skills.

p.2

outstanding

Staff have a strong focus on developing the independence skills of all children, regardless of their age. Children learn how to brush their teeth independently and go to the shops to buy items that they need for their stay. Some children are now learning to walk to school by themselves to increase their independence.

p.2

outstanding

Bespoke plans enable children to learn to be as independent as possible when taking their own medication. This includes colour coding different medications for one child and helping them to learn what the different medications are, and how they help them. Other children can administer their own medication with staff oversight. This supports children to become more independent.

p.2

outstanding

Weekly sessions using sign language help children to better express themselves and to understand their peers who use sign language to communicate. The current topic is safety. Children engage enthusiastically in a session about online safety and keeping safe when out in the community. Staff carefully check whether children have fully understood the issues that have been discussed.

p.2

outstanding

Children’s views are regularly sought. The weekly house meeting is enthusiastically attended, with all sharing their views, ideas and news from the weekend. The progress that some children have made in contributing to this meeting is a real credit to them, and the staff who support and encourage them. Inspection report for residential special school - St Mary’s School and 6th Form College 3 Children talk excitedly about the activities that they do and there is a wide range of both socially and emotionally stimulating activities for them to engage in. These include sports and social activities, such as attending a local youth club.

p.2

outstanding

The recent introduction of a head boy and head girl, as well as ‘well-being warriors’, provides children with other opportunities to share how they are feeling and any ideas about what that they would like to change. The head boy and head girl spend a considerable amount of time with the senior leaders, and say that they feel they can tell them anything that is of concern to other children.

p.3

outstanding

Staff advocate strongly for children. They talk to social workers, parents or carers to share anything that the child may be feeling. Children are well supported when decisions are being made about their next steps, including when they are due to leave the provision.

p.3

outstanding

Children are supported to be themselves. Staff help them to overcome any barriers that they have, due to their learning disabilities or additional needs. Staff ensure that children’s cultural and religious needs are met, such as supporting them to access online Qur’an study sessions. Children learn about other cultures through a wide range of activities and understanding and celebrate each other’s differences.

p.3

outstanding

The residential environment is homely and welcoming. The head of residential and the staff team are continually seeking to improve this by having typically domestic fittings in the bathrooms and replacing carpets and soft furnishings throughout.

p.3

outstanding

Children’s actions show that they feel safe with the staff and with each other. The group of children genuinely care for each other and help if they see that somebody is upset or worried. They are a supportive group who will seek out staff when needed for either themselves or their friends.

p.3

outstanding

Staff have a comprehensive understanding of each child’s risks and vulnerabilities, and they do all that they can to keep children safe. Children are taught about how to keep themselves safe and this knowledge is checked through individual as well as group sessions.

p.3

outstanding

Staff recognise that all behaviours are a form of communication for children and provide calm and nurturing support when children are struggling or anxious. Staff spend time with children to ensure that they understand what the child is communicating, and help the child with new strategies to use the next time that they feel overwhelmed.

p.3

outstanding

Due in significant part to the positive relationships that staff have with children, physical intervention has not been used for a significant length of time. Any concerns Inspection report for residential special school - St Mary’s School and 6th Form College 4 that children may have within their friendship groups are managed sensitively and they are helped to rebuild their relationships when they have disagreements.

p.3

outstanding

Staff know how to respond to any concerns that they may have about a child’s safety or well-being. Allegations are well managed and links with the local authority designated officer are strong. Records of actions taken when concerns arise are clear and detailed. There is a consistent and swift response to any safeguarding concerns or worries. The safeguarding team works closely together and staff are skilled in responding to any concerns.

p.4

outstanding

Children are protected from avoidable risks through regular checks and the home ensuring it has proper firefighting equipment. Safer recruitment practices are followed, ensuring that children are cared for by suitably vetted adults.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are incredibly ambitious for the children. In the residential provision, it is expected that all children will achieve to the best of their abilities, and the staff support them to do this. The head of residential works directly with the children and leads by example. Consequently, children are having amazing experiences and constantly develop and learn new skills.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are incredibly well supported by the senior leaders. Staff say that there is a genuine open-door policy. A new member of staff commented that she has never felt as supported as she is now. She also added that her induction is the best that she has ever had. Staff have the training that they need, which is regularly refreshed, and they are encouraged to identify additional training that they feel would support them in their role. Staff supervision is regular and provides a safe space for staff to continue to develop their skills.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children’s progress is tracked and monitored through a range of systems. The staff team is quite rightly proud of the progress that children make, no matter how small it is. Progress is rewarded and celebrated through weekly credits, certificates, and by telling children how well they have done. Children glow with pride when they receive a certificate for something that they have worked hard to achieve.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have strong relationships with other professionals. The head of residential and other staff produce high-quality reports for statutory reviews. The head of residential has increased her presence by leading meetings for children alongside other professionals. Staff robustly advocate for children and challenge others if they feel that the child is not being heard, or that their actions are not in the best interest of the child.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders are constantly evaluating the quality of children’s support and their experiences. Self-evaluations are suitably critical and identify areas for continued improvement, demonstrating that the leadership team wants to build on the Inspection report for residential special school - St Mary’s School and 6th Form College 5 successes that it has already had. High-quality reviews by the independent visitor are also used as a tool for continued development.

p.4

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 Mary’s School and 6th Form College 6

p.5

Residential special school details

Social care unique reference number: SC050390

p.6

Residential special school details

Headteacher/teacher in charge: Natalie Edwards

p.6

Residential special school details

Type of school: Residential Special School

p.6

Residential special school details

Email address: NEdwards@stmarysbexhill.org

p.6

Inspector

Jennie Christopher, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential special school - St Mary’s School and 6th Form College 7 and inspects 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.

p.6

Inspector

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.7

Inspector

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

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7