Felixstowe International College

Felixstowe International College Garrison Lane, Felixstowe, Suffolk IP11 7RE

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Sixth form provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school’s proprietor and principal are too reliant on other leaders to provide them with a full understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. A new management committee is adding capacity to make improvements by challenging and supporting leaders, but this is at an early stage.  Outcomes achieved by pupils are not high enough because the quality of teaching varies widely. Strengths in the teaching of mathematics are not matched in other subjects.  Leaders do not have a thorough grasp of pupils’ starting points to enable them to assess accurately the progress pupils are making. Without this information, staff are unable to fill gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding, or plan learning suited to their different needs and interests.  A narrow curriculum means that pupils do not gain a thorough grounding in a broad range of subjects. In the sixth form, students are not fully prepared for the next stage in their

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

education, training or career because the range of subjects studied is restricted.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school’s deputy principals know the school well. They have identified what needs improving and have introduced greater rigour to monitor and evaluate the school’s performance.  Pupils behave exceptionally well and work hard; they are respectful of one another and their teachers.  Pupils in all key stages attain well in mathematics because it is taught effectively and pupils show a real interest in the subject. Sixth-form students enjoy applying their mathematical understanding in A-level physics, chemistry and biology courses.  Pupils feel safe in the school because the site is secure and pupils are well supervised.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school must take action to meet the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 and associated requirements. The details are listed in the full report.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure much greater consistency in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, including in the sixth for, by: – making sure that teachers know pupils’ starting points, particularly those pupils entering the British education system for the first time and who speak English as an additional language – ensuring that pupils’ progress is assessed accurately throughout all key stages so that teachers can correct pupils’ misconceptions and fill gaps in their learning quickly – checking that all teachers use the information gained from their ongoing assessment of pupils’ progress to plan learning suited to their different needs – adopting systematic procedures to check pupils’ learning and progress in English at regular stages, so that pupils develop the knowledge and skills needed for the rigours of GCSE and A-level courses.  Improve leadership and management by: – ensuring that the proprietor and the principal gain an accurate overview of what the

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

school does well, and what it needs to do to improve – monitoring routinely the quality of teaching across the school, identifying where it is inconsistent and providing further support and challenge for those who need them most – ensuring that all leaders, including the deputy principals, have the support and resources they need to improve the school, and provide pupils with a curriculum that has a much broader range of subjects – making sure that the school’s advisory committee receives full and accurate information about the quality of teaching, the progress of all pupils in the school and the impact of leaders at all levels, so that they can support and challenge leaders to make improvements – planning the school’s strategic developments, including improving the school premises, to provide pupils with a warm, welcoming and stimulating environment in which to learn.  Raise achievement by: – ensuring that pupils understand the progress they are making and what they need to

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

do to improve their work – providing pupils with further support in learning English so that their use and understanding of spoken and written English are not barriers to achieving good outcomes.

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

 The proprietor must ensure that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub- paragraph (2) are drawn up and implemented effectively, and the written policy, plans and schemes of work: – take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those with an education, health and care plan – provide pupils with a broad experience in linguistic, technological, human and social, physical, aesthetic and creative education in addition to mathematics and science – provide pupils with access to accurate, up-to-date careers guidance that enables them to make informed choices about a broad range of career options; and helps to encourage them to meet their potential – enable all pupils to have the opportunity to learn and make progress (paragraphs 2(1), 2(1)(a), 2(1)(b)(i), 2(2), 2(2)(a), 2(2)(e), 2(2)(e)(ii), 2(2)(e)(iii) and

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

2(2)(h)).  The proprietor must ensure that the teaching at the school: – enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught – fosters in pupils self-motivation, the application of intellectual, physical and creative effort, interest in their work and the ability to think and learn for themselves – involves well-planned lessons and effective teaching methods and activities – shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons – demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils’ work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress (paragraphs 3, 3(a), 3(b), 3(c), 3(d) and 3(g)).  The proprietor must ensure that arrangements are made to ensure the welfare, health

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

and safety of pupils by: – promoting the welfare of boarders while they are accommodated at the school – making sure that arrangements for pupils’ welfare have regard to the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools (paragraphs 8, 8(a) and 8(b)).  The proprietor must ensure that: – premises and accommodation at the school include suitable changing accommodation and showers for pupils aged 11 years or over at the start of the school year who receive physical education – the lighting in each room or other internal space is suitable, having regard to the nature of the activities which normally take place therein – external lighting is provided in order to ensure that people can safely enter and leave the school premises – the temperature of hot water at the point of use does not pose a scalding risk to users (paragraphs 23(1), 23(1)(c), 27, 27(a) 27(b), 28(1) and 28(1)(d)).  The proprietor must ensure that persons with leadership and management responsibilities

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

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

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 The proprietor and principal do not have an accurate understanding of what goes on in the school on a day-to-day basis. Their lack of knowledge and understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses mean that they are unable to support and challenge staff to carry out their roles effectively.  The proprietor and principal rely on the deputy principals to run the school; these two leaders are well informed about the strengths and weaknesses of the school. A lack of longer term strategic planning among school leaders means that the school constantly struggles with many short-term priorities.  The proprietor does not ensure that staff have the necessary resources to improve the school. A severe shortage of money has limited the school’s improvement.  School leaders have introduced systems to address some routine site maintenance issues. However, significant challenges remain. During the inspection, the central heating boiler

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

was not working and leadership team meeting minutes showed that concerns about the heating supply had been identified in January 2017.  Leaders do not monitor and evaluate teaching effectively. They have started to collect and record information about the quality of teaching, learning and assessment but they do not analyse this so that they can see trends and patterns and target their actions accordingly. For example, lesson observations in May 2017 did not result in a coherent plan for improving teaching across all curriculum subjects.  The school curriculum is narrow and focused on mathematics and science. A fall in pupil numbers has led to fewer curriculum subjects being offered. What is taught is largely dependent on staff capacity rather than the learning needs or interests of pupils in the school.  School leaders recognise that staff do not have a secure understanding of pupils’ starting points or the progress that they make. As a result, some teachers do not plan lessons that

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

are accurately matched to the learning needs of pupils.

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Governance

 There are early indications that the new management committee is improving the capacity to evaluate some aspects of the school’s work, in particular financial planning. However, it is not yet clear what the impact of their guidance and support is.  The school has not yet agreed a formal role for the management committee.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The culture of safeguarding in the school is well developed. Safeguarding practice in the school reflects the school’s policies.  Staff receive regular training about how to keep pupils safe and they know how to report concerns.  Pupils feel very safe in the school because school leaders have ensured that pupils can access only secured areas of the site. They understand the rationale for signing in and out of school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Not all teachers are fully aware of the starting points of their pupils so they often plan learning which is too challenging, or too easy.  Teachers are over-reliant on half-termly tests to check for learning. Teachers use this information inconsistently and many do not adapt their teaching to address gaps in pupils’ learning. Teachers seldom check pupils’ progress at important points during lessons so that misunderstandings can be addressed quickly.  English is an additional language for most pupils. Younger pupils feel that they benefit from additional, structured English lessons. Older pupils report that as they become more fluent, support for improving their English is left more to chance. As a result, some pupils, including students in the sixth form, struggle to understand and use the standard of English that is expected in GCSE and A-level courses. This has had a negative impact on examination outcomes.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Listening to the youngest pupils read aloud confirmed that they are keen to read in English even when choosing challenging texts. The rationale for selecting books is not clear as most pupils are at an early stage of learning English, and struggle to work out the meanings of some abstract nouns or ‘made up’ words. Pupils’ understanding of phonics is underdeveloped so they find it difficult to sound out unfamiliar words. Pupils do not have regular access to the school library because it is located in a part of the building which is out of bounds. Schemes of work are variable across the curriculum. In a few subjects such as psychology and science, individual teachers have good-quality planning based on their knowledge of examination specifications. These teachers also use their analysis of half-termly assessments to inform lesson planning and therefore most pupils are making secure progress.  Most teachers have good subject knowledge. They deliver lesson content confidently and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

accurately. The most effective teachers use questioning very well to deepen pupils’ understanding of complex concepts and processes, and engage them fully in their learning.  Pupils clearly take pride in their work. Their books and folders are well presented. This year, expectations are higher; tutors check that sixth-form students maintain high-quality revision materials.  Pupils benefit greatly from the great deal of attention they receive from their teachers. Pupils said, ‘There is nowhere to hide so we get on with our work.’ In most instances, homework is completed on time. Students in the sixth form value tutorial sessions with subject teachers, particularly.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils are taught how to stay safe. They say that school is a safe and friendly place to be and they enjoy school life. Attendance is high.  Older pupils take responsibility for taking registers. Pupils take responsibility for ensuring that common rooms are clean and tidy. There is no litter on the site.  Pupils learn about the similarities and differences between the people and places in their home countries and in Britain. Regular assemblies promote their understanding of British values. Their recent participation in a mock election in June 2017 gave them an insight into how democracy works.  Pupils in the school are very accepting of the cultural diversity within their school. They come from a range of countries but all try hard to communicate with each other using English as their common language.  To extend their regular use of English further, pupils participate in a range of activities in

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Personal development and welfare

the local community. For example, most of them have joined the local Air Cadets and attend regular training. Others attend local church services and engage in fund-raising activities. They enjoy these opportunities because they make friends outside the school.  The school is at an early stage of providing good-quality information and guidance about careers. In recent weeks, a small number of guest speakers have talked to pupils in assemblies about possible career choices.

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Behaviour

 Pupils behave well because they understand the school’s expectations of them. They understand the rewards for good behaviour and accept the consequences for not following basic rules about arriving on time and completing homework. Despite understanding these expectations, a few struggle to arrive from the boarding house on time in the mornings. This is being monitored closely by staff.  Pupils understand what bullying is and told inspectors that it is not tolerated in their school. They share a strong sense of community and they are friendly and sociable with one another.  Pupils dress smartly, move sensibly around the site and take responsibility for walking safely between the boarding house and the school. They are a credit to their school.  Pupils are unfailingly polite to one another, and to their teachers and visitors to the school.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Older pupils are taught a minimal amount of English. This prevents them from developing a thorough understanding of the language. Senior leaders recognise that for some pupils, the lack of understanding of technical language in some subjects limits the grades they achieve.  GCSE outcomes achieved by pupils are variable. In 2017, all pupils performed strongly in mathematics. Most of them did well in physics, chemistry and biology and a high proportion of them have continued with their studies in science subjects at AS- and A- level.  In 2016, GCSE outcomes were strongest in English and Chinese. About half of the pupils achieved good grades in mathematics, and core and additional science.  The youngest pupils are taught 13 periods of English each week to help them settle in and accelerate their learning in all curriculum subjects.  Pupils apply themselves diligently to their studies and the majority of them make steady

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

progress. They make good progress in mathematics because it is taught well and they really enjoy the subject. Many of them value the subject highly and aim to study mathematics to a high level.

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Sixth form provision Requires improvement

 Outcomes achieved by students indicate wide variation in the quality of teaching. Mathematics outcomes at AS- and A-level have been strong over at least three years. In other subjects, results fluctuate because learning is not well planned to match the different abilities of students and their progress is not routinely checked.  Too many students leave the sixth form with grades that are lower than expected. In 2017, a small minority did not achieve a pass grade in some examinations because they were not suited to their chosen subjects, and leaders had not sufficiently checked their progress. This year, leaders have introduced new approaches to monitoring students’ progress but this is very new and the impact cannot be measured at this early stage of development.  Mathematics was a strength at AS level, with all candidates gaining grade A. In other AS- level subjects, over half of the students did not pass the examination.

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Sixth form provision Requires improvement

 All A-level students achieved A* or A grades in mathematics, including further mathematics. The majority of candidates passed A-level examinations at some level. However, it was not possible to determine whether this indicated that these students had made good progress during their time in the school as information about their starting points was incomplete.  A narrow range of curriculum subjects is taught in the sixth form due to financial pressures in the school. For example, financial constraints this year led to some subjects being cut from the curriculum. Currently, Year 12 students have a choice of only three subjects at A level. This does not ensure that they are fully prepared for the next stage of their lives.  Most sixth-form students are aspirational; they want to go to university. Each year, several of them gain places at good universities, usually to study a discipline related to mathematics. However, some students have failed to get places at the very best

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Sixth form provision Requires improvement

universities because they cannot express themselves sufficiently well in English. This year, approximately half of the students in Year 13 secured placements in universities. The destinations of the other half of the sixth-form students was unconfirmed.  Students like their common rooms where each has a desk for private study. They like being responsible for making good use of their study time and ensuring that their folders are well organised.  With the exception of individual tutorials and preparation of university entrance applications, afternoon enrichment activities are the same for all pupils in the school. Students enjoy participating in enrichment activities such as sport and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education each week.  Careers information and guidance are not specifically adapted to the interests and aspirations of students, although the deputy principal has arranged a few outside

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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 category Independent boarding school

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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School details

Of which, number on roll in sixth form 17

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 November–1 December 2016

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Information about this school

 Felixstowe International College is registered with the Department for Education (DfE) as a day and boarding school with a Christian ethos. The school is registered for 32 pupils and 48 boarders between nine and 19 years. There are currently 27 pupils and 26 boarders.  The school aims to be ‘the best possible starting point in British independent boarding education for boys and girls from around the world’.  There are no pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Most pupils are from Korea.  All pupils speak English as an additional language and are at different stages of learning English.  The current principal returned from a two-term leave of absence in April 2017. During his absence, the school was led by one of the deputy principals.  When the school was taken over by a new proprietor in April 2017, the school requested a material change from the DfE. At the time of the inspection, this change had not yet

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors evaluated how well the school safeguards pupils by carrying out a range of activities, including scrutinising documents, talking to staff and pupils, visiting lessons and observing breaktimes and lunchtimes.  Inspectors visited lessons for pupils of all ages. They observed learning, looked at pupils’ work and talked to pupils about their learning. Inspectors considered the school’s information about pupils’ attainment and discussed this information with leaders.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, including the proprietor, two of the school’s advisers and pupils.  Inspectors checked a wide range of school records, including risk assessments, evaluations of teaching and the school development plan.  Inspectors considered the 18 responses available on Ofsted’s Parent View website.

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Inspection team

Jenny Carpenter, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

John Mitcheson 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.

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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

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

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 .

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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