Ofsted boarding inspection report 2010 - Pocklington School

Pocklington School Foundation
Inspection report for boarding school
Unique reference number
Inspection date
Inspector
Type of Inspection
SC055614
10 June 2010
Leonard Hird
Key
Address
Telephone number
Email
Registered person
Head / Principal
Nominated person
Date of last inspection
Pocklington School
West Green
Pocklington
YORK
YO42 2NJ
01759 321200
Pocklington School Trustee Limited
Mark Ronan
13 February 2007

Inspection Report: Pocklington School Foundation,10 June 2010
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About this inspection
The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local
authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection
was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.
This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the
inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcome for
children set out in the Children Act 2004 and relevant National Minimum Standards for the
establishment.
The inspection judgements and what they mean
Outstanding:
Good:
Satisfactory:
Inadequate:
this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality
this aspect of the provision is strong
this aspect of the provision is sound
this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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Service information
Brief description of the service
The school is a long-established co-educational independent day and boarding school with
over 700 day pupils and approximately 120 boarding pupils from across the country as well as
a small number from overseas. Boarders are aged between nine and 18 years of age and nearly
all board full time and are accommodated in five separate and well maintained boarding houses.
The school has a Christian ethos and is located in the centre of a small rural market town near
to a large northern university city.
Summary
All of the key national minimum standards relating to boarding schools in the outcome areas
of Every Child Matters were considered at this announced inspection. The management and
organisation of the school and the boarding houses is good and is offering good leadership
and support to the boarding community. The boarding provision at the school is providing the
pupils with a safe and caring environment that supports their social, emotional and educational
needs. The school is meeting all of the national minimum standards well in all of the outcome
areas and is outstanding in the areas of being healthy and positive contribution. Only one
recommendation has been made relating to the school's nursing team for them to receive
clinical supervision from a named doctor as part of their professional development.
The overall quality rating is good.
This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.
Improvements since the last inspection
At the last full inspection of the school undertaken by the Commission for Social Care Inspection
15 recommendations were made and all of them have been addressed. The school has established
new and effective systems for the monitoring of complaints, working with the Local Safeguarding
Children Board, medication recording, the security of the school site and the management of
the single central register. Governors are now involved in the oversight of boarding and
safeguarding matters. School records are monitored at the appropriate time intervals by senior
staff . Maintenance issues are addressed promptly and regular staff meetings are taking place.
Helping children to be healthy
The provision is outstanding.
The systems in place for the promotion of the health and well-being of boarding pupils are
outstanding. The boarding pupils are encouraged to be healthy and have many opportunities
to take part in a wide range of physical activities. The school's excellent personal social and
health education (PSHE) programme is providing age appropriate guidance to boarding pupils
on matters such as health, substance misuse, and relationships. There are very good levels of
communication occurring between the academic staff and members of the different boarding
houses' staff teams to ensure there are high levels of consistency in addressing delicate matters.
The health care needs of the school and boarding communities are being fully met by the
experienced and well led team of three qualified nurses. Boarding pupils are fully supported
by the school’s nurses and receive general and specialist health care from the local health
services. There are excellent working relationships with the local health centre practice nurse
as well as with the school’s independent counsellor. Clear procedures are followed for the

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management, secure storage and administration of medication and appropriate records are
maintained. Members of the nursing staff team are currently not receiving formal clinical
supervision from a named doctor and this needs to be rectified to help in their professional
development.
When boarding pupils are unwell or require treatment they are cared for by the school's nursing
team in the medical centre and appropriately by members of the boarding staff in the boarding
accommodation. All of the boarding house staff team are first aid trained and have been assessed
by the senior nurse as competent to administer medication. All accidents, minor ailments and
emergency treatments are fully documented and managed in accordance with the parental
permissions maintained on the individual pupil's file.
Boarding pupils have a good, healthy, balanced and nutritious diet which helps in the promotion
of their health and physical well-being. The school has achieved the local authority’s ‘healthy
schools’ status in recognition of the steps it has taken to develop a healthy eating ethos. Menus
are well-planned in conjunction with the boarding pupils, with a wide range of choice available
from the daily menu. This includes a number of different vegetarian options alongside dishes
that reflect the cultural mix of boarding pupils. Any special dietary needs are well catered for
and well documented. Boarding pupils spoke positively about the quality and quantity of food
served and the catering arrangements in general, though some boarders indicated that in their
opinion there could be a better choice of meals made available at teatime and Sunday lunch.
Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe
The provision is good.
Boarding pupils' feel safe at the school and support each other. There is a strong sense of
community and friendship amongst the boarding pupils and this is seen as a particular strength
of their close community. There are effective anti-bullying and complaints policies and
procedures available. Bullying is regarded as unacceptable by the school. Risk assessments,
support and management plans are developed to prevent bullying where necessary. Boarders
report that bullying has taken place but the school and boarding house staff deal with it
appropriately.
The two trained and experienced designated persons with responsibility for safeguarding
matters have developed strong working links with the Local Safeguarding Children Board
(LSCB). Good provision is made for the guidance and training of both staff and governors in
the different aspects of safeguarding. Detailed information is given to parents, staff and
boarding pupils explaining how concerns or complaints will be addressed. Members of staff
confirm that that any concern or complaint will be taken seriously and properly resolved, either
formally or informally. There are a number of systems in place for boarders to complain through,
including suggestion boxes, an open door policy for boarders to speak with any member of
staff and external organisations, such as Childline, and the school's independent counsellor.
Boarders confirm they know how to raise a concern and that they would be listened to and the
issue dealt with appropriately.
Excellent systems are in place to record, monitor and prevent risks to health and safety.
Maintenance issues are priority identified and staff work effectively to ensure boarders are
protected from hazards. Fire and safety equipment is regularly checked, with fire drills held at
different times. Boarding pupils in all of the houses understand the procedures in place and
confirm that regular tests and drills are carried out. Boarders' welfare is protected and

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safeguarded through good security measures. Boarding accommodation is reserved solely for
the use of the boarding community. All boarding areas are appropriately protected by the use
of window restrictors, key pads and locks. Boarding pupils confirm that they feel safe and
secure in their accommodation.
Boarding pupils' privacy is respected by all staff who are sensitive and non-intrusive when
working in the boarding houses. All bathrooms, toilets and showers have suitable locks and are
private. All boarders have a lockable facility in which they can keep their valuables. Boarding
pupils have their own mobile telephones should they need to make or receive a private call.
They can also access landline telephones in each of the boarding houses.
Members of staff receive safeguarding training twice yearly and are aware of the relevant
policies and reporting procedures. All staff working at the school are recruited in full accordance
with the relevant regulations and this confidential information is maintained securely.
Comprehensive records of this recruitment process are maintained thereby ensuring all relevant
checks are in place prior to new staff, governors and volunteers commencing their involvement
with the school.
Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do
The provision is good.
Boarders benefit from good levels of individual support provided by boarding house staff,
pastoral and academic staff. The housemistresses and housemasters play an important role in
the well-being of the boarders, providing a link between the academic and pastoral systems.
In addition, there are numerous other staff readily available to provide support and
encouragement, including an independent counsellor and a nominated governor for welfare.
Boarders know which members of staff they can approach for personal support. Boarders
indicate that they enjoy the support they receive, which is helping in the promotion of the
strong sense of community that exists within their school community.
Boarders' lives are enhanced through the school's commitment to equal opportunities. The
school positively welcomes and celebrates the diversity of its boarders. Good support
arrangements are in place for boarders for whom English is not their first language. All staff
support and promote the integration of the international students. Religious festivals are
celebrated and boarders are supported to observe any elements of their own faith.
Helping children make a positive contribution
The provision is outstanding.
The boarding house staff team work closely with parents, pastoral and academic staff to ensure
that boarding pupils are given all the help and support they require. Boarding pupils confirm
they get on well together and they are treated fairly and equally.
Boarding pupils indicate they are able to influence most of the decisions made relating to
boarding matters and feel informed by staff. They confirm they are consulted about the relevant
matters affecting the boarding provision and are confident that all of the staff team would be
supportive, should they have a worry or problem.
Telephones are available in the boarding houses, allowing for contact with family and friends.
Boarders also use their personal mobile phones or their own email addresses.

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Much care and attention is given to supporting boarding pupils when they first arrive, with a
well-established programme of induction. Boarding staff ensure there is a friendly welcome
and a careful eye is kept upon new boarders so that homesickness does not become a problem.
Achieving economic wellbeing
The provision is good.
Significant improvements have been made to boarding accommodation, with boarding pupils
residing in five houses. There is a recently opened purpose built residential building that provides
individual and shared bedrooms all with en suite facilities for up to 40 boarders. The standard
of accommodation achieved in this building is outstanding. The older boarding houses are
being refurbished to a pleasing and homely standard with the input of the different boarding
groups. There are good levels of security, privacy, toileting and bathing in all of the boarding
houses.
There is a rolling refurbishment programme which is identified in the school's development
plan and all boarding houses are well maintained. The boarding houses are appropriately lit
and suitably furnished. All of the houses have a very good standard of cleanliness due to an
efficient and dedicated team of domestic staff employed by the school.
Organisation
The organisation is good.
The promotion of equality and diversity is good. The boarding community is multi-cultural and
boarding pupils indicate they are treated with care, respect and dignity at all times. Good
support systems exist and a comprehensive range of accessible policies covering equal
opportunities, promoting diversity and non discriminatory practice is in place. All of the boarding
pupils are encouraged to be helpful towards each other whilst living at the school.
The school provides an easy to understand statement of its boarding principles and practices
for parents, boarders and staff. Additionally the boarding provision has its own handbook
welcoming boarders and setting out the expectations of life in the houses. The organisation
and management of the boarding houses is good, with a safe, non-discriminatory and supportive
atmosphere being created for boarders.
There are good recording systems and up-to-date risk assessments in place to ensure the health
and safety of boarders. Action is taken to reduce risks when trends or patterns are identified
by the risk assessment process. The management and monitoring of risk assessments, sanctions,
complaints and accidents is good. Regular meetings occur between the boarding house staff,
academic staff and senior management team to ensure there is a well-planned approach to the
management of the boarding provision.
Boarders enjoy the care provided by an enthusiastic and dedicated boarding house staff team.
The boarding house staff team are experienced, motivated and professional. Staffing levels are
meeting the current needs of the boarders residing at the school. Throughout the inspection,
boarders and staff were observed working together and enjoying each others company.
Relationships were observed as being professional though warm and friendly and there was a
relaxed atmosphere prevailing throughout the inspection. Boarders confirm they know who is
on duty and how to raise assistance, if required. Members of staff receive induction and are
encouraged and supported to access further professional development opportunities. Members

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of staff receive regular appraisal via the school's professional development programme. Boarders
commented positively on the staff at the school and how well they are looked after.
What must be done to secure future improvement?
Statutory requirements
This section sets out the actions, which must be taken so that the registered person meets the
Care Standards Act 2000, and the National Minimum Standards. The Registered Provider must
comply with the given timescales.
Standard
Action
Due date
Recommendations
To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account
of the following recommendation(s):
• ensure designated school nurses have access to a named doctor for professional guidance
and consultation. (breach of national minimum standard 15.4)