Eveline Day School

Eveline Day School Swan House, 207 Balham High Road, London SW17 7BQ

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders are clear about the priorities for the school. They have recently strengthened their capacity to review what they do, and to bring about improvement.  Staff successfully provide an environment and culture that develop pupils’ resilience and confidence, and promote tolerance and care.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. They show respect and courtesy to each other, teachers and visitors. Pupils take great care to look after each other and to make sure that everyone is able to express themselves with the knowledge that what they say will be valued.  Attendance is above the national average. Many pupils take full advantage of the longer working days and extended school terms.  Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning. They are highly motivated and very keen to deepen and broaden their knowledge.  Low-attaining pupils and those with particular learning needs are well supported and make good progress.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The curriculum is both broad and balanced. It provides a very enriching experience for pupils, promoting British values very effectively. It ensures that pupils achieve well and become inquisitive learners.  Teaching is good overall but is inconsistent across subjects and classes. At its best, teachers plan a good range of activities that meet the needs of every pupil with good challenge for the most able.  Provision in the early years is good. Children progress well across most areas of learning. They become confident and independent. However, opportunities for children to speak, question and discuss together are limited.  Pupils achieve well in English and mathematics but opportunities for pupils to write at length across subjects are limited. Pupils’ arithmetic and calculation skills are very good, and stronger than their ability to reason and solve mathematical problems.  The quality of handwriting and presentation is

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 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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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the consistency of teaching to meet the needs of all pupils by: – improving opportunities for pupils to develop reasoning and problem-solving in mathematics – increasing opportunities for pupils to write in depth across subjects.  Improve progress in handwriting and the consistency of presentation across subjects.  Improve provision for children in the early years for them to discuss, question and develop their confidence in speaking and expressing themselves and their ideas.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders have ensured that outstanding provision for pupils’ personal development and welfare, along with their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, has been sustained since the last inspection. They have ensured that all standards for independent schools are met.  Following the last inspection, leaders have worked successfully to improve outdoor provision for children in the early years, and to improve target setting and feedback for children. Children now have a clear understanding of what they need to do next to improve. Teachers communicate these targets and next steps to parents, thereby strengthening the link between school and home.  Leaders know the school well. They use assessment information effectively and work together with staff to identify what they need to do next to bring about further improvement. Leaders seek outside help, and make good use of professional development to improve teaching and learning. They use links with the local authority and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

other external services well to strengthen provision, for example in music and sport.  Pupils have a rich and broad curriculum because leaders are committed to providing opportunities for pupils not only to succeed in English and mathematics, but also to deepen their knowledge and explore a wide range of interests. The extended school days and long academic year are carefully planned to maintain pupils’ enthusiasm for learning by providing variety, with many opportunities for arts, languages and music. The extensive range of extra-curricular activities complement pupils’ studies and provide them with the chance to follow their own interests and skills. Parents value this. As one parent said, ‘The school is not like some independent schools that drill children in maths and English. The variety and range of subjects and interests really has helped build my son’s confidence and helped him grow as a good all-rounder.’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well. The values of working together and taking increasing social responsibility are embedded effectively across the school. Great thought is given to promoting an understanding of British values, and also learning about different cultures and faiths.  The headteacher provides effective leadership. She has been instrumental in developing a culture within the school where pupils feel safe and well cared for. Parents appreciate this. One parent captured the general mood of parents: ‘The school is like a family. From the personal welcome to every pupil given by the car parking supervisor to the relationships between teachers and pupils, and the way pupils are encouraged to look after each other. It really is a special place.’  Leadership capacity has been strengthened recently to increase the focus on improving quality and pupils’ outcomes. It has brought new expertise into the leadership team and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

engaged teachers in looking carefully at how they can improve provision. Middle leaders have recently taken on responsibility to support staff and improve provision in English, mathematics and science. Although new to their roles, they have good knowledge of improvement priorities in their subject and good plans in place to bring about change.  Leadership of teaching and learning has improved. Leaders set high expectations for teachers. They hold regular reviews of pupils’ progress and have good discussions with teachers on what they can do to improve provision further. In prioritising the need for teachers to ensure that low-attaining pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported, leaders have ‘raised the game’. Pupils with particular learning needs are supported very well and they make good progress. Very good communications between school and parents make sure that parents are fully aware

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

of how they can help. Leaders know that there is more to do to improve the consistency of teaching and have clear plans in place to realise this.

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Governance

 The proprietor is very committed to the school as part of the broader group that also includes several nurseries. She has a personal and long-standing commitment to ensuring that the school fulfils its core aims and values. Regular operational management meetings across the broader group of schools and nurseries are chaired by the proprietor. These provide a good forum for the headteacher to keep the proprietor updated and to seek advice and support on both operational issues and health and safety.  The proprietor knows the school well and keeps abreast of developments taking place and the school’s priorities. She ensures that information for parents is clear and well presented through the website. Appropriate reports are provided to local authorities on the way education grants for children under the age of five are used.  Details of the school’s strengths and weaknesses in the quality of provision are informally

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  A comprehensive safeguarding policy is published for parents and is implemented well.  Leaders promote an inclusive safeguarding culture with staff being well trained, well informed and vigilant. Staff are fully aware of what they need to do if they have a safeguarding concern. The culture of safeguarding is embedded across the school community with parents also feeling confident to raise concerns when they see a pupil distressed or upset. Pupils speak positively about the care shown towards them, and how staff respond when someone is troubled. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online and have learned how to use the computers safely without putting themselves at risk.  Although very few referrals have been made, records are appropriately organised and kept safely. The very positive relationships maintained between the headteacher and most families ensure that pupils are well supported when safeguarding issues arise.

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Safeguarding

External advice is sought when required and followed through in a timely fashion.  Appropriate checks ensure that staff are vetted and suitable to work with children. Leaders manage recruitment diligently. All records are maintained to an appropriate standard. Thorough systems are in place for checking visitors to the school and ensuring that they are supervised on site.  The school site is secure and safe. Window opening is restricted to prevent pupils from harming themselves. External doors operate electronically, and the school premises provides a safe environment for pupils to work and play.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers maintain very positive relationships with pupils and build a sense of trust and respect, which in turn generates loyalty and positive attitudes to learning. Pupils do not want to let their teachers down. They listen very well, settle quickly to work and sustain concentration.  Teachers have good subject knowledge in the main. They communicate ideas clearly and plan work for pupils that stimulates their thinking and encourages them to find out more. Where teaching is strongest, every opportunity is taken to stimulate pupils, challenge them, and encourage them to question and discuss. For example, as the register was taken in one class, a stimulating photograph was displayed for pupils to determine the date at which the photograph was taken. Pupils were encouraged to use their knowledge of history, and to share their views but also the evidence on which they had based their deduction.  Work is well planned to provide challenge for different pupils. The national curriculum is

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

used well to guide planning. Pupils and teachers therefore have a clear understanding of what they are learning and what they need to do next in order to improve. Teachers provide good feedback. High expectations are set for pupils with regard to behaviour and the way pupils treat each other.  Adults ensure that the least able pupils are supported well and that they experience success. Work is well matched to their needs. Adults spend time to boost their confidence and to ensure that they play a full part in the range of activities planned for pupils, without feeling out of their depth. The challenge provided for the most able is inconsistent across the school and between subjects. Very challenging work is planned in some subjects, for example in music, French and Spanish. Specialist teachers set high expectations with pupils responding very well to the challenge. In some subjects and classes, although additional stretch is provided, some pupils could still go that bit further

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

if given the opportunity to do so.  Staff provide a broad range of stimulating and interesting resources which are used well to support pupils. Classroom environments and displays of pupils’ work value what they do, and also provide a standard for other pupils to aspire to achieve. Classroom environments reinforce the values of the school and promote diversity, equality and both tolerance and respect. Teachers promote these values very well in their daily interactions with pupils. This sets a clear expectation that pupils consistently meet.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. This is due to the very effective way that leaders and teachers work together to create an environment where all pupils feel valued, supported and encouraged. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning. They listen very well to adults and are respectful, allowing each other to offer their opinions without interruption. They support and value the contributions of others, even when they personally disagree with what has been said. Such politeness and courtesy are central to the school’s values and are embedded through the way adults respect pupils, and in the way pupils respect each other.  Pupils show a very strong understanding and appreciation of diversity, both within the school and in society. They engage in charitable work, and both discuss and debate current issues facing children in the world. Every pupil is valued, and this works well to

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Personal development and welfare

promote an appreciation of diversity. As one parent said, ‘The school does not promote elitism, and all children learn the value of life and of individuals no matter who they are or where they come from.’ Young pupils talk about the importance of Rosa Parks and her contribution to the civil rights movement. Pupils and teachers debate and discuss rights and responsibilities. Informally over a short break in one class, young pupils watched the news and discussed the independence vote in Catalonia. The teacher made good links to democracy but also to the implications for those families caught between both sides of the argument. Pupils were responsive and considered balanced views on the issue.  The school is a safe place. Pupils report that they feel safe in school and are confident that they can go to any member of staff if they have concerns. They talk of the friendship bench where pupils sit if they are feeling alone or unhappy. Pupils have confidence that, if

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Personal development and welfare

they found themselves on the bench, they would not be there very long. They said that bullying was very rare but on the very few occasions it has happened in the past, adults have dealt with it immediately. Parents confirm this view that the school is a safe place and that the care of pupils is paramount. For many, this has been a key attraction of the school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils conduct themselves very well around the building. They are courteous and polite on stairwells, walk very carefully around the building and respect the learning environment provided for them. Routinely welcoming any visitor with a ‘Good morning’, and standing back to let adults pass by, they have applied the high expectations modelled for them.  Attendance is good and above the national average across the school. Parents appreciate the extended academic year and long hours offered for pupils. They are supportive of the interesting and varied additional classes offered. Most pupils take advantage of the extra time before or after school and are very keen to participate.  Pupils are very well prepared for lessons. They listen carefully to their teachers and engage willingly in activities that require them to work with others. They organise themselves well when working together. They support and challenge each other to

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Behaviour

achieve a successful conclusion to the challenges that have been set.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Most pupils choose to go to nearby independent secondary schools. Teachers ensure that pupils are academically ready for this move. Pupils read well, write with confidence and have good arithmetic skills. The school’s approach to engaging pupils in debate, discussion and public speaking builds a level of confidence that prepares older pupils well for entry into secondary schools.  In the 2017 national assessments for 11-year-olds, pupils at the end of Year 6 achieved above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. While many were reading with greater depth and understanding, few achieved greater depth in mathematics and, while achieving well in calculation, did less well in reasoning and problem-solving. Progress made by pupils through both key stages is good overall across the breadth of subjects they study. It is particularly good in speaking and listening with

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Outcomes for pupils Good

pupils responding well to the many opportunities they get to perform, discuss and debate.  Pupils from an early age develop an avid interest in reading. A broad range of literature introduces pupils to unfamiliar authors and expands their reading experience. Pupils value this. Where young pupils use their phonics knowledge to read accurately, older pupils use a range of strategies to read with understanding and to draw inference and meaning from the books they read. Older pupils are very able readers. They read with confidence, fluency and expression. Pupils achieve well in mathematics and calculate with good understanding of how to add, subtract, multiply and divide complex numbers. However, most-able pupils are less confident in being able to solve written number problems and apply mathematical reasoning.  Pupils write for a broad range of purposes. They enjoy writing and exploring literature. They write interesting stories, letters and descriptions of characters in the books they

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Outcomes for pupils Good

read. Their writing includes a lively use of vocabulary and expression. They expand their writing skills through a range of subjects and themes. However, although writing accurately and with good attention to grammar and spelling, pupils are not routinely writing at length across subjects. Consequently, the skills they apply, and the depth they show in English lessons, are not always used and developed into other themes and subjects. Pupils learn to use cursive handwriting from a young age. The quality of presentation, however, is inconsistent through the school, and does not reflect the good progress seen in the content of their writing.  Pupils with particular learning needs make good progress because the work they do is very carefully planned and good additional help is given. This helps build their confidence, ensures that the work is appropriately challenging, and enables them to meet their learning targets and progress well. Most-able pupils are challenged to think and to

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Outcomes for pupils Good

broaden their understanding. They are articulate and able to discuss and debate with a good appreciation of different points of view. Additional challenges and extension tasks of increasing difficulty allow pupils to think and apply what they have learned. However, these are inconsistent across the school with some pupils having to complete routine work that they can confidently do before they are introduced to more challenging work that is better matched to their needs.

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Early years provision Good

 Children achieve well in the early years. In 2017, the proportion of children in Upper Reception achieving a good level of development was above average. The proportion of children achieving beyond national expectations in reading, writing and mathematics was high and better than the proportion exceeding national expectations in speaking.  Children start Lower Reception with a broad range of skills and confidence. They quickly settle and make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development. They learn to share, and to explore the good range of resources and learning activities created for them. They learn to read, to investigate numbers and to write with increasing confidence. There are fewer opportunities for young children to be encouraged to talk, explain and ask questions.  Provision in the early years offers children a wide range of experiences that capture their interest and help them make good progress towards the early learning goals. The outside

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Early years provision Good

learning environment is particularly strong in providing a rich environment where children can explore play, build dens and investigate the secret garden. They plant, water and take care of the things they grow. Additional well-organised sport sessions help improve children’s coordination and physical development.  Adults working with children are well trained and experienced. They know the children well. They plan work that engages children’s interest, but helps them make good progress and build their confidence. Adults have appropriate phonics knowledge to help children improve their knowledge of letters and sounds. Pupils have appropriate phonics knowledge by the end of the early years, and use this well to read accurately.  Adults assess the progress children make and plan for their next learning steps. Examples of children’s achievements are drawn together and assessed, showing their progress over

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Early years provision Good

time. Some parents talk of a ‘stepping up’ in the expectations between the Lower and Upper Reception classes. Leadership is relatively new but is aware of the need to smooth the period of transition through the early years.

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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

Email address eveline@evelinedayschool.com

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 October 2009

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Information about this school

 Eveline Day School is an independent day school for boys and girls from age 3 to 11. It is situated in a large Victorian detached house close to railway stations in Tooting Bec.  The school was founded by the headteacher’s parents in 1992 and is part of a larger group including seven separately registered early years settings. The school offers extended school days for working parents and is open for pupils 51 weeks per year.  There are 117 pupils on roll, 46 being in the early years, most of whom attend full time. Most have English as their first language. No pupils have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan. The school is a family business and is governed by the proprietor through the management board of the broader group of schools and several early years settings.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in all classes and across a broad range of subjects and enrichment activities.  Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders, middle leaders and the proprietor. Discussions took place with several parents, and 64 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were read and analysed. Twenty-five staff questionnaires were reviewed by inspectors. A sample of pupils in most classes were heard read, and discussions took place with them about their work and their views of the school.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documentation. This included the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plan, attendance data, behaviour logs, and health and safety audits. Inspectors also scrutinised policy documents including curriculum and assessment information and the school’s own progress data. They also considered safeguarding records.  Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work from different year groups and observed pupils’

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Information about this inspection

conduct around the school and at break and lunchtimes.

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Inspection team

Paul Wagstaff, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Janet Hallett 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

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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

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, 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.gov.uk/ofsted

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