Recommendation 23

We also asked the Ministry and HMPPS about their evidence base for secure schools, including their evaluation plans. The Ministry told us that the secure school model is based on international evidence of what works, which it is trying to apply in practice by prioritising investment in staff training.81 However, the National Audit Office reported that Oasis (as the provider) will have autonomy over staff recruitment, training and pay.82 The Ministry also described its first secure school as a ‘pathfinder’; and HMPPS intends to evaluate it and use the findings to feed into scoping the second secure school.83 HMPPS told us that it would draw on existing management information and outcome data—such as data on assault rates, self-harm, use of force and educational outcomes—as part of its evaluation, but it does not yet know how many children it expects to divert from the adult system.84 The National Audit Office reported in April 2022 that HMPPS had yet to develop the plan and secure funding for this evaluation.85 While the Ministry and HMPPS told us that they have decided to start scoping the second secure school this year, they have not started the work.86 72 Q35–Q37 73 Q35 74 Q89 75 Q89 76 Q96 77 Q88 78 Q79, Q89 79 C&AG’s Report, para 1.3 80 Q96–Q97 81 Q22–Q24, Q58–Q59 82 C&AG’s Report, para 3.12 83 Q64–Q66 84 Q40–Q42 85 C&AG’s Report, para 3.5 86 Q65 16 Secure training centres and secure schools