St Christopher's School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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St Christopher’s School 19 October 2016 48 New Dover Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 3DT

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a) and 7(b)  Leaders have galvanised staff in their determination to bring about improvement. They have responded positively to the findings of the previous monitoring inspection so that the school now has effective arrangements in place to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils.  Strong relationships between staff and pupils, and between the pupils themselves, underpin the now strong safeguarding ethos of the school.  The school works effectively with other agencies to protect children. Leaders have formed a helpful relationship with a local authority safeguarding adviser to help them improve this vital area of the school’s work. Leaders value the support this affords.  The school’s safeguarding policy is published online. School leaders have already taken account of the most recent government legislation published in September, particularly in their duty to promote the welfare of pupils. This guidance has been

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Main inspection findings

used to inform all policies linked to safeguarding, such as the school’s risk assessment policy.  The school maintains detailed records about staff, in line with statutory requirements. Appropriate checks are carried out to ensure that staff who work with pupils are suitable and have a thorough understanding of their responsibilities for keeping pupils safe.  Staff receive appropriate training to enable them to carry out their roles. Training is recorded carefully. Some training is delivered by the local authority. Staff members’ knowledge, skills and understanding in relation to specific safeguarding issues such as female genital mutilation, child sexual exploitation and the use of physical restraint are now secure.  Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the school and the support and guidance they receive from leaders. Many state that they love working at the school and are excited for the future. They feel part of the school’s own journey of improvement.

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Main inspection findings

 Leaders have fostered an open culture of vigilance to safeguarding practice. Staff understand their responsibility to keep children safe from harm. They know in detail what to do if a child makes a safeguarding disclosure to them. Staff say that they feel comfortable and confident to share concerns relating to pupils and colleagues. They know what actions to take should safeguarding concerns relate to the designated safeguarding lead or the headteacher.  A code of practice is in place for all staff which outlines the high standards of behaviour expected from them. Staff are certain about their own responsibilities with regard to their use of technology, including the use of social media, and not to use personal email addresses to contact parents or pupils. These expectations are set out very clearly in the staff handbook which all staff receive during their induction.  Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe. For example, pupils understand how to

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Main inspection findings

keep themselves protected from harm when they are using the internet. The school monitors pupils when they are online and has installed an appropriate filter to minimise the risk of unwanted material being accessible to pupils.  Pupils’ learning is enriched by visitors to the school, such as the NSPCC, who talk to pupils in assembly and as individual year groups. Pupils spoke eloquently to the inspector about their own understanding of different forms of bullying. They are adamant that behaviour at the school is very good and that any issues are sorted out quickly by staff.  Pupils feel that they are listened to and their opinions matter. For example, pupils told the inspector about the ‘worry boxes’ that are placed around the school for pupils to tell staff if they are concerned or upset about anything. Pupils said that these concerns are always responded to by staff and resolved.  Leaders have made sure that pupils know about external agencies that are available

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Main inspection findings

to support them, such as ChildLine. Posters are displayed throughout the school, including in the pupils’ toilets.  The school supports pupils’ personal growth. Pupils enthusiastically told the inspector of the many ways that the school has made a difference to their lives. They aspire to be successful and talk reflectively about how the school has given them a good education and desire to learn from an early age, which has equipped them well for the future.  School leaders promote good attendance. They communicate this expectation to parents and pupils. Consequently, school attendance is exceptionally high. Leaders pursue any concerns that they have regarding pupils’ attendance. Therefore, on the very few occasions when pupils have too many days off school, it is quickly addressed.  The entrance to the school is secure and controlled through electronic access. Staff are expected to challenge anyone without identification. Pupils say that they would

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Main inspection findings

tell a member of staff if they saw someone they did not know who was not wearing a visitor’s badge.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraph 16  The school’s risk assessment policy is to be read in conjunction with its health and safety policy. The policy provides clear guidance relating to control measures and evaluation of whether a level of risk is acceptable.  Risk assessments clearly identify strategies to manage and reduce risk, including proactive interventions. This demonstrates significant improvement since the last inspection. Records are revised continuously due to staff members’ increased understanding of the importance of dynamic risk assessment in response to changing hazards.  The health and safety lead on the school’s advisory board has extensive professional experience to offer to the school and uses this highly effectively to support the school’s leader in this area. Consequently, the school checks that risk assessments are in place and scrutinises them to ensure that risks are reduced. This level of scrutiny extends to all aspects of health and safety throughout the school.

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Main inspection findings

 Leaders undertake careful analysis of information available to them, such as accident reports, to make changes and minimise the likelihood of a repetition of an accident.  The school undertakes the appropriate checks of the school grounds and premises, including of fire safety equipment.  All standards that were checked in this part of the independent school standards are met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b) and 34(1)  The quality and impact of the school’s leadership and management skills are effective. The welfare, health and safety of pupils in areas explored during this inspection show that this aspect of the school’s work has improved vastly since the last inspection.  Leaders strive to protect pupils in their care and have learned from weaknesses identified in the past. Thus, there is a tangible focus on safeguarding that has cascaded throughout the school.  Leaders have clear oversight of safeguarding and monitor how well the school’s procedures and policies are being implemented. Safeguarding is given prominence in the school improvement plan. This plan, in addition to the action plan required by the DfE, is reviewed weekly by leaders to identify next steps. This has greatly assisted the school’s forward momentum.

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Main inspection findings

 The leadership structure has been strengthened by the appointment of a deputy headteacher who has already introduced greater rigour to the school’s policies and practice. Staff adhere consistently to these. Staff state that communication is very effective now; they know precisely what is expected of them and are therefore confident to address any issues relating to welfare, health and safety that may arise.  The designated safeguarding lead has undertaken relevant training to support his role and participates in safeguarding network events. He ensures that staff read and understand the most recent safeguarding legislation and guidance, and provides questionnaires to test them on their understanding. In addition, a deputy designated safeguarding lead is now in place to support him, which strengthens the school’s capacity to protect children from harm.  Leaders have made certain that safeguarding, and health and safety, are given

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Main inspection findings

priority in every staff meeting. For example, staff discuss a range of scenarios to reinforce their understanding and increase their confidence in responding effectively to child protection disclosures.  The school’s website provides a wealth of information to parents relating to safeguarding, and a plethora of links to websites for further information. All safeguarding policies are up to date and available to parents. Leaders have also ensured that parents are aware of how to contact the school’s advisory board directly to raise a complaint or concern.  Leaders have proactively sought ways to work collaboratively with local mainstream primary schools and local independent schools. In particular, this has given the designated safeguarding lead the opportunity to share good practice and strengthen the school’s reporting and recording systems. Leaders plan to continue to build on these beneficial partnerships.

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Main inspection findings

 The school advisory board is having a positive impact on the capacity of the school to continue its forward momentum. They have a wealth of professional knowledge and experience that enables them to fortify leaders’ own expertise. They challenge leaders and hold them to account. They undertake a range of activities, such as learning walks and a safeguarding audit, to explore the strengths and weaknesses of the school’s overall effectiveness so that areas for development can be incorporated into the continuously evolving school improvement plan. In addition, the advisory board has ensured that the views of pupils and staff are strongly taken into account.  Because all of the preceding independent school standards checked in this inspection were met, the standards in Part 8 are also met.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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School details

Unique reference number 118997 DfE registration number 886/6049 Inspection number 10021336 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 Primary school School status Independent school Age range of pupils Three to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 101 Proprietor David and Alison Evans Chair Tony Easter Headteacher David Evans Annual fees (day pupils) £8,595 Telephone number 01227 462 960 Website www.stchristopherscanterbury.org.uk Email address enquiries@stchristopherscanterbury.org.uk Date of previous standard inspection 14–16 October 2014

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Information about this school

 St Christopher’s School is located close to the centre of Canterbury in a large four- storey Victorian semi-detached house.  St Christopher’s School provides non-selective co-educational education for up to 111 pupils, aged from three to 11. There are currently 101 pupils on roll.  No pupils have an education, health and care plan. None are in the care of the local authority. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.  In their final year, the vast majority of pupils take external tests. If pupils achieve sufficiently well in these tests they are able to transfer to local grammar schools.  The school uses local facilities to deliver sports and physical education.  The school was last inspected in January 2016.  The school’s aims are: ‘To give pupils a broad, balanced and liberal education in order that they develop enquiring minds and confidence in themselves, so they appreciate the importance of language, number, the aesthetic and physical areas of

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Information about this school

learning and develop competence in them’.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  This inspection of St Christopher’s School was unannounced. This was the second progress monitoring inspection since the school’s last full inspection in October 2014.  The Department for Education (DfE) served a notice on this school on 30 June 2016, following the last progress monitoring inspection that took place on 26 January 2016. There were seven failures to meet the independent school standards relating to the welfare, health and safety of pupils and the quality of leadership and management of the school. The school submitted an action plan to the DfE in August 2016 and this was accepted.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, and the designated safeguarding lead, with the safeguarding lead from the school advisory board. The inspector also met with the school’s business manager who is also responsible for health and safety, and the personal assistant to the headteacher who is also responsible for maintaining the single central record and undertaking checks to ensure that adults who work at the school are suitable to work with children. The inspector spoke formally to a group of pupils to gather their views about the school. Additionally, the inspector spoke to the chair of the school advisory board by telephone. The inspector scrutinised a range of documentation relating to leadership, and the welfare, health and safety of pupils.

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Inspection team

Abigail Birch, lead inspector 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

Parent View 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. 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 children looked after, 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-

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Inspection team

government-licence , write to the Information Policy 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 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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