Ecole Française de Londres Jacques Prévert

Ecole Francaise de Londres Jacques Prevert 59 Brook Green, London W6 7BE

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher and board of directors are collectively an exceptionally effective group. They work together to ensure that the school continues to improve while protecting its unique culture and ethos.  Leaders have created a culture of high aspirations where no pupil is left behind and all can flourish. Staff know that only the best will do, taking pride in what they achieve. As a result, staff mobility is low and morale is high.  Pupils’ achievement is outstanding because of high-quality teaching, learning and assessment. They have a high level of proficiency in both French and English. Pupils are very well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Teachers use their deep subject knowledge and understanding of each pupil to provide timely challenge or support. Consequently, all pupils are helped to learn extremely well.  Pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding. Staff understand

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupils’ needs very well. As a result, pupils grow in confidence, developing skills and understanding in both academic and personal development. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary.  The early years provides an excellent start for children. They are very well supported in developing and practising their skills across the curriculum. Consequently, they consistently make rapid gains in their learning and grow in confidence quickly.  Pupils benefit from an excellent curriculum. Activities are well planned to ensure that they meet the needs and abilities of all pupils as well as giving opportunities for ‘hands-on’ learning and application of knowledge and skills. However, leaders are aware of the need to explore further the use of technology to enhance pupils’ skills, particularly when undertaking independent research.

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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?

 Embed the use of technology to enhance pupils’ research skills further.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

 The school is successful because of the vision and ambition of the highly skilled, dedicated, board of directors and headteacher. All members of the board are parents of current pupils at the school. They are wholly committed to ensuring that the school continually improves while protecting its unique culture and ethos.  Board members audit their skills regularly, ensuring that new appointments enhance the effectiveness of the board. They are passionate and systematic in their approach when performing their duties. Performance is scrutinised and they challenge leaders where appropriate, according to their responsibilities. For example, they reviewed the school’s approach to providing English teaching at the school, the appointment of a head of English, and effectively undertook the performance management of the English teaching team.  Records of meetings of the board clearly record individual questions asked and actions

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

identified. Consequently, members of the board are very well informed of any developments and are knowledgeable about the school’s performance. They use this information very effectively to decide where best to allocate funds. They keep pupils’ education and welfare central in all decision-making.  The consistency of the board provides balance and stability as the school’s leadership changes with each, new, headteacher appointment. Low staff mobility and high staff morale demonstrate teachers’ confidence in the board. Staff feel strongly supported by school leaders and rightly value the many professional development opportunities available. Staff were unanimous in their agreement that leaders ensure a motivated, respected and effective teaching team.  Staff are inspired by the headteacher’s commitment to making sure only the best will do. They share her ambition for continuing improvement, actively taking part in peer

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

observations and the sharing of best teaching practices. One member of staff captured the views of many saying: ‘Working here has been a breath of fresh air… leaders have fostered a supportive environment where staff are fully valued and professionally developed.’  Parents and carers are equally effusive in their praise of the school, valuing the many enrichment activities which enhance the curriculum. All 152 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were unanimous in their support for the school, saying they would recommend it to another parent.  This is a school which helps pupils develop a love of learning. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. Pupils learn about cultural differences, as parents come into school and share cultural events of importance to them and their families. Pupils are taught about the importance of laws in society, democracy, tolerance

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

and respect for all. Pupils are well prepared for living in modern Britain.  The broad and balanced curriculum excites and motivates pupils. It supports their learning very effectively. Pupils say they enjoy their learning. They value taking part in fundraising and charitable giving, providing toys for those less fortunate at Christmas and raising funds for a national children’s charity. The curriculum gives pupils opportunities to expand their knowledge and understanding of the world, enriching the communities they are a part of, and further afield. Pupils benefit immensely from a French curriculum that works in tandem with the school’s English curriculum.  Parents rightly trust and value this ‘family-friendly’ school. The parents’ association is actively contributing to the school’s success, facilitating the running of a wide range of clubs and extra-curricular activities. In addition to the parents’ association, a ‘conseil

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

d’ecole’ meets termly, ensuring that parents, teachers, staff and leaders collectively have a forum to discuss projects, successes, progress, or potential issues.

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Governance

 The board is of the highest quality and constantly challenges the school to improve. Members of the board are very supportive. They work closely with the headteacher, senior leaders and the parents’ association. They visit the school regularly, informally meeting with staff and parents to gather information for themselves as to how well things are running.  Members ensure that all key information is reviewed regularly, updated in a timely manner, and available on the school’s website.  The board has ensured that an appropriate accessibility plan is in place which meets the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and thorough. The leadership team and board have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are addressed swiftly and are fit for purpose.  The relevant training for designated safeguarding leads and all other staff is complete and up to date. Staff take good care of the pupils at the school. Staff are vigilant and are able to identify potential signs of abuse. They know who to report potential concerns to, and the importance of sharing concerns immediately. Parents are rightly pleased with the care staff provide.  The board, and highly effective site and administrative team, have ensured that all aspects of health and safety, including fire safety, are checked and recorded regularly. Leaders work closely with the British police to ensure they have a clear overview of potential risks and how to deal with them effectively. Recent site developments have

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Safeguarding

enhanced further the school’s security systems.  The school has a comprehensive safeguarding policy published on its website. The policy reflects the most recent statutory guidance and provides useful links to other key safeguarding guidance.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

 School leaders have maintained the outstanding quality of teaching, learning and assessment since the last inspection. The headteacher checks on pupils’ progress, reviewing pupils’ detailed bi-annual reports in Maternelle and termly reports in Elementaire. She follows up on their progress as they move into Year 7, demonstrating the school’s commitment to ensuring the accuracy of the school’s judgements.  Teachers carefully assess individual pupils’ progress against the requirements of the French curriculum. Opportunities to moderate in key stages and with other French schools are ensuring the accuracy of assessments.  All teachers have high expectations. They know their pupils very well and have exceptional skills in adjusting their approaches to meeting the needs of all pupils. They provide excellent support to pupils, while setting challenging tasks to ensure that they learn particularly well.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

 Teachers use a range of strategies to provide regular feedback to pupils. They take time to listen carefully to pupils in class discussions and individually. Consequently, pupils understand and can explain how they need to improve their work. This support and precise guidance significantly enhances the progress pupils make.  The school teaches the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics extremely well, in both French and English. This enables pupils to apply these skills in other subjects, making strong gains across the curriculum. In a science lesson, taught in English, pupils were able to distinguish that ‘light’ in the word ‘moonlight’ was not referring to a light source. They were able to explain clearly that ‘moonlight’ was actually a reflection of the sun’s light.  Subject specialists in English are contributing to a culture of high expectations for all as they set learning that is challenging, but also achievable. They work alongside their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

French colleagues. Together, they effectively check pupils’ understanding in both French and English before practising pupils’ speaking and listening skills, when teaching the French curriculum in English.  In writing, pupils apply the strong language skills they acquire through class discussions to produce increasingly extended pieces of writing in both French and English.  In mathematics, teachers provide varied opportunities for pupils to use and apply their skills, solve problems of increasing complexity and reason mathematically. They are encouraged to reflect on previous learning and evaluate their own progress. In a Year 4 mathematics lesson, pupils were able to refer to models of calculation studied previously, explaining how they used the model to tackle the division of three-digit numbers.  Great importance is placed upon developing pupils’ love of reading and art throughout the school. Pupils benefit greatly from a dedicated school librarian, two well-stocked libraries,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

and specialist art teaching.  Pupils’ painting skills are particularly strong as they experiment with colour, texture, paint and inks in varying styles. Careful consideration is given to broadening pupils’ artistic knowledge as they study works from a wide range of cultures, including those of Asia and Australasia. Their artistic achievements are celebrated annually when the school holds an exhibition. Parents and pupils are encouraged to browse the galleries, as each class exhibits pieces created in a particular style, or representative of a particular culture.  Pupils excel in the wider curriculum. Well-planned cross-curricular projects give pupils the opportunity to deepen their understanding and develop skills over time. For example, pupils used their research skills and first-hand experiences to learn about architecture and school buildings. Pupils ably reflected on their experiences in physical education, making

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

human pyramids, and the importance of strong foundations and distributed weights. They continued to combine these experiences with their mathematical knowledge of nets to create a suitable, carefully executed design for the main section of a building.  Teachers promote independence effectively. They know when to intervene and when to step back. They provide well-considered activities that present pupils with meaningful challenges. The school’s aim ‘to create a nurturing, challenging, secure and happy environment in which pupils are able to explore ideas, develop independence of thought and enhance self-esteem’ is wholly fulfilled. However, leaders recognise the potential of further staff training in information technology as a tool to support pupils’ research and critical thinking skills.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Leaders and staff successfully recognise the importance of developing pupils’ confidence and self-awareness. Staff take time to listen carefully to pupils and plan many opportunities to promote pupils’ well-being. For example, in a collaborative project between Year 6 and Year 1, pupils worked with an artist and illustrator to explore both negative and positive emotions. Even the youngest Year 1 pupils could explain clearly how feelings may affect how we behave.  In the same project, older pupils shared well-chosen texts with younger pupils, to talk further about how they may feel at different times. Together, they explored how to deal with these feelings. The work linked to healthy foods and their importance for a healthy body and mind. Pupils took pride in their efforts as they redecorated their canteen with

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Personal development and welfare

healthy food characters. These caricatures displayed the range of emotions pupils had previously discussed.  Pupils engage energetically in games during play. They apply the skills they have learned in physical education effectively when making up their own dance performances. They know that exercise is important for a healthy body. They value their weekly swimming sessions and the opportunities to learn circus skills, building up body strength and flexibility.  Parents and staff agree with pupils that they are happy and safe in the school. Pupils know how to keep safe, including online. Pupils say that bullying is not an issue and that, if worried, they have someone to talk to.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. They enjoy school and this is reflected in pupils’ very high attendance.  Staff model respectful, positive relationships and have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. This enables pupils to behave exceptionally well and treat others with respect.  Pupils know how to behave both in lessons and around the school, resulting in a calm and purposeful atmosphere.  Pupils’ excellent behaviour has a positive impact on their learning, contributing to the high standards achieved. They show great maturity in the way they approach new learning and persevere when tackling challenging tasks.

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

 Since the previous inspection, outcomes for pupils have remained outstanding. Pupils achieve exceptionally well across key stages 1 and 2 in all subjects. Assessment information from pupils’ first term in their secondary schools clearly demonstrates that they are very well prepared for the next stage in their school life.  From secure starting points on entry to key stage 1 (Grande section), pupils develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in curriculum subjects, sustaining high outcomes in both the French and the English-studies curriculum. The work seen in pupils’ books and their learning in class confirm this. Reports to parents are detailed, demonstrating the strong progress pupils make across the curriculum.  The most able pupils achieve particularly well in all areas of learning. Staff quickly identify who these pupils are. They make sure that their planning includes challenges to make the

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

most able think really hard. They ensure that additional specific teaching support is provided, following half-termly reviews of progress.  The inclusion of the very few pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is excellent. With guidance from fellow professionals, such as speech and language therapists, and sensitive support from staff, pupils make excellent progress.  In mathematics, pupils make rapid gains from their starting points and achieve very well. They use their knowledge and understanding of numbers extremely well and are proficient in working out increasingly complex problems. Arithmetic skills are practised regularly. Pupils value the opportunity to take part in school and national challenges, benchmarking their outcomes against others in school and in France.  Pupils make excellent progress in reading, building on the strong teaching of phonics and inference skills early in their schooling. Regular opportunities to discuss their

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

understanding of the texts in weekly sessions, in the French and English libraries, contribute to pupils securing rapid gains across the whole curriculum. By Year 6, pupils enjoy reading a range of texts fluently and with understanding in both English and French.  Pupils’ writing in French and English is of a high standard. The presentation of pupils’ work in their books is excellent; this is the case right across the school and in all subjects. Pupils are rightly very proud of the standards of their work and strive to meet the very high expectations of teachers.

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Early years provision Outstanding

 An exemption from the statutory learning and development requirements of the early years foundation stage is in place. The school follows the French Maternelle curriculum for children in the early years.  Overall, children join the setting with skills and knowledge which are broadly typical for their age. Teaching in the early years is outstanding. It is ensuring that all children make rapid gains in their learning regardless of starting points or access to previous early years provision. Consequently, children are well prepared for their move into Year 1 (Grande section).  Adults pay particularly close attention to ensuring that a wide range of high-quality resources and experiences are presented across the school’s curriculum. For example, weekly circus skills are making sure children’s gross motor skills develop further. Children express their joy in taking risks, balancing on stilts, and crawling through pop-up tunnels.

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Early years provision Outstanding

 Children’s fine motor skills are developed further to help them to pick up, handle and control objects with increasing precision and accuracy. For example, children sewed their mitten, as part of their story retelling, and carefully placed beads to create three- dimensional patterns.  Children’s behaviour is impeccable, as they are fully engaged in what they are doing. Very positive relationships between staff and children enable them to thrive and develop in an environment where they feel safe and secure. Consequently, children listen very attentively, ask questions and willingly share their experiences of what they are doing.  Adults record and check children’s learning very well. Children are encouraged effectively to take part in the process. Children were seen skilfully using the class electronic tablets, selecting images of previous learning and recording, in audio files, what they had done.

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Early years provision Outstanding

These informative, individual, electronic logs provide a shared record between school and home of children’s learning across the curriculum.  Children’s achievements are notable, as is their strong progress in language and vocabulary development. This is because of the high importance given to the many conversations between children and adults. Interactions are timely and engaging, and maintain the momentum of learning through meaningful and extended conversations.  Great emphasis is placed on the value of text. Regular opportunities are provided to share books through story times or to use texts to inspire further learning across the curriculum. Children hold books correctly. They confidently share with the class, for example, how they used pictures to sequence events in a familiar story.  Children make excellent progress in mathematics because of well-planned opportunities to practise and secure their skills. For example, they used their knowledge about shapes

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Early years provision Outstanding

extremely well when exploring structures and building models, or when creating pieces of art.  Secure links exist between home and school. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the care and nurturing environment offered. There is a happy atmosphere in the early years provision and children play exceptionally well together.  Leaders ensure that all the independent school standards and specific statutory safeguarding and welfare requirements for the early years are met.

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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 Ecole Francaise de Londres Jacques Prevert Ltd Chair Stephane Redon

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £6,520 to £7,277

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12–13 October 2011

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Information about this school

 The Ecole Francaise de Londres Jacques Prevert is an independent French school. It follows the French national education system, admitting boys and girls from the same calendar year (‘rising three’-year-olds) into the Reception class each September.  In the Elementaire section of the school there are currently two classes in each year group from Year 2 to Year 4 , one class in Year 5, one class in Year 6, and an additional vertically grouped Year 5 and Year 6 class. The Maternelle section contains one Reception class and one Year 1 class.  The Ecole Francaise de Londres Jacques Prevert is ‘une ecole conventionnee’ subject to the authority of the French Ministry of Education and the French embassy in London. It is partially funded by the French Education Ministry via the Agence pour l’Enseignement Francais a l’Etranger (AEFE) and is inspected annually by the French inspectorate. The school’s latest French inspectorate report (released February 2018) considered the school

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Information about this school

‘an outstanding success’.  Subject to ‘une ecole conventionnee’ French teaching staff are appointed directly by the French authority (AEFE) for a three-year term. While staff may renew these contracts, the headteacher may only apply for a one- to two-year extension. Consequently, a new headteacher is appointed every three to five years. Since, the school’s last full independent school inspection, a new headteacher has been appointed.  The school’s curriculum, including that of the early years, is regulated by the AEFE. The French Ministry is responsible for the performance management of French employees and the school’s curriculum, including that of the early years.  The school premises was founded in 1974, initially to serve the local community of French nationals. The board has responsibility for the site, owned by the school. Collectively, the board oversees the recruitment and management of locally recruited teaching staff and

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Information about this school

the school’s English curriculum.  The school is located in a residential area of West London, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. There are currently 260 pupils on roll, of whom 28 are in the French early years foundation stage (Moyenne section).  The majority of pupils speak French as a first language. Over the years, an increasing proportion of bilingual French/English pupils have been admitted. Just under a fifth have dual French and British nationality. A few pupils speak languages other than French or English at home. There are a few pupils identified as being at an earlier stage of learning French than their peers. The vast majority of pupils continue their education at the Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle.  There are no pupils with an education, health and care plan. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is well below the national average. There are no pupils

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Information about this school

entitled to additional government funding.  Since the previous inspection, the AEFE has successfully applied to the Department for Education for an exemption from the learning and development requirements of the early years foundation stage.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out with one day’s notice.  Inspectors observed pupils’ learning across all year groups, with some observations undertaken jointly with the headteacher. Pupils were observed during playtime, lunchtime and as they moved around the school. Inspectors reviewed pupils’ work in books, on display and held electronically. An inspector also listened to pupils read.  Meetings were held with members of the board to evaluate the impact of their work. Meetings were also held with senior administrative staff responsible for overseeing the school’s attendance register and the checks made to keep children safe.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the head of English, a group of pupils, and talked to pupils informally throughout the inspection.  The bursar and site supervisor accompanied an inspector during a tour of the school site to check compliance with the independent school standards. Inspectors also scrutinised

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Information about this inspection

records of checks on the premises, including risk assessments and fire safety records.  Inspectors scrutinised documents provided by the school, including the school’s self- evaluation and minutes of meetings of the school board. School policies, information on pupils’ outcomes and information on pupils’ behaviour and attendance were also reviewed.  Inspectors met informally with 10 parents at the start of the school day, took into account the 152 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and the 82 free-text comments. Inspectors also met separately with two groups of staff and took account of the 23 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Jean Thwaites, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Aileen King Ofsted 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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