St John’s School Community Holiday

Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: St John’s School Community Holiday 1 St John’s School Community Holiday The Saint John’s School Foundation Epsom Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 8SP Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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disabled children

This scheme provides a residential activity holiday for up to 25 children between the ages of 10 and 18 who may have learning and/or physical disabilities and/or sensory needs.

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disabled children

At the time of this inspection, 25 children were present.

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disabled children

The manager registered with Ofsted on 12 August 2019.

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Overall experience 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 holiday scheme for disabled children provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the residential holiday scheme contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people.

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outstanding

Date of previous inspection: 15 August 2025

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: St John’s School Community Holiday 2

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Summary of findings

The holiday scheme benefits from excellent planning by highly experienced leaders and managers, who are passionate about enabling children with a range of complex needs to enjoy their holiday. Children have a wonderful time, supported by staff and volunteers who know them well, understand their individual needs, and keep them safe.

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Summary of findings

Parents say the holiday scheme helps children to have fun-filled experiences and grow in confidence.

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Summary of findings

Staff and volunteers receive comprehensive training to support them in their roles. They say they love their roles and feel fully supported.

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Summary of findings

There is a culture of continuous review and improvement planning, so children are helped to overcome challenges and enjoy new experiences.

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outstanding

Children who attend the holiday scheme have fantastic experiences. They are supported by a knowledgeable and well-organised team that gets to know them quickly and understand how to support them when they need help. As a result, children enjoy positive and warm relationships with staff and volunteers, who are attuned to their individual needs and wishes.

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outstanding

Children have an amazing time enjoying a wide range of activities that stimulate their interests. When children face challenges in accessing activities, managers make exceptional efforts to overcome barriers or identify suitable alternatives. For example, transport was arranged for one child to enable them to enjoy unique experiences in the community. Children are helped to write diaries that include photos of their experiences. This means that children can share their positive experiences with their families and look back at happy memories of the holiday.

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outstanding

Managers, staff and volunteers have an excellent understanding of children’s communication needs and recognise that behaviour is a form of communication. There is a strong focus on understanding children’s wishes and feelings. The manager has developed a range of systems to continuously gather children’s feedback about the holiday. As a result, children’s voices are heard, and their participation in activities is further enhanced.

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outstanding

Parents, as well as children, benefit from the scheme. Parents report that children have fun and bond well with staff and volunteers who work incredibly hard. They say that they are overwhelmingly happy with the holiday scheme. One parent said, Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: St John’s School Community Holiday 3 ‘It is perfect and much treasured by our family. All credit to St John’s for such incredible opportunities they create; simply phenomenal.’

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outstanding

Managers, staff and volunteers have a comprehensive understanding of children’s needs, vulnerabilities and risks. They know how to respond when children are upset, and staff consistently promote positive behaviours, using their relationships with children to comfort and guide them. Children respond positively to this support, and there have been no physical interventions. As a result, children feel safe and enjoy activities due to the care that they receive. Children’s happiness is evident through their interactions, smiles and laughter.

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outstanding

Situations of concern are well managed and promptly reviewed. Robust communication processes ensure excellent oversight. As a result, there is a culture of continuous reflection and learning that informs practice development. For example, behaviour management plans are checked and updated daily to help staff and volunteers prepare for working with children the following day. This ensures a constant focus on keeping children at the centre of care.

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outstanding

Children who are new to the service benefit from meeting staff and seeing the camp before they attend for a holiday. Managers visit children at school and meet with their families and professionals to gain a thorough understanding of how to best meet their individual needs. Information is reviewed for every child before they return for a holiday. This open communication and meticulous planning ensure that parents feel well informed and confident that their children are looked after and have their individual specialist needs met effectively.

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outstanding

Children’s health needs are extremely well considered, planned for and met. Staff know how to manage medication, and their practice is checked to ensure that they are confident in responding to health concerns. Some children who attend the holiday scheme have a wide range of complex health needs. A selection of lead staff receive training on how to deliver specialist care and monitor health conditions. As a result, children have access to the support they need, their health concerns are quickly responded to, and they can spend more time enjoying their favourite activities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The holiday scheme benefits from a highly committed and experienced registered manager who knows children well. They speak about children with warmth and are dedicated to helping them have the best possible holiday. The manager has a clear vision and high aspirations for the scheme. They ensure that the core principles of the service are fully embedded in the care provided. As a result, children are helped to fully participate and develop a sense of community from shared experiences that help them grow in confidence. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: St John’s School Community Holiday 4 Arrangements for staff and volunteer training are excellent. This ensures that new staff are provided with all the information they need to deliver high-quality support to children. The mix of skills in staff and volunteer groups is carefully considered to ensure that new volunteers are supervised and fully supported by those who are

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

more experienced. As a result, new volunteers have time to learn and develop while gaining a clear understanding of the expectations and responsibilities of their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager places a high priority on staff wellbeing and effective communication systems. Regular meetings are held to review the successes and challenges of each day and to ensure the effective handover of information. Staff highly value the support provided. They say they love the role and that children have brilliant experiences. Managers actively seek feedback from staff and volunteers at all levels across the holiday scheme. This information is reviewed and used to inform service improvement plans. As a result, staff and volunteers feel listened to, and feedback is used to help the scheme provide the best possible holiday experience for children. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: St John’s School Community Holiday 5

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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 Care Standards Act 2000 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 Residential Holiday Schemes for Disabled Children (England) Regulations 2013 and the national minimum standards. Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: St John’s School Community Holiday 6

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Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

Registered provider: The Saint John’s School Foundation

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Residential holiday scheme for disabled children details

Registered provider address: Epsom Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 8SP Responsible individual: Leah Hilt Registered manager: Neil Whitmore

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Inspector

Shirin White, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential holiday scheme for disabled children: St John’s School Community Holiday 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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