Cambian Chesham House School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Cambian Chesham House School Chesham House, Thrush Drive, Bury BL9 6JD

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraph 3, 3h  At the time of the last progress monitoring inspection, inspectors found that there were significant inconsistencies in how staff implemented the behaviour policy. Some staff were not utilising effective strategies for managing behaviour or encouraging pupils to act responsibly. Consequently, pupils were missing parts of learning and, at times, were behaving with little respect for other pupils, staff or visitors.  The school has put in place a programme of training for staff to help them with behaviour management techniques. As a result of this, staff are consistently utilising effective strategies to encourage pupils to act sensibly.  This independent school standard (the standard) is now met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Part 6. Provision of information Paragraphs 7 to 7(b), 32(1), 32(1)(c)  Leaders continue to seek appropriate assurances about the school’s culture of safeguarding. The safeguarding policy reflects the most recent statutory guidance and is published on the school’s website. Staff know what the proprietor’s expectations are for identifying and reporting concerns. They benefit from regular training that takes pupils’ additional vulnerabilities into account. Staff are familiar with the procedures for reporting concerns about adults who work in the school should these arise. ◼ The standards in these parts continue to be met. Paragraph 9, 9(b)  At the last progress monitoring inspection, there had been some improvement in how staff dealt with high-level behaviour incidents. Reporting and recording were more thorough. However, staff did not use a consistent approach to managing other behaviour

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Main inspection findings

well. Sometimes, pupils exhibited poor behaviour over time, and staff were unclear about the school’s expectations for how this behaviour should be managed.  On this progress monitoring inspection, the reporting and recording of behaviour incidents continues to be thorough and guides interventions appropriately. There is consistency in how pupils’ behaviour is managed. Staff are clear about processes and procedures that need to be followed.  These requirements are now met. ◼ This standard is now met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1) to 34(1)(b)  At the last progress monitoring inspection, inspectors found that the proprietor had not addressed some of the weaknesses in behaviour quickly enough. It had not ensured that the standards were met.  The proprietor has provided additional support to the school to make the necessary improvements with behaviour. There is a regular cycle of quality assurance monitoring in place that leaders use appropriately to check the effectiveness of their actions  These requirements are now met.  These standards are now met.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets 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. 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.

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school- – 3(h) utilises effective strategies for managing behaviour and encouraging pupils to act responsibly.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 9 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor promotes good behaviour amongst pupils by ensuring that- – 9(b) the policy is implemented effectively.

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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.

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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

Website www.cambiangroup.com/specialist- education/our-schools/semh- schools/cambian-chesham-house-school Email address Rebecca.Smith@cambiangroup.com

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 8 to 10 October 2024

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Information about this school

 The school is located at Chesham House, Thrush Drive, Bury, Greater Manchester BL9 6JD. It operates from one site and the majority of teaching takes place on this site.  This is a small, independent special school that caters for up to 20 pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. All pupils who attend have an education, health and care plan.  There have been some recent changes to the leadership of the school. The current headteacher started her role a few weeks before the inspection.  The school is registered for the age range 10 to 18 years. At the time of the inspection, there were no pupils in the sixth form.  The school is part of the Cambian Group. The Cambian Group provides both education and care services for young people. The school’s proprietor is Cambian Childcare Limited.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of 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.  This is the school’s second monitoring inspection following the standard inspection in October 2024. The first monitoring visit took place in April 2025.  The Department for Education (DfE) required the school to prepare a statutory action plan. The action plan was reviewed by Ofsted on 13 January 2025. The DfE accepted the school’s action plan with some amendments.  This inspection was carried out without notice.  The inspector met with the headteacher. She looked at, and discussed, documentation evidencing the impact of the proprietor.  The inspector met with some pupils and some staff.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector reviewed a wide range of documentation. This included information relating to the standards, the school’s curriculum, the school’s improvement priorities, the school’s approach to safeguarding pupils and the checks it carries out on newly appointed staff.

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Inspection team

Rebecca Sharples, lead inspector 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

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Inspection team

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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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