1 October 2008
1. Background
2. Key strengths
3. What are the views of parents and carers, pupils, staff and placing authorities?
4. How well are pupils supported?
5. How good are learning, teaching, attainment and achievement?
6. How good is the environment for care and learning?
7. Improving the school
Appendix 1 Framework for Inspection
Appendix 2 Indicators of quality
Appendix 3 Summary of questionnaire responses
Appendix 4 Good practice
How can you contact us?
Daldorch House School and Continuing Education Centre was inspected in April/May 2008 as part of a national sample for pupils with additional support needs. The inspection was part of a programme of integrated inspections of residential schools by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE). It was one of the twice-yearly inspections which are undertaken by the Care Commission.
The inspection covered key aspects of the school’s work at all stages. It evaluated approaches to ensuring pupils’ care and protection and the environment for care and learning. It also evaluated pupils’ achievements, the effectiveness of the school, the school’s processes for self-evaluation and its capacity for improvement. There was a particular focus on attainment in language and communication, understanding and relating to the environment including mathematics, personal and social development and expressive arts.
Care Commission Officers and HM Inspectors gave particular attention to selected national care standards and quality indicators. HM Inspectors observed learning and teaching and considered pupils’ work. Along with Care Commission Officers, they analysed responses to questionnaires issued to parents and staff. They interviewed groups of staff and pupils, including the Pupil Council. Members of the inspection team also met with the Director of Services of the Governing body. They provided oral feedback to the school’s senior management and a member of the Governing body on the standards and quality of the work of the school.
Daldorch House School and Continuing Education Centre is situated in Catrine, East Ayrshire. It is independently managed and provides education as well as day and residential care for children, young people and young adults aged from five to 21 years. Pupils have additional support needs arising from Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). All pupils have very complex and challenging needs. A few pupils had a coordinated support plan. At the time of the inspection, the school roll was 66, eight of whom were day pupils. Twelve young people were past the recognised school leaving age. Pupils had been placed at Daldorch by 23 local authorities in Scotland, three in England and one in Northern Ireland. Residential care was provided for up to 34 young people and supported accommodation for up to 27 young adults, for up to 52 weeks of the year. In addition to the school, Daldorch offered a range of services including an outreach service which incorporated a newly launched family programme. This was currently being piloted in three local authorities.
The school comprised of a junior campus and senior campus. At the time of the inspection, the school had just completed the senior campus which involved the transition of young adults from the junior to senior campus and the enrolment of 20 additional young people to both the junior and senior campuses. This had taken place over an eighteen month period. The staff role had increased significantly over this time.
HM Inspectors and Care Commission Officers identified the following key strengths.
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Almost all parents were positive about the work of the school and the care their children received. They thought that their children found school work stimulating, received the support they needed and were encouraged to work to the best of their ability. All parents felt that staff across care and education treated their children fairly and showed concern for their care and welfare. Almost all felt that the school was well led. Most pupils conveyed that they enjoyed coming to school. They interacted well with staff and showed pleasure when taking an active part in classroom and community activities. All staff thought that they understood child protection procedures well and pupils’ care and welfare was given a high priority. Almost all staff liked working in the school and felt that the school had a good reputation in the local community. While teaching staff commented that they were fully involved in decision-making and setting school priorities, a third of support staff and practitioners did not feel sufficiently involved1. About a third of all staff felt that communication across the school needed to be improved. Practitioners and support staff thought communication between senior managers and staff was not always effective. A few staff felt morale within the school was low. Those authorities who responded to the request to comment were happy with the care and education provided by the school. A few commented on the high costs and felt that young people could be better prepared for living in their own community.
Further details about what most pleased parents and carers, staff and pupils, and what they would most like to see improved, can be found in Appendix 2 of this report.
Care and protection/care welfare and development
Staff provided a very high quality of care and welfare for pupils. They knew pupils well and responded sensitively to their social, emotional and behaviour needs. In particular, staff were effective in addressing the very specific needs related to ASD. Staff across care and education had jointly identified individual pupils’ personal care requirements including strategies to help pupils in managing their own behaviour. Intimate care routines were sensitively handled and most pupils were becoming more independent. The support for learning team provided extensive guidance for staff on how best to approach and deal with pupils’ challenging behaviour. A wide range of approaches were adopted and staff worked hard to ensure activities were designed to raise pupils’ self-esteem and confidence. Very good risk assessments were in place for individual pupils which covered pupils in a variety of settings including community activities. Staffing levels were set to ensure the safety of pupils and staff. All staff were trained in de-escalating and break away techniques which were well monitored. Child protection procedures were in place and these were well understood by staff. All new staff were given a five day induction programme which included child protection procedures. The school had in place an appropriate range of care and welfare policies including administration of medication and safe use of the Internet. Pupils’ health and well-being benefited from well-planned menus with a strong focus on healthy eating and very good opportunities to exercise and keep fit. Overall, staff were very supportive and caring towards pupils and they responded well to positive interactions. In particular, pupils were very well supported when transferring from class to class and across campuses. A few authorities did not provide sufficiently detailed coordinated support plans for pupils who needed them.
Arriving for the first time
All pupils benefited from the well-organised, multi-agency approach to assessing their needs prior to entering the school. The outcome of the internal assessment comprised of an extensive behaviour support plan, an individual psychological profile, speech and language assessment and an individualised educational programme (IEP). At all stages, parents were part of the process and contributed extensively to reviews of their children’s progress. Pupils visited the school over an appropriate period to ensure that they were familiar with their surroundings. Parents received practical and ongoing support through the school’s outreach service and were kept well informed about their children’s progress. The induction programme for pupils, staff and parents was a key strength of the school.
The curriculum
The 24-hour curriculum had a very clear rationale based on the principles of a curriculum for excellence. The curriculum framework was clearly linked to national priorities and initiatives and provided very good opportunities for cross-curricular work. Almost all pupils were working well through individualised timetables which covered the school day and the care setting. Across both settings and in both campuses, there was a strong emphasis on ensuring the curriculum met the social and emotional needs of all pupils. Personal and social development was given a high priority. Sexual health and relationships were sensitively approached through suitably individualised programmes. For example, a friendship programme using social stories had been developed to help pupils socialise appropriately with each another. Pupils would gain from further work in this area of the personal and social education (PSE) curriculum. Across both campuses, pupils were benefiting from highly effective therapy programmes including music, language and communication and pet therapy. A few pupils were working well through specific programmes in language and communication involving picture exchange communication (PECs). Almost all pupils participated well in a good range of physical activities including yogasize, swimming and football. They enjoyed a very good range of art activities. Pupils had access to information and communication technology (ICT) within their school programmes. A few pupils were improving their ICT skills by successfully using a variety of cause and effect equipment. The senior campus was appropriately focused on developing pupils’ core vocational skills. Pupils had good opportunities to develop their citizenship and enterprise skills through the well-planned and relevant programmes.
Supporting your education
All pupils had an integrated education and care plan (IECP) which addressed their individual needs across both education and care. Regular multi-agency planning ensured all staff were fully aware of pupils’ learning targets. Staff worked hard to ensure a consistent approach across care and education. The school provided a number of opportunities for staff to undertake joint training and extend their knowledge of learning approaches. Practitioners worked successfully alongside classroom assistants and teachers in supporting and delivering learning to pupils.
Teaching for effective learning and meeting learners’ needs
The overall quality of teaching was good with a few examples of highly effective teaching. Staff worked skilfully and positively with pupils and gave appropriate, clear and measured instructions. They interacted well with pupils, particularly on an individual basis. A comprehensive range of approaches, including effective use of gesture and communication aids, helped focus pupils’ attention and supported their learning. Staff were well focused on improving teaching approaches to achieve better outcomes for learners. Praise was used effectively to motivate pupils and to acknowledge their success in learning activities. On occasion, staff intervened sensitively to support and assist pupils in developing their own ideas. However, on occasion pupils would benefit from more age appropriate and challenging tasks. Staff did not always make full use of ICT during teaching and learning. The quality of meeting pupils’ learning needs was very good. Activities across the school were well chosen to meet pupils’ specific requirements. Classroom assistants, tutors, teachers and practitioners knew pupils well. Nearly all responded flexibly and framed instruction and communication positively to get the best from pupils. Classroom assistants and practitioners made a significant contribution to pupils well-being through very
well-judged support in class, assisting pupils at meal times and providing organised support for learning activities over the 24-hour curriculum. Staff across the school used comprehensive assessment information well to set suitable learning targets and to monitor pupils’ progress. Almost all pupils were achieving targets set for them within IECPs. Parents were fully involved in setting targets, along with staff, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and psychologists. Therapy staff including pet therapy, music therapy and speech and language therapy made an outstanding contribution to meeting pupils’ needs through very positive and meaningful activities and interactions. Well-planned procedures were in place for prospective pupils, and those moving to the senior campus. Young adults who were past the recognised school leaving age were benefiting from the continuing education provision which was offered within the senior campus.
Learners’ experiences
Pupils were making very good progress in all aspects of social and emotional development. A few pupils made good attempts to engage with other pupils during group work and social occasions. Almost all pupils were successfully managing their behaviour and were more engaged in their learning. Pupils moved confidently around the school grounds and buildings and showed increasing levels of independence in their ability to manage for their personal hygiene needs and to feed and dress themselves. Many young people were able to shop, cook and do their laundry with varying degrees of support. All of these experiences gave them a sense of pride and of growing independence as young adults. Pupils were successfully developing their self-help skills through shopping trips, visiting local restaurants and cafes and playing football in the local youth club. The Bird Watching Caledonian Award was a particularly good learning experience which pupils could enjoy as a leisure pursuit. The recently formed Pupil Council in the junior department had begun to seek the views of pupils and provide them with choices about school activities. The Enterprise Committee in the senior department had significantly improved the school environment by planting flower boxes and painting fences. The Vocational Education Centre provided very good learning opportunities for pupils. They had successfully secured a contract with First ScotRail stations to build plant and erect flower boxes in the local station. This activity had provided pupils with practical skills which were valued by the wider community. It had also increased young peoples’ confidence and motivation.
Support arrangements
Teaching staff, classroom assistants and practitioners knew pupils well and were familiar with learning targets within their IECPs. They worked successfully together in supporting pupils’ learning. Staff monitored, evaluating and reviewed pupils’ targets. They effectively shared information at times of transition from school into the care setting. Support arrangements related to pupils’ ethnicity, faith and sexuality were taken into account and respected by staff. Processes for informing pupils if staff could no longer meet their needs were well planned and robust. Although protocols and procedures were in place for looking after young people, a significant number of staff were relatively new and with the support of experienced staff, were developing their skills in supporting pupils with autism.
Contributing to your care
Staff worked well with young people in ensuring their bedrooms fully addressed their individual needs and requirements. This meant all bedrooms were individualised according to individual preferences. For example, a few were carpeted with personal artefacts while others were appropriately sparse with the minimum of furniture. A few pupils were successfully making decisions within the Enterprise Committee in the senior campus. For example, they were looking at ways to recycle paper cups. A few pupils were involved in their annual reviews. They used pictures, talking mats and staff support to give their opinions and views. The school was developing a culture that encouraged pupils to have their say and on occasion were liaising with independent advocacy services to support pupils in making decisions. Sending education authorities could further support this development.
Improvements in performance
Overall pupils’ attainment and achievements were very good. Almost all pupils were achieving targets which had been set for them in language and communication and personal and social development. Most were achieving their targets in understanding and relating to the environment, including mathematics. Taking account of the nature of the school and its context in addressing their additional support needs, pupils were successful learners. Overall, attainment had improved over the past three years with an increase in pupils achieving units through the Awards Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN) award and SQA supported units at Access 1. A few pupils had achieved a Caledonian Award. A few pupils in the senior campus had successfully completed work experience placements within the school and the local community.
Language and communication
Across care and education, staff interacted very well with pupils through measured and considered approaches. They were successfully developing pupils’ social communication and their social competence. The majority of staff were skilled in ensuring pupils’ communication needs were addressed. They used symbols, gesture and sign-along with talking to engage pupils and focus their communication. Visual prompts, including the use of symbols, were used effectively to support pupils’ understanding of language. For example, pupils followed symbolised recipes and instructions. In almost all classes, pupils listened well to staff and followed instructions and directions. A few pupils successfully expressed their views in response to a prompt or a question. A few pupils confidently used the computer to develop their communication skills. Pupils clearly enjoyed sensory stories, pet and music therapy. They interacted well, showed preferences and responded appropriately to questioning.
The standard of pupils’ attainments and achievements in language and communication was very good overall. Almost all pupils were successfully achieving their targets related to listening, talking, reading and writing as appropriate. There had been a marked increase in pupils attaining National Qualifications at Access level. Most were completing a series of language tasks very well. A few pupils could sequence pictures and recognise single words. Others managed to successfully match pictures and objects. In the senior campus, a few pupils read and followed simple instructions well. A few interacted well in groups and confidently gave their views.
Mathematics and understanding and relating to the environment
Staff ensured that the learning experiences of pupils and students were very well tailored to meeting their needs. They planned activities which helped to engage young people’s interests and challenged them to think about issues in their immediate environments and in the wider community. On occasions, young people would benefit from more age-appropriate tasks. Staff did not make sufficient use of ICT to enhance approaches to teaching. At all stages, young people were well involved in learning about relevant aspects of mathematics, their natural environment and people in society. On the junior campus, pupils were learning through practical activities such as matching objects, undertaking basic number work and making use of shape, time and money. Through studying themes in environmental studies, they extended their understanding of different cultures. On the senior campus, young people engaged effectively in work-related activities. At all stages, they participated well in educational excursions which promoted their knowledge and understanding of the wider community.
The standard of young people’s attainments and achievements in mathematics and understanding and relating to the environment was very good overall. By the end of the previous school year, most young people had met the targets which had been set for them within their IEPs. Some had attained National Qualifications at Access level 1 or had completed ASDAN modules. At all stages, pupils were acquiring skills in numeracy, road safety, recreational activities and looking after the environment. At the senior stages, young people were making worthwhile progress regarding how to make use of mathematics in everyday situations. Those in the senior campus were extending their environmental awareness and acquiring relevant work-related skills.
Expressive arts
In expressive arts, pupils experienced a broad range of stimulating and exciting learning activities including art, music, ceramics, drama, movement, photography and physical education. Tutors, classroom assistants and practitioners used a range of resources effectively to engage pupils’ interests and motivate them. At all stages, pupils were working well with each other and with their co-workers. They participated confidently in movement sessions, playing percussion instruments and painting. Staff effectively developed pupils’ confidence and self-esteem in a highly supportive learning environment.
Pupils’ achievements in the expressive arts were formally accredited through ASDAN modules and NQ units at Access level including modules on sound and rhythm, music and creativity. Pupils were making good progress in their individual targets. Staff photographed pupils’ work to celebrate achievement and shared their success with parents. Pupils were proud of the quality of their work, and enjoyed the positive feedback they received from staff. Staff effectively used pupils’ experiences in expressive arts as a vehicle for improving their understanding of themselves and their personal and social skills.
Aspect |
Comment |
Management and use of resources and space for learning |
The accommodation was very good. The facilities were well suited to pupils’ needs and provided a safe, attractive and effective environment for learning. Classrooms were appropriately resourced and organised well to meet the needs of pupils with ASD through individual teaching areas. Care accommodation on the junior campus was currently being upgraded to provide enhanced and robust furnishings and further individualised bedrooms. Enhancing features of the accommodation included the attractive and extensive grounds. Pupils used the external environment well to extend their learning experiences. For example, pupils on the senior campus were learning about planting vegetables when working in the garden areas. The local environment and resources from out with the school were used to enhance pupils’ learning. The school had appropriate arrangements for security. All visitors were required to enter via a secure entry system. These were applied consistently by staff and visitors. The school met their statutory duties on accessibility for disabled users. |
Expectations and promoting achievement; equality and fairness; the engagement of staff in the life and work of the school |
The overall quality of expectations and promoting achievement was good. Staff and pupils worked well together and were proud of their school. Staff and pupil relationships were strong and the school had a positive and welcoming atmosphere which was conducive to pupils’ learning. Pupils’ very good art work and their certificates of achievement were attractively displayed in a few corridors. Photographs were used well to show pupils enjoying their learning. Praise was used effectively to acknowledge pupils’ achievements and there were high expectations of their behaviour and social competence. The majority of pupils’ achievement were recognised and valued across all aspects of school and by most staff. The school was committed to a climate of inclusion through the positive encouragement of staff. Other cultures were recognised in a variety of ways. For example, the sensory curriculum focused on pupils tasting and enjoying foods from a range of countries. The daily assembly ensured pupils had a structured start to their school day. Pupils met together, interacted well with staff and peers and shared in any successes. The commitment of staff was high and they were clear about their roles in delivering learning. However, the recent and significant increase in staff numbers had had an impact on existing communication systems across departments. A significant number of staff did not feel valued by senior managers and the morale of some staff was low. A few staff did not feel consulted and supported and wanted positive recognition of their work by senior managers. |
The school’s success in involving parents, carers and families |
The quality of partnership with parents and carers and families was excellent overall. Parents were very positive about the care and support given by all staff. They were kept well informed about all aspects of care and education. Detailed monthly reports provided very good information on their child’s progress in their learning and in how they were managing their behaviour. Parents were fully involved in setting their child’s learning targets during well organised multi-agency reviews. Comprehensive school handbooks, very good newsletters and daily diaries provided very good information. The school’s outreach service provided much valued support for parents when their child was home. The school provided advice and training for parents on de-escalating techniques in managing their child’s behaviour. Families could visit the school and stay over in the very comfortable log cabin. Where it was agreed as part of a young persons care arrangements, they were supported on home visits. Family open days provided very good opportunities for pupils, parents and staff to have fun together. Parents and carers valued the role of practitioners in providing a range of activities in the evening. The school had very good links with some local primary and secondary schools. Very good links were also established with a number of local businesses. |
Overall, care and education staff provided a very supportive and caring environment for young people. They ensured a very positive focus on addressing the personal and social development needs of pupils. Relationships between staff and pupils were strong. However, the morale of some staff was low. Staff had successfully developed the
24-hour curriculum to provide appropriate programmes to meet the needs of pupils across care and education. In both the junior and senior campuses pupils were enjoying a very good range of learning experiences. Pupils’ attainment had improved and the school had effective systems in place to monitor learning and teaching. Senior managers and staff now needed to work together to improve communication and ensure all staff became fully involved in the life of the school.
Developing people and partnerships
The school deployed a wide range of skills in developing pupils’ learning and ensuring they were well cared for. This included successful partnership and working with high quality therapy staff. Psychology staff in the support for learning department were highly successful in addressing the behavioural needs of pupils. A highly skilled training department ensured all staff had a good understanding of the traits and development needs related to autism spectrum disorders. The school offered a rolling programme of training events. Maintenance, catering, finance and administration staff all worked hard to ensure that the school ran smoothly.
Improvement through self-evaluation
The school had a very comprehensive and clear plan for improving its work. The principal had involved staff in using quality indicators and national care standards when setting priorities for development. All staff and parents received a summary copy of the school’s priorities. However, senior managers had not consulted widely enough and addressed the need to improve morale and communication across departments. Parents had been consulted about the quality of provision and the introduction of the Pupil Council would now give pupils more of a say in their school. Managers across education and care were effectively monitoring the work of staff. Teaching staff and classroom assistants were appreciative of advice given by their managers on learning and teaching and felt their practice had improved. Care staff understood their role and indicated that line managers offered appropriate support and guidance on a regular basis. Practitioners were well supervised and appraised. They had access to advice and support to help them do their jobs. Within both the care and education setting effective recording and information systems were in place. These systems maintained a detailed account of the day to day lives of each young person. They were used by the behavioural support team to evaluate interventions and make adjustments to how staff should interact with each young person.
Leadership of improvement and change across the service
The principal provided good leadership and was well respected in the field of provision for children and young people with autism spectrum disorder. Her knowledge and expertise were recognised nationally and she ably represented the National Autistic Society in seminars across the United Kingdom. She had developed very good relationships with parents and ensured the school’s good reputation within the community. Over the last four years she had devoted much of her time to leading the development of a highly effective senior campus which provided an appropriate environment for young people from 16 to 21 years. She should now ensure the good work of the school is consolidated, extend her presence within the school and in doing so acknowledge the contribution of all staff.
The principal had established a comprehensive management structure across both campuses. Overall, this was working well. However, senior managers were not yet working effectively as a team and had not provided sufficient support for staff at a time of significant change within the school. Within each department, there was a range of management positions. The structure provided a clear framework with recognised remits for staff. The four depute principals had a high degree of expertise within their areas of responsibility. The depute principal of social work services provided a very supportive and well-organised service and was regarded highly by colleagues. The depute principal of curriculum was a supportive manager who had developed an appropriate curricular framework which met the needs of pupils very well. The depute principal of support for learning was highly motivated in ensuring the behavioural needs of pupils were being fully addressed. He had put in place very good guidance for staff that ensured a consistent approach to behaviour management for individuals. The depute principal of outreach worked effectively in supporting parents and providing a comprehensive service to a number of authorities. She was currently piloting a family support initiative to further assist parents in addressing difficulties within the family unit. The senior management team encouraged leadership opportunities across the school. For example, teachers had specific responsibilities to take forward areas of the curriculum and senior practitioners ably supported a number of trainee practitioners.
Main points for action The school and the Governing body should continue to provide high quality and improving care and education. In doing so, they should take account of the need to:
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Requirements
There were no requirements.
What happens next?
The school and the Governing body are asked to prepare an action plan indicating how they will address the main findings of the report, and to share that plan with parents when the report is published. On the basis of a report on the progress towards meeting the main points for action and on the findings from the Care Commission unannounced inspection, HMI MI and the CCRO may make a joint visit to the school 22 months after the date of the published report to further discuss and monitor progress. The timing of this visit will coincide with an announced Care Commission inspection. HMI MI will write a jointly badged report which will be published and sent to parents and placing authorities. Care Commission will continue to undertake their twice-yearly inspections.
Jane Lopez |
George Stewart |
HM Inspector |
Care Commission Officer |
1 October 2008
RESIDENTIAL SPECIAL SCHOOL AND SECURE ACCOMMODATION SERVICES INTEGRATED INSPECTIONS BY CARE COMMISSION AND HMIE
The inspection team gives particular attention to the National Standards for School Care Accommodation Services and Quality Indicators from How good is our school? (2007 edition, incorporating the six-point scale) under the following report headings.
How well are pupils supported? |
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Standard 3 |
Care and protection |
How good are learning, teaching, attainment and achievement? |
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Standard 1 |
Arriving for the first time |
Standard 14 |
Supporting your education |
QI 2.1 |
Learners’ experiences |
Standard 6 |
Support arrangements |
Standard 10 |
Contributing to your care |
How good is the environment for care and learning? |
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QI 8.3 |
Management and use of resources |
QI 5.5 |
Expectations and promoting achievement |
Standard 6.4 |
Support and fairness (specialist education and care) |
Standard 2 |
Keeping in touch with people who are important to you. |
QI 3.1 |
The engagement of staff in the life and work of the school |
Improving the school |
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Standard 7 |
Management and staffing |
The following quality indicators have been used in the inspection process to contribute to the evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the school in raising achievement for all pupils.
How well are pupils supported? |
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Care, welfare and development |
very good |
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How good are learning, teaching, attainment and achievement? |
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The curriculum |
very good |
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Teaching for effective learning |
good |
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Learners’ experiences |
very good |
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Meeting learning needs |
very good |
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Improvements in performance |
very good |
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How good is the environment for care and learning? |
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Management and use of resources |
very good |
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Expectations and promoting achievement |
good |
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Equality and fairness |
very good |
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The school’s success in involving parents, carers and families |
excellent |
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The engagement of staff in the life and work of the school |
satisfactory |
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Improving the school |
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Improvement through self-evaluation |
good |
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Developing people and partnerships |
good |
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Leadership of improvement and change |
good |
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Leadership of improvement and change |
good |
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This report uses the following word scale to make clear the judgements made by inspectors:
| excellent | outstanding, sector leading |
| very good | major strengths |
| good | important strengths with some areas for improvement |
| satisfactory | strengths just outweigh weaknesses |
| weak | important weaknesses |
| unsatisfactory | major weaknesses |
The following provides a summary of questionnaire responses. Key issues from the questionnaires have been considered in the inspection and comments are included as appropriate throughout the report.
What parents thought the school did well |
What parents think the school could do better |
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What staff thought the school did well |
What staff think the school could do better |
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In the course of the inspection, the following aspects of innovative and effective practice were evaluated as being worthy of wider dissemination.
Expressive arts
There was an extensive expressive arts curriculum including painting, photography, ceramics, music, movement and drama which was delivered across the 24-hour curriculum. The aim of the curriculum was to encourage creativity and promote independent expression in pupils. The programmes were highly individualised to meet the specific needs of groups or individual pupils. They were developed by a highly skilled tutor and delivered in partnership with teaching, classroom assistants and support staff. A wide range of resources for active leaning were in place which pupils found highly motivating, for example, the boomwackers. Pupils were observed working well together in groups in the movement and music sessions. Pupils were encouraged to take the lead in the expressive arts sessions. They enjoyed making choices and working independently within the carefully structured learning environment. The expressive arts programme had appropriately high expectations of pupils and was effectively developing their confidence and increasing their achievements.
Therapy
Therapy staff worked very effectively with teaching staff to improve all aspects of learning for young people. Animal assisted therapy linked successfully with speech and language therapy to plan appropriate individualised aims and objectives for pupils. These high quality sessions promoted a sense of responsibility and respect for animals and the natural world. Young people were building relationships with staff and increasing their self-esteem. Handling the animals and talking through their thoughts with staff was having a significant impact on raising young people’s confidence and their ability to communicate their feelings. Music therapy and speech and language therapy were working closely with young people to engage them in communication. Significant improvements were observed in young peoples’ ability to take turns, develop their eye contact with others and take on responsibility for directing the session. Interacting through music was successfully improving young people’s communication and confidence. Both initiatives were highly effective in addressing the needs of very complex individuals.
Vocational Skills
Students on the senior campus were introduced to a wide range of activities both in the school and within the community. Initially young people successfully completed a workshop induction where they ably identified health and safety issues, including fire and emergency procedures and first aid facilities. They also had to undertake work on recognising and handling tools safely. Importance was placed on personal protection equipment and safe working practices. Students were very adept at ensuring they were working within health and safety guidelines. Students had a good range of work based projects. These included arts and crafts, woodwork at college and work placements in a local hotel. A successful initiative involved building, painting and filling planters for First ScotRail in identified railway stations. Vocational skill sessions had been highly effective in developing students’ fine and gross motor skills, their ability to take turns and share as well as introducing them to a range of opportunities which could be utilised in the future.
If you would like an additional copy of this report
Copies of this report have been sent to the Chief Executive, Chairman of Board of Directors, school staff, placing authorities, local councillors 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 600 262. Copies are also available on our website at www.hmie.gov.uk and the website of the Care Commission at www.carecommission.com.
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, 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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1. Support Staff include administrative, catering, finance and maintenance staff. Practitioners include teaching assistants and care staff.