School report

Roselyn House School

Moss Lane, Off Wigan Road, Leyland, Lancashire PR25 4SE

Inspection dates                                                                                                                14–16 May 2019

Effectiveness of leadership and management                                                                                         Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment                                                                                        Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare                                                                           Outstanding

Outcomes for pupils                                                                                                                             Good

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school

• The proprietors, the headteacher and deputy headteacher are committed to ensuring that pupils enjoy school and make strong progress in their learning and personal development.
• Together with senior leaders, teachers and support staff, the proprietor ensures that safeguarding requirements are stringently adhered to and all the independent school standards are met.
• Currently, the school does not have an accountable body to support it in moving into the next stage of its development.
• The quality of teaching is good. Teachers and teaching assistants have high expectations of pupils. Their excellent relationships with pupils and their good classroom management support pupils’ good engagement and strong progress.
• Occasionally, work set, including in English, mathematics and science, does not link closely to pupils’ different skills and abilities. In addition, writing opportunities are somewhat limited. Teachers do not consistently check the accuracy of pupils’ grammar, punctuation and spelling.

• Pupils benefit from tailored learning programmes which support their good progress in subjects such as reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils are fully engaged in an excellent curriculum, which captures their interests in activities such as fishing, horse riding, rock climbing and canoeing.
• Leaders’ work to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, as is their work to enhance pupils’ appreciation of British values.
• Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. They work hard to overcome barriers to learning, attend school regularly and are determined to succeed.
• All aspects of the sixth-form provision are good. Students engage in a wide range of vocational training activities, including in construction and hair and beauty, and achieve well.
• Parents, carers and representatives from local authorities are highly positive about all aspects of the school. Parents say their children are safe and making good progress.

Compliance with regulatory requirements

• The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching and learning by:
  • encouraging pupils to write more regularly and consistently checking pupils’ grammar, punctuation and spelling
  • closely matching pupils work in all subjects, including English, mathematics and science, to their different skills and abilities.
• Improve the quality of leadership and management by:
  • seeking external advice to support senior leaders in improving the quality of provision and moving the school forward into its next stage of development.

 Effectiveness of leadership and management                   Good

• The headteacher and senior leaders are highly ambitious and committed to ensuring that pupils, most of whom previously refused to go to school, enjoy learning and achieve well. Since the previous inspection, the number of pupils on roll has almost doubled in size, as has the number of teachers and teaching assistants. Leaders have managed the school’s growth exceptionally well, maintaining high staff morale and good teaching and learning.
• The school prides itself on the nurture, care and support provided for pupils, all of which are strong. Senior leaders work highly effectively with staff to ensure that safeguarding procedures are adhered to and all the independent school standards are met.
• Senior leaders regularly check the quality of teaching. They are familiar with teachers’ planning in all subjects, which they scrutinise weekly. Leaders check on the quality of work in pupils’ books and talk to pupils about their learning. The feedback given to teachers on their practice is concise, clearly identifying what teachers need to do to further improve. Feedback helps to ensure that teaching is of a consistently high quality and continues to improve.
• Leaders regularly monitor the performance of all staff and set them ambitious targets. Leaders are careful to ensure that the right training and support is available to support staff in meeting such targets, all of which are linked to specific areas, including improving teachers’ subject knowledge, enhancing staff awareness of current theory and practice regarding special educational needs and improving pupils’ progress.
• Almost all staff completed the inspection questionnaire. All are exceptionally positive about the school, which they say has improved since the previous inspection. Staff are proud to work at the school and are highly appreciative of the training and development available to them. The school has an excellent record in ‘growing’ staff and has supported several teachers in acquiring qualified teacher status. Typically, staff comment that ‘…it’s a pleasure to work at Roselyn House … everyone endeavours to ensure that every child feels safe and enjoys learning.’
• In their quest to meet pupils’ individual learning needs, senior leaders are constantly searching for new courses, qualifications and work-based learning opportunities. Pupils benefit from an exciting curriculum which engages their interests and ensures their good progress. Pupils participate in a broad range of physical activities, including baseball, football, basketball, rock climbing, fishing and canoeing. They hone their creative skills in art, play various string and percussion instruments and compose songs, which they mix and refine in recording studios.
• Teachers’ work to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils appreciate the basic principles of various religions and have visited different places of worship, including a Buddhist temple. Pupils have a good understanding of the culturally diverse nature of British society and are familiar with the achievements of renowned world leaders such as Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King. Pupils relish their many visits to theatres, local places of interest and museums, such as Liverpool’s Maritime, People’s and World Museums and Manchester’s Science and Technology Museum.

• Leaders ensure that pupils have a good appreciation of British values. As a result, pupils are broad-minded, empathetic and active citizens. Pupils put their leadership skills into practice on the eco-council and discuss topical political issues during tutor and workshop time and mentoring sessions. Pupils also share their views and ideas via the ‘suggestions box’. They chose end of term visits to destinations including fairgrounds in Blackpool and further afield. Pupils raised money for different charities, engage in fund-raising activities for Children in Need and have made donations to a homeless charity in Preston.
• Parents and carers who spoke with the inspector, as well as those who submitted text messages, were highly complimentary about the school. All are of the view that their children are happy, safe and making good progress. Typically, parents comment that their children are ‘transformed’ after spending long periods of time out of education and refusing to go to school. Parents said that ‘Communication is excellent; I’m always informed if there are issues,’ and, ‘My child is doing really well in English and mathematics.’

Governance

• The proprietors work together effectively to ensure that all independent school standards are met. They have a thorough knowledge of the school and know exactly what it needs to do to further improve, as expressed in various planning documents.
• Proprietors are trained to a very high standard; both are designated safeguarding leaders and have an in-depth understanding of child welfare and safeguarding matters.

Proprietors have many years’ experience in working with pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and have a deep knowledge and understanding of how various conditions, such as autism and Asperger’s syndrome, impact on pupils’ learning and social development.

• In their roles as headteacher and deputy headteacher, proprietors are responsible for managing each other’s performance. Currently, the school does not have an external advisory board or governing body to offer advice and support and hold leaders to account.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. All staff undergo an intensive induction as soon as they take up post. All staff sign to indicate that they have read the latest government guidelines on keeping children safe in education. In addition, staff familiarise themselves with the school’s comprehensive safeguarding policy and associated policies and procedures for keeping pupils safe while in school.
• Several members of staff are designated safeguarding leaders, and all are trained to a high standard. All staff have had recent safeguarding training, including on child exploitation and the ‘Prevent’ duty, which is part of the government’s agenda to combat radicalisation and extremism.
• All appropriate checks are made on staff to ascertain their suitability to work with children. Risk assessments are regularly carried out to make sure that school premises are safe and secure. In addition, school trips and educational visits are risk assessed, helping to ensure pupils’ safety.

• The school has an up-to-date safeguarding policy on its website. This policy is also available to parents on request.

 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment                   Good

• Across the school, teaching over time is good. Teachers have high expectations of pupils. They plan activities to ensure that pupils enjoy learning, make good progress and attain well. Therapeutic and pastoral support available is highly effective, helping pupils to remove barriers to their learning and providing coping strategies for them to use when they find it difficult to engage in classroom activities.
• Most teachers and teaching assistants are skilled at finding out pupils’ interests and encouraging them to put pen to paper. Pupils like to write about villains, such as Darth Vader (from ‘Star Wars’ films), and produce interesting text describing the character’s ‘villainous’, ‘anti-social’ and ‘murderous’ behaviour. However, pupils write infrequently, with few examples seen in their workbooks of original extended writing. In addition, teachers do not always check pupils’ spelling, grammar and punctuation. As a result, pupils’ skills in these areas are not as well developed as they could be.
• Where teaching is strong, teachers use effective questioning to check what pupils know. They use information on pupils’ prior performance to provide support for less-able pupils. Teachers usually challenge the most able pupils so that their learning moves forward quickly. However, occasionally, across subjects, learning activities are the same for all pupils. As a result, some pupils find work too easy, while others find it too difficult. In such instances, pupils do not achieve to their absolute best.
• Across the school, mathematics teaching is effective. Most pupils have a thorough understanding of the importance of good calculation and problem-solving skills in the ‘real world’. Teachers motivate pupils to try their hardest and believe in their own abilities. This was exemplified in a mathematics class, where some pupils were finding it difficult to calculate percentages of numbers because they did not understand the method. Both teacher and teaching assistant demonstrated the method several times, after which there was a eureka moment when all pupils ‘got it’ and were proud to demonstrate their understanding.
• Teachers’ good subject knowledge extends pupils’ understanding and supports pupils’ good engagement in learning. This was evident in an upper key stage 2 science class where pupils were learning about evolution and how animals adapt and survive in extreme environments. After watching a short video focusing on the survival strategies used by young lizards to outwit snakes in the Galapagos Islands, pupils eagerly set about identifying the adaptations made by different animals. They correctly identified long eyelashes, nostril flaps and humps as adaptations made by camels to survive in the desert, and white fur as an adaptation made by artic foxes to avoid falling prey to polar bears.
• Teachers and teaching assistants work well together. This was evident in a hair and beauty lesson focusing on safety at work. Pupils were eager to share their knowledge of potentially hazardous salon liquids, such as bleach and hair colouring. They understood that electrical equipment such as ‘straighteners’, ‘tongs’ and ‘curlers’ should be regularly checked and that safety glasses, aprons and gloves are sometimes worn by hairdressers. After their initial reluctance, and demonstrations given by the teacher and teaching

assistant, all pupils were prepared to show the correct way to lift a heavy box and place it onto a shelf.

• Teachers have excellent relationships with pupils and are acutely aware of pupils’ interests. This was evident in the nurture class as pupils considered superhero attributes. The teacher successfully built on pupils’ exceptional knowledge of Marvel Comic characters to engage them in matching skills and characteristics such as ‘invincible’, ‘strong’ and ‘technological’ to characters such as Thor, the Hulk and Iron Man. Pupils were happy to extend their knowledge by using the internet to find out about the relationship between different Marvel superheroes and characters in recent ‘Avenger’ films.

 Personal development, behaviour and welfare                 Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• At Roselyn House, pupils’ personal development and well-being are always given top priority. When pupils start at the school, almost all are suspicious of authority figures and unwilling to engage in learning. However, pupils soon develop in confidence, take pride in their work and appearance and begin to value learning.
• Some pupils, including those with Asperger’s and autism spectrum disorders and mental health disorder, occasionally find school overwhelming and behave inappropriately. In addition, some pupils lack resilience, are averse to taking risks and find it difficult to accept their mistakes. School records show that, given their learning skills on entry to Roselyn House, such pupils make outstanding progress in developing the skills necessary for effective learning.
• As appropriate, staff are aware of targets in pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans and work tirelessly to ensure that targets are met. Highly effective techniques are in place to reduce unnecessary anxiety and help pupils to engage in learning.
• The school works closely with a range of outside specialists, including play, speech and language and occupational therapists, who help pupils to identify and overcome past trauma and barriers to learning.
• At the school, pupils are listened to. This is evident during morning workshops, where pupils refine their literacy and numeracy skills and talk to staff members about concerns. All pupils are collected from home each morning. This gives staff the opportunity to ‘check in’ with parents and carers and identify any matters that the school should be aware of.

In addition, this practice allows one-to-one talking time between staff and pupils, which prepare pupils well for the day ahead.

• Pupils who met with the inspector said that bullying is exceptionally rare. Pupils understand discriminatory behaviour and know that it is wrong. They are adamant that there is no racism in school and have a good understanding of the harmful effects of homophobic bullying which they said is when ‘… you discriminate against someone

because they are “trans”, “bi” or gay.’

• Pupils have a good understanding of internet safety. Pupils who talked with the inspector explained that ‘Cyber bullying is the coward’s way … they would never say anything to

your face.’ All know that they should not visit inappropriate websites, all of which they explained are ‘blocked’ in school.

• Pupils have access to a comprehensive programme of careers advice and guidance.

Leaders link with local colleges and employers to provide informational workshops, job fairs and work experience opportunities. At school, staff support pupils in writing personal statements and applications for employment.

• Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their learning, employment and training after they leave school. Highly effective enterprise and employability courses give pupils a good insight into the skills they need to be successful in the world of work. Typically, pupils learn about the importance of reliability, flexibility, innovation and teamwork.
• Pupils say that they always feel safe in school. Those who spoke with the inspector said they feel confident in reporting any concerns to staff, secure in the knowledge that such concerns will be actioned immediately.
• Senior leaders ensure that pupils are safe and looked after well while learning and training with external providers. All placements are risk assessed. Leaders visit providers, and receive regular reports, to make sure that pupils’ personal development and welfare requirements are met.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Staff are exceptionally well trained to manage pupils’ behaviour. All know that inappropriate, disturbing and challenging behaviour can be avoided or significantly reduced. Staff are highly skilled at identifying potential ‘flash points’ during lessons and when pupils are moving around the school. They are expert at anticipating poor behaviour and nipping it in the bud before it escalates.
• During the inspection, most pupils behaved exceptionally well, even though they were acutely aware of the inspector’s presence. The coping strategies pupils have acquired enabled most to talk about their learning and explain what they were learning in English, mathematics and science.
• Pupils treat the school grounds and premises respectfully, move around the school calmly and behave well in class. All classes come together before lessons in the afternoon, this enables the behaviour support coordinator to check that all pupils are present and know where their next lesson is.
• Highly effective procedures are in place which help pupils to manage their own behaviour.

For example, when pupils find it difficult to function in the classroom, they can elect to remove themselves from class and work with the behaviour support coordinator or other members of staff. However, on such occasions, pupils come back into class at the end of lessons and show the teacher their completed work. This practice ensures that no pupil misses out on learning.

• Parents who submitted text messages during the inspection, as well as those who spoke with the inspector, have no concerns about pupils’ behaviour. Representatives from placing authorities say the school is calm and purposeful. Staff and pupils are of the view

that behaviour is good. The school’s own behaviour records, data and information, and other inspection evidence, indicate that behaviour is typically outstanding over time.

• Attendance is good and for some outstanding. As soon as pupils start at the school, their attendance improves dramatically. The practice of collecting pupils from home and care homes in the morning has had a significant impact on reducing absence. In addition, pupils do not want to miss out on school. Parents typically commented that ’My child is very disappointed when it’s getting near the end of term and would come in on the weekend if she could.’
• Some pupils have 100% attendance. They relish rewards available for good attendance, including the headteacher’s award, merits and points, which pupils collect and put towards end-of-term school trips.

 Outcomes for pupils                                                           Good

• Most pupils enter the school with skills and abilities below those typically expected for their age; many have spent extended periods out of school while others have been reluctant to engage in learning in their previous schools. Little or no information is available on the prior performance of some pupils. Soon after starting school, assessments are carried out to establish pupils’ skills and abilities in different areas of learning, including reading, writing, spelling, comprehension and science.
• At the time of the inspection, key stage 4 pupils were involved in taking various examinations, including in English and mathematics. All those who spoke with inspectors said that they felt well prepared. Teachers’ focus on revision and improving pupils’ ‘test stamina’ has paid off, as all pupils completed their test papers.
• Assessments provide an excellent starting point from which senior leaders measure pupils’ progress. Teachers and senior leaders meet regularly to assess pupils’ progress against their personalised targets. Where a pupil is in danger of not making good progress, measures, including specialist interventions, are put in place to prevent pupils from falling behind their peers.
• All pupils at Roselyn House have an EHC plan. The school’s own records show that pupils routinely meet their personal targets, which are usually challenging. They develop strong speaking, listening, reading and calculation skills. In addition, pupils make good progress in a wide range of academic subjects, including science, history, art and various vocational subjects, including food technology and hair and beauty.
• Pupils enjoy history and make good progress in this subject. Pupils learn about British history and political institutions. Some pupils use their own initiative and time to research various aspects of history, as seen in their well-informed and well-presented work on Nazi Germany during World War Two and the horror of the concentration camps in Poland.

However, pupils’ writing, grammar, punctuation and spelling skills are not as well developed as they could be. As a result, occasionally, pupils’ written work lacks clarity.

• Pupils’ who met with the inspector stated that they enjoy science, ‘Because of the experiments.’ Books show that pupils regularly engage in investigative activities, including establishing the amount of energy contained in different foodstuffs and exploring kinetic energy, as generated through various human activities such as running and jumping.

• Good mathematics teaching ensures strong progress in this subject. Workbooks indicate that pupils are developing their fluency in using different number operations. In Years 10 and 11, pupils calculate range, mode, median and mean of given numbers correctly, and have good problem-solving skills. For example, pupils in key stage 4 have a good understanding of probability theory, which they apply to the likelihood of different football teams winning the Premier League Cup.
• Pupils make outstanding progress in subjects such as photography, as seen in the expertly photographed plants, animals, people and places in pupils’ portfolios. Pupils’ artwork is of a high standard, as evident in their well-crafted ‘pop art’ in the style of David Hockney and Roy Lichtenstein. Outcomes in these areas, including at GCSE level, are high.
• At the end of Years 10 and 11 in 2018, pupils acquired a range of qualifications, including GCSEs in science, art, psychology and health and social care. Pupils who took GCSEs in English and mathematics also took functional skills examinations. Pupils also took many NCFE (Northern Council for Further Education) qualifications, including in music, sports, hair and beauty and childcare.
• Pupils study for other BTEC (Business and Technology Education Council) and NVQ (Assessment and Qualifications Alliance) qualifications. Pupils also participate in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme. Staff from Roselyn House were recently invited to Buckingham Palace to receive their Duke of Edinburgh Licensed Organisation award in recognition of pupils’ achievement.
• When pupils leave school, they are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning.

Almost all who left school at the end of Year 11 in 2018 either joined the sixth form or went to college to pursue vocational courses.

 Sixth form provision                                                           Good

• All aspects of provision in the sixth form, including teaching and learning and leadership and management, are good. At the time of the inspection, sixth-form students were either taking examinations or engaged in off-site vocational activities.
• The main aims of the sixth form, called the RHISE centre (Roselyn House Individual Support Education), include preparing students for GCSEs, helping them to learn how to manage their own behaviour and building their confidence. In addition, all students develop work-based learning skills in colleges and vocational centres.
• Students learn in an attractive environment, which celebrates their achievements in various displays and provides space for them to socialise. They play console games and learn the skills of taking turns, competing with others and following rules through playing traditional board games.
• Students in the sixth form benefit from the same good teaching as in Roselyn House and have the same teachers as their peers. Students’ workbooks indicate that students make strong progress in a range of subjects.
• Students benefit from a personalised, engaging curriculum. When at the RHISE centre, almost all pupils learn on a one-to-one basis. As such, learning programmes are unique to each student. Pupils study mathematics, English and science and opt for a range of

additional subjects which include self-defence, information and communication technology, swimming, fishing, crafts, science, PE, art, horse riding and DJ-ing.

• All students follow vocational pathways which include hair and beauty, construction, motor vehicle engineering and animal care. Pupils’ workbooks and folders show that they make strong progress to acquire strong calculation skills. Their writing, grammar, punctuation and spelling skills are developing well.
• Most students take care with the presentation of their written work. This is evident in their employability skills assessment folders, which contain well-written texts on subjects such as developing enterprise skills, responding to job descriptions, ‘work mindset’ and accountability at work. Pupils put their good information and communication technology skills into practise, as shown in well-researched pieces of work on the achievements of entrepreneurs such as Lord Alan Sugar and Oprah Winfrey.
• Pupils’ attainment is good. Pupils acquire qualifications through a range of organisations and accrediting bodies, including the NCFE, AQA and BTEC. At the end of the academic year in 2018, students gained a range of qualifications, including in photography, occupational studies, skills for learning and employment, construction, equine studies and art and animation. In addition, pupils were successful in acquiring a range of GCSE qualifications, including in English and mathematics.
• The same stringent safeguarding policies and procedures in operation in Roselyn House are fully implemented in the RHISE centre. Similarly, leaders ensure that students’ personal development and welfare requirements are met when they are learning and training with alternative providers.

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, 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.

10 to 19 Mixed Mixed 39

7

None

Kirsty Willacy and Sharon Damerall Sharon Damerall

£23,310 to £37,695 01772 435948

www.roselynhouseschool.co.uk/ office@roselynhouseschool.co.uk 6–8 December 2016

Information about this school

• Roselyn House School is located in a residential area on the outskirts of Leyland. The school aims to ‘… provide anxious, diffident learners with a supportive environment where specific individual learning programmes are used to re-integrate students back into successful and meaningful education.’
• The headteacher and deputy headteacher are also the proprietors. The school does not have a governing body. The school has expanded considerably since the previous inspection, almost doubling in size. Almost half of all staff, including several teachers and

teaching assistants, are new to the school. The senior leadership team has been reorganised to include additional leaders responsible for areas including assessment and pastoral support.

• The school caters for 40 pupils and students, all of whom have special educational needs and/or disabilities, including: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, Asperger’s and autistic spectrum disorders, mental health disorders and attachment disorder.
• Key stage 2, 3 and 4 pupils are educated at the school’s main site, Roselyn House. A smaller group of post-16 students are educated at the sixth form RHISE centre, which is situated in Leyland. At the time of the inspection, key stage 4 pupils were taking examinations, and this limited observations. No observations were made in the RHISE centre as all students were either taking examinations or engaged in off-site vocational activities.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage and none speak English as an additional language. All pupils have an EHC plan.
• Classes are small, containing between two and seven pupils. Almost all students at the RHISE centre are taught on a one-to-one basis. Vocational learning is a core part of the curriculum for most pupils and for all students in the RHISE centre. At the time of the inspection, the school was working with a wide range of alternative providers, including Preston Vocational College, Sound Skills (performing arts), Equwise, Horse Power (horse riding and animal care) and Cast (fishing and other activities).

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed learning in a range of subjects, including English, science, hair and beauty and mathematics. Pupils’ work and assessment folders were scrutinised during observations and separately. The inspector was accompanied by the headteacher on one observation.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher and deputy headteacher and senior leaders, including those responsible for assessment, behaviour and attendance. The inspector met with a group of staff and a group of pupils and held informal discussions with pupils and students throughout the course of the inspection.
• The inspector took account of 23 staff and 8 pupil responses to questionnaires completed during the inspection. The inspector read six text messages submitted by parents and held several phone calls with parents and representatives from local authorities. There were too few responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, to be considered.
• The inspector examined a range of documentary evidence. This included pupils’ EHC plans, checks on the quality of teaching and teachers’ performance, and safeguarding documentation, including risk assessments. In addition, the inspector scrutinised the school’s development plans and reviews of its own performance.
• The inspector checked various records of pupils’ achievement, attendance and behaviour and the school’s records and checks on the suitability of staff to work with children.

Inspection team

 Lenford White, lead inspector                        Ofsted Inspector