1 April 2008
1. The inspection
2. Continuous improvement across care and education
3. Progress towards meeting the main points for action and requirements
4. National care standards inspected during this inspection: Main points for action
Conclusion
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HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) and Care Commission (CC) published a report on the inspection of Seamab School in November 2006. Working with the Governing body the school prepared an action plan indicating how they would address the main points for action identified in the original HMIE/CC integrated inspection report.
HM Inspectors and Care Commission Officers made an integrated interim visit incorporating the Care Commission announced inspection of the service in November 2007. They evaluated the extent to which the service was continuing to improve the quality of its work. HM Inspectors and Care Commission Officers also evaluated progress made in responding to the main points for action in the initial report and the additional specified national care standards.
The initial inspection report published in November 2006 identified six main points for action and requirements. This section evaluates the progress made with each of the action points and requirements and the resulting improvements for children and other stakeholders. Senior managers and the Board of Governors had worked very well to take forward the main points for action. The deputy principal and head of education had worked closely to improve links across care and education. The role of care staff had changed and they now supported curriculum activities and worked more closely with teachers in key teams. The school had paid particular attention to ensuring progress towards establishing a curriculum framework and improving teachers’ planning of pupils’ learning. The school had recently appointed four new teachers and their commitment and enthusiasm was having a positive impact on the attainments and behaviour of children. All staff were clearer about the school’s aims and operational plans and were making progress in developing shared approaches to evaluating provision. Children were now more focused on learning for longer periods and many showed a sense of pride in their own achievements and in those of the school. This had resulted in improved attainment. Staff had warmly embraced the principles of ‘Curriculum for Excellence’ and all staff were committed to supporting children to learn across care and education. Staff were now beginning to evaluate the impact of the processes they had put in place to further build on these positive developments.
3.1 Requirements.
Requirement 1: The school is required to request from new employees a declaration of their physical and mental fitness or otherwise, in verbal or written form. Scottish Statutory Instrument 2002 Number 114 Regulation 19(3)(d).
Progress: Written declarations formed one part of a more robust system to ensure the physical and mental fitness of new staff. Processes were in line with recent national guidance for safer recruitment.
Requirement 2: The school is required to record all incidents involving pupils. Scottish Statutory Instrument 2002 Number 114 Regulation 19(3)(d).
Progress: Education and care staff were now using recording formats, including an electronic database, recommended by ‘Holding Safely’, national guidance on use of restraint. This facilitated improved monitoring of triggers in relation to individual children, and contributed to a strategic approach to promoting positive behaviour. Staff had begun to analyse logs of consequences and bullying incidents to identify helpful strategies for children to improve their behaviour. Staff were actively involved in developing the system to enhance its usefulness to the benefit of children.
3.1.1 Build on the positive approaches used in the bungalows and promote greater consistency among staff in managing behaviour within the school.
The school’s policy and arrangements for promoting positive behaviour were well established in the school and residences. Joint discussions and training on appropriate strategies were enabling staff to be more consistent in managing children’s behaviour. Children were now more focused on learning for longer periods and almost all showed a sense of pride in their own achievements. Consistently applied routines and planned activities ensured that children settled quickly during the school day and mostly remained on task. More consistency of positive behaviour management strategies, including using the same rewards systems across education and care, had reinforced appropriate behaviours in the corridors and bungalows. The improved working of the key worker and class teacher system for each child had maintained consistent approaches to managing behaviour and learning. Staff were still developing the use of the consequence records across the school and residences. The school and residences recognised the need to explore for individual children how they could make the consequences more meaningful.
3.1.2 Provide pupils with Individualised Educational Programmes (IEPs) linked to care planning.
Collaboration was a regular feature in the planning process, and teaching staff were positive about the quality of input by care staff. Teaching staff were now setting targets for pupils within 5-14 guidelines. However, pupils did not yet have appropriate IEPs which identified pupils’ strengths, set more specific learning targets and identified success criteria and next steps in learning. It was therefore difficult to measure individual pupils’ progress in English language and mathematics. All pupils were working well on targets set within personal and social development. Targets were being delivered jointly by teaching staff and care staff. However, they now needed to be extended to cover pupils’ lunchtime discussions. Learning targets were not yet shared with pupils and they were not fully aware of how they could improve their work. Teaching and care staff met regularly to share pupils’ progress and plan the way ahead. This sharing of knowledge was working well in ensuring pupils’ learning and care needs were being addressed. The principal convened regular review of progress meetings for each child attended by senior managers, the consultant psychologist, children’s class teachers, key workers and other relevant staff. This approach ensured more consistent approaches across the school to addressing children’s needs.
3.1.3 Improve the quality of the curriculum by providing structured programmes of study which take full account of the range of pupils’ learning needs.
The school was making notable progress in improving the quality of the curriculum. The school had begun to develop programmes of study linked to topics in English, mathematics, expressive arts, enterprise and religious and moral education. The school had begun to assess pupils’ learning in English and mathematics. Assessment of children’s personal and social skills was well established. Teachers had identified a range and balance of skills from the
5-14 national curriculum to ensure that pupils were working at a level appropriate to ability. Teachers’ learning intentions were now much clearer. Pupils’ learning activities were often practical, experiential and linked to interesting themes. Children enthused about the space theme both in and out of the classroom. Some teachers used therapeutic approaches to learning which helped children to manage their responses to learning. Pupils were developing important life skills and improving their ability to participate and express themselves through visits to places of interest and a shared care and education visit to Coll. Staff were beginning to improve pupils’ access to information and communication technology (ICT). Staff had made a promising start to improving pupils’ personal and social skills through the development of a programme of study in personal and social education. However the programme did not yet take sufficient account of key areas including race, gender, working with others and self-esteem. Pupils learned pottery skills in art and design lessons and benefited from opportunities to use the school swimming pool.
3.1.4 Improve pupils’ attainment, particularly in English language and mathematics by introducing more consistent approaches to learning and teaching which ensure an appropriate pace of learning and strengthen planning and tracking of pupils’ progress.
The school had taken a number of very positive steps to address this main point for action.
Teachers’ planning had been revised and progress had been made in developing a clear focus on learning intentions and pupil activity. The more settled staff and increased focus on teaching and learning across the school had ensured most pupils were actively engaged in their learning. Almost half of pupils had attained national levels in mathematics, with about a quarter attaining levels in reading. However, pupils now needed to have recognition for their work in writing, talking and listening. In all classes pupils were keen to show their written work. They talked knowledgeably about what they were learning. For example, in one class pupils were successfully writing imaginative sentences related to their favourite animal. In another class, pupils were accurately identifying time within practical situations. Most pupils were working well on individual targets related to personal and social development. However, it was difficult to accurately measure pupils’ progress across all areas of the curriculum. More specific targets were required to ensure staff could judge pupils’ successes particularly in English language and mathematics. The relationships between staff and pupils was strong and the pace of learning and challenge for pupils had significantly improved. It was now important that staff continued to provide extended opportunities and challenge for pupils’ in their learning.
3.1.5 Provide written guidelines for eating, drinking, food and nutrition. Menus for teas should continue to be reviewed to ensure they meet individual children’s nutritional requirements.
The school was required to put in place appropriate systems to ensure it continued to provide a nutritious, healthy diet. In conjunction with professional advisers in nutrition, it had produced written policy on food and nutrition, along with useful guidelines relating to the five food groups required for a balanced healthy diet. Children had contributed through an audit of their preferences. Care plans clearly identified and addressed children’s other health and support needs relating to nutrition and eating. Review of menus across the school provision, together with nationally recognised staff training in food and health, ensured staff had a sound understanding of the positive impact of good nutrition on children’s learning and development. The school was developing these approaches as part of its plan to become a health-promoting school under new legislative requirements.
3.1.6 Developing more robust approaches to quality assurance by external and senior managers which improve the quality of leadership for learning by providing a clearer sense of direction and ensuring that improvement plan targets are fully implemented.
The school had taken a number of effective steps to address this main point for action. Senior managers had used the main points for action identified in the initial inspection as the basis of the improvement plan. A well-planned quality assurance policy and quality assurance calendar ensured that all staff were clear about expectations for improving the school. Staff with additional responsibilities had clearly defined roles linked to the development needs of the school. The Board of Governors provided strong support to the school and the principal had drawn on educational, financial and human resources consultants to ensure best value for the school. Senior managers now communicated efficiently and promptly with staff. The head of education had developed her role very well and, with the support of the deputy principal, provided effective leadership for learning. Staff commended the support and advice that they had received on learning and teaching. Relationships amongst staff across care and education had strengthened significantly. Along with care staff, teachers were now reflecting on their own practice and felt well supported by senior managers and care staff at the end of day briefing sessions and at key team review meetings. Whilst senior managers worked very well together, they had not yet received a formal review of their development needs. The school was well placed to provide opportunities for teaching staff to take a more prominent lead in meeting improvement plan targets.
Main points for action
The Care Commission has a statutory duty to carry out at least two inspections of school care accommodation services each year. One of these must be an unannounced inspection. Two unannounced inspections earlier in 2007 followed up the main points of action and requirements above and also assessed quality of provision in relation to inspection focus areas identified by the Care Commission.
The inspection focus area for this integrated inspection was staff training, an aspect of (the standard) staffing and management. The school had comprehensive policies and procedures in relation to staff development and training. Regular supervision and annual assessment of care staff contributed to identification of relevant training needs. Training plans evidenced that the school met health and safety requirements, qualifications for registration with the Scottish Social Services Council and the therapeutic needs of children. Staff spoke positively about the impact of their improved knowledge and skills on their work with children.
Overall the school was making significant progress towards meeting the main points for action. Established systems were in place to enable care and education staff to work more closely together. Six weekly review meetings were very important. The school now provided more consistent, well-planned support for children within a caring environment in keeping with the principal’s vision. Expectations of pupils are now higher. The pace and quality of pupils’ learning experiences were improving notably and were now more relevant and meaningful. The deputy principal and head of education recognised individual strengths of teachers and successfully encouraged them to share responsibility for future developments. The school was well placed to continue to improve.
HM Inspectors and Care Commission Officers will make a further visit to the school and publish a final report within 2 years of the original report.
Care Commission Officers will continue their programme of announced and unannounced inspections.
Kate Hannah |
Rachel Gillespie |
Lead Inspector |
Care Commission Reporting Officer |
1 April 2008
If you would like an additional copy of this report
Copies of this report have been sent to parents, the director of education, head of establishment, school staff, and appropriate Members of the Scottish Parliament. Subject to availability, further copies may be obtained free of charge from HM Inspectorate of Education, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston, EH54 6GA or by telephoning 01506 600 389. Copies are also available on our website: www.hmie.gov.uk .
HMIE Feedback and Complaints Procedure
Should you wish to comment on any aspect of residential special school inspections you should write in the first instance to Neil McKechnie, HMCI at HM Inspectorate of Education, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA.
If you have a concern about this report, you should write in the first instance to our Complaints Manager, HMIE Business Management and Communications Team, Second Floor, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA. A copy of our complaints procedure is available from this office or by telephoning 01506 600 200 or from our website at www.hmie.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the action we have taken at the end of our complaints procedure, you can raise your complaint with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is fully independent and has powers to investigate complaints about Government departments and agencies. You should write to The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, Freepost EH641, Edinburgh EH3 0BR. You can also telephone 0800 377 7330 (fax 0800 377 7331) or e-mail ask@spso.org.uk . More information about the Ombudsman’s office can be obtained from the website: www.spso.org.uk .
Crown Copyright 2008
HM Inspectorate of Education
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