My Choice School Arundel

My Choice School – Ocean Pearl Independent school inspection report

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DCSF registration number 938/6272 Unique Reference Number (URN) 135111 URN for registered childcare and social care SC014650 Inspection number 354687 Inspection dates 23–24 June 2010 Reporting inspector Angela Corbett HMI Social care inspector Lucy Martin HMI

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Published: July 2010 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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk No. 090070 Independent school inspection report

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Purpose and scope of the inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Section 162A 1 of the Education Act 2002, as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005 2 , the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Purpose and scope of the inspection

An inspection of the care provision was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 having regard to the national minimum standards for children’s homes. This inspection took place at the same time but the full report is published separately on Ofsted’s website and should be read in conjunction with this report which covers the educational registration of the school.

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Information about the school

My Choice School −Ocean Pearl is a school and children’s home registered for up to three young people aged between 11 and 16 who have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is owned by My Choice Children’s Homes Ltd. All students who attend must be resident at a My Choice children’s home. Currently there are three Key Stage 4 students on roll in the school, one of whom has a statement of special educational needs for emotional and behavioural difficulties. The school was registered in 2006 and was last inspected in December 2007. The children’s home received its last social care inspection in February 2010 and was judged to be good overall.

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Information about the school

The school aims are: ‘to enhance the self-esteem of all students and to promote positive behaviour; to develop achievement and skills in all students; to involve students and parents/carers in a holistic approach to education and to build a successful partnership between home and school; and to prepare students for adult life’.

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Evaluation of the school

My Choice School – Ocean Pearl provides a satisfactory quality of education and successfully meets its stated aims, in particular in preparing students for the next steps of their education. Students are very well supported by caring staff and they take great pride in their achievements. However, their independence in learning is less well developed. High priority is placed on students’ welfare, health and safety with some strong arrangements in place. Although there was a minor weakness with respect to safeguarding; provision for welfare is satisfactory overall. The quality of the boarding provision is good. The school has made some improvements since the last inspection and now meets all but one of the regulations for registration as an independent school.

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Evaluation of the school

1 www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2002/ukpga_20020032_en_14#pt10-ch1-pb4-l1g162 2 www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2005/ukpga_20050018_en_15#sch8 Independent school inspection report

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Quality of education

The curriculum is satisfactory; it is broadly aligned to the National Curriculum and based on the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) Unit Award scheme which also provides the main framework for assessment. The school ensures that it has a good understanding of students’ personal needs, abilities and current attainment levels on entry, tailoring the curriculum satisfactorily. This includes providing teaching at local colleges or the nearby Additional Learning Centre; for example, one student attends a local college to study horticulture for one day a week. However, the school acknowledges that at times there is insufficient challenge in the curriculum while arrangements are being made or students are settling into the school. The school’s close links with external providers very successfully support students’ learning as they enable the school to provide support in the classroom for off-site courses. There is a strong emphasis on English, mathematics, art and

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Quality of education

physical education (PE) as well as on personal development through lessons in life skills and personal, social and health education (PSHE). The technological and science aspects of the curriculum are less well developed. Use of local facilities such as the library, local parks and a leisure centre extends the range of activities for students and promotes their contact with the local community.

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Quality of education

The quality of teaching and assessment is satisfactory. There is one teacher at the school who provides all the in-school teaching to the three students. The teacher is often appropriately supported by members of staff from the children’s home as well as by the school’s headteacher, who also has responsibility for the other education provision made by My Choice. The size of the classroom restricts teaching to one student in each lesson. Consequently, students’ timetables are crafted around supported self-study, off-site provision, such as college or PE, or using additional space in the home such as for cookery as part of life-skills lessons. As a result, there are very few opportunities for group work or a shared start to the school day. Good relationships between staff and students and much use of praise and encouragement help to support learning. Planning for groups of lessons is mostly based on the

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Quality of education

selected units which form the AQA award scheme. When these do not meet the needs of students, the school writes its own ‘My Choice’ units of learning, for example, in GCSE mathematics. However, while planning takes account of prior learning, it does not sufficiently focus on the work to be completed. As a result, students are not always sufficiently clear about what they are expected to learn in a lesson. Teaching approaches, activities and tasks do not always engage students or develop independence. Similarly, the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to enliven learning or develop students’ ICT skills is underdeveloped. In a few instances, insufficient work is provided or tasks do not sufficiently challenge the students.

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Quality of education

Lesson-by-lesson assessment is thorough and reflects accurately what students have achieved as well as their progress towards the different AQA Unit Awards. This information is used well to track progress against students’ targets in their individual Independent school inspection report education plans. However, students are not always clear about how well they are doing or what they need to do to improve. Progress varies between students in terms of their personal and academic achievement, but is satisfactory overall. The school has yet to introduce a system to track students’ work against National Curriculum levels.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the students

Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. They join the school with complex and severe behavioural, emotional and social difficulties and most have had poor prior experience of education. Consequently a key focus of the school is to encourage and support students to develop their confidence and self- esteem which they successfully do. Students’ enjoyment of school is dependent on the subject, task or relevance to them of the work, but overall they enjoy their time in school. Students’ attendance is variable, reflecting their difficulties. Their personal circumstances can impact negatively on attendance and, on some occasions, the home’s systems to support attendance at school are not effective. Behaviour is satisfactory overall. It improves over time and students become more aware of how to behave, both in and out of school, and how to socialise with others. There are

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the students

opportunities for students to reflect on their behaviour but few times when students can reflect on events in the wider world. The school makes adequate provision to develop students’ cultural understanding and their knowledge of public services and institutions, but this would benefit from further development. Most positive contributions to students’ personal development come through the home, where, for example, students contribute informally to staff appointments. Regular meetings in the home help students to express their views about the quality of its provision; however, this does not currently include any similar discussion around the provision in the school. Students earn points in recognition of their successes in lessons and these contribute to rewards in the home. Students are well supported for the next steps in their learning beyond Key Stage 4 through careers interviews, college visits

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Welfare, health and safety of the students

The provision for ensuring students’ welfare, health and safety is satisfactory. Strong systems, many in close conjunction with the home, promote students’ welfare, health and safety with all the appropriate policies and procedures in place. The anti-bullying policy has been updated since the last inspection. It now meets requirements and provides good guidance for staff. Risk assessments for activities both in and outside school are in place, in line with the school’s policy and procedures. The policy and procedures for managing behaviour support students with severe behavioural and emotional problems and are closely linked to those of the home. As a result, school and residential staff work together effectively to promote improvements in students’ behaviour and social skills, although this has been less successful in improving attendance. All incidents and sanctions are carefully recorded and regularly reviewed.

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Welfare, health and safety of the students

Independent school inspection report The required training for child protection is in place and up to date for staff in the school and the home. Child protection policies and procedures are in place and include what to do if allegations are made against staff. However, the policy required amendment during the inspection to fully meet requirements. Most of the arrangements for fire prevention are good; however, the fire doors to the kitchen where students eat and cook are sometimes propped open. Fire risk assessments are regular and any required actions are attended to. Fire drills are held regularly. Fire prevention and electrical equipment checking procedures fully meet the requirements.

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Welfare, health and safety of the students

Students are developing a good understanding of how to stay safe, including the use of new technologies, and live a healthy lifestyle. This is supported well by the home staff. Exercise is a routine feature of their lives through, for example, running, visiting the gym or skateboarding. The policy for first aid and associated staff training are up to date and all accidents are recorded.

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Welfare, health and safety of the students

The admission and attendance registers comply with the regulations. The school has in place a three-year action plan indicating how it will fulfil its duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, as amended.

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Suitability of the proprietor and staff

The school has checked the suitability of all staff and the proprietors to work with children and has in place rigorous appointment procedures. The single central record shows all the required information although it was amended in a minor aspect during the inspection to show that further checks for staff from overseas had been made.

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School’s premises and accommodation

The school and children’s home are located in a detached house which is well decorated, including the classroom, which is an improvement since the last inspection. There are pleasant garden areas to the rear, front and side of the house which are used for recreational purposes. There is also access to a large kitchen area which is used for activities related to cookery and for meal times and to a spacious lounge; both are used for teaching on some occasions. The single classroom is very small and it is not appropriate for teaching three students. This has a negative impact on students’ learning.

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Provision of information for parents, carers and others

The school provides a good range of information for parents, carers and others through its prospectus, the student handbook and the My Choice website. Termly reports provide good detail on how well students are making progress and these contribute to their placement reviews and, when needed, reviews of students’ statements of special educational needs. The school now provides the appropriate Independent school inspection report financial information to local authorities in respect of each student registered at the school.

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Procedures for handling complaints

The school has a clear complaints policy which fully meets requirements.

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Effectiveness of the boarding provision

The care provision was judged to be good, and national minimum standards were met. A full report on the care provision is available on Ofsted’s website and should be viewed in conjunction with this report.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets all of the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003 as amended (‘the Regulations’), with the exception of the one listed below. 3

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet all requirements in respect of the premises and accommodation (standard 5) and must:

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 provide classrooms that are appropriate to the number, age and needs (including any special needs) of students to allow effective teaching (paragraph 5(j)).

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

Please see the report on Ofsted’s website relating to the care provision in the children’s home which should be read in conjunction with this report.

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What the school could do to improve further

While not required by regulations, the school might wish to consider the following points for development.

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What the school could do to improve further

 Improve teaching so that students make better progress in their learning by ensuring that:  students are clear in each lesson what they are going to learn  learning activities and tasks are varied and interesting  more use of ICT is incorporated into lessons to enliven learning and develop students’ ICT skills  students’ independence in learning is promoted.

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What the school could do to improve further

3 www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2003/20031910.htm Independent school inspection report  Provide further opportunities for students to reflect on issues outside the school, broaden their horizons and develop greater knowledge of the world around them. Independent school inspection report Inspection judgement recording form outstanding good satisfactory inadequate

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What the school could do to improve further

Overall quality of education  How well the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of students 

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What the school could do to improve further

How effective teaching and assessment are in meeting the full range of students’ needs 

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What the school could do to improve further

How well students make progress in their learning 

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What the school could do to improve further

Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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What the school could do to improve further

Quality of provision for students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 

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What the school could do to improve further

The overall welfare, health and safety of students 

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What the school could do to improve further

Evaluation of boarding provision  Independent school inspection report

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School details

Name of school My Choice School – Ocean Pearl DCSF number 938/6272 Unique reference number (URN) 135111 Type of school Children’s home providing education for students with behavioural, emotional, social and learning difficulties Status Independent special school Date school opened December 2006 Age range of students 11–16 years Gender of students Mixed Number on roll (full-time students) Boys: 1 Girls: 1 Total: 2 Number on roll (part-time students) Boys: 0 Girls: 1 Total: 1 Number of boarders Boys: 1 Girls: 2 Total: 3 Number of students with a statement of special educational need Boys: 0 Girls: 1 Total: 1

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School details

Number of students who are looked after Boys: 1 Girls: 2 Total: 3 Annual fees (boarders) Available on request Address of school C/O My Choice Homes Ltd Unit 3a, Mill Green Industrial Estate Mill Green Road Haywards Heath West Sussex RH16 1XQ Telephone number 01444 446920 Fax number 01444 446929 Email address a.murphy@my-choice-homes.com Headteacher Ms Annie Murphy Proprietor My Choice Children’s Homes Ltd Reporting inspector Angela Corbett HMI Dates of inspection 23–24 June 2010

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