Greenbank Residential School

Inspection report for residential special school - Greenbank Residential School 1 Greenbank Residential School Greenbank Lane, Hartford, Northwich, Cheshire CW8 1LD Residential provision inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential special school

Greenbank Residential School is a local authority-maintained school for the education of children aged 11 to 18 with moderate or severe learning difficulties and/or language and/or communication difficulties. There are currently 129 children on role.

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Information about this residential special school

At the time of the inspection, the residential provision provides care, support and educational opportunities for up to 34 children.

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Information about this residential special school

31 children were accessing the residential service at the time of the inspection. Each child has an individual residential package for one night each week during term time. 3 children were accessing extended days at the provision.

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Information about this residential special school

The head of care was appointed in November 2023 and has the appropriate experience and qualifications for this role.

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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: 11 February 2025

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outstanding

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

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outstanding

Children thrive during their stays in residential. The progress children make has a positive impact on the stability of their families. Parents say that the progress their children make is fantastic. Children have exceptional and trusting relationships with a long-standing staff team and because of this have extremely valuable experiences during their visits. Children identify the positive impact that the residential provision has on them developing new skills and their life opportunities. There is evidence of children achieving sustained improvements in their lives because of their access to the residential provision.

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outstanding

Children enjoy attending school. There is a whole school approach taken by school and the residential provision to ensure that children receive the best possible care and support. Communication between the two provisions ensures that there is continuous information sharing so that staff meet children’s needs to the highest of their ability.

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outstanding

There are detailed and well-planned inductions for new children accessing residential. Parents are involved throughout the process. Children are supported to share their views and visit the provision to help them to develop friendships with the other children.

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outstanding

Staff are highly skilled in using resources from both the residential provision and the community, to provide opportunities for children that may not have been possible without their access to residential. A wide range of fun and learning activities are available to children. They are planned by their keyworkers with children’s wishes central to these plans. Activities help to develop children’s emotional, social, physical and sensory needs and to develop their confidence and skills to transfer to adult life. Children also engage in community fundraising and themed events, such as introduction to first aid and celebrations, where children enjoy researching facts about specific countries and their cultures.

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outstanding

Having been introduced from school, the zones of regulation model has been fully embedded into residential. This has had a significant impact on children’s ability to understand their emotions and how they can affect them. The zones of regulation is threaded through all records and practice. The staff team understands the model and the children respond to it well. This practice is worthy of wider dissemination across the sector.

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outstanding

A residential curriculum is in place to lead children into adulthood. Children are supported to be independent, resilient and emotionally prepared for independence. Plans are adapted to the correct ability for each child. Children’s keywork sessions and educational activities are planned and evaluated meticulously by the staff team to ensure that children are developing their skills against the curriculum. The year 11 Inspection report for residential special school - Greenbank Residential School 3 children have recently accessed work experience at a local train station and engaged in careers week in the community. Children’s plans evidence the exceptional progress children make against their targets associated with the residential curriculum.

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outstanding

The staff team ensures that the voice of each child is prioritised. Children have numerous opportunities to share their views, wishes and feelings. They all attend termly residential council meetings to discuss their views and they are provided with clear feedback in relation to their requests. They also complete annual well-being questionnaires. Children are given the opportunity to speak with the independent visitor and an independent person who visits monthly about their residential experiences.

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outstanding

A residential governor regularly visits the residential provision to ensure that there are the highest standards of care for children. The residential governor is enthusiastic about the impact that the residential provision has on supporting families and changing children’s lives. She regularly attends planned activities and celebrations to spend time with children and the staff team.

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outstanding

A highly effective culture of safeguarding is embedded in all areas of practice. Staff ensure that the safety of children is consistently at the centre of their practice. Staff have an excellent understanding of children’s vulnerabilities. They understand the broader risks that children may encounter due to their vulnerabilities, such as exploitation. Staff help children to understand risk and what they need to do to keep themselves safe. Consequently, children feel safe and have trusted adults that they can talk to if they have any concerns.

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outstanding

Leaders and managers promote proactive and creative safeguarding practice. Daily safeguarding briefings from the senior safeguarding team, ensures that staff have a clear understanding of children’s needs and any current risks to be monitored. A team of residential designated safeguarding leads work alongside the schools safeguarding lead and safeguarding governor. Leaders and managers are curious. They explore safeguarding matters thoroughly and transparently. They communicate through weekly meetings and improved record keeping systems to ensure that there is full oversight of any safeguarding matters.

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outstanding

Joint working across the school means that children benefit from a consistent approach to promoting positive behaviour. Children are polite, respectful and considerate. Positive behaviour is promoted and celebrated by the staff team. Children are rewarded with activities of their choice and through awards ceremonies and receiving certificates. Incidents of bullying or negative behaviour are rare and managed exceptionally well when they occur. Children do not go missing from the residential provision. Inspection report for residential special school - Greenbank Residential School 4 The residential curriculum is used to conduct highly effective discussions and activities with children associated with exploring their sexuality, positive relationships, sexual health, e-safety and anti- bullying. This work allows children to make safer choices and to keep themselves safe. Children are supported with their mental health

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outstanding

and emotional wellbeing, across the whole school to ensure that there is a consistent approach to understanding each child’s emotional needs.

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outstanding

Medication is safely stored and administered to children. Staff are routinely trained in the safe administration of medication and there are clear records when a child has been given their medication. However, a record of the quantity of non-prescribed paracetamol kept on site is not recorded. There has been no identified impact on children’s safety and well-being but having these records in place prevents the potential risk of medication errors.

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outstanding

Collaborative working with children and their families ensures that there are a high level of communication and a consistent approach to keeping children safe. A family liaison officer provides a clear line of communication and support for children and their families. Their role monitors children’s welfare and provides parents with one- to-one support. This ensures that children are kept safe, have daily structure and routinely attend school. Team around the child plans and meetings, means that there is a robust approach to safeguarding children through multi agency working.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers strive for exceptional outcomes for children. This is reflected in individual children’s progress. The head teacher, head of care and deputy head of care collectively work together and have a shared ambitious vision for the residential provision and changing children’s lives. Leaders and managers drive children’s achievements and goals through creative learning and development. This ensures that children’s experiences in residential are meaningful and effectively support children into adulthood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers work closely with partner agencies, professionals and services to ensure that children’s needs are met to the highest of their ability. This includes working with mental health agencies, speech and language professionals and specialist health professionals. Leaders and managers are innovative, organised and excellent role models. Consequently, their staff are resilient, professional and keep children at the forefront of their focus.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A residential development plan and self-evaluation report focus primarily on improving children experiences in residential and reviewing the overall progress that has been made since the last inspection. Leaders and managers identify the provision’s strengths and areas to develop to make the greatest impact on children’s lives while accessing residential. In addition to embedding the zones of regulation model, leaders and managers have driven improvements by the implementation of individual children’s evidence in learning records to effectively track children’s progress. Inspection report for residential special school - Greenbank Residential School 5 There is a stable, experienced and fully qualified staff team in the residential provision. Staff reported that they are very well supported by a leadership team who promotes an open and transparent culture. They receive regular reflective practice- related supervision. Staff feedback and ideas are regularly sought, including through

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

annual questionnaires. Leaders and managers welcome suggestions from their staff team about how to strengthen the provision and outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children are supported by a staff team who has a highly effective and embedded skill set. Staff receive a wide range of face-to-face internal training from skilled and knowledgeable professionals. This is complemented by additional training through the National College and autism specialists. Team meetings are used effectively to share information and knowledge. The senior leadership team brings research-based practice and training opportunities to the meetings. Professionals working with children and their families also attend team meetings to discuss children’s plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers conduct regular audits and monitoring of systems to ensure that a high standard of support and care for children is implemented. Senior leaders carry out observations of activity sessions between staff and children. This provides them with additional insight and quality assurance of staff practice while supporting children. The independent person’s reports are of excellent quality and support the development of the residential provision. The head of care ensures that recommendations are acted upon without delay. However, the reports are unclear as to if the visits are unannounced and if they are announced the reason behind this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The residential provision continues to be a standing agenda item at the governor’s meetings. The independent visitor and head of care reports are reviewed at governors’ meetings. Governors are aware of their responsibilities for safeguarding and keep their knowledge up to date through regular training. They regularly visit the residential, which provides an extra layer of scrutiny of the operation of the residential provision. This collaborative approach ensures that the board of governors have a clear oversight of the experiences, progress and development of children accessing residential. Inspection report for residential special school - Greenbank Residential School 6

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Points for improvement:

 Leaders and managers should ensure that all medication is safely and securely stored and accurate records are kept of its administration. (‘Residential special schools: national minimum standards’, page 18, paragraph 12.8)  Leaders and managers should ensure that monitoring visits are carried out unannounced. (‘Residential special schools: national minimum standards’, page 8, paragraph 3.2)

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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 - Greenbank Residential School 7

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Residential special school details

Social care unique reference number: SC006624

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Residential special school details

Type of school: Residential special school

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Residential special school details

Email address: head@greenbank.cheshire.sch.uk

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Inspectors

Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector (lead) Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential special school - Greenbank Residential 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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