Essendene Lodge School

For use on LTI inspections from September 2008

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Independent School

DCSF Registration Number 936/6528 Unique Reference Number 125420 URN for registered childcare EY336465 Inspection number 333844 Inspection date 24 March 2009 Reporting inspector Elisabeth Linley HMI

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Independent School

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 162A of the Education Act 2002 (as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005). The inspection of childcare was conducted under Section 49(2) of the Childcare Act 2006. This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Independent School

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 08456 404040 www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Purpose and scope of the inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under section 162A of the Education Act 2002, as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005, in order to advise the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Purpose and scope of the inspection

The inspection of registered provision 1 was conducted under Section 49(2) of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Purpose and scope of the inspection

This was a light touch inspection (LTI) which focused principally on the quality of education provided by the school; its provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development; the arrangements for safeguarding pupils and the improvements the school has made since its last inspection.

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Information about the school

Essendene Lodge School is an independent day school in Caterham-on-the-Hill in Surrey, providing for boys and girls aged from two to 11 years. Established in 1966, the school has very recently enlarged its premises to the pupils’ playground and outdoor area for the youngest children. There are 124 pupils on roll; of these 29 attend part-time and 33 children receive nursery funding. Until recently this provision was registered separately with Ofsted’s Early Years Division and was last inspected in November 2006. However, the school’s provision for The Early Years Foundation Stage, which includes pre-school and reception aged children, is now inspected with the rest of the school. Registered provision for children under the age of three who are in the pre-school class, in addition to the before and after school care, is also now inspected at the same time as the school. The main school was last inspected in

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Information about the school

November 2006. The school aims to provide its pupils ‘with a wide range of experiences and the highest possible standard of education, whilst maintaining a friendly, family environment’.

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Evaluation of the school

Essendene Lodge School provides an outstanding quality of education and is highly successful in meeting its aims. Pupils make outstanding progress and their personal development and behaviour are outstanding. Essendene Lodge has improved since its last inspection and now meets all the regulations for independent schools.

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Evaluation of the school

1 Schools which provide childcare for children from birth until the term in which they reach their third birthday must register this provision separately with Ofsted.

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Quality of education

The school’s curriculum is good and includes all National Curriculum subjects plus French. It is appropriately planned using commercially based schemes of work. Staff who are new to school are developing well in their confidence to plan for the effective delivery of the curriculum, although they have yet to develop their subject management roles to aid the successful delivery of all subjects. The school provides well for pupils who have been identified as needing additional support for their learning or medical needs; pupils’ individual education plans are good. Very good partnerships exist with parents and effective links are made with external agencies to ensure that good support is in place for these pupils’ needs. Curriculum opportunities such as in information and communication technology, music and drama successfully enrich pupils’ experiences. During the inspection, the Key Stage 1 production of ‘The

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Quality of education

Lion King’ was well attended by parents. Pupils were excited to take part and everyone thoroughly enjoyed and benefited from the experience. The curriculum is enriched by an excellent range of extra-curricular activities such as martial arts, hockey, rugby, keyboard tuition, choir and writer’s workshop to name but a few! Provision for pupils in the before and after school registered provision is effective and based on independent choice of activity for all age groups whilst also providing opportunities for pupils to complete their homework.

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Quality of education

Teaching and assessment are outstanding. Staff know their pupils very well and provide effective help for them on an individual basis. Relationships in class are excellent and this promotes a willingness to learn. The school aims to make learning fun and this is achieved in many different ways as demonstrated by the outstanding features of teaching observed. For example, Year 6 pupils listened attentively to different tracks of music and very carefully recorded and articulated the images that the music created for them on a personal level. In a mathematics lesson in Year 1, pupils had fun on the ‘birthday train’ as they learnt the months of the year and discovered how many pupils had birthdays at the same time. Other qualities include highly effective questioning that makes pupils think carefully about their work and ensures that they apply the skills they already have to new and demanding tasks.

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Quality of education

Pupils’ work is regularly marked. In the best examples there are clear comments about what pupils need to do to improve. Pupils also say that through discussion with their teacher they are helped to understand how they can improve their work. Peer assessment is beginning to be used and this also enhances the feedback that pupils receive. Assessment of pupils’ progress is rigorous and well managed. Pupils take nationally standardised tests and assessments that include those at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. Procedures for tracking pupils’ progress using these results are of a high quality. Consequently, staff have a clear view of the levels that pupils attain in English, mathematics and science and school leaders set challenging targets for every pupil based upon the information gained from assessments.

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Quality of education

As a result of outstanding teaching and assessment, pupils make outstanding progress. The results of the end of Year 6 national tests consistently show that pupils attain well above the national average. Pupils with learning difficulties and/ or disabilities also achieve very well given their individual starting points.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils

The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is good with some outstanding features. Pupils behaviour, for example is outstanding, an outcome that is promoted by the high expectations that staff have of all pupils to achieve their best in all that they do. Pupils are courteous and polite and take pride in their roles and responsibilities within school. These include positions such as prefects, house captains and members of the school council. Pupils say that they enjoy school very much and their attendance is good. Pupils support the wider community by fundraising for charities such as the Marie Curie Trust and through connections with the local church. Pupils’ cultural awareness is developed well through a range of art, drama and musical experiences. Their understanding of different cultures and racial harmony is developed effectively through the curriculum for religious education and

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils

through the relationships they develop with each other. However, pupils’ awareness of Britain as a multicultural society is less well developed. Pupils are very well prepared for their future economic well-being. This is aided by the outstanding progress they make in their basic skills, in their ability to work well with others and, as a result of the strength of their personal development, their growing self-esteem and self-confidence.

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Safeguarding pupils’ welfare, health and safety

The school has good procedures for ensuring the welfare, health and safety of all its pupils. Staffing ratios for the registered before and after school provision meet requirements and pupils who attend have a dedicated area where they can learn and play and keep their work safe. All staff are aware of health and safety matters and ensure that all risk assessments are carried out carefully. Child protection and first aid procedures are clear and staff receive appropriate training as required. Where staff training requires updating, for example with the staff new to school, further training has already been booked to take place. Effective links are established with parents and outside agencies to support pupils’ needs and to promote a very caring environment in which pupils learn. This is appreciated by parents; as one parent wrote, ‘’Essendene Lodge is a wonderfully caring, nurturing environment. It is like my

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Safeguarding pupils’ welfare, health and safety

daughter’s other family.’ Pupils feel safe within the school community and say they would be confident to speak to someone should they ever have a problem. Pupils are aware of the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and this is promoted well through the personal, social and health curriculum and through sporting activities. Pupils develop a good understanding of the need for healthy eating. The school cook works closely with staff on dietary matters; lunch is a calm and happy experience. The school now meets requirements relating to attendance registers demonstrating improvement since its last inspection.

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Safeguarding pupils’ welfare, health and safety

The school meets all requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 2002.

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Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage provision, and the registered provision for children under three years of age, is good and is well led and managed. The stimulating environment both indoor and outdoor builds firm foundations for children’s learning. In the classrooms, the teaching areas are well defined and resources thoughtfully organised to aid developing independence and promote confidence and self-esteem. The discrete play areas in the rooms contribute very well to the outstanding opportunities for children to learn and develop. The outdoor provision is stimulating and greatly enhances children’s learning. Children are busily and purposefully engaged by the wide range of imaginative activities that match their needs and interests. Children are given time to explore, for example, when learning about growing plants. One child observantly commented when planting bulbs, ‘but, these look like onions!’ There is a good balance of teacher directed

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Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

activities and those that children choose for themselves. Early Years Foundation Stage staff model language very well; they actively encourage children’s speaking and listening skills. A skilfully taught language programme is successful in improving children’s knowledge of phonics. Children were seen applying this knowledge very confidently in their reading and writing. Children’s learning and development is routinely and very effectively observed and recorded and shows the outstanding progress children make towards the early learning goals.

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Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

Children’s personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pre-school children behave exceptionally well; they are excited by learning and fast becoming confident learners. In the Reception class, children are also very eager to learn; they concentrate and behave very well. Children’s physical, social and emotional needs are well cared for. Healthy eating is encouraged and drinking water is made available at all times. Established routines and procedures are followed consistently so that children’s safety and well-being are secure. However, the welfare policies and procedures that are used do not make sufficient reference to the Early Years Foundation Stage. Good partnership with parents and external agencies ensure that any specific needs children have are met effectively. There are sufficient staff to meet requirements and all staff have a secure understanding of how young children learn. The staff work very well as a team and are aware of their responsibilities;

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Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

however their roles as key persons are not yet fully established.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets all of the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003 as amended January 2005.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school’s registered provision for childcare meets the requirements of the Childcare Act 2006.

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What the school could do to improve further

While not required by the regulations, the school might wish to consider the following points for development:

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What the school could do to improve further

 Further develop curriculum leadership roles within school.  Improve pupils’ multicultural awareness.

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Early Years Foundation Stage:

 Develop clarity in respect of the different roles and responsibilities of staff within the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Make appropriate reference to the Early Years Foundation Stage in the agreed school policies where they underpin practice and procedures in provision.

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Inspection Judgement Recording Form

outstanding good satisfactory inadequate

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The quality of education

Overall quality of education  How well the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of pupils 

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The quality of education

How effective teaching and assessment are in meeting the full range of pupils’ needs 

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The quality of education

How well pupils make progress in their learning 

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Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

Quality of provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 

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Welfare, health and safety of pupils

The overall welfare, health and safety of pupils 

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The quality of the Early Years Foundation Stage provision

How effectively are children in the Early Years Foundation Stage helped to learn and develop?  How well do children achieve in the Early Years Foundation Stage relative to their starting points and capabilities?  How good are the personal development and well-being of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?  What is the quality of welfare, health and safety of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?  How effectively is the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage led and managed?  What is the overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage including, where relevant, the quality of childcare? 

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School details

Name of school Essendene Lodge School DCSF number 936/6528 Unique reference number 125420 EY URN (for registered childcare only) EY336465 Type of school Independent Co-educational Status Independent Date school opened 1966 Age range of pupils 2–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number on roll (full-time pupils) Boys: 56 Girls: 68 Total: 124 Number on roll (part-time pupils) Boys: 15 Girls: 14 Total: 29 Number of pupils aged 0-3 in registered childcare provision Boys: 1 Girls: 2 Total: 3 Annual fees (day pupils) £ 5040 Annual fees (childcare) £ 2535 - 4650 Address of school Essendene Road Caterham Surrey CR3 5PB Telephone number 01883348349 Fax number 01883348349 Email address headteacher@essendenelodge.surrey.sch.uk Headteacher Mr S J Haydock Proprietor Mr S J Haydock Reporting inspector Elisabeth Linley HMI Date of inspection 24 March 2009

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