A RESIDENTIAL unit of a school which cares for children with special educational needs has been rated good across the board by Ofsted inspectors.

Lexden Springs Residential Special School, in Winstree Road, Stanway, was inspected by the education watchdog in May. The results of the inspection have now been published.

Inspectors rated the unit, which cares for four students, as good for its effectiveness of leaders and managers, overall experiences and progress of children and how well children are helped and protected.

Residential pupils can board between Monday and Friday for up to four nights - the residential provision opened in October 2020.

The inspectors found the pupils received a well-planned and warm welcome

The report said: “Children enjoy staying at the residential provision. The relationships between the staff and the children are strong, compassionate and established.

“The staff have natural and warm interactions with the children that help the children to feel at ease.

“Consequently, children develop the sense of security and stability that they need to make progress.

“The staff are particularly creative in their approach to gaining children’s views and helping them to communicate. Meaningful alternative communication methods are used to good effect.

“Because of the strength of these approaches, children can begin to express themselves, make themselves understood and make informed choices.

“The staff have natural and warm interactions with the children that help the children to feel at ease.”

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It said the children receive high levels of adult supervision as most children have little understanding of hazards and environmental dangers due to their learning difficulties.

It added: “The residential environment accommodates the children’s specific individual needs and ensures their safety.

“The accommodation balances safety with children’s freedom of movement.”

However, the report said there are two staff members who have not had regular supervision or appraisal of their roles.

“This fails to ensure that staff have one-to-one support to reflect on their personal development and training needs,” it added.

Ofsted has also asked for the school to consider the use of surveillance equipment to ensure it is proportionate and “does not intrude unreasonable on children’s privacy”.