Prestwich Preparatory School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Prestwich Preparatory School 400 Bury Old Road, Prestwich, Manchester, Lancashire M25 1PZ

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraph 3, 3(g)  In the inspection in February 2017, inspectors judged this standard not to be met because there was no assessment policy or clear systems in place to track pupils’ progress. As a result, teachers did not measure pupils’ progress accurately.  In the action plan submitted to the DfE, proposals for how the school would assess pupils’ learning were unclear. There was little information about how leaders would support staff in implementing new assessment systems. Procedures to subsequently monitor and evaluate progress lacked clarity and detail.  Since the previous inspection, leaders have undertaken assessment training and visited another school to see how they assess pupils. Following this, staff have worked closely to develop assessment throughout the school, from Reception to Year 6.  Leaders have written an assessment policy which outlines how assessment will take

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Main inspection findings

place. Staff are currently developing a framework to ensure that they regularly, thoroughly and accurately assess pupils’ work.  Pupils’ self-assessment has improved and teachers now ask pupils to assess their own progress and comment on which learning activities they enjoyed and which were not as successful. As a result, teachers are beginning to use this information to inform their planning. While some teachers are effectively using assessment information to plan teaching, this is not yet consistent across the school.  Evidence seen during the progress monitoring visit shows that systems for tracking attainment are in place for English, mathematics and science. Leaders have not developed similar systems for the wider curriculum.  As a result of teachers using the new system to measure attainment, staff are more confident in knowing how well pupils are attaining, both individually and as a cohort.

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Main inspection findings

 The absence of information about pupils’ capabilities on entry to the school is slowing leaders’ efforts to measure progress from individual starting points. Leaders are aware of the need to assess pupils carefully when they join the school, and are making concerted efforts to do this.  Leaders’ tracking of pupils’ progress in the early years has developed considerably. Leaders are supported in their work in the early years by the local authority. Tracking systems, while in their infancy, now clearly demonstrate the progress children are making towards reaching the early learning goals. Leaders have planned further developments that will enable staff to monitor children’s progress from their starting points.  As assessment in not in place across subjects and year groups, leaders cannot demonstrate the progress pupils make across the curriculum. Consequently, this standard is not met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a), 7(b)  The school’s safeguarding procedures are effective. Staff are trained in safeguarding issues and receive regular updates on matters relating to safeguarding. Staff are vigilant and deal appropriately and effectively with any safeguarding concerns.  Good relationships between staff and pupils contribute to pupils feeling safe in school. Pupils trust staff and are confident that there are staff in school whom they could talk to if they had worries.  The safeguarding policy takes into account latest government guidance and is available on the school’s website.

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Main inspection findings

Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraph 24(1), 24(1)(b)  During the February 2017 inspection, inspectors found unmet independent school standards relating to premises. The medical room was unsuitable as it did not contain a sink.  Leaders have reviewed the space in the school and have identified, and now use, an allocated room for medical use. This room contains a bed and washing facility and is located near to toilets. The room is used for some administration purposes but is readily available for use as a medical room when needed.  Leaders have ensured that these independent school 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), 34(1)(c)  In the inspection of February 2017, inspectors judged this standard not to be met because not all of the required standards for independent schools were met.  The evaluation of the action plan submitted to the DfE indicated that this standard was unlikely to be met if the school’s proposed actions were implemented. Leaders were unclear in the action plan as to how they would determine the success of the actions taken to improve the school. Since the rejection of the action plan by the DfE, leaders have not revised this action plan and thus do not have clear milestones in place to say when all standards will be met.  As a result, leaders do not have a strategic overview of how their actions are improving assessment in the school. Leaders are still not able to demonstrate clearly the progress pupils make across the curriculum from their starting points.

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Main inspection findings

 Leaders have acted to remedy some weaknesses identified at the last inspection and have been somewhat successful in their actions thus far. Leaders have successfully met the standards in paragraph 5 regarding premises and accommodation.  Leaders and all staff are working cohesively to create an assessment system to fit the needs of the setting and are on a journey towards successfully implementing this system. Leaders and staff can show improvements towards meeting this standard since the previous inspection. Nobody is under the illusion that the standard relating to assessment will be met quickly or easily, but all are committed to achieving success for the benefit of pupils.  Leaders are aware that a detailed improvement plan with clear success criteria would provide a structure for them to gain a clear strategic overview of progress. Leaders have plans in place to begin to collate lesson observations, examples of pupils’ work, including

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Main inspection findings

completed assessments, and other evidence. This will enable them to quality assure the work of teachers and make sure that leaders’ actions are having a direct impact on improving assessment throughout the school.  Following the previous inspection, leaders have addressed successfully one of the identified weaknesses. This progress monitoring inspection found that one of the standards not met at the last inspection remains unmet. Therefore, the school does not meet some of the standards in this part.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet 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, as set out in the annex of this report. 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 does not meet the following independent school standards

 The proprietor must ensure that the teaching at the school: – 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 (paragraph 3, 3(g)).  The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that the 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 independent school standards are met consistently (paragraphs 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b)).

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The school now meets the following independent school standards

 The standard about the premises of and accommodation at schools is met if the proprietor ensures that suitable accommodation is provided in order to cater for the medical and therapy needs of pupils, including: – accommodation for the short term care of sick and injured pupils, which includes a washing facility and is near to a toilet facility (paragraph 24(1)(b)).  The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that the persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school: – actively promotes the well-being of pupils (paragraph 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

Email address enquiries@prestwichprepschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 7–9 February 2017

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Information about this school

 Prestwich Preparatory School is a small independent co-educational primary school.  The main building is Victorian and is leased from the local authority.  Pupils attend four classes and class sizes are small.  Before- and after-school care is available on the school site.  No pupils have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan.  A small proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.  No pupils who are known to be disadvantaged attend the school.  Two consultant directors, both of whom work in the school, advise the proprietor.  A standard inspection of Prestwich Preparatory School was conducted on 7–9 February, 2017.

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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 monitoring inspection was the first since the standard inspection in February 2017 and was unannounced.  The school submitted an action plan to the DfE, which was evaluated as not acceptable in August 2017.  The inspector carried out a tour of the site.  Meetings were held with the headteacher and other staff. The inspector spoke with pupils both formally and informally to gather their views of the school. The inspector also spoke with a representative from the local authority by telephone.  The inspector undertook learning walks, accompanied by the headteacher, and looked at pupils’ work in books. The inspector also considered information from the school’s

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Inspection team

Helen O’Neill, 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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