Aberdour Preparatory School

Aberdour Preparatory School Brighton Road, Burgh Heath, Tadworth, Surrey KT20 6AJ

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a), 7(b)  The school’s safeguarding policy is detailed, thorough, and meets the latest statutory guidance published by the Department for Education (DfE).  The school’s safeguarding procedures are effective. Staff are acutely aware of the potential dangers pupils may face, for example from radicalisation or peer-on-peer abuse. Regular training ensures that staff can identify the warning signs that a child may be at risk. Systems for staff to report any concerns they might have are robust.  The school’s safeguarding leaders demonstrate the right skills to protect children from harm. When necessary, they work closely with other external child protection officers to support vulnerable pupils. Safeguarding files are maintained well, have a clear chronology, and are monitored effectively by the designated safeguarding leader. Paragraph 12  Leaders pay high regard to fire safety. They have recently refined the school’s system

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Main inspection findings

to ensure that pupils can be evacuated quickly and safely should a fire break out on the premises. Additional training has been provided to staff, so they are clear about their roles and responsibilities. Leaders’ records show that practice evacuations occur frequently and are completed successfully.  Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the school’s fire evacuation process. Throughout the school, staff demonstrate that they know the emergency fire routes to lead pupils to safety. Additionally, they know their responsibilities well for accounting for pupils during an evacuation, and what to do once they reach the designated fire assembly point to report that pupils are safe.  Throughout the school, pupils can explain how to keep themselves safe during a fire emergency. For example, one pupil explained that it was important to remain calm and quiet, and to listen carefully and follow adults’ instructions. Pupils spoken to

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Main inspection findings

during the inspection knew the school’s fire evacuation process well, including what routes to take to leave the building. They showed through their confident explanations that they understood what to do in an emergency fire situation.  Leaders have taken the right actions to check the fire safety of the school buildings. For instance, despite being well within the recommended height constraints, leaders have rightly checked that the zinc sheeting used as a fascia on the new buildings does not pose a fire risk.  Leaders have in place a fire risk assessment that is fit for purpose. Importantly, this was originally created by a registered fire assessor. School leaders use this assessment as ‘a working document’ to continually keep under review their actions to prevent a fire. It is clear from leaders’ annotations that they use this risk assessment to inform, for example, maintenance work for ongoing site improvement.

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Main inspection findings

 At the start of the inspection, the school’s fire marshals’ training had recently lapsed. Leaders took immediate action to book refresher training for relevant staff. A date for this training was secured before the inspection finished.  The standards in Part 3 are met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraph 18(1), 18(2), 18(2)(a), 18(2)(b), 18(2)(c), 18(2)(d), 18(2)(e), 18(2)(f), 18(3), 18(4), 18(4)(a), 18(4)(b), 18(4)(c)  Leaders carry out all statutory checks to ensure that staff employed at the school are safe to work with pupils. These are detailed accurately on the school’s single central record of employment checks on staff. This is maintained accurately by the school’s bursar.  The standards in Part 4 are met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraph 25  Leaders have in place a good-quality health and safety policy. Within this document, suitable emphasis is given to processes for managing fire safety. Importantly, leaders’ day-to-day actions match the procedures outlined in this document. As a result, leaders maintain health and safety well at the school.  Frequent checks are made on fire safety equipment. Similarly, regular services are carried out on gas supplies, electrical equipment, fire alarms and emergency lighting. The site manager is diligent in maintaining all checks that help reduce the risk of fire.  Leaders ensure that the school is tidy and free of clutter. For instance, corridors, communal areas and doorways provide easy and unfettered access throughout the school building. Importantly, all fire doors and escape routes are well signposted so that anyone unfamiliar with the site should be able to see what route to take in an

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Main inspection findings

emergency.  The standards in Part 5 are met. Part 6. Provision of information Paragraph 32(1)(c)  The school’s safeguarding policy is made available to parents and carers. It can be downloaded easily from the school’s website.  The standards in Part 6 are met.

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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. 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

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 Arberdour School Educational Trust

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School details

Email address enquiries@aberdourschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Aberdour Preparatory School is an independent, co-educational day school for pupils aged two to 13 years. It was founded in 1933.  The school is situated close to Burgh Heath in Surrey and is set within a 12-acre site.  The school is managed by a charitable trust which is managed by a board of governors.  The school’s stated aims are to maximise the skills and abilities of every pupil, enabling them to realise their potential through a broad-based academic curriculum enriched by a programme of art, drama, music and sport.  School information states that the majority of pupils are White British, and that approximately a quarter are of minority ethnic origin.

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Information about this inspection

 This emergency inspection was carried out at the request of the DfE following the school’s nil-response return to a fire safety questionnaire issued to all independent schools in July 2017. The school subsequently completed the survey in November 2018. The school was given no notice of this emergency inspection.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the school bursar, the site manager and one of the school’s deputy designated safeguarding leads. Additionally, the inspector talked with staff and pupils during the course of the inspection.  The inspector toured the school premises, both inside and outside, with the school bursar. The inspector took into account all aspects of leaders’ work to ensure site safety in the event of a fire, including fire escape signage and equipment, evacuation routes, and fire assembly points.  The inspector looked at a range of policies and documents, including analysis of the

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Information about this inspection

school’s fire risk assessment, health and safety policy, safeguarding policy, staff training records, and leaders checks on fire safety, electrical and gas equipment.

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Inspection team

Dom Cook, 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

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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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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