Maranatha Christian School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Maranatha Christian School Queenlaines Farm, Sevenhampton, Highworth, Swindon, Wiltshire SN6 7SQ

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a), 7(b)  The school’s previous standard inspection stated that arrangements to safeguard pupils were insufficient and not in line with the most recent statutory guidance.  A progress monitoring inspection conducted in July 2017 found that although school leaders, including trustees, had made a number of improvements, inadequacies in safeguarding practice remained. There was a lack of clarity regarding the leadership of safeguarding in the school. For example, the level of training that had been undertaken by safeguarding leaders fell short of legal requirements. Similarly, not all members of staff had up-to-date safeguarding training.  In addition, at the time of the first progress monitoring inspection, the suitability checks that needed to be carried out for staff and trustees had either not been done or had not been recorded in line with government guidance.

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Main inspection findings

 This is no longer the case. Trustees have now put in place systems to review practice and strengthen the school’s arrangements for keeping children safe. This has included commissioning an external consultant, and working with the Swindon Safeguarding Children Board as well as other local schools. The new approach has enabled trustees and school leaders to identify and implement best safeguarding practice.  All of the checks required to determine the suitability of trustees, staff and volunteers to work with children have been carried out satisfactorily. These checks have been recorded in line with statutory guidance. Similarly, training for all staff is now up to date and meets legal requirements.  The school’s safeguarding and child protection policy meets statutory requirements and is available to download from the school’s website.  The standard in this paragraph is now met. Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

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Main inspection findings

Paragraph 20(6), 20(6)(a), 20(6)(a)(ii)  At the time of the previous progress monitoring inspection, school leaders had not checked whether newly appointed trustees had been the subject of a direction under section 128 of the 2008 Education Act, prohibiting them from taking part in the management of an independent school.  Following the inspection, the trustees wasted no time in carrying out the required checks for all of the school’s trustees as well as for senior leaders. These checks have been recorded in line with statutory guidance.  The standard in this paragraph is now met. Paragraph 21(1), 21(3), 21(3)(a) and 21(3)(a)(iii)  At the time of the previous standard inspection, checks on the suitability of staff working at the school had not been correctly recorded in the single central register, in line with statutory guidance.  The first progress monitoring inspection found that the majority of checks on staff had

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Main inspection findings

since been recorded correctly. However, prohibition checks for the headteacher, although carried out, had not been recorded in line with statutory guidance.  Prohibition checks have now been carried out and recorded correctly for all members of staff for whom this is a statutory requirement. This includes the new headteacher, who has taken up post since the previous inspection.  The standard in this paragraph is now met. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c)  At the time of the standard inspection, school leaders had not ensured that all of the independent school standards had been met. The subsequent monitoring inspection judged that, although leaders had successfully resolved a number of these, some standards remained unmet.  As the unmet standards related to the school’s safeguarding procedures, arrangements to safeguard pupils remained inadequate.

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Main inspection findings

 The trustees and school leaders have worked fastidiously to ensure that the unmet standards have now been met. Consequently, the school’s safeguarding arrangements are no longer inadequate.  The standard in this paragraph is now met. Statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage  As a result of weaknesses in the school’s arrangements to safeguard its pupils, including those in the early years, the previous progress monitoring inspection judged that the school did not meet the statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage.  These deficiencies have since been addressed and the school’s safeguarding arrangements are no longer inadequate. Therefore, the school now meets the statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage.

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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

 The proprietor must 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)).  No individual, not being the chair of the school, who is a member of a body or persons corporate or unincorporated named as the proprietor of the school should carry out work, or intend 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 (paragraph 20(6), 20(6)(a) and 20(6)(a)(ii)).  The proprietor must ensure that each member of staff appointed after 1 May 2007 is subject to any direction made under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the

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The school now meets the following independent school standards

2002 Act or any disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in such a direction (paragraph 21(3), 21(3)(a) and 21(3)(a)(iii)).  The proprietor must ensure that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role, fulfil their responsibilities effectively, consistently meet the independent school standards, 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

Type of school Christian independent 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 0

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School Details

Proprietor New Maranatha Christian School Trust

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School Details

Email address reception@maranathaschool.org

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School Details

Date of previous standard inspection 18–20 October 2016

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Information about this school

 Maranatha Christian School is registered as an independent school for 90 boys and girls aged between three and 19. The school is owned by the New Maranatha Christian School Trust.  The school is located in its own buildings, on the site of a farm in Sevenhampton, near Swindon.  A new substantive headteacher joined the school in January 2018. Prior to this, an interim headteacher had been in place since February 2017. There has also been a number of new trustees appointed since the previous standard inspection.  Pupils are taught in three classes, known as learning centres.  There are 40 pupils on roll, of whom three are part time.  There were no students in the sixth form at the time of the inspection.  The school provides education based on ‘Biblical foundations and Christian principles’. Pupils use the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) materials during the morning, which are highly individualised. In the afternoons, pupils work on a range of subjects across the

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Information about this school

curriculum.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is below that found nationally.  The board of trustees has responsibility for the governance of the school.  The school’s previous standard inspection took place on 18–20 October 2016, when it was judged to be inadequate. The school received its first progress monitoring inspection on 12 July 2017. At this inspection, some of the independent school standards were judged to remain unmet.

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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 not to comply with at its previous inspection and subsequent progress monitoring inspection.  The inspection was the second progress monitoring inspection and was carried out with no notice.  After the previous standard inspection, which found the school’s overall effectiveness to be inadequate, the school was required to produce an action plan explaining how it would meet the independent school standards that were unmet. This action plan, evaluated on 10 March 2017, did not meet requirements. Following this evaluation, the Department for Education commissioned Ofsted to carry out a progress monitoring inspection.  The first progress monitoring inspection, carried out in July 2017, judged that there were

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Information about this inspection

still some unmet standards.  Prior to this inspection, the lead inspector scrutinised a range of documentation, including that provided by the registration authority for independent schools, previous inspection reports and the action plan drawn up by the school. In addition, documentation available on the school’s website was examined.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and other members of staff with responsibility for safeguarding. He also met with two trustees of the school, including the chair, to discuss the effectiveness of actions taken since the first progress monitoring inspection.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Dyer, 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

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

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