Athena School

Athena School

Address: 167 Thorney Bay Road, Canvey Island, Essex, SS8 0HN Unique reference number (URN): 150238

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Insufficient evidence: Inspectors were unable to gather sufficient evidence to judge whether safeguarding standards are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

The admissions register is maintained accurately. The attendance register is not. Staff do not use the attendance codes accurately for when a pupil is absent from school. The proprietor has not ensured that the school follows the guidance in the document, 'Working together to improve school attendance', (Department for Education, August 2024). That said, leaders try determinedly to get pupils to attend school. They are clear in their expectations. They look closely at why a pupil may not want to attend and make adjustments accordingly. As a result of their efforts, pupils spend longer each day in the setting when possible.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Staff adhere closely to pupils' risk assessments. They are consistent in their approaches to the management of pupils' behaviour. There is a high supervision ratio of staff to pupils. Staff quickly read and anticipate any escalation in behaviour. They are well versed in how to defuse potential situations of conflict or risk. Staff log any changes in behaviour. This informs pupils' behaviour support plans. Due to this, staff have successfully reduced the number of incidents of restrictive physical intervention. Pupils do not have access to unsupervised use of the internet or mobile phones. Over time, there have been no incidents of bullying.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Pupils experience a fragmented curriculum that does not allow them to make meaningful gains in securing new knowledge. The school is not preparing them well for the next stage of their education.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Leaders do not know how well pupils learn the curriculum. They do not assess pupils' starting points, when they join the school, or record pupils’ progress through the intended curriculum over time. Leaders do not monitor how well pupils develop their communication and language, their reading ability or their understanding of number. They do not check how far pupils meet their education, health and care plan targets. They cannot demonstrate how well pupils have progressed from their starting points and how they use this information to plan pupils' next steps.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Staff have started to use a journal to record photos of pupils completing tasks. Displays around the school demonstrate that pupils undertake experiences in the local and wider community.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Over time, there has been a lack of strategic leadership of the curriculum. The curriculum is not suitable for the current cohort of pupils. Leaders have not adjusted it to suit pupils' specific needs. Staff make ad hoc use of resources that do not follow a coherent sequence with clear learning intentions. As a result, pupils do not learn progressively. Staff do not assess pupils’ learning. Therefore, there is no clear picture of what pupils can and cannot do. This includes in relation to their ability to understand and use phonics. Teaching of the basics, including early mathematics, is weak. Staff do not know how to reinforce learning, when pupils engage with activities beyond the classroom. For example, off-site activities, such as shopping, occur in the moment and are not linked to the intended curriculum. This lack of prior preparation hampers staff’s ability to understand the purpose of the trip and how it contributes to pupils' learning. Opportunities, for example, to support

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

pupils' use of key vocabulary or develop their money management skills are missed.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

The school is in the early stages of developing a total communication approach. Currently, staff use basic communication aids. The use of these aids differs dependent upon staff’s knowledge and understanding. As a result, this limits pupils' communication skills.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

This special school is not meeting the needs of the pupils that it serves. The proprietor has admitted pupils to the school with severe learning difficulties, including pupils who are non- verbal. This category of need is different to previous admissions and to those indicated in its original application for registration. There has been insufficient sourcing of external specialist help. Hence, staff have little understanding of how to meet the speech, language and communication needs of these pupils.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

When pupils join the school, leaders do not assess or profile pupils' starting points. The proprietor has not ensured that staff have access to each pupil's education, health and care (EHC) plans. For the EHC plans that staff do have access to, they do not use the information on these plans to design a meaningful curriculum for pupils. They do not check the progress that pupils make towards their EHC plan targets. While staff monitor changes in pupils' behaviour, this process does not inform the design and delivery of the curriculum.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Staff have not received training to cater for the category of needs that the school serves. This includes how to fulfil the role of the designated teacher for children in care.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

The school’s accessibility plan contains appropriate objectives, such as the need for staff to have a consistent approach with communication.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The proprietor has not ensured that the independent school standards (the standards) are consistently met over time. Changes in leadership have impacted negatively upon the school. There is not sufficient educational expertise at a leadership level. There is limited capacity to make the changes needed, given the needs of the pupils who are now admitted to the school.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Quality assurance processes and procedures are weak. The lack of clear assessment procedures means that leaders cannot track, or evidence, pupils’ progress against the targets on their education, health and care plans. The proprietor does not check how the school records attendance. They do not make sure that the school meets the statutory requirements for the delivery of personal, social, health and economic education, and relationships and sex education. While the proprietor plans to implement an electronic system to pull together this important information, this is not yet in place. This hampers leaders’, and the proprietor’s, holistic view of the provision for each pupil.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

There is not a sufficiently robust system in place to hold leaders to account. The proposed governing body is not in place. The chair of the proprietor body has stepped into the role of lead teacher across the company’s schools as an interim measure. This includes being the named headteacher for this school. Therefore, there is a lack of appropriate checks and balances. There is currently no mechanism for checking compliance with the standards. For example, leaders were unaware that the medical room did not provide suitable accommodation for the medical examination and treatment of pupils. The proprietor has not ensured that the single central record is accurate. At the time of the inspection, it did not contain all staff and members of the proprietor body and the necessary section 128 checks were not completed.

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Personal development and wellbeing Urgent improvement

The proprietor has not ensured that there is a suitable personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum in place for pupils to learn. In addition, the proprietor has not considered how to deliver fundamental British values. There has been limited delivery of PSHE over time. School staff do not act promptly upon the requests they receive to provide tailored PSHE sessions. While the relationships and sex education (RSE) policy is up to date, there is no suitable curriculum in place for the delivery of this. Hence, there has been no teaching of RSE.

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Personal development and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Pupils have access to wider development opportunities. Staff are keen to give pupils experiences of the local and wider community. For example, staff arrange trips to the cinema, the zoo and the beach. Staff ensure that pupils experience different cultures through cooking different foods and staff sharing their own cultural traditions. Pupils have physical exercise planned into their day. This includes the opportunity to go swimming, have a walk or a personal training session.

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Personal development and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Pastoral support is typically effective. Pupils build positive and productive relationships with staff. Staff undertake daily briefings so that they can respond promptly to any recent changes that may have affected pupils. Key workers follow the medical advice for pupils in their care. For example, they ensure that pupils who require hydrotherapy get the support they need.

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Personal development and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Staff use relevant information to inform pupils’ preparation for adulthood plans. These plans contain appropriate goals, such as building steps towards communal living in adult life. However, the current arrangements to keep pupils separate from their peers does not develop pupils’ socialisation skills so that they learn to be part of a community.

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Post-16 provision Insufficient evidence

It was not possible to gather sufficient evidence to grade this evaluation area because there are no students on roll in this phase.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils at this school do not progress as well as they should. Their experience of learning is bitty and disconnected. Quite often, school sessions lack a clear purpose. This is because the school does not have a suitable curriculum in place that meets the needs of the pupils. There are no checks of pupils’ starting points. This limits staff’s understanding of what pupils can and cannot do. Therefore, staff do not adjust the curriculum to help remove the barriers that pupils face with their learning. Pupils' education, health and care plan targets do not inform what they learn. Sometimes, pupils repeat activities unnecessarily. While pupils have a set timetable for the day, they may only attend part of lessons planned or none at all. Therefore, pupils do not learn new knowledge and skills consistently or coherently.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

The school does not have a clear strategy in place to develop pupils' communication and language. This means that pupils find it hard to learn the key vocabulary that they need. Non-verbal pupils do not have sufficient support to help them communicate effectively.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils do not have access to a coherent personal development programme. They do not learn, for example, how to have healthy relationships or about personal, social, health and economic education. This limits the development of the skills and knowledge that they need for adult life.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Staff forge positive relationships with pupils. This helps staff manage pupils' behaviours and recognise when pupils need support. Staff know the right strategies to use so that the environment remains calm and safe. They follow closely the school's policies when they take pupils off site. This enables pupils to have experiences they might not ordinarily have, like playing in the park. Staff try a multitude of ways to help pupils attend school and settle when there.

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Next steps

Leaders must implement a suitable curriculum and ensure that its delivery meets pupils' needs, so that pupils learn and achieve more. This includes fulfilling the statutory requirements for the delivery of personal, social, health and economic education, and relationships and sex education. Leaders must implement an assessment system that identifies pupils' starting points, emerging needs and barriers to learning, and monitors pupils' progress in learning the intended curriculum over time. In addition, leaders must ensure that teachers know and understand how to check pupils' knowledge and understanding so pupils can meet their targets in their education, health and care (EHC) plans. Leaders must implement a consistent approach to communication so that pupils learn to express their needs and desires. Leaders must continue with their plans to improve pupils' attendance, and ensure that any absences are recorded accurately.

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Next steps

Leaders must implement incremental steps towards peer socialisation so that pupils learn to be part of a community and are prepared for adulthood. The proprietor must strengthen quality assurance systems and use the information gathered effectively to resolve issues quickly and steer improvement decisively. The proprietor must push ahead with their plans to strengthen governance so that the school is held to account effectively. This includes ensuring that the school fulfils its obligations for the delivery of pupils’ EHC plans and personal education plans, and meeting the independent school standards consistently and securely over time.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this standard inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, and checked the school’s compliance with the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

The proprietor is Oak House Children's Home Ltd. The chair of the proprietor body is Saheena Saeed.

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About this inspection

The fee that the school charges is £72,000.

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About this inspection

The school's email address is www.info@careoffice.co.uk.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the chair of the proprietor body, staff, key workers and, where possible, the pupils. Inspectors spoke with representatives from local authority virtual schools.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school caters for pupils with autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties. The school recently changed the profile of the pupils that it admits to include pupils with severe learning difficulties, and speech, language and communication needs. The school did not notify the Department for Education of this change.

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About this inspection

Since the previous inspection in June 2024, there have been 2 changes of headteacher.

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Independent school standards

Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category. While the school is registered to take pupils up to and including the age of 17, there are no pupils on roll in the post-16 provision.

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Independent school standards

The school does not use alternative provision.

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Independent school standards

1. Quality of education provided Standards not met

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Independent school standards

The following standards have not been met: Paragraph 2(1)

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Independent school standards

The standard in this paragraph is met if–

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Independent school standards

(a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub-paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and

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Independent school standards

(b) the written policy, plans and schemes of work– (i) take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those pupils with an EHC plan; and

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Independent school standards

For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are–

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Independent school standards

(a) full-time supervised education for pupils of compulsory school age (construed in accordance with section 8 of the Education Act 1996), which gives pupils experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education; (b) that pupils acquire speaking, listening, literacy and numeracy skills;

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Independent school standards

(d) personal, social, health and economic education which– (i) reflects the school's aim and ethos; and (ii) encourages respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act[1];

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Independent school standards

(h) that all pupils have the opportunity to learn and make progress; and (i) effective preparation of pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in British society. Paragraph 2A(1)

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Independent school standards

The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor–

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Independent school standards

(a) ensures that every registered pupil who is provided with primary education at the school is provided with relationships education, (b) ensures that every registered pupil who is provided with secondary education at the school is provided with relationships and sex education, except in so far as the pupil is excused as mentioned in sub-paragraph (2), (d) in making arrangements for the purposes of paragraphs (a), (b) or (c), has regard to any guidance under section 80A of the Education Act 2002 that applies in relation to the provision of education by maintained schools,

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Independent school standards

The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school–

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Independent school standards

(a) enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught; (b) fosters in pupils self-motivation, the application of intellectual, physical and creative effort, interest in their work and the ability to think and learn for themselves; (c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time; (d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons; (e) demonstrates good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught; (f) utilises effectively classroom resources of a good quality, quantity and range; (g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils' work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils

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Independent school standards

The standard in this paragraph is met where the proprietor ensures that a framework for pupil performance to be evaluated, by reference to the school's own aims as provided to parents or national norms, or to both, is in place. Inspectors were unable to gather sufficient evidence to judge whether the following standards are met:

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Independent school standards

For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are– (g) where the school has pupils above compulsory school age, a programme of activities which is appropriate to their needs;

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Independent school standards

2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Standards not met

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Independent school standards

The following standards have not been met: Paragraph 5

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Independent school standards

The standard about the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils at the school is met if the proprietor–

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Independent school standards

(a) actively promotes the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs;

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Independent school standards

(b) ensures that principles are actively promoted which– (i) enable pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence; (ii) enable pupils to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England; (iv) enable pupils to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England; (vi) encourage respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act; and (vii) encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic process, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England;

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Independent school standards

3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Standards not met

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Independent school standards

The following standards have not been met:

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Independent school standards

The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that an admission and attendance register is maintained in accordance with the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024.

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Independent school standards

4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Standards not met

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Independent school standards

The following standards have not been met: Paragraph 18(2)

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Independent school standards

The standard in this paragraph is met if–

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Independent school standards

(b) no such person carries out work, or intends to carry out work, at the school in contravention of a prohibition order, an interim prohibition order, or any direction made under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act, or any disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in either such direction; and in the light of the information from the checks referred to in paragraphs (c) to (f) the proprietor considers that the person is suitable for the position to which the person is appointed.

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Independent school standards

The standard in this paragraph is met in relation to an individual ("MB"), not being the Chair of the school, who is a member of a body of persons corporate or unincorporate named as the proprietor of the school in the register or in an application to enter the school in the register, if–

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Independent school standards

(a) MB– (ii) does not carry out work, or intend to carry out work, at the school in contravention of a prohibition order, an interim prohibition order, or any direction made under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act or any disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in either such direction;

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Independent school standards

The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor keeps a register which shows such of the information referred to in sub-paragraphs (3) to (7) as is applicable to the school in question.

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Independent school standards

The information referred to in this sub-paragraph is–

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Independent school standards

(a) in relation to each member of staff ("S") appointed on or after 1st May 2007, whether– (iii) a check was made to establish whether S is subject to any direction made under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act or any disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in such a direction; including the date on which each such check was completed or the certificate obtained; and

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Independent school standards

The information referred to in this sub-paragraph is, in relation each member ("MB") of a body of persons named as the proprietor appointed on or after 1st May 2007, whether the checks referred to in paragraph 20(6)(b) were made, the date they were made and the date on which the resulting certificate was obtained.

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Independent school standards

5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Standards not met

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Independent school standards

The following standards have not been met: Paragraph 24(1)

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Independent school standards

The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that suitable accommodation is provided in order to cater for the medical and therapy needs of pupils, including–

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Independent school standards

(a) accommodation for the medical examination and treatment of pupils;

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Independent school standards

6. Provision of information Standards met

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Independent school standards

7. Manner in which complaints are handled Standards met

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Independent school standards

8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Standards not met

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Independent school standards

The following standards have not been met: Paragraph 34(1)

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Independent school standards

The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school–

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Independent school standards

(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; (b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and (c) actively promote the wellbeing of pupils.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Insufficient evidence

Inspectors were unable to gather reliable enough evidence to grade an evaluation area. This is rare and normally only happens if there are no pupils on roll at the school.

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Insufficient evidence

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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