Exmouth: The Deaf Academy residential special school 'requires improvement', Ofsted says

The Deaf Academy's residential provision 'requires improvement', according to Ofsted's most recent inspection carried out in October.

The academy has a school for ages five to 16, and a day and residential college for ages 16 and over at its Exmouth site on Douglas Avenue.

Ofsted has a four-tier rating system: inadequate, requires improvement, good, and outstanding. 

Both the Deaf Academy's school and college were rated requires improvement in 2019 and 2022 respectively. Its residential provision was previously rated as good in 2021 before it was downgraded.

Before 2020, The Deaf Academy was known as the Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education and was located on Topsham Road, Exeter.

The vast majority of its students are 'profoundly deaf', a medical classification, and British Sign Language is their first language. Many have additional needs.

The report

Ofsted said the Deaf Academy's residential special school is "not yet delivering good help and care for students and young people", but there are "no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted".

Staff are reportedly "adjusting to an increase in the numbers and needs of students" staying in residential accommodation, with leaders feeling that the academy is still recovering from the impact of COVID-19.

The education watchdog noted that students are "happy and live in bright, modern accommodation which is kept to a high standard" and have their own bedrooms which are "warm and personalised". However, monitoring of student's diets "is not consistent or properly recorded".

Ofsted also said that staff and students have "respectful and trusting relationships with each other", which helps students manage their own behaviour, but means staff are not aware that filters on computers are "insufficient to block some unsuitable content" and that staff "do not hold a clear record of the whereabouts of each students [when] they leave the accommodation".

To improve, the watchdog said school leaders should ensure enough staff are deployed, the diets of all students are monitored, and that arrangements "to safeguard and promote the welfare of students, including in relation to online safety, have regard to internal policies and 'Keeping Students Safe in Education 2022'."

'We are committed to returning to our 'good' rating' - The Deaf Academy Principal

Commenting on the report, Principal of The Deaf Academy Sylvan Dewing said: "Whilst it was disappointing to receive a rating of 'requires improvement to be good' for our residential provision at the academy the Ofsted inspectors highlighted many positive outcomes for students and how well they are supported by staff.

"I'm delighted that the inspectors recognised the excellent work of our staff in supporting students in residential care and focusing on helping them find their deaf identity and gaining the skills our students need to live independently.

 "We have reviewed the small number of areas for improvement from the inspectors' findings and have updated our overall quality improvement plan to include the issues identified. We are committed to returning to our 'good' rating for our residential accommodation at the next inspection in 2023.

"As noted in the report, and as with all schools and colleges across the UK, we are still recovering from the impact of the pandemic and the affect this has had on our staff. I would like to thank them and our teams for the help and support they have provided to each other to ensure they continue to provide the best care and teaching that they can to our students."

Click here to read the Ofsted report.