Life In London Uk

Life in London UK 32 Clyde Terrace, Forest Hill, London SE23 3BA

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Reason for the inspection

 This inspection was conducted by Ofsted at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. It was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. 1 The inspection focused on the independent school standards: Part 3, Welfare, health and safety of pupils, Part 4, Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors and Part 8, Quality of leadership in and management of schools.  Inspectors held meetings with members of staff, who in the absence of the proprietor, currently lead and manage the school. A number of school documents were examined. These included records relating to safeguarding, and health and safety policies and procedures. Inspectors conducted a tour of the premises and met with pupils. The single central record, which records all the relevant checks made on staff, the proprietors and any volunteers, and the school’s admission and attendance registers were scrutinised.

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Main findings

 At the time of the last inspection in November 2015, all of the regulations in Part 3 were met. This present inspection established that the school has up-to-date policies relating to safeguarding. These reflect the latest guidance issued by the Secretary of State. For example, the safeguarding policy was reviewed in September 2015 and the roles and responsibilities of all staff and the designated safeguarding officers are clearly outlined. It is available for parents to access via the school’s website.  The designated safeguarding lead and the three deputy designated safeguarding leads have been appropriately trained. All staff have received training on how to protect pupils from potential dangers, including children missing in education, preventing radicalisation and child sexual exploitation.  However, the safeguarding policy is not implemented effectively. There are significant gaps in safeguarding procedures. Despite the safeguarding policy outlining the appropriate steps to take when

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Main findings

allegations are made against staff or the principal/proprietor, or the requirement to make referrals to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and the local authority designated officer, this guidance has not been followed. This means that pupils’ safety has been seriously compromised.  There are considerable gaps in the vetting of the proprietor and members of staff. The proprietor has no up-to-date enhanced DBS check. Some members of staff have not had additional checks on their suitability to work with children as no references were taken up at the time of their appointment.  Policies relating to the safety and management of behaviour, including the anti-bullying strategies, have been reviewed. There is a clear system for sanctions and rewards.  However, the school does not routinely record behavioural incidents. There is no record of the sanctions imposed on pupils for serious misbehaviour, including exclusions, or the number of physical restraints

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Main findings

used when pupils display challenging behaviour. The school confirmed that this strategy is used regularly.  Moreover, staff do not undertake individual risk assessments of pupils to make sure that the management of behaviour is appropriate, proportionate and tailored to individual needs. The lack of recording and analysis of incidents means that staff are not able to implement the most effective strategies to deal with difficult behaviour or to pre-empt it. Staff have not been trained to deal effectively with challenging behaviour in order to avoid physical confrontation and the use of restraint by defusing situations, for example through de-escalation techniques.

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Main findings

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2008/25/contents Emergency inspection: Life in London UK, 10 May 2016 2 of 6

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Main findings

 Inspectors noted that the school’s behaviour management approach places too much emphasis on sanctions which do not encourage pupils to develop positive self-esteem, self-awareness or self-control. Staff confirm that rewards are not motivating or relevant for older pupils. As a result, the school does not promote good behaviour. This has resulted in undue physical force being used.  The anti-bullying policy provides the framework to prevent most types of bullying, including cyber- and prejudice-based bullying. This policy is not implemented effectively. The school does not log any incidents of bullying, and is not able to say why or how often bullying occurs. As a result, the school is not able to detect or combat bullying in all its different forms.  The school maintains the required attendance and admission registers. The admission register is kept electronically, and printed as required. Parental contact details are recorded, along with all pupils who join

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Main findings

the school. However, the destinations of leavers are not identified. The school does not know if or where 14 pupils are currently being educated. Staff do not follow the advice outlined in their safeguarding policy for children missing in education. As a result, these pupils are potentially at risk of abuse and neglect. The school has not pursued their destinations with a sense of urgency to secure their safety by liaising with the referral organisations.  At the time of the last inspection, all of the regulations relating to checks on staff were met. However, this inspection established that an up-to-date enhanced DBS clearance check was not available for the proprietor, who is also the principal. The school was unable to provide evidence that the required checks for the proprietor had been carried out by the Secretary of State.  Appropriate checks and records are not maintained by the school. No evidence was found at the time of

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Main findings

this inspection of checks on the suitability of staff to work with children, as no references or prohibition checks had been undertaken. Some background checks on staff reveal concerns that have been ignored, with individuals still allowed by the school to work with children. This potentially puts the safety and welfare of pupils at risk. Furthermore, the school was not able to confirm that all staff members were medically fit for work. The school does not meet all the regulations relating to Part 4.  The proprietor and other senior members of staff have failed to make sure that all the independent school standards are met. The proprietor and leaders do not actively promote the well-being of the pupils in the school.  The regulations concerning the quality of leadership and management are therefore not met.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school must take action to meet the requirements of the schedule to The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 and associated requirements:

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 Ensure that arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school (paragraph 7, 7(a)).  Ensure that such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State (paragraph 7(b)).  Ensure that a written behaviour policy is drawn up that, amongst other matters, sets out the sanctions to be adopted in the event of pupil misbehaviour (paragraph 9, 9(a)); that this policy is implemented effectively (paragraph 9(b)); and that a record is kept of the sanctions imposed upon pupils for serious misbehaviour (paragraph 9(c)).  Ensure that bullying at the school is prevented in so far as reasonably practicable, by the drawing up and implementation of an effective anti-bullying strategy (paragraph 10).  Ensure that an admission and attendance register is maintained in accordance with The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 (paragraph 15).

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Part 4. The suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

 Ensure that no such person carries out work, or intends to carry out work, at the school in contravention of a prohibition order, an interim prohibition order, or any direction made under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act, or any disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in either such direction (paragraph 18(2), 18(2)(b)).  Ensure that the proprietor carries out appropriate checks to confirm in respect of each such person (paragraph 18(2)(c)) and the person’s medical fitness (paragraph 18(2)(c)(ii)). Emergency inspection: Life in London UK, 10 May 2016 3 of 6

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Part 4. The suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

 Ensure that the proprietor keeps a register which shows such of the information referred to in sub- paragraphs (3) to (7) as is applicable to the school in question (paragraph 21(1)) and that a check was made to establish whether any member of staff is subject to any direction made under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act or any disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in such a direction (paragraph 21(3), 21(3)(a)(iii)).

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 Ensure that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently (paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a)), fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently (paragraph 34(1)(b)) and actively promote the well-being of pupils (paragraph 34(1)(c)). Emergency inspection: Life in London UK, 10 May 2016 4 of 6

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School details

Unique reference number 141018 Inspection number 10019041 DfE registration number 209/6001

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School details

This inspection was conducted at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. It was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008.

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School details

Type of school Other independent school School status Independent school Age range of pupils 13–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 14 Number of part time pupils N/A Proprietor Perry Peters Headteacher Perry Peters Date of previous school inspection November 2015 Annual fees (day pupils) £23,985 Telephone number 020 3066 1008 Website http://lifeinlondon.org Email address perrypeters@lifeinlondon.org

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Information about this school

 Life in London UK is an independent school which provides education for pupils aged 13 to 16 years who have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Many pupils have complex behavioural, social and emotional needs. Many have failed to succeed in mainstream schools and other specialist establishments.  Most pupils spend up to two years in the school, although many attend for fewer than two years. Some pupils are reintegrated into mainstream schools or move into further education settings.  At the time of this inspection, 12 pupils were on roll; seven pupils were expected to attend school and five were on study leave. Previously, pupils were referred from different schools, local authorities and pupil referral units. However, following recent safeguarding concerns relating to allegations of physical assaults by members of staff, the school believes that two local authorities have recently withdrawn from

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Information about this school

placing pupils in the school.  The school was registered with the Department for Education in June 2014. In November 2015, the first full standard inspection judged the school’s overall effectiveness as requiring improvement. All the independent school standards were met.  At the time of this inspection, the principal, who is also the proprietor, had been suspended from the school as a result of police investigations. In the interim, the school has appointed a small management team to oversee the leadership and management of the school.  The school operates from three sites which are just a few minutes’ walk from each other. One site is for pupils in Years 9 and 10, the second site is for Year 11 pupils and the third site is used for offices.  No pupils have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan. Emergency inspection: Life in London UK, 10 May 2016 5 of 6

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Inspection team

Mary Hinds, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector David Radomsky Ofsted 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

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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