Marland School

Inspection report for residential special school - Marland School 1 Marland School Devon County Council, Marland School, Peters Marland, Torrington, Devon EX38 8QQ Residential provision inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential special school

This is a local authority-maintained school. It is a member of a foundation trust with other special schools within the local authority. The school provides education and care for boys with social, emotional and/or mental health needs. The school provides weekly residential care, over four nights, for up to 40 boys between the ages of eight and 16. At the time of this inspection, 32 children were on roll to stay overnight, with nine children having alternative short-term arrangements.

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Information about this residential special school

The inspector 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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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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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.

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outstanding

Date of previous inspection: 27 February 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding Inspection report for residential special school - Marland School 2

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outstanding

Children make excellent progress and thrive at this school. They benefit from being cared for by a highly skilled and stable staff team. This provides strong continuity of high-quality care for the children.

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outstanding

Staff responses to children are characterised by warmth, care and nurture. Care of the children is focused on a relationship-based approach. This approach is extremely effective and embedded throughout the staff’s work. Staff's in-depth and detailed understanding of the children's needs supports the strength of their relationships with them. Staff are aspirational for the children, celebrating their achievements. Staff speak with great affection and pride about the children. When staff need to remind children about expectations or their use of language, it is consistently done in a light, non-confrontational and supportive way, which children respond positively to. The children are relaxed around the staff and enjoy spending time with them.

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outstanding

Children take part in an exceptionally wide range of activities that they love. Children talk excitedly about what they have done. Staff capture these events in children’s individual scrapbooks. As well as being a lot of fun, the activities are meaningful and help the children develop important life skills, such as swimming, sharing and working cooperatively as part of a team. Staff are also very aware that children need time to relax and to be able to self-occupy. Children and staff are encouraged to put forward suggestions for new activities, and staff will try, where possible, to provide these. If it is not possible to act on a suggestion, staff will feed back the reason why to the children.

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outstanding

The education and residential provision work cohesively together. Staff are clear that this is not a school and separate residential provision, but that staff are both educators and carers. This approach provides continuity of care for the children and supports their education as well as social and emotional development. Staff support children in achieving their qualifications. Staff search for work experience or apprenticeships in the child's desired vocation when class-based education fails to meet their needs. The school also provides outreach support for children and their families, including assistance with reintegration into education.

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outstanding

Staff provide children with a relaxed, comfortable and well-furnished home. They support children in personalising their bedrooms. Across the residential provision, there is extensive living, communal and activity space, providing opportunities for children to play together and with staff. For example, they play pool, construct with small plastic building blocks, and have games of darts. Children make good use of the sports hall and fitness equipment, as well as the woodland area, where they make dens, observe nature, camp and have fun. Inspection report for residential special school - Marland School 3 Staff talk enthusiastically about the ‘Thrive’ model of support they use to support children. A new hub has helped to embed the approach and bring it to the forefront of the care that is provided. The hub provides a space for children to spend one-to- one time with staff.

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outstanding

Children’s moves into the school are very carefully managed. Leaders and managers assess whether the provision is likely able to meet the children’s individual needs. They meet with children and parents to guide them through the school and residential facilities and answer any questions they may have. Children are helped to understand what it might be like for them to live and go to school here. This is complemented by the ‘welcome to the school’ guide, which provides an overview for children and contains important information about expectations, keeping safe and how to seek support. Plans are tailored to children's individual needs and experiences to support them in starting to access the service.

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outstanding

Staff also support children to prepare for adulthood and move on to the next stage of their lives. The independence flat provides children with opportunities to develop important life skills.

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outstanding

Children have access to a range of support structures to promote their health and well-being. Suitable arrangements are in place for the safe storage and administration of medication. Children currently lack the opportunity to learn about and administer their own medication when appropriate.

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outstanding

Consultation with children is a strength of the school. Various formal and informal systems in place to support and encourage children to express their views and wishes. These systems consider children’s differing levels of need and ability to express themselves, which makes them accessible. When children share their views or requests, they receive a response from staff to demonstrate that they have been listened to and explain what action will be taken.

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outstanding

Children, residential staff, catering staff and parents work together to plan healthy and balanced meals that the children will eat and enjoy. Although a meal plan is in place, it is shared with children each day so that they can make changes to it if they wish. Catering staff are responsive to children’s likes and dislikes. They also demonstrate a healthy level of professional curiosity and share any concerns about children’s eating patterns with care staff.

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outstanding

There is an effective safeguarding culture across the school and residential provision. Staff recognise the children’s vulnerabilities as well as the wider contextual safeguarding risks. Staff work effectively with parents and other agencies to help keep children safe. On one occasion, leaders and managers did not check with another agency what action had been taken in response to a referral. Safeguarding of children who are struggling to attend the school remains a priority. Staff continue Inspection report for residential special school - Marland School 4 to check in on them and carry out regular welfare checks. Staff are curious about what children have been doing when staying away from the school, which helps to promote an open culture and supports staff in identifying any early signs of concern.

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outstanding

Positive behaviour management is a strength of the school. A relationship-based approach is well embedded and aligns well with the school’s ethos of supporting one another. As a result, the children are helped to develop an understanding of how their behaviours can affect themselves and others, which supports the development of self-management strategies. Staff’s excellent skills and knowledge of the children enable them to provide effective support to children before issues arise, so averting incidents. This has led to the number of incidents decreasing. Staff are not risk averse, and they support children in developing an understanding of risk and how to manage it as a necessary life skill.

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outstanding

Restraint is rarely used and continues to reduce year on year. Supportive and meaningful conversations take place with children after incidents to help them reflect and develop.

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outstanding

Residential and school staff help children develop an understanding of important topics, such as healthy relationships, sexual health and relationships, online safety, and mental health and well-being. Staff receive bespoke training opportunities in these matters so they can provide children with helpful advice and guidance.

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outstanding

Safer recruitment practices are robustly followed, which protects children. When concerns are raised about the behaviour or conduct of staff, leaders and managers take swift, effective action to keep children safe. When applicable, concerns are shared with the relevant external professionals and children’s parents. Leaders and managers engage in multi-agency meetings and share information collaboratively, which allows for robust safety plans to be implemented. Records provide a comprehensive overview of what has happened.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are extremely experienced and skilled. They are aspirational and inspirational for the children, and they work effectively to achieve the best outcomes for them. In addition, they are exceptional advocates for the children in their care. Leaders and managers are excellent role models for each other, children and the staff team. They have a clear vision for the school, which they have shared effectively with the staff team and that all the staff share.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers use relevant research effectively to develop the school. Currently, their focus is on restorative practice, which sits well alongside the school’s model of support and the relationship-based approach. Staff have received high- quality training in these approaches. One existing member of staff has commenced a related Level 5 Thrive leadership apprenticeship, with another due to commence a QTS teacher apprenticeship. As a result, these models are well embedded in practice and have a positive impact on children’s experiences. Inspection report for residential special school - Marland School 5 Leaders and managers understand their duty of care beyond the confines of the school. They disseminate their high-quality practice at the school to other providers and support them in the development of their services.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feedback is extremely positive. They feel valued, listened to and appreciated. Staff speak highly of leaders, managers and their colleagues. A significant number of staff have worked at the school for many years, remaining dedicated and enthusiastic about their role. Leaders and managers support staff in their development and provide several different ways for staff to develop as practitioners. Leaders and managers understand investing in the staff is investing in the outcomes for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are experienced and very well trained for their role, taking into account children’s needs and the development needs of the staff. This includes highly trained and skilled staff for outdoor pursuits to provide children with exciting and adventurous experiences that take advantage of the school's location.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The team has developed excellent working relationships with external professionals and parents. Parents say that staff support their children in every way possible and can do no more. As a result, parents discuss the ‘momentous’ progress that their children have made educationally, socially and behaviourally.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children’s plans vary slightly in quality. Leaders and managers have identified this area for improvement and have introduced the role of a care coordinator to support and upskill staff in the developing care plans. Inspection report for residential special school - Marland School 6

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Points for improvement

 School leaders should consider how children can be supported to manage their own medication.  School leaders should consistently verify that other professionals have taken effective action following referrals to keep children safe.

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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 - Marland School 7

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Residential special school details

Social care unique reference number: SC022231

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Residential special school details

Headteacher/teacher in charge: Keith Bennett (Executive Principal)

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Residential special school details

Type of school: Residential special school

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Residential special school details

Email address: admin@marland.devon.sch.uk

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Inspectors

Wendy Anderson, Social Care Inspector Martin Brown, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential special school - Marland School 8 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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