Queensgate College

Queensgate College 192 Well Street, Hackney, London E9 6QT

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Inspection dates 31 October–3 November 2017

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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 Requires improvement

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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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 proprietors have not ensured that the school is compliant with all the independent school standards.  At the time of the inspection, the curriculum was too narrow because some subjects had been suspended.  At the time of the inspection, the medical room had no facility for washing, and there was no supply of hot water to the girls’ toilet. This compromised pupils’ health and well-being.  The performance management of staff and associated training have not been effective in raising the quality of teaching.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inconsistent. In some subjects, teaching is not enabling pupils to make the progress of which they are capable.  In subjects including English, work is not sufficiently challenging for the most able pupils.  Pupils do not routinely write at length in English and other subjects to improve their writing skills.  Expectations of pupils’ conduct and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

presentation of work are not consistently high. Low-level disruption prevents learning taking place in some lessons.  There is a newly appointed governing body. It is too early to consider its impact.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils make good progress in mathematics.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language receive effective support.  Pupils who have been placed from other schools generally attend more regularly than before. Others have high attendance.  Staff are very supportive of the school’s leadership. The morale in the school is high.

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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 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements. The details are listed in the Annex to this report.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the curriculum by providing formal programmes that include humanities subjects and physical education.  Ensure that the new governing body is fully established to provide challenge and support to the proprietors and to help drive forward rapid improvement.  Improve teaching and pupils’ behaviour by ensuring that expectations are consistently high and that work is well matched to pupils’ needs.  Improve pupils’ rates of progress in English by ensuring that teachers have high expectations of what the pupils can achieve.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 At the time of the inspection, the proprietors had not ensured that the medical room had a washing facility or that the girls’ toilet had a supply of hot water. Inspectors saw evidence to confirm that the water supply to both the medical room and girls’ toilet would meet the required standard by the start of the following week.  There has been a recent lapse in provision for the teaching of humanities and physical education. Inspectors reviewed plans for a full curriculum, which will be in place at the start of January 2018. The curriculum was broader up until July 2017.  The arrangements for performance management of staff, including staff training, are not robust enough. As a result, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment are not routinely of a high standard.  Leaders and staff are committed to help pupils re-engage in education and improve their life chances. Because of the school’s work, by the time pupils leave the school they have

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

the skills they need to gain entry to further education, training or employment.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language receive effective support in their acquisition of written and spoken English. This is because teachers plan activities that meet their specific needs.  The curriculum enables pupils to gain qualifications in functional skills in English and mathematics, GCSE English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology. Pupils also gain vocational accreditation in personal and social education. In addition, pupils who arrive from abroad are able to take a GCSE qualification in their home language.  Leaders ensure that pupils learn about fundamental British values through assemblies, small group discussion, visits and visitors. For example, in a workshop on the ‘Prevent’ duty, pupils discussed why people may see things differently, and showed understanding

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

of the importance of factual evidence in decision-making. Through the personal and social education programme, pupils learn about the law relating to protected characteristics, as defined in the Equality Act 2010. This contributes to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  There are strong links with parents. Regular communication keeps them informed about school events and pupils’ achievements.  This inspection included a formal commission to consider the school’s application to move premises, change the title of the school and decrease its number on roll to 45. The new premises are likely to meet the independent school standards and are appropriate for the proposed number of pupils.

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Governance

 A new chair of the governing body and two additional governors have recently been appointed.  Until now, the school has been governed entirely by the proprietors. In their governance role, proprietors have kept abreast of changes in legislation and improvements in practice, despite the lack of external support and challenge.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Risk assessments, procedures, policy and training for all staff underpin the safeguarding culture of the school.  The school has an updated school policy on safeguarding which takes into account the current statutory requirements. The safeguarding policy is available on the school website.  Leaders ensure that the necessary checks are made and recorded on the suitability of staff.  Staff are sensitive to the particular needs of the pupils and have a clear understanding of their duties in relation to keeping pupils safe. Leaders work closely with parents and external agencies to ensure that pupils receive the support they need.  Leaders are quick to identify any issues in the local area that may affect pupils’ well- being. Staff take effective action to bring such issues to the attention of staff and pupils. This enables pupils to know how to keep themselves safe.

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Safeguarding

 Pupils who leave the school are recorded systematically in the admissions register. As a result, any risk of pupils going missing from education is minimised.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is inconsistent in both English and science. Teachers do not have consistently high expectations of the quality and quantity of work that the pupils can achieve. Consequently, pupils do not make the progress they should.  In English, teachers do not provide enough opportunities for extended writing and there is insufficient challenge for the most able. This limits the progress that these pupils are able to make.  Although strong working relationships between teachers and pupils were evident, there have been occasions when teaching and learning are disrupted by poor behaviour. This is associated with inconsistent expectations of conduct and work being set that is not well matched to individual pupils’ needs.  In mathematics, there are higher expectations of what pupils will learn. Skilful questioning and feedback enable pupils to deepen their knowledge, understanding and skills. As a

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

result, pupils commit to improving their work and make good progress.  Teachers test pupils throughout the year. They use the information well to identify gaps and provide extra support to those pupils who need to catch up.  Some pupils newly arrived in the United Kingdom join the school during the year with little or no spoken English. The teaching and support for these pupils is highly effective. Pupils quickly develop a spoken and written understanding of English; the most able are then able to join the more academic pathway.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement. At the time of the inspection, there was no washing facility available in the first aid room and no hot water available in the girls’ toilet. Leaders took action during the course of the inspection to rectify this situation and provided evidence to the inspectors that remedial work was imminent.  Pupils report that they feel safe in school and that bullying is rare. They say that, should any incident of bullying occur, staff are quick to take action.  Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. As part of the curriculum, they learn about personal health and safety, including e-safety. This provision included a talk given by the local authority coordinator for the ‘Prevent’ duty.  A ‘keyworker’ assigned to each pupil monitors both their academic progress and personal development. The ‘keyworker’ reports to parents each week in relation to progress and

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Personal development and welfare

attendance. This system ensures swift follow-up on any concerns for a pupil’s well-being.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Low-level disruption is a too frequent occurrence in some lessons. Teachers do not have consistently high expectations of pupils’ conduct. On occasion, derogatory language goes unchecked.  Pupils are generally polite and well mannered to staff and visitors. Conduct around the school is orderly.  Most pupils improve their attendance when they join this school. Leaders are diligent in following up on poor attendance, making timely referrals to external agencies where necessary. Nevertheless, for some pupils attendance and punctuality to school are poor. This hinders their academic progress.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Scrutiny of pupils’ work and current assessment data show that they are not making the progress of which they are capable in English. This is because expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough and work set is not suitably challenging.  Pupils join this alternative provision with low starting points. This is because the majority of pupils have not been successful in mainstream education.  Pupils’ abilities in English and mathematics are assessed when they join the school. Leaders use this information to match pupils to the most appropriate pathway. The most able pupils take GCSE examinations in English and/or mathematics. Other pupils take the functional skills test in those subjects.  Pupils’ progress in mathematics is in line with, and often above, expectations. Pupils respond positively to the challenge in lessons and commit to improving their work.  A comprehensive programme of careers guidance prepares pupils for the next steps in

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

their education. Pupils are ambitious for their own futures and understand the qualifications they require in order to access relevant courses.

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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

Proprietor Patricia Shodimu & Alfonso Badolato

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School details

Email address info@queensgatecollege.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Queensgate College is an alternative provision currently situated in Tower Hamlets, London. The school was granted independent school status in 2016 and this is the first full standard inspection.  The school currently has 22 students on roll; all are full time and in Year 11. Pupils are placed at the school by schools, academies and a pupil referral unit in Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Islington.  The majority of pupils have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. A small number of pupils on roll have arrived directly from abroad and speak English as an additional language.  There are no pupils who have an education, health and care plan.  The school does not use any other alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out with one day’s notice.  Learning was observed in 10 lessons; most were joint observations with the headteacher.  Samples of work were scrutinised. The school’s information about pupils’ progress was also checked.  Inspectors spoke with the proprietors, the chair of the governing body, staff, and a representative from the local pupil referral unit. Inspectors met formally with a group of pupils and also spoke with them informally at breaktimes and in lessons.  Inspectors took account of the six responses to the questionnaire for staff. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents.  Inspectors considered documentation, policies and all aspects of the school’s work to check compliance with the independent school standards.  The Department for Education commissioned inspectors to consider the school’s application for the following material changes to its registration: the change of name to

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Information about this inspection

Queensgate International College, a reduction in capacity to 45 pupils and a change of premises.

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Inspection team

Carolyn Dickinson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

 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) is drawn up and implemented effectively (2(1)(a)).  Ensure that full-time supervised education for pupils of compulsory school age (construed in accordance with section 8 of the Education Act 1996) is provided, which gives pupils experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education (2(2)(a)).  Ensure that suitable changing accommodation and showers are provided for pupils aged 11 years or over at the start of the school year who receive physical education (23(1)(c)).  Ensure that there is accommodation for the short term care of sick and injured pupils, which includes a washing facility and is near to a toilet facility (24(1)(b)).  Ensure that toilets and urinals have an adequate supply of cold water, and washing

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

facilities have an adequate supply of hot and cold water (28(1)(b)).  Ensure that physical education is provided to pupils in accordance with the school curriculum (29(1)(a)).  Ensure that the proprietor demonstrates good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role and fulfils their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently (34(1)(a), (34(1)(b)). 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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The school must meet the following independent school standards

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

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