Wotton House International School Gloucestershire

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Gloucestershire International School Wotton House, Horton Road, Gloucester GL1 3PT

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraph 3, 3(a)-(d)  When the school was inspected in November 2017, some pupils were not making the progress that they were capable of. At the first progress monitoring inspection, improvements had been made in some subjects. However, pupils were not demonstrating a deep understanding in many of the subjects and topics studied. Assessments made were inaccurate in some subjects.  Since then, leaders have worked to introduce and develop plans for each subject and learning plans for some pupils. Leaders are also working to introduce and refine accurate assessments of pupils’ progress, following a baseline assessment which takes place when pupils start at the school.  These systems are still in development and are too new to have made a significant impact on the quality of learning that happens in the school each day. The targets described in pupils’ learning plans are broad and do not specify exactly what the pupil

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Main inspection findings

needs to achieve next. Therefore, although the curriculum is now better organised, teachers do not yet consistently use assessment information to plan specifically to meet some pupils’ needs.  The standard remains unmet.

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a) and 7(b)  This standard was not met at the previous standard inspection, as the proprietor had not ensured that a robust culture of safeguarding had been established. Staff were not adequately trained, and records were not suitably maintained.  Leaders have continued to develop the effective partnerships with external agencies to safeguard pupils. The school’s safeguarding policy continues to meet requirements, as seen at the previous monitoring inspection.  The designated leader for safeguarding works routinely with other leaders in the local area to share safeguarding practice. There is now a more robust system in place to ensure that all staff have the required safeguarding training. The designated safeguarding leader ensures that staff are kept updated with latest guidance and that safeguarding issues are regularly discussed. Because of this increased awareness and

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Main inspection findings

better systems for staff training and updates, there is now a strong culture of safeguarding.  There have been some changes recently to staff responsibilities for safeguarding. The proprietor is ensuring that there are sufficient staff with the appropriate training in place so that all referrals continue to be managed in a timely and appropriate way.  This standard is now met.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraph 11  At the previous inspections, it was noted that the health and safety policy did not meet requirements and that there was not a suitable certificate for electrical safety.  The proprietor has taken firm action, commissioning an external agency to advise leaders and to ensure that health and safety policies meet requirements. A health and safety committee now meet regularly to ensure that all required checks around the school site relating to health and safety are completed in a timely way.  This standard is now met.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraph 12  The arrangements for fire safety were raised as a concern at the welfare-only inspection in March 2018. The fire-risk assessment was found to be unsuitable and records of fire safety were poor and incomplete. At the progress monitoring inspection, it was found that the fire assessment was not up to date. Records of evacuation were poorly maintained and there was a lack of clarity in the recording of the necessary checks.  The proprietor has ensured that fire assessments and checks are now completed and kept up to date. Staff ensure that fire checks meet requirements. Records show that fire evacuations and checks on equipment including fire bells are completed appropriately.  This standard is now met.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraph 15  At the previous inspections, the admissions and attendance registers were both found to be incomplete. Paper registers were incomplete for some classes.  Leaders have ensured that the admissions and attendance registers now meet requirements. There are new paper registers, and all are completed accurately. Staff work closely with the local authority and follow correct procedures for removing pupils off the school roll.  This standard is now met.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraph 16  At the standard inspection and at the monitoring inspection in September 2018, the proprietor had failed to use risk assessments effectively to protect pupils. There were numerous formats, and this compromised the effectiveness of the risk assessments and leaders’ oversight of them.  The proprietor has acted to improve the use of risk assessments. There is now a standard format used throughout the school and all risk assessments are checked by leaders before events take place. In addition, extra checklists ensure that staff take individual pupils’ risks into account when planning activities or trips outside of school.  This standard is now met.  The standards in this part are now met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraph 18, 18(2)(e), 18(3), 21(1), 21(3), 21(3)(a), 21(3)(a)(viii)  Previous inspections found that the principles of safer recruitment were not consistently applied. Some records were incomplete at the monitoring inspection in September 2018. Some chronologies of employment had not been completed as required by the Secretary of State. Some checks were not completed in a timely fashion, or before a member of staff begins work.  The proprietor has taken steps to ensure that recruitment procedures now are completed in a more organised and rigorous way. Leaders have liaised with the local authority to ensure that the single central record of recruitment checks now meets requirements. There is a more systematic and thorough approach to ensuring that all employment checks are completed before an employer begins work at the school.  The standards in this part are now met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a)-(c)  A significant number of the independent school standards were not met at the inspection in 2017. Many of these remained unmet at the progress monitoring inspection in September 2018. The proprietor has rightly prioritised safeguarding and health and safety procedures and can now demonstrate improvements in these areas.  There is now a focus from leaders on embedding the changes already made and on making further improvements to the quality of education across the school. Improvements have been made to the school’s action plan. Leaders ensure that the school calendar reflects the actions and monitoring activities outlined in the plan. This is supporting a more rigorous approach to school improvement.  Systems to check on the quality of teaching and learning across subjects and classes are now more organised and structured. For example, formal lesson observations that

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Main inspection findings

inform performance management and feedback for staff on how to improve their work have begun. However, this has not been in place for long enough to see the impact on the quality of education across the school.  There is a newly formed advisory board which aims to ensure that the proprietor and leaders are challenged and held to account for the improvements being made to the school. It is too soon to see the difference this is making to pupils’ outcomes.  Although improvements can be seen, the proprietor has not ensured that all the independent school standards are met consistently. As a result, the standards in this part remain unmet.

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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

School status Independent boarding school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £6,300 to £14,847

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School details

Website www.gloucestershireinternationalschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 28–30 November 2017

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Information about this school

 Gloucestershire International School is a small independent school, which opened in September 2016. It is registered for a maximum capacity of 250 pupils. In addition, it is registered as a boarding school, but the proprietor has suspended boarding provision.  The school is owned by International Village Education Ltd. The owner of this company is the proprietor of the school and is currently the school’s principal.  Some pupils spend one day a week at the Wilderness Centre, an outdoor education provision separate from the school.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school has small numbers in each year group from Year 7 to Year 11.

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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.  This was the second progress monitoring inspection since the independent school standard inspection in November 2017 and an inspection of the boarding accommodation in March 2018. The first progress monitoring inspection took place in September 2018.  The inspection was conducted without notice.  The Department for Education (DfE) required the school to prepare an action plan. This requirement was statutory. The action plan was evaluated on 28 December 2018. Following the evaluation, the DfE rejected the action plan.  During the inspection, inspectors held discussions with the proprietor, senior leaders,

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Information about this inspection

teachers, administration staff and pupils. The inspector reviewed a range of the school’s documentation, including policies and procedures and other records maintained by school staff, to check compliance with the independent school standards. The inspector spoke with a representative from the safeguarding team at the local authority.  The inspector also reviewed policies available on the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Tonwen Empson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards

Standards that were not met at the previous inspection and remain unmet at this inspection

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school--

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(a) enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(b) fosters in pupils’ self-motivation, the application of intellectual, physical and creative effort, interest in their work and the ability to think and learn for themselves;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons;

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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 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

 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

 15 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that an admission and attendance register is maintained in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006.

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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 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

 18(2) The standard in this paragraph is met if--

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

– 18(2)(e) in the case of any person for whom, by reason of that person living or having lived outside the United Kingdom, obtaining such a certificate is not sufficient to establish the person’s suitability to work in a school, such further checks are made as the proprietor considers appropriate, having regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State; and – 18(3) The checks referred to in sub-paragraphs (2)(c) and (except where sub-paragraph (4) applies) (2)(e) must be completed before a person’s appointment.

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

 21(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor keeps a register which shows such of the information referred to in sub-paragraphs (3) to (7) as is applicable to the school in question.

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

 21(3) The information referred to in this sub-paragraph is--

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

– 21(3)(a) in relation to each member of staff ("S") appointed on or after 1st May 2007, whether-- – 21(3)(a)(viii) checks were made pursuant to paragraph 18(2)(e). 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 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

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