Gloucester House

We continually monitor and evaluate our work. We work with parents/carers and referrers to set achievable and coherent targets and plans for each child and review these termly. We also provide annual outcome monitoring reports for the whole service, which demonstrate:

• Outstanding and good results in narrowing attainment gaps
• Outstanding and good academic outcomes for children with previously poor trajectories
• Positive and sustained progress in children’s emotional wellbeing, mental health and general functioning
• Significant progress in children and families resilience resulting in decreased distress and impact associated with the child’s complex needs
• Good track record of reintegration rates sustained over the last 10 years – around 50% returned to mainstream or specialist day school for learning
• Achieving future long-term placement stability – one year after leaving Gloucester House 82% of children are stable and doing well)
• Positive feedback from stakeholders, parents/carers and children

Outcomes for 2020-2022

Education

Baseline context:

• 100% of pupils were performing below age related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics despite some pupils having reading, spelling and maths ages at or above ARE in standardised tests
• 100% of pupils were well below age related expectations in personal and social development (PSD)
• 100% of pupils were outside of average range in strength and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) data with over 90% being in the high or very high range in terms of their baseline level of difficulties

Overview

• In 2021/22 (data set 14 pupils) 29% have made above expected rates of progress across strands  of the core subjects (English, maths, science) and a further 50 % across aspects of two strands of the core subjects.
• All pupils have made progress over time from baseline to present across the core subjects, some of these improvements are significant.

Reading age data from standardised testing (WIATT II)                     

• 100% of pupils for whom there is more than one data set improved their word reading ability in standardised testing – 70% had a reading age below their actual age at baseline with 75% at or above their reading age at the most recent test (September 2020)

• 10% have improved their reading age steadily year on year, 15% moved from being UTA (unable to assess) to managing test conditions

• There has been very significant progress for 30% of pupils; one pupil improved six years in one year, two pupils four years in one year, two pupils three years in 18 months, one pupil three years in one year.

Spelling age data from standardised testing (WIATT II)

From low baseline (80% below ARE – some significantly below – ranging between four and six years below their actual age):

• 10% have progressed their spelling age steadily year on year – one of these assessed above ARE September 2020
• Some significant progress since baseline – one by three years in a year period, one by four years in two year period, one by four years in a two and a half year period

Mental health and wellbeing

Children’s Global Assessment Scale

CGAS (Children’s Global Assessment Scale 0 -100) used by mental health clinicians to rate the general functioning of children under the age of 18.  CGAS; Joint assessed by class team (teacher, Progress Support workers), case coordinator (clinician) and therapist (if applicable).

An increase in the CGAS figure indicates an improvement in general functioning.

90% of pupils have increased CGAS scores from baseline and 70 % have increased over the past year (2021-2022). This is a good indicator of our positive impact on mental health and wellbeing and reflects the success of our Covid Recovery Curriculum. Comparing our data to national data demonstrates the value and impact of an integrated approach.

Strengths and difficulties questionnaire

The strengths and difficulties questionnaire is an emotional and behavioral screening questionnaire for children and young people. The tool can capture the perspective of children and young people, their parents and teachers. The 25 items in the questionnaire comprise 5 scales of 5 items each.

The questionnaire can be used for various purposes, including clinical assessment, evaluation of outcomes, research and screening. (Child Outcomes Research Consortium CORC)

On admission 94% (n15) of the cohort were in the possible or probable variable for diagnostic indicators of conduct difficulties. Most recent measures indicate that 53% of these are now in the unlikely category. This indicates a significant decrease in oppositional and defiant behaviours with these children now falling within the ordinary range compared with the general population.

The impact rating measures the overall day to day distress and impact for the family of the child’s needs and difficulties. It is a measure of both how the child is presenting but also how equipped, supported and able the parents and carers feel they are to manage. 63% of families at Gloucester House reported a decrease in the impact score and 25% of families reported it as stable.

Exit data

• Of the six pupils that left during 2020-2021, three of them (50%) have successfully reintegrated to mainstream secondary schools.
• For 5/6 of the leavers in 2021 (83%) they had made significant progress in reading over time. One made 8 years of progress in 5 years and one 8 years in 3 years. The progress was steady over time. Another pupil with significant identified learning needs made 5 years progress in 4 years.
• For 5/6 of the leavers in 2021 (83%) they had made steady progress in spelling over time.

What do children and families think?

We meet regularly with parents/carers and gather their views. Parents/carers have positive views of the provision. This is evidenced by questionnaires completed bi-annually.  

What do Ofsted think?

Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. It inspects services providing education and skills for learners of all ages. It also inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

Ofsted graded our school against their scale of 1-4 to represent ‘outstanding’, ‘good’, ‘adequate’ and ‘inadequate’.

In November 2022 we achieved a grading of ‘Good’ with outstanding features (behaviour and attitudes).

Ofsted commented:

• Leaders ensure that staff have the right expertise to meet pupils’ different needs.
• The team includes a range of knowledgeable professionals. Right from the start, these teams work with parents and carers and external specialists to identify pupils’ needs. This leads to a clear and shared understanding of what support each pupil needs and when.
• Leaders make sure that the academic curriculum meets each pupil’s stage of development.
• Pupils receive targeted support by teachers and support staff.
• Staff structure lessons in a way that allows pupils to manage and succeed.
• Staff use different activities skilfully to build up pupils’ knowledge and understanding. For example, they use strategies such as memory games to aid recall of knowledge.
• Older pupils showed empathy for others in their discussions about the rights of LGBTQ+ people.
• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Challenge Partners’ quality assurance review

Challenge Partners is a charity whose goal is to reduce educational inequality and improve the life chances of all children. Through collaboration, challenge and professional development they work to ensure every school community can benefit from the combined wisdom of the whole system.

Challenge Partners is supported by the Social Business Trust, a charity that supports effective social enterprises to scale up their impact, through their partner organisations: Bain & Company, British Gas, Clifford Chance, Credit Suisse, EY, Permira and Thomson Reuters.

 Challenge Partners Review commented:

• Staff work in a highly collaborative manner. Lessons are designed to engage pupils and staff creatively present learning in meaningful, relevant and experiential ways, for example, through pupils’ regular horticultural sessions.
• Pupils and staff have a very positive rapport with each other. There is a high level of relational attunement and a great sense of empathic understanding supporting pupils to become ready for learning.
• Each classroom is a calm, well-organised, oasis of learning. Interactions are positive and staff are highly skilled in positively engaging pupils in their learning through praise, encouragement and being highly sensitive to pupils’ emotions and feelings.
• The therapy and clinical staff  have an excellent understanding of education and how their work will impact pupils and the learning environment.
• Staff enable pupils to develop their choice making and confidence and to take appropriate risks and develop/plan for their independence; staff regularly enable pupils to demonstrate their skills, learning and achievements.
• Leaders and staff have adapted and developed learning environments to maximise learning.
• There is a firm focus on literacy and reading skills, recognising the importance of this for every pupil in accessing the whole curriculum.
• The school excels at supporting pupils to be able to become aware of and appropriately express their emotions and develop self-esteem.
• The school uses an effective, three part ‘carousel’ planning document.
• Pupils are happy to be in school and are well supported in all environments.
• Teachers adapt resources effectively to support specific pupil needs and learning styles.
• Staff access a range of professional development opportunities that are enhancing the delivery of literacy and mathematics.
• There is a wide range of planned opportunities for all pupils to practise and use their developing communication and social skills out in the community to develop their independence and life skills.
• Pupil transition on leaving Gloucester House is thorough.

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