St Anne’s School and Sixth Form College

Inspection report for residential special school – St Anne’s School and Sixth Form College 1 St Anne’s School and Sixth Form College St Anne’s School and Sixth Form College, Boothferry Road, Hessle HU13 9AR Residential provision inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential special school

This residential special school is maintained by a local authority. The school has 158 children on roll, who have a range of complex learning and physical disabilities. All children have education, health and care plans. There are 41 children, aged between 8 and 19, who enjoy short breaks in the residential provision.

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Information about this residential special school

Up to 17 children can stay in the residence at a time. Most children have one or 2 overnight stays per week, with some also having weekend and holiday breaks. There is flexibility for extra nights on a planned and emergency basis.

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Information about this residential special school

The head of care has been in post for 19 years. She has qualifications appropriate to her role in the residential special school.

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Information about this residential special school

The school and residential provision are contained within the same building. The school has a range of facilities, including sensory rooms, a hydrotherapy pool, outside play equipment and gardens.

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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 good

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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. Inspection report for residential special school – St Anne’s School and Sixth Form College 2 Date of previous inspection: 2 July 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good Inspection report for residential special school – St Anne’s School and Sixth Form College 3

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outstanding

The quality of the relationships between the children and staff is exceptional. Staff speak about the children with love, warmth and enthusiasm. They demonstrate unwavering commitment to them. Children are also incredibly positive about the care that they receive. Children hold hands and request hugs and ‘high fives’ from the staff who care for them.

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outstanding

Staff organise activities that enrich children’s lives. Children have fun and gain enjoyment from 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 as well as listening to what children would like to do. Staff show creativity and commitment by fully immersing themselves in activities alongside the children, which helps children feel supported and valued. One parent said: ‘My child is doing things that I never thought were possible.’

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outstanding

Children enjoy a variety of meaningful and memorable experiences that positively influence their emotional wellbeing, social development and independence. These include sensory-based activities, pamper nights, sports activities and visits to local attractions. They also take part in special events and wider opportunities, such as celebration evenings and travelling to other cities to compete in cricket tournaments. For some children, these experiences are life-changing, supporting the development of new skills, friendships and confidence. Families recognise the positive impact this has on children’s lives. One parent said that these experiences enabled them to go out for a family meal together for the first time.

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outstanding

Residence and education are intrinsically and harmoniously interlinked. This cohesive approach supports children to excel beyond their expectations. Leaders have done extensive work to develop a total communication approach, which is a golden thread throughout. Communication is a priority and is always in the children’s preferred method. The dedication from staff to get this right is immense. Staff use communication aids constantly to ensure that information is communicated to children in a way they can understand.

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outstanding

The introduction of an audiovisual app has been transformative for children and their families. The planning and implementation have been innovative to ensure that it meets the needs of the children in residence. As a result, all children are given a voice and their communication needs are better understood. Children have access to a live catalogue of memorabilia of their time in residence, which is shared with their loved ones. An example viewed by the inspectors was a recent sensory story that resulted in parents expressing emotion after seeing the progress that their child had made. Leaders plan to develop this further, with the app being embedded into all areas of life in residence. Inspection report for residential special school – St Anne’s School and Sixth Form College 4 Support provided to families goes above and beyond the remit of the residence. Families consistently highlight how staff not only support their children but also

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outstanding

provide meaningful guidance to the whole family, maintaining regular contact during school holidays and challenging times. The head of care ensures that family members are welcomed for a hot drink and time to talk, providing a space where parents feel listened to, understood, and genuinely supported.

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outstanding

Prioritising children’s views, wishes and feelings is central to the work of the staff team. Staff act as strong advocates, and children are supported to express themselves through residential council meetings and engagement with external advocates. Children are actively involved in choices ranging from meals and activities to decor and small personal preferences, such as hairstyles, which promotes a sense of ownership and wellbeing.

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outstanding

A stable and skilled staff team provides consistent, highly effective support, enabling children to make meaningful progress across all areas of their lives. Children are encouraged to take on new responsibilities, such as making their beds, doing laundry or writing their own names. Families recognise the profound impact of this support, describing children as more sociable, confident and emotionally supported. One parent said: ‘The progress my child has made brings tears to my eyes.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

A positive safeguarding culture is embedded across the whole school. Leaders have good oversight of safeguarding. There is an effective system in place for reporting and monitoring any safeguarding concerns. Staff understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. The knowledge and understanding that staff have about children and their vulnerabilities and potential risks helps to safeguard children incredibly well. Any risk is well managed and mitigated.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff have a strong commitment to working with other agencies to keep children protected. Ongoing communication means that any potential risks are identified early, and appropriate interventions are implemented. This joined-up approach not only provides stability and security for children but also ensures they have the right resources and support to thrive in a safe and nurturing environment.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff are proactive and provide the children with continuous learning opportunities and seamlessly integrate them into everyday activities. Their child-centred approach ensures that learning feels natural and engaging, so children absorb new skills without even realising it. Whether preparing to go out into the community and thinking of what clothing is appropriate, measuring ingredients for baking or learning to cross the road safely, these experiences equip children with essential life skills and they learn how to keep themselves safer.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff meticulously plan the day-to-day arrangements at the home. This helps the children to manage their anxieties and gives them predictability. Sufficient staffing Inspection report for residential special school – St Anne’s School and Sixth Form College 5 arrangements mean that the children are supervised and safely observed, without being deprived of their liberty.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff know the children exceptionally well. They notice social cues if children are struggling and need some support. Staff have a high level of intuition, are responsive to children and understand them. This means that children quickly get the support they need before their behaviour escalates. In addition, they also support children in managing and regulating their emotions. As a result, incidents have reduced.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Significant work and investment have improved behaviour support across the school, including updated policies, de-escalation plans and focused staff training. These improvements have enhanced practice and contributed to a reduction in the use of physical intervention. However, records do not yet consistently capture children’s views following such interventions, nor do they always describe in sufficient detail the actions taken by staff. Leaders are aware of these gaps and have clear plans in place to make the necessary improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The school is led by experienced and inspirational leaders who have children at the heart of everything they do. The head of care is an integral member of the senior leadership team. This unity demonstrates a strong message to all staff that they are one team. Consequently, residential and educational services frequently come together to share information and work out any challenges. This creates a consistent experience for children and their families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders promote a culture of enhancing staff practice so that staff are aspirational for children and tackle any barriers that emerge, so that children progress.This is evident in practice and is echoed by the whole staff team. Leaders have high aspirations for children and incredible oversight of their progress and experiences. This means that they can quickly identify when changes to children’s plans or targets are needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have regular professional supervision, and this is recorded clearly. Staff developmental and performance appraisals are completed and reviewed within supervision, so staff targets remain in focus. The supervision records demonstrate that staff are committed and enjoy working in the residential provision. There is a strong commitment to developing staff coupled with a firmly embedded learning culture; this includes staff members having their own areas of responsibilities which they are very proud of, and this drives outstanding care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers recognise the importance of supporting children’s and staff’s mental wellbeing. There has been a drive across the residence to ensure that high levels of support are in place. Practice is creative and is continuously evolving. An example of this is the introduction of wellbeing warriors and angels along with musical playlists created by children. The garden project is just one example of the lengths that the staff go to in the care and support they provide, which is underpinned by love and a clear ambition for the children. Inspection report for residential special school – St Anne’s School and Sixth Form College 6 Leaders take responsibility for their own learning and development, including keeping up to date with new initiatives and research specific to the children’s individualised needs. Leaders have been hugely creative in their thinking and are constantly looking for new, ingenious ways to support staff, to sustain the highest quality of care for

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

While in its infancy and based on research, the development of a new independent pathway programme is already making a difference to children, who are preparing for adulthood. One parent is so proud of their child and expressed their gratitude to the team, highlighting that their child was learning how to manage their money.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Families provide unanimously positive feedback about the residence and how well their children are cared for. Families say that they trust the staff to meet their children’s very complex needs and feel comfortable with them doing so. One parent said: ‘They have made such a huge difference in all our lives, we would be lost without them. They constantly go above and beyond in everything they do. No words can describe the work they do and the care and love they give to my child. It allows my child to have the same opportunities as other children, going for their tea and having a sleepover with their friends.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders value the input from the governance team and the independent visitor, who provide external oversight and are active in ensuring quality oversight for the children. There is professional challenge where needed and always in the best interest of children. The remarkable leadership of the residence and school, and the quality of care create an environment where staff are proud to work, and children are proud to stay. Inspection report for residential special school – St Anne’s School and Sixth Form College 7

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Points for improvement

 School leaders should ensure that all children are given an opportunity to discuss with a relevant adult (who was not directly involved) incidents of restraint that they have been involved in, witnessed or been affected by, where possible within 24 hours. Discussions should take into account of the age of the child, their capacity and cognitive ability and communication needs, and the circumstances of the restraint. The children’s plans should guide staff on the children’s communication needs and how staff can best capture the children’s views. (‘Residential special schools: national minimum standards’, page 26, paragraph 20.5)  School leaders should ensure that clear and unambiguous written records are kept of the use of any restraint. Records should include the information in Appendix B (use of restraint (including restrictive interventions)). The record should be made within 24 hours and should be legible. The head of residential provision or

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Points for improvement

equivalent should regularly review any instances of the use of all types of restraint and examine trends or issues to enable staff to reflect and learn in a way that will inform future practice and minimise the use of restraint. (‘Residential special schools: national minimum standards’, page 24, paragraph 20.6)

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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 – St Anne’s School and Sixth Form College 8

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Residential special school details

Social care unique reference number: SC056736

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Residential special school details

Type of school: Residential special school

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Residential special school details

Email address: hendi.longman@stannes.eriding.net

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Inspectors

Claire Webster, Social Care Inspector (Lead) Gina Lightfoot, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential special school – St Anne’s School and Sixth Form College 9 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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Inspectors

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