Kestrel House School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Kestrel House School 104 Crouch Hill, Crouch End, London N8 9EA

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a) and 7(b)  At the time of the emergency inspection in September 2016, leaders had not ensured that staff had a secure understanding of different types of safeguarding concerns, including radicalisation and sexual exploitation. Leaders had not checked that the safeguarding training offered to staff had been effective. The school’s work to support parents in keeping their children safe was limited. Leaders had not ensured that all the required checks were completed on the suitability of staff to work with children.  Leaders have successfully carried out a series of appropriate actions to address these failings, as identified in their action plan. All staff have completed training in the ‘Prevent’ duty to combat radicalisation and extremism. In January 2017, an external consultant delivered training to all staff on this and other relevant issues such as female genital

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Main inspection findings

mutilation, child sexual exploitation, forced marriage and child trafficking.  Leaders have increased the time spent on refresher training and the checking of staff members’ knowledge and understanding, predominantly through the use of quizzes. Staff confirmed to the inspector that leaders are facilitating a vigilant safeguarding culture of ‘it could happen here’.  Parents have been provided with relevant safeguarding information, including, as examples, the risks of radicalisation and extremism, use of video games and specific safeguarding advice in relation to children with autism spectrum disorder. Safeguarding matters also now feature in the school’s newsletters for parents.  The school’s safeguarding policy, available online, continues to have regard for the latest statutory guidance, ‘Keeping children safe in education’, September 2016.  Leaders have addressed the failings with regard to checks on the suitability of staff.

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Main inspection findings

 The standard is now met. Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraphs 18(2), 18(2)(b), 21(1), 21(3) and 21(3)(b)  At the time of the emergency inspection, leaders had not ensured that all the required checks on the suitability of staff had been completed. In particular, they had not checked whether members of the teaching staff, regardless of whether or not the person was a qualified teacher, were subject to a prohibition order. As a result, the school’s register of pre-employment checks on staff was incomplete.  Leaders have successfully carried out the relevant checks on staff members, as identified in their action plan. These checks have been accurately recorded on the school’s register of pre-employment checks on staff.  The standards are now 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)(c)  The standards relating to leadership and management of the school were not met at the time of the emergency inspection. This was because leaders had not ensured that all the requirements of the independent school standards were met consistently.  The proposed appropriate actions to address the unmet standards have been realised. Leaders have taken the identified failings seriously and rectified them swiftly.  As a result, all the standards checked are now 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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The school now meets the following independent school standards

 Ensure that arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school and such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State (paragraph 7, 7(a) and 7(b)).  Ensure that no 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; [and] ensure such checks are included on the school’s register of checks on staff (paragraphs 18(2), 18(2)(b), 21(1), 21(3) and 21(3)(b)).  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; fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the

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The school now meets the following independent school standards

independent school standards are met consistently; and actively promote the well-being of pupils (paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b) and 34(1)(c)).

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School details

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.

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School details

School status Independent special school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £39,000 to £48,000

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School details

Email address admin@kestrelhouseschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 2–4 February 2016

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Information about this school

 Kestrel House School is an independent special school for pupils with autism spectrum disorder and associated difficulties and conditions.  The school’s previous standard inspection was in February 2016.  The school uses no alternative provision.  The school’s website meets the requirements of the independent school standards.

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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.  The school’s last inspection was an emergency inspection in September 2016. It identified standards that were not met in relation to safeguarding and pre-employment checks on staff. The school drew up an action plan for improvement in response to the report, which was evaluated in November 2016 and judged to be acceptable. It was accepted by the Department for Education (DfE) in January 2017.  This is the school’s first progress monitoring inspection and was conducted without notice.  The inspector was asked to focus on particular requirements contained within parts 3, 4 and 8 of the independent school standards. He met with the headteacher, safeguarding

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Information about this inspection

leaders and the human resources administrator. He reviewed relevant documentation in relation to safeguarding and pre-employment checks on staff. He toured the premises, met pupils and spoke separately with a teacher and a learning support assistant.  There were no responses to the Ofsted online survey (Parent View) at the time of the inspection.

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Inspection team

James Waite, lead inspector 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

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.

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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 visitwww.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.

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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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