Ladybird Manor School

School pre-registration inspection report

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Ladybird Manor School Resicare Alliance Limited. 147 Stamford Hill, London NR16 5LG

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraphs 2(1) to 2(2)(b), 2(2)(d) to 2(2)(e)(iii), 2(2)(h) to 2A(1)(b), 2(A)(1)(d) to 2(A)(2) and 3 to 4  The proprietor’s vision is to provide a tailored and nurturing school to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). All pupils are likely to have an education, health and care (EHC) plan.  The school has written a curriculum policy that carefully establishes the type of curriculum needed by the pupils the school intends to admit.  The school has adopted plans and schemes of work that take into account the special educational needs and/or disabilities of the pupils who are likely to attend. These plans include teaching of a range of subjects in line with the independent school standards (the standards).  The schemes of work and plans for the teaching of relationships, sex and health education, in line with pupils’ age, stage and levels of understanding, are appropriate.

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Main inspection findings

 The school has adopted a suitable method of teaching reading for pupils who arrive needing to learn to read.  The teachers appointed are experienced in the teaching of pupils with the SEND needs that the school intends to admit and the nature of the curriculum that has been adopted. Therefore, teaching is likely to be effective in ensuring that pupils acquire new knowledge and make good progress.  The school has adopted an assessment system that aligns with the curriculum and allows pupil performance to be evaluated effectively. The proprietor has planned for all the resources needed to deliver the curriculum.  The school has ensured that the standards in this part are likely to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Paragraphs 5 to 5(d)(iii)  The school has curriculum plans which include, specifically, the content pupils will learn to develop them spiritually, morally, socially and culturally. These plans include age-appropriate considerations of pupils’ own identity and beliefs, the beliefs of others and religions.  This complements a personal, social, health and economic education programme that the school has adopted and a yearly assembly plan. These plans outline, for example, which festivals will be explored and celebrated, and which national events will be marked. Together, these plans are likely to support pupils to gain an appreciation of life in modern Britain, actively promote fundamental British values and promote equality and respect for democracy and public institutions.  The proprietor has written a staff conduct policy, which specifically precludes staff

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Main inspection findings

from sharing partisan political views with pupils.  The school has ensured that the standards in this part are likely to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a), 7(b)  The proprietor has a written safeguarding policy. This will be available to parents and carers on the school’s website. It is up to date and reflects guidance issued by the Secretary of State.  The school has adopted an electronic system for logging and managing safeguarding concerns. The wider group that runs the school has appointed a head of safeguarding. The proprietor has ensured that the staff appointed have the relevant experience to be designated safeguarding leaders. There are plans in place for safeguarding training to be delivered to all staff before they begin working at the school. Paragraphs 9, 9(a), 9(b), 9(c) and 10  The school has written a behaviour policy. This policy adequately reflects the SEND needs of pupils who are likely to be admitted to the school. It shows what actions and sanctions will be taken if pupils do not behave well. A separate exclusions policy

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Main inspection findings

shows how exclusions will be managed. The policies are likely to be implemented effectively because the proprietor has sufficient knowledge of the likely needs the pupils will have. There is also a plan in place to train staff on topics such as de- escalation of conflict and safe restrictive physical intervention.  The school’s anti-bullying strategy shows the strategies the school will use to minimise the risk of bullying and to respond to it if it does happen. It reflects the needs of the pupils the school intends to admit. Paragraphs 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 16(a) and 16(b)  The proprietor has written health and safety, first-aid and risk assessment policies. There are also risk assessments that adequately evaluate hazards and risks in the school. There are specific actions in these plans which show how risks will be effectively minimised. The proprietor has considered pupil supervision and has appropriate plans for this.

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Main inspection findings

 The proprietor has completed a fire risk assessment. Exits from the building are properly signposted. There are fire call points in line with the risk assessment and appropriate firefighting equipment. The arrangement the proprietor has made ensures compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2010. Paragraph 15  The school has an admissions register. It adheres to the relevant regulations. It also has an attendance register which, similarly, adheres to the relevant regulations.  The school has ensured that the standards in this part are likely to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraphs 18(2) to 18(2)(e), 18(3), 19(2) to 19(2)(d)(ii), 19(3), 20(6) to 20(6)(b)(iii), 20(6)(c), 21(1) to 21(3)(b), 21(5) to 21(6)  The proprietor has established a single central record of the checks to be made in advance of the commencement of staff working in the school. The relevant checks have been completed for those members of staff who are already in post and the chair of the proprietor body.  The proprietor has appropriate knowledge of the pre-employment checks that need to be made, how to establish a prospective employee’s identity, right to work in the United Kingdom and suitability for working with children.  The proprietor demonstrates clear knowledge of safer recruitment. Staff application forms have been scrutinised for references, employment gaps and completeness.  The proprietor does not intend to use staff from an employment business or supply

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Main inspection findings

company but knows what checks they would need to make if this happened.  The school has ensured that the standards in this part are likely to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraphs 23(1) to 23(1)(c), 24(1) to 24(1)(b), 24(2) and 25 to 28(2)(b)  The whole school building is owned by the proprietor. No other organisations have access to the site.  The school has a separate entrance from the wider building. There are two classrooms, two therapy rooms and a library. These spaces have acoustics and lighting that are appropriate for teaching groups of pupils in the numbers the school proposes to admit.  The school has separate toilets for boys and girls. These are for the sole use of pupils. It has a changing and showering facility.  The first-aid room is also the staffroom. It has a handwashing facility with hot and cold water in the room. It is near to a toilet.  There is a drinking water facility available in the corridor.  The whole of the building is well maintained so that pupils’ welfare, health and safety are ensured.

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Main inspection findings

 Pupils will eat their lunch in the classroom. Paragraphs 29(1) and 29(1)(b)  There is ample, appropriate and safe outdoor space for pupils to play and for physical education in line with the school’s curriculum.  The school has ensured that the standards in this part are likely to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 6. Provision of information Paragraphs 32(1) to 32(1)(d), 32(1)(f) to 32(2)(b)(ii) and 32(2)(d) to 32(4)(c)  The school plans to have a website with all the relevant information on it. Leaders know what needs to be on this website and, where relevant, the content is already in place. Anyone with parental responsibly who asks will be given copies of the information they require.  The proprietor has written a policy that outlines how the school will work with those with parental responsibility, local authorities and other agencies to contribute to any review of pupils’ EHC plans. Therefore, the proposed school is likely to provide the information needed for any review of EHC plans.  The proprietor understands the need to place the relevant inspection reports on the website and intends to do so when these reports are published.  The school has ensured that the standards in this part are likely to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 7. Manner in which complaints are handled Paragraph 33 to 33(k)  The proprietor has written a complaints policy. This policy will be made available to parents on the school’s website. It allows for complaints to be considered informally in the first instance and escalated if the complainant is not happy with the school’s response. There are clear and reasonable timelines in the policy. The policy also shows how records of complaints will be kept.  The school has ensured that the standards in this part are likely to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1) to 34(1)(c)  There is full coherence across the plans that the proprietor has developed in advance of proposing to open the school. All plans show a keen awareness of the likely needs of the pupils the proprietor proposes to admit.  During this inspection, the proprietor has demonstrated that they have ensured that those responsible for the leadership and management of the school demonstrate the skills and knowledge needed so that the ISS are likely to be fully and consistently met if the Department for Education approve the opening of the school. This includes actively promoting the well-being of pupils.  The school has ensured that the standards in this part are likely to be met. Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010

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Main inspection findings

 The school has made an accessibility plan which outlines how leaders will improve disabled pupils’ access to information, the curriculum and the premises. This includes details of the training staff will undertake to fulfil the commitments in the accessibility plan. The plan specifically considers the likely needs of the pupils the proposed school intends to admit.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school is likely to meet the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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Proposed school details

This inspection was carried out under section 99 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s likely compliance with the independent school standards that are required for registration as an independent school.

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Proposed school details

Type of school Other independent special school

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Proposed school details

Email address cbrown@resicarealliance.co.uk

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recommendation

Age range of pupils Not applicable 5 to 16 5 to 16 Number of pupils on the school roll Not applicable 10 10

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Gender of pupils Not applicable Mixed Number of full-time pupils of compulsory school age Not applicable 10 Number of part-time pupils Not applicable 0

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities Not applicable 10

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Of which, number of pupils with an education, health and care plan Not applicable 10

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Of which, number of pupils paid for by a local authority with an education, health and care plan Not applicable 10

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School’s current position School’s proposal

Number of full-time equivalent teaching staff Not applicable 2

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Information about this proposed school

 The proposed school intends to cater for pupils with SEND, including pupils who have cognitive and learning needs, speech, language and communication needs, autism, moderate, and specific learning difficulties.  The proposed school does not intend to use any alternative provision.  The proposed school will not have a religious character.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out at the request of the Department for Education. The purpose of the inspection was to carry out a pre-registration inspection of the proposed school.  This was the first pre-registration inspection of the proposed school.  The inspector carried out a range of activities to ascertain whether the proposed school was likely to meet the standards. These activities included a discussion with the chair of the proprietor body and the director of education and an evaluation of a range of policies and other documentation.  The inspector also conducted an evaluation of the premises and external areas of the proposed school.

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Inspection team

Dan Owen, 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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