Walworth School

Inspection report for residential special school - Walworth School 1 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Walworth School Walworth School, Bluebell Way, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham DL5 7LP Residential provision inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential special school

This is a maintained special school for boys and girls. It provides primary education and residential care for children up to the age of 11. The children may experience social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Many of the children have additional needs associated with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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Information about this residential special school

At the time of this inspection, 90 children were on the school roll. The school offers up to 30 residential places on a flexible boarding basis. There are 16 children who access the residential provision per week in two groups.

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Information about this residential special school

The headteacher has been in post since September 2021, and the head of care has been in post since October 2022.

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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: 14 October 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding Inspection report for residential special school - Walworth School 2 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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outstanding

Staff provide a nurturing place for children to stay and to flourish. Children speak highly about their residential experience. They make strong and supportive friendships with one another. They are supported to understand the importance of respectful relationships and spending positive time together. Children are often seen seeking one another out for ‘high fives’ and hugs.

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outstanding

Children say that they can influence the care that they receive. All children said that they feel listened to and feel confident about talking to staff if they have any worries. One child said, ‘I know they are always there to make me feel better no matter what.’ One child has developed so much confidence that they are now a ‘wellbeing student champion’ who regularly checks in on his peers. Children contribute to decisions about the activities that they do, the food that they eat and the decor of the home. Children’s requests are taken seriously and acted on. Children talked about their requests for mini skateboards in the ‘curiosity cupboard’ and how these then ‘magically appeared’.

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outstanding

A whole-school strategy has been implemented by leaders and managers that supports overall reading development for children. Staff have introduced books in children's lives in the residential communal and bedroom spaces, and as part of a normal evening routine. Time is taken to support parents in encouraging reading at home and children are routinely read to by staff before bed. As a result, most children are making good progress in their reading skills, with some excelling in this area and closing the gap on their mainstream peers.

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outstanding

Staff organise an array of activities that enrich children’s lives. Children have fun and experience a variety of different activities that they might not normally do at home. Staff are constantly thinking of new ideas to enhance children’s lives and listen to what children would like to do. Children have recently experienced outdoor forest school where they have been learning new skills. Children enjoy trips into the local and wider community and take part in educational experiences. For World Science Day, children took part in activities ‘adapting to change’ to experience the impact of sudden loss of eyesight. This enables children to learn about the experience of others.

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outstanding

Children are taught skills that help them to prepare for adult life. This is a key strength of the residential provision. Children learn how to cook, clean and budget. Staff modelling is used along with creative and innovative practice. One child learned to make their bed using a dance to make the task fun. Another child who previously struggled with their personal hygiene, was supported with visual aids and step by step support. The child is now confident in completing their routines independently. The introduction of accredited awards for daily living skills is providing children with an incentive and a record of their achievements. Inspection report for residential special school - Walworth School 3 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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outstanding

The day is well structured, and staff provide children with a good routine. This creates an atmosphere where children know what to expect and what is expected of them. This promotes a calm and positive environment. Staff understand children's preferred method of communication and support children with visual aids when they will benefit. In addition, children have access to the 'check in' board where they can identify to staff how they are feeling without having to use their words. This creates a sense of well-being and safety for children during their stay.

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outstanding

Staff use creative and innovative ways to keep children safe. Children are educated about staying safe online, knife crime and stranger danger. This is completed through well-constructed tasks, answering true or false statements, quizzes and other activities as a group. Senior leaders and governors have developed a programme of research-based practice to reduce the anxiety and crisis that parents and children experience at home. This work has been recognised by other providers, police and a local university initiative to inform greater research and development in this area.

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outstanding

Staff speak to children to help them understand their emotions and develop strategies to manage their challenges and behaviour in safer and more appropriate ways. Staff support children quietly when they are with their peers and provide opportunities for children to reflect away from the group with support from staff. This approach is seamless and allows children to manage their difficult feelings and rejoin activities without impacting other children or themselves.

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outstanding

The headteacher delivers training that helps staff understand children’s behaviour and how to respond to children as individuals. Staff know the children and know how to keep them safe. This knowledge informs the children’s plans and how staff respond during times of crisis. As a result, there has been a reduction in the number of incidents of self-harm, physical interventions and missing episodes to none this inspection period.

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outstanding

Staff are intuitive and think holistically about the causes of bullying. They recognise small changes in children's presentation and speak with parents immediately to understand the causes. Parents are encouraged to adapt their care and work with school staff to better support their child. Staff are in tune with children and know when they are emotionally ready to reflect and engage in a restorative process. As a result, children learn to understand the impact of bullying and receive cohesive support from home and school to reduce such behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

School leaders and managers are inspirational. They have created an open and transparent culture that fosters mutual support and respect for their staff. School leaders and managers actively promote a culture where children and their happiness are central to the development of the residential experience. They promote a vision Inspection report for residential special school - Walworth School 4 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

where success for each child means that they are developing their interests and capabilities to become well-rounded individuals who achieve their goals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

School leaders and managers regularly review and analyse how the provision is performing. They create targeted development plans and ensure that staff are clear about their roles and their responsibilities to uphold the highest standards of care for the children. School leaders and managers recognise the strengths of the residential provision and talk transparently about the areas that they are focused on developing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Senior leaders have developed additional internal quality assurance processes. This includes direct observations with time spent in the residence, feedback from and involvement of children and staff. This adds to the exceptionally strong oversight and desire to continually improve the provision and helps to ensure that children are supported to achieve their full potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The development of a dedicated section on the school’s website, along with regular updates, has enhanced the visibility and reputation of the residential provision. This has fostered greater understanding and appreciation among the wider school community and external stakeholders. The head teacher and head of care are so committed, that their support extends beyond Walworth. They have developed links with other residential school leaders to continue to improve the experiences for all children across the wider region.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff team is stable and receives highly effective support to develop their practice and skills. Staff say that they feel valued and they recognise the high expectations that are placed on them in their work with children. Appraisal targets support continuous professional development. One member of staff proudly shared the work that they have developed for the children which encompasses none-directive play where children are encouraged to use their own initiative and problem solve. This has involved research and support to colleagues to embed this in their practice. Additional training has been arranged for the team and children have this enhanced experience to inspire creative exploration and open-ended learning experiences. In addition, a member of staff shared the development of the construction involving the voice of children which now supports children with their fine and gross motor skills,

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

problem solving and use of their imagination to build. Inspection report for residential special school - Walworth School 5 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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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 - Walworth School 6 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Residential special school details

Social care unique reference number: SC040510

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Residential special school details

Headteacher/teacher in charge: Roland Cooke

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Residential special school details

Type of school: Residential Special School

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Residential special school details

Email address: walworth@durhamlearning.net

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Inspectors

Lee Riley, Social Care Inspector (Lead) Claire Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential special school - Walworth School 7 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Inspectors

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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