Education-My Life Matters

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Education My Life Matters 5 Rosenthal Road, Lewisham SE6 2BX

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7, 7(a), 7(b), 9, 9(b), 11, 12, 16, 16(a), 16(b), 25, 32(1) and 32(1)(c)  Two different child protection and safeguarding policies were presented to the inspector, one of which is published on the school’s website. Neither are compliant with the latest statutory guidance.  The designated safeguarding lead last completed an appropriate level of online training in September 2016. The deputy designated safeguarding lead is not named in the school’s policy.  The arrangements for inducting and training staff, including temporary agency staff, are weak. For example, the inspector saw staff checking their mobile phones and drinking hot drinks while in classrooms with pupils.  Although pupils have social, emotional and mental health needs, the expectations of pupils’ behaviour are too low. No pupils seen during the inspection were adhering to the code of conduct outlined in the school’s behaviour policy; the school was chaotic and

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Main inspection findings

behaviour was poor.  The school’s premises are unsafe. Leaders’ approach to risk assessment is too weak. There are holes in the walls, doors without handles and leaders had not realised that a fire exit had been locked shut until during the inspection. The facilities are not clean enough. The scalding hot water supply and the accessibility of the boiler to pupils present safety concerns. There has not been a fire drill logged since April 2018, and there are no records of standard fire safety checks, such as weekly checks of the fire alarm system. There has not been a fire safety risk assessment of the new premises.  Some of the independent school standards in this part are no longer met, as listed in the annex to this report.

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Main inspection findings

Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraphs 13, 24(1), 24(1)(a) and 24(1)(b)  The school’s first aid policy cannot be implemented because there is no medical room facility. The proposed medical room is a locked room full of broken equipment awaiting disposal. It does not include a washing facility, and even when operational will not be near enough to a toilet facility.  Leaders relocated the school to these new premises in September 2018. The delay in ensuring that the required facilities are in place is unacceptable. Paragraph 28(1), 28(1)(b) and 28(1)(d)  There is hot running water at the washing facilities in the new premises. This means the previously unmet paragraph 28(1), 28(1)(b) is now met.  However, the hot water supply ran scalding hot when it was tested during the inspection. This is because the boiler is accessible to pupils who can change the temperature. Paragraph 28(1), 28(1)(d) is not met.

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Main inspection findings

 Some of the independent school standards in this part are no longer met, as listed in the annex to this report.

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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) and 34(1)(c)  Leaders have relocated the school’s premises from September 2018 without informing the registration authority and without asking permission to make a material change to their registration agreement. The current address recorded with the Department for Education (DfE) is incorrect.  Leaders are admitting pupils of primary age. This is in breach of their registration agreement, which allows the school to admit pupils aged 11 to 16.  This inspection, commissioned primarily to check the school’s progress in meeting just one unmet independent school standard, identified multiple concerns borne out of poor planning and a lack of urgency. As a result, the independent school standards in this part are no longer met.

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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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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 Day school and alternative provider

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School details

School status Independent special school

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll nine

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 20–22 March 2018

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Information about this school

 Education My Life Matters is an independent special school that also provides alternative provision.  The school has registration for up to 20 pupils aged 11 to 16. However, the school is providing alternative provision for pupils of primary age without registration to do so.  The school’s premises have changed since September 2018, without the relevant permissions. Leaders have not requested a material change to their registration agreement with the DfE.  Pupils are referred by local authority secondary schools in the London Borough of Lewisham.  The school’s most recent inspection was its first full standard inspection in March 2018.  The school makes no use of alternative provision.

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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.  In March 2018, a full standard inspection judged the school to require improvement and identified one paragraph of the independent school standards as unmet. The school submitted an action plan, which was judged to be acceptable.  This was the school’s first progress monitoring inspection, and was conducted without notice.  This inspection focused on the school’s progress against a specific requirement within Part 5 of the independent school standards. The inspector toured the premises and scrutinised a range of documentation with the school’s ‘strategic lead’. He also considered the school’s compliance with safeguarding requirements, and considered the

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Information about this inspection

school’s premises, which have changed since the previous inspection.  There have been no recent responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View.

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Inspection team

James Waite, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards

Standards that were met at the previous inspection, but are now judged to not be met at this inspection

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 7 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that—

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 7(a) arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school; and

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 7(b) such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 9 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor promotes good behaviour amongst pupils by ensuring that—

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 9(b) the policy is implemented effectively.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 11 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that relevant health and safety laws are complied with by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written health and safety policy.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 12 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 13 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that first aid is administered in a timely and competent manner by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written first aid policy.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 16 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that—

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 16(a) the welfare of pupils at the school is safeguarded and promoted by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written risk assessment policy; and

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 16(b) appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 24(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that suitable accommodation is provided in order to cater for the medical and therapy needs of pupils, including—

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

– 24(1)(a) accommodation for the medical examination and treatment of pupils;

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

– 24(1)(b) accommodation for the short term care of sick and injured pupils, which includes a washing facility and is near to a toilet facility.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 25 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the school premises and the accommodation and facilities provided therein are maintained to a standard such that, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of pupils are ensured.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 28(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that—

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

– 28(1)(d) the temperature of hot water at the point of use does not pose a scalding risk to users.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school—

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently;

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 28(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that—

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

– 28(1)(b) toilets and urinals have an adequate supply of cold water and washing facilities have an adequate supply of hot and cold water. 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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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

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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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visitwww.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

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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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

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