International School of London (Surrey) Limited

International School of London (Surrey) 182 Old Woking Road, Woking GU22 8HY

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding Outcomes for pupils Good Early years provision Outstanding Sixth form provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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This is a good school

 The Principal, ably supported by other senior leaders, is taking effective action to provide the best possible all-round education for pupils.  Teaching is good; lessons are well planned to interest pupils and meet their learning needs. As a result pupils make good progress and almost all achieve at least the level typical for their age.  Pupils’ first languages are integrated seamlessly into daily lessons. The school recognises the importance of pupils retaining and developing their own language. Pupils are well prepared for their future education, wherever it may be.  The international curriculum meets pupils’ needs well. Pupils develop good critical thinking skills and are given a broad and balanced experience.  Personal development, behaviour and welfare are supported very well through the curriculum and high- quality pastoral care and family support.  Pupil voice is encouraged effectively. Through the

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This is a good school

new student government, pupils follow a democratic process to make important decisions about their school and education.  The early years provides outstanding care and education for children; they settle well and make rapid progress.  The new sixth form provision meets learners’ needs well. Teaching is good and the curriculum is well planned to ensure learners are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment.  The school meets all the independent school standards.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Leaders’ analysis of progress for classes and groups of pupils is not always as rigorous as it could be.  Processes for reviewing staff performance are not fully embedded.  Some teachers do not adapt activities quickly enough to meet pupils’ precise learning needs. This means a few pupils do not make quite as much progress as they could.  Careers guidance is not yet fully established.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Analyse the progress of classes and groups of pupils more rigorously so that any which are not making as much progress as possible are identified quickly and action is taken.  Fully embed processes for reviewing staff performance, so individual staff know how they can be even more effective in their roles.  Ensure teaching is consistently good or outstanding by making sure teachers adapt activities to meet pupils’ specific learning needs.  Further develop the careers guidance offered to pupils, so that they gain a broad understanding of all the options available to them.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The Principal is committed to ensuring all pupils become successful, well-rounded and confident people, who have the skills to adapt to different countries, cultures and schools. As he has only been in post one term, many of his changes are in the early stages, but he has already had a significant and positive impact on staff and pupils alike.  Working closely with the UK director, who also joined the school last year, and the head of primary, the Principal has brought rigour and energy into the school. Staff are empowered to be creative and take risks in their teaching. This has led to staff working effectively together to develop their expertise. An example of this is the ‘professional learning groups’. Teachers research areas of interest and work with a group to improve practice; current projects include deepening pupils’ thinking and linking art to science.  Leaders’ checks on teaching identify specific areas for improvement, which are then followed up to ensure

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

improvements have been made. Leaders take difficult decisions, when required, to ensure that all teaching is at least good.  Leaders meet regularly with teachers to review individual pupils’ progress. Checks on groups of children and classes are not quite as rigorous. This means that the few classes and groups of pupils who are not making as much progress as they could are not picked up quickly enough.  Middle leaders, although new to their roles, have made a very good start. They check teachers’ plans, support them to improve their practice and review pupils’ work in books. The principal recognises the necessity of them checking teaching, which is planned to begin this term.  The international curriculum meets pupils’ needs very well. It is adaptable to take account of current affairs and new information. The primary curriculum explores subjects through a chosen topic. Initially teachers lead the learning, but pupils quickly identify the areas that are of interest to them. This means

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

pupils are motivated to learn and have good opportunities to practise their skills across the curriculum, for example in computing and writing.  Since January a student government has been elected. They lead school assemblies and put proposals forward for pupils from Years 5 upwards to consider. As a result of these opportunities pupils learn about British values, such as democracy and justice. They learn about tolerance and respect, and demonstrate these well because teachers skilfully lead discussions and reflections on topical issues, many of which relate to pupils’ home countries.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is developed very well. Pupils celebrate religious festivals from a range of religions and the school has recently introduced mindfulness, which encourages pupils to be calm and manage stress.  Pupils learn how to be effective citizens extremely well. Through ‘service learning’, which is woven

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

through the curriculum, they consider how they can support the community, be it school, locally or wider. In the early years children elected to base their service project on litter. They reviewed where litter was most commonly dropped, agreed a new bin was required and raised funds for the bin. Further up the school, Year 5 pupils have reflected on what it means to be lonely and who might be lonely. They are planning to visit a local care home and spend time talking to the residents.  Leaders ensure all pupils whose first language is not English undertake lessons in their own language.  The school promotes equal opportunities well. All pupils are supported to achieve well and appropriate support is put in place for anyone who cannot work independently.  The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The governance of the school The proprietor holds a teleconference meeting each week with the UK director, to review school issues and identify current priorities. He knows the school well and is clear about the issues leaders face. He holds them to account well and asks challenging questions. The proprietor has a good understanding of the curriculum and finances. Rigorous processes are in place to manage the accounts and ensure the financial viability of the school. The proprietor accurately identifies that the school is good and is clear what needs to be done to improve further.  The arrangements for safeguarding are rigorous and effective. Staff details are recorded in appropriate detail and the appropriate checks are in place. Risk assessments are carried out for all activities and visits to ensure pupils are safe whatever they are doing. To ensure best practice, leaders engage health and safety advisers to check the site is safe and secure.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching across the school is good because teachers assess what pupils already know and plan the next lessons based on this information. Lessons are interesting and, for pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2, they provide opportunities to work together.  Reading is taught very well, both in pupils’ first languages and in English. Phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) is taught very carefully at the appropriate stage in pupils’ language development so that it adds to pupils’ reading ability very effectively.  First language teaching is very good. All teachers follow the same learning objective and activity. When inspectors walked from lesson to lesson, each teacher was identifying elements of a text in the pupils’ first language. There were opportunities for all pupils to read and discuss their answers.  Writing is taught well across the curriculum. Pupils develop good skills during the time they are in the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

school. However, a few teachers do not analyse exactly what each child needs to do to improve so, on occasions, pupils do not learn as much as they could.  Mathematics is planned appropriately to broadly meet pupils’ learning needs. It is taught effectively using practical equipment and showing one or two examples. However, in a few lessons, when activities are not quite at the right level, teachers do not adapt them quickly enough, so pupils occasionally do not make as much progress as they could. In a Key Stage 3 lesson, pupils identified statistics, then explored how they should be used to good effect. The pupils were very keen to share their own examples and were clear about the potential challenges of statistics being used out of context.  Teaching assistants provide good support. They help individuals and groups in class with their learning, rather than simply helping them complete tasks.  In Key Stages 1 and 2, subjects such as drama and music are taught well by specialist teachers. Lessons

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

are carefully linked to the topics pupils are learning in class.  In Key Stage 3 teachers know their subjects very well. Secondary lessons follow the expectations for the curriculum and are planned according to pupils’ needs. Visual arts are a particular strength, with many pupils producing very high-quality work using a range of approaches.  Teaching of pupils with special educational needs is very good. Any pupils with an identified learning need are provided with regular and effective support to help them to catch up as quickly as possible.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. The school provides high-quality, personalised support for new pupils when they arrive. This continues during their time at the school, so pupils develop confidence, independence, high self-esteem and the ability to be adaptable. This means pupils are better able to manage the challenges they encounter when they next move school and country.  The pastoral care provided for pupils is also extended to their families. Staff recognise the potential isolation newly arrived families might experience. They therefore provide opportunities for parents to come into school for social events and learning, so they can develop their own community links and feel more settled.  Pupils learn effective skills for keeping themselves safe. Through the curriculum they learn many aspects of health and safety, such as being safe online and the dangers of drug misuse. Pupils are confident that,

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Personal development and welfare

because they are encouraged to speak out when they are concerned, they are able to keep themselves safe in a range of situations.  Pupils are encouraged to discuss their cultural differences and acknowledge that some of them may come from countries which are in conflict. By the school recognising and managing this carefully, pupils are very accepting of each other as individuals and treat each other with care and respect.  Attendance is well above average, reflecting pupils’ love of school and their enjoyment of learning.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils regulate their own behaviour with very little intervention from adults. Pupils recognise that they are responsible for themselves and display maturity in the way they manage themselves. This is particularly evident in lessons, when pupils contribute their own ideas appropriately and are keen to hear others’.  In lessons and around the school pupils conduct themselves well. Pupils display good manners towards each other and adults.  Pupils strongly believe that there is no bullying and the school’s behaviour records support this.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Leaders rightly consider the development of personal attributes to be as important as that of reading, writing and mathematics. This is because the pupils they serve need a range of skills to be able to be successful in moving from one country to another. In these areas, as well as academic subjects, pupils make good progress and achieve well.  Pupils make very good progress in reading across the school and in phonics at Key Stage 1 and lower Key Stage 2. The school sensibly recognises that reading in English and in pupils’ first languages is essential to their success. Teachers identify what each pupil needs when they join the school and decide the best approach, depending on age and expertise in both English and their own language. They skilfully incorporate appropriate phonics teaching to ensure that all pupils make very good progress in their reading skills.  Pupils achieve well in writing in all key stages. All pupils reach the expected levels for their age and some

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Outcomes for pupils are good

achieve better than expected. Their presentation is not always of a consistently high standard, although this improves in Key Stage 3; in Key Stage 2 it reflects the variability in expectations of individual teachers.  Pupils achieve well in mathematics across the school. On occasions, in Key Stage 2, teachers focus too much on the method to solve a problem, rather than making sure pupils fully understand the concepts involved. This means that learning slows for a few pupils while they get to grips with what they are being taught. However, in Key Stages 1 and 3, teachers make sure pupils have a deep understanding of mathematical concepts.  In physical education lessons, pupils learn a broad range of skills, working with a specialist teacher who knows the subject well. However, due to the small number of pupils in each class, they do not have the chance to participate in competitive games.  Pupils achieve well in other subjects, such as history, geography and science. This is because teachers

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Outcomes for pupils are good

know their subjects and the curriculum is very well designed to link subjects skilfully together, while being able to incorporate current issues.

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Early years provision is outstanding

 The three classes in the early years provide excellent care and education. Two and three year olds in the nursery settle quickly and adapt well to the simple routines. Activities are practical and fun, such as playing with mud or singing rhymes.  In the older classes, activities are extremely interesting and enjoyable. Children are encouraged to explore different activities very effectively. Adults support learning very well, asking open questions and encouraging children to explain what they think.  Teachers and other adults assess accurately the skills and understanding each child needs to develop and plan appropriate activities to meet their needs. During lessons progress is reviewed regularly and activities adapted skilfully to take account of what the children can and cannot do.  Staff in the early years take very good care of the children. They rigorously follow the processes for keeping children safe.

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Early years provision is outstanding

 Although many children have good skills in their own language, the majority learn English as an additional language. By the end of the early years, the majority make very good progress in all areas and achieve a good level of development, which is broadly the same as the national figure. Pupils are well prepared for Year 1. Staff from early years ensure Year 1 staff understand the children’s needs well.  The early years leader analyses the progress of individuals and groups of pupils thoroughly. Where groups do not make enough progress, she takes appropriate action. For example, in one year group, boys made less progress than girls. To tackle this, she reviewed the curriculum, carried out research and has since amended the topics to include more activities and subjects to motivate boys. This is helping boys to make better progress.

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Sixth form provision is good

 This is the first year the school has offered a sixth form curriculum. In line with the rest of the school, it runs an international curriculum. This covers all subject areas and includes the theory of knowledge, which encourages learners to reflect on how they know what they know.  Teachers know their subjects well. As yet, there are no final outcomes from the course, but pupils’ work shows they are making good progress. Leaders’ expectations of what learners should achieve by the end of the course are high.  The course leader has taken account of learners’ needs well and a range of options have been offered to accommodate their interests and future career choices. Discussions have taken place to support learners’ choices, but careers guidance is in the early stages.

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School details

Unique reference number 125439 Inspection number 10010757 DfE registration number 936/6559 This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school. Type of school All-age international day school School status Independent school Age range of pupils 2–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 248 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 6 Number of part-time pupils 17 Proprietor International Community College Limited Chair Nadim Makarem Principal Richard Parker Annual fees (day pupils) £17,700–£21,900 Telephone number 01483 750409 Website www.islsurrey.org Email address admin@islsurrey.org Date of previous inspection 16–17 May 2012

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Information about this school

 This school is an independent co-educational day school. It is registered for pupils from two to 18.  The school serves the needs of locally based international families. The majority of pupils attend for a few years, before moving to another international school abroad.  The school is under the same ownership and works closely with the sister school in London, under the leadership of the UK director, who reports to the proprietor.  The school offers an international programme of education: International Primary Curriculum, International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme and the International Baccalaureate Diploma, of which it is in the first year.  A significant number of pupils on roll speak English as an additional language.  The UK director took up his role in April 2015 and the Principal joined the school in August 2015.  To accommodate secondary pupils better, the school has planning permission to build a substantial

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Information about this school

extension to the school and is starting the first phase imminently.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 15 lessons, of which seven were joint observations with the Principal and head of primary. Inspectors also made some shorter visits to classes, listened to pupils reading and looked at pupils’ work in books and electronic files, and on display.  Meetings were held with the Principal, head of primary, UK director, other leaders, teachers and the student government made of up of pupils from Years 4 and 11. Inspectors also held a Skype conversation with the managing director.  Inspectors took account of parents’ views through 56 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and informal discussions.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of school documentation, including the school’s information on pupils’ progress, the school improvement plan, notes of meetings and documents related to safeguarding.  The lead inspector was present on all three days of the inspection. She was joined by a team inspector on

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Information about this inspection

day two and a different team inspector on day three.

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Inspection team

Louise Adams, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Caroline Dulon Her Majesty’s Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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