The Ashley School Academy Trust

Inspection report for residential special school - The Ashley School Academy Trust 1 The Ashley School Academy Trust The Ashley School Academy Trust, Ashley Downs, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR32 4EU Residential provision inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential special school

This is a maintained residential special school with 203 pupils aged between seven and 16 years on roll. The school is situated in a residential area in Lowestoft and caters for children with complex and moderate learning difficulties and associated disabilities, such as speech and language disorders and autism.

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Information about this residential special school

The residential accommodation is provided in two houses that are located on the school site. The total number of residential pupils is currently 38. Residential pupils can board between Monday and Friday for up to four nights.

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Information about this residential special school

The head of care has been in post since May 2021. He has a relevant qualification for the role.

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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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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: 25 November 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding Inspection report for residential special school - The Ashley School Academy Trust 2

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outstanding

Inspectors spent time with several children during the inspection. Children receive high-quality support and enjoy excellent experiences in residence. They benefit from meticulously structured routines that help them to feel comfortable and secure. Children develop strong, trusting relationships with staff, who have a thorough understanding of their individual needs. Staff provide tailored support that enables children to make significant progress in their social, emotional and educational goals during their residential stays.

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outstanding

Staff provide exceptional support for children’s emotional well-being. They use highly individualised communication approaches during daily house meetings, enabling children to reflect on their feelings and moods in ways that match their developmental stages. Bespoke mental health questionnaires are used to monitor children’s well-being and identify where additional support may be required. Carefully designed questions, tailored to children’s needs, cover important themes, such as mental health and other relevant topics. These are seamlessly integrated into house meetings, helping children to feel confident in expressing themselves and ensuring that they feel understood.

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outstanding

Children make sustained and extensive progress because of the support from staff. Through regular reading in residence and consistent encouragement from staff, children’s reading levels improve noticeably, with teachers reporting clear progress. Children’s attendance and academic achievement are significantly enhanced.

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outstanding

Children are regularly consulted about activities, routines and menus, ensuring that their preferences shape daily life in residence. Children take part in a wide range of exciting activities, which they speak about positively. Recent examples include archery, swimming, pamper nights and trips to the beach. The wide variety of opportunities available to children greatly support their happiness and broaden their experiences.

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outstanding

There is a highly structured independence programme with a strong focus on developing children’s independence and preparing them for adulthood. All children have personalised goals, devised collaboratively with input from staff and parents. Parents are actively involved in supporting these development goals at home, ensuring a consistent and shared approach. Staff provide natural and purposeful opportunities for children to achieve their targets throughout daily routines and activities. As a result, children develop important independence and self-care skills that prepare them exceptionally well for adult life.

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outstanding

Extensive refurbishment has been completed in the residential houses, creating bright, child-centred spaces that promote comfort and privacy within a homely Inspection report for residential special school - The Ashley School Academy Trust 3 environment. Children were actively involved in decisions about redecoration, ensuring the houses reflect their preferences and needs.

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outstanding

Children and their families receive highly inclusive support throughout the introduction period in residence. There is a clear admissions process to support children to familiarise themselves with routines and staff. This process is highly successful and ensures that children adapt quickly and positively to their time in residence.

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outstanding

Parents are extremely confident about the safety, security and supervision of their children during residential stays. Parents said that staff effectively advocate for children’s best interests and welfare.

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outstanding

Staff are highly alert to potential safeguarding concerns and respond swiftly and sensitively, ensuring that children feel safe and supported. School leaders work exceptionally well with other professionals to safeguard children. There is close and effective collaboration with the local authority designated officer when required.

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outstanding

School leaders provide appropriate professional challenge to the local authority when social care intervention is delayed, resulting in more timely and effective arrangements for children. When children experience difficult personal circumstances, staff respond proactively by offering additional nights in residence to promote stability and consistency.

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outstanding

Staff are extremely skilled in de-escalation techniques when responding to children’s emotions. Risks in residence are minimised because of the staff’s skills and strong understanding of children’s needs. There have been no restraints or missing-from- home incidents. Staff provide highly effective conflict-resolution strategies, helping children to build tolerance and acceptance of one another’s differences. For some children, behavioural concerns in the wider school decrease after they begin overnight stays in residence.

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outstanding

Staff provide excellent support to both children and parents regarding online safety. Staff use proactive measures to educate children about the risks associated with online activities. Children access the internet through school facilities, enabling staff to carefully monitor children’s safety through information technology filters.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

School leaders provide highly effective and inspirational leadership. They are ambitious and influential, demonstrating unwavering aspiration for every child. School leaders take pride in children’s achievements and relentlessly drive innovation across the residential provision. As a result, children receive exceptional care and support that enables them to flourish. Inspection report for residential special school - The Ashley School Academy Trust 4 There is stability within the residential staff team. Staff are highly experienced and long-standing. This consistency enables children to form trusting relationships with staff. Each staff member demonstrates ownership and commitment to their clearly defined additional responsibilities. This collaborative approach ensures that staff deliver nurturing care of the highest standards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff describe school leaders as approachable, knowledgeable and fully invested in the residential provision. School leaders oversee excellent levels of communication between school and residential staff, ensuring a unified and consistent approach to supporting children’s care and education.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

School leaders ensure that supervision sessions for staff are comprehensive and extremely child focused. Through effective monitoring and targeted support, staff have clear goals that support their continuous professional development. High-quality training ensures that staff are equipped with the skills they need to meet children’s unique needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Parents say that children make huge strides in developing their confidence and ability to manage being away from home. They describe communication with staff as excellent, value the depth of termly reports, and have complete confidence in staff’s skills. Parents say that staff go the extra mile when additional support is needed, and consistently describe the support in residential as ‘amazing’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

School leaders have a clear understanding of the strengths within the support provided. However, while there has been an annual review against the national minimum standards, this is basic and could be strengthened further by providing greater depth and evaluation. Inspection report for residential special school - The Ashley School Academy Trust 5

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Recommendation

 School leaders should ensure that their review of the operation and resourcing of the school’s welfare provision is completed comprehensively.

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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 - The Ashley School Academy Trust 6

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Residential special school details

Social care unique reference number: SC024573

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Residential special school details

Headteacher/teacher in charge: Thomas Ward

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Residential special school details

Type of school: Residential Special School

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Residential special school details

Email address: office@ashleyschool.co.uk

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Inspector

Leanne Lyon, Social Care Inspector Deirdra Keating, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential special school - The Ashley School Academy Trust 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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