L'Ecole Bilingue Elementaire

L’École Bilingue Elementaire St David’s Welsh Church, St Mary’s Terrace, London W2 1SJ

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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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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Proprietors have ensured that all independent school standards are met, including the statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage.  Leaders are exceptionally creative in combining best practice in the English and French education systems. As a result, pupils are very well prepared for their next stage of education in either English or French schools.  The recently appointed advisory board support and challenge the proprietors and leaders robustly. Since the last inspection, this accountability has enabled sustained and excellent outcomes for all pupils in both English and French curriculums.  The quality of teaching and learning is highly effective due to high expectations and teachers’ regular checks on pupils’ learning, which ensures that their different abilities are met. Consequently, pupils make very good progress in their learning.  Leaders have designed rich and stimulating curriculums, which inspire pupils to develop a

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

love of learning in a wide range of subjects.  Pupils behaviour is exemplary. They demonstrate consistently strong attitudes to learning, which enables them to make excellent progress.  Pupils show remarkable care and respect for one another. As a result, they feel safe, genuinely respected and enjoy coming to school.  Leaders’ work with diligence to enhance pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness, which is very effective in preparing pupils for their future lives.  The quality of teaching, learning and care in the early years foundation stage is good. However, the provision and learning environments are not as conducive to high standards and attitudes as found elsewhere in the school.

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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?

 Leaders to ensure that all aspects of the school, particularly the early years foundation stage, are consistently outstanding.  Strengthen further the early years provision so that children are offered a variety of highly stimulating opportunities which support their learning and development.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

 Proprietors and leaders have ensured that all the independent standards are met.  Leaders have been highly successful in ensuring that the school’s aims and ethos are at the heart of their work. Leaders have drawn up exemplars of practice in the English and French education systems so that pupils benefit hugely from the very best teaching methods. Pupils gain strong knowledge, understanding, abilities and skills to learn in two languages. Consequently, pupils are fully equipped to continue their next stage of education seamlessly in either the English or French systems.  Since the last inspection, leaders have further enhanced the excellent quality of education. Senior leaders now work closely with the proprietor, who is also the headteacher, to regularly check the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in the French and English curriculums.  The rich and varied French and English curriculums inspire pupils to learn. Pupils learn a

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

wide range of subjects. Teachers of specialist subjects, such as music, motivate pupils in their areas of expertise. Leaders have designed the curriculums superbly well. For example, as part of the British curriculum in history, pupils learn about Tudors, and in the French curriculum, they study the pre-historic Romans. The visual arts curriculum is innovative and makes very strong links between the French framework and the experiences that pupils encounter in London through educational visits, such as visits to music studios.  Pupils’ learning is enriched beyond the classroom and promotes their personal development very well. By way of an example, pupils undertake residential trips in the United Kingdom and France, which supports them to become successful team players and further raises their cultural awareness. Other experiences include visits to educational places, and after-school clubs promote wider skills and experiences such as fencing.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is exceptional. To illustrate, older pupils wrote and presented their proposal on gender equality to the French Parliament. Additionally, pupils exercise the right to vote, and they experience democracy first hand through voting for their peers to be represented on the school council. Such opportunities prepare pupils very well for their future lives.  Parents and carers speak highly about the work of the school. An overwhelming majority of parents agree that the school is well managed. Typical comments from parents include, ‘My children are very keen to come to school early,’ and ‘We like the bilingual aspect.’  Staff morale is very high. An overwhelming majority of teachers agree that leaders provide good training opportunities to further improve their own teaching.

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Governance

 Members of the recently appointed advisory board, who represent both the English and French education systems, offer proprietors and leaders strong challenge and support. They ask probing questions in relation to the quality of teaching and learning, pupils’ progress and school improvement. In addition, they provide a platform for staff to report any safeguarding concerns, should the need arise.  Advisors also check that the independent school standards are met consistently.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school’s safeguarding policy is in line with latest government requirements. It is made available to parents on the school’s website.  Parents responding to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, agree that their children are happy, safe and well looked after at school. Parents’ comments include, ‘The school provides a unique, safe, caring and academic environment.’  Staff are well trained on safeguarding matters and are able to notice any changes in pupils’ behaviour that indicate a potential risk that a pupil may be at harm. Staff spoken to during the inspection know the school’s internal procedures well for raising concerns about pupils’ safety and welfare, should they need to.  Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe at school. They confidently explained the school’s ‘lockdown procedures’, which they practise to manage risks and emergency procedures.

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Safeguarding

Pupils said that they can talk to an adult at school if they have any worries, and these concerns are taken seriously.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

 Class teachers have very strong subject knowledge. They explain, model and question pupils skilfully to ensure that they have understood the subject being taught. Additionally, teachers know the pupils’ abilities very well and use assessment information superbly to plan activities to meet pupils’ needs.  Teachers and pupils share relationships that are positive and respectful. Teachers have consistently high expectations of what pupils can do and achieve, and pupils rise to them. These elements contribute to the excellent progress pupils make.  Pupils acquire the core skills of reading, writing and mathematics in French and English competently due to the very strong teaching. Pupils apply these skills well to the wider curriculum. For example, in science Year 6 pupils used correct scientific vocabulary such as ‘reciprocation’ to understand the different types of movement.  Pupils are given excellent opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

Inspectors noted pupils engaging in high quality discussions about respect. They shared mature views about how respect can be shown. Pupils listened attentively to each other’s different viewpoints.  Leaders and teachers provide pupils with excellent opportunities to assess and improve their work further. They do this through reflective comments and by acting on teachers’ feedback. Pupils talked confidently to inspectors about their personal targets set in writing, and demonstrated an excellent understanding of how it helps them to improve their written work.  Pupils show very strong positive attitudes to learning. Within lessons and when talking to inspectors, older pupils, in particular, welcome the hard work set by their teachers in a wide range of subjects. This contributes to pupils’ progress.  Teachers communicate frequently and superbly with parents through the use of mobile applications and face-to-face meetings. Parents spoken to during the inspection

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

commented favourably about feeling reassured on their child’s learning and welfare during the school day.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils are highly articulate and talk about their learning with great enthusiasm. They take great pride in presenting their work neatly and are proud of their achievements.  Pupils genuinely care for each other. This was evident when they helped each other during discussions with inspectors.  Leaders and staff provide excellent opportunities to promote pupils’ physical, mental and emotional well-being. Inspectors noted older pupils engaging highly effectively in discussions on mental health through the French curriculum, discussing ‘small feelings’ and ‘big feelings’. Pupils keep fit by engaging in activities such as swimming and gymnastics that are offered through the physical education curriculum.  Pupils told inspectors that bullying is a rare occurrence at their school. They have every trust and confidence in school leaders and staff that any issues or worries would be dealt

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Personal development and welfare

with swiftly and effectively, should it happen. They are very well versed on the different forms of bullying, including cyberbullying.  Pupils know very well how to keep themselves safe when using computers and the internet. For example, they know not to talk to strangers online and share passwords. They learn about how to keep safe through both the French curriculum and the school’s personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education programme.  Pupils talked very knowledgeably about different types of family and being respectful, despite differences. In the words of pupils, ‘Everyone is equal, even if they have a different religion or gender. It is no different. It is all the same.’

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Parents and staff agree that pupils are well behaved. Pupils are friendly, polite and respectful.  Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable. During lessons, pupils demonstrate excellent attitudes to learning. This makes a positive difference to their learning and progress. During social times of the school day, they play happily together. They move around the school building in an orderly fashion.  Pupils told inspectors they enjoy their learning and coming to school. They are eager to attend school regularly, which has resulted in the school’s attendance being above the national average.

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

 Over time, all pupils, including the most able pupils, across the school make very strong progress in both the English and French curriculums, and this is particularly so in French, English, mathematics, science and the visual arts. This is so because teachers and leaders know the abilities of pupils very well. Teachers make judicious use of their assessments to plan learning activities that match the learning needs of pupils with different abilities.  Pupils are highly effective in engaging in conversations about their learning with their peers and adults. For example, pupils talked confidently to inspectors about their abilities to speak in two or more languages, and they feel that they are challenged linguistically. They have an accurate view about their learning across the curriculums.  Pupils display very strong attitudes to reading. They told inspectors that they enjoy reading challenging books. Pupils clearly see the links between reading and writing. For

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

example, Year 6 pupils talked eloquently about how reading helps them to develop their vocabulary, and they use ambitious words such as ‘euphoric’ when they write stories.  In 2018, all the pupils at the end of Year 6, received offers of their first choice to continue their education in secondary schools. Pupils are very well prepared for their next stage of education in either the English or French systems.

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Early years provision Good

 Leaders have ensured that all the independent school standards relating to the early years provision are met.  The work in current children’s learning journals and books show that they are making strong progress in all areas of learning.  Teaching is effective. Adults provide a range of exciting opportunities to meet children’s needs in all areas of learning. For example, children are given opportunities regularly to cook using French and English recipes. Adults provide effective modelling of speaking and listening to support children’s language development.  Children are very well behaved. This is due to the clearly established routines that adults have put in place. They settle very quickly to activities and no learning time is wasted.  Parental partnerships are strong. Staff engage with parents very well through the use of mobile applications, home school records and meetings. They share children’s academic

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Early years provision Good

and personal information, in a respectful and meaningful manner.  Leadership of the early years is good. However, they are yet to develop the provision to facilitate children’s learning and development in a highly effective environment. Leaders have not ensured a deep enough focus on promoting children’s achievement and skills in line with the high expectations elsewhere in the school.  Overall, the learning environment is not sufficiently stimulating to capture children’s interest, curiosity and imagination. Some of the resources, for example in the reading and role-play areas, are not of high quality. Storage and access to equipment is not well organised.

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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

Proprietors Veronique Ferreira and Franck Laurans

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 to 17 March 2016

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Information about this school

 L’ École Bilingue Elementaire is a bilingual school that follows both the French and English education systems. The school is inspected annually by inspectors from the French educational system.  The school was last inspected by Ofsted in March 2016, when it was judged to be providing an outstanding quality of education.  Since the last inspection, an advisory board has been set up to provide proprietors and leaders with external support and challenge.

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Information about this inspection

 This full standard inspection took place with one day’s notice.  Inspectors visited all classes to observe pupils’ learning in a range of subjects, mostly accompanied with school leaders. They scrutinised pupils’ work within and outside of lessons.  Inspectors spoke with pupils during lessons and lunchtimes to discuss learning and their experiences of school life. They met formally with two groups of pupils. Inspectors talked to pupils about their reading. Inspectors analysed the 27 responses to the pupils’ survey.  Meetings were held with the proprietors, leaders and one member of the advisory board.  Inspectors talked to parents in the playground at the start of the school day. They took into consideration the 61 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including the 40 free-text responses.  Inspectors analysed the 17 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour within lessons and during social times of the school

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Information about this inspection

day.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documentation, including documents relating to safeguarding, information relating to attendance, behaviour and the school’s self- evaluation.

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Inspection team

Rajeshree Mehta, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ann Debono 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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