Gurukula - The Hare Krishna Primary School

Bhaktivedanta Manor School Hartspring Cottage, Elton Way, Watford, Hertfordshire WD25 8HB

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an inadequate school  Leaders and governors have failed to ensure that all of the independent school standards and other requirements, such as Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010, are met consistently.  There is a poor culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders and governors have a weak understanding of statutory requirements and are not taking all reasonable precautions to keep pupils safe.  Leaders do not ensure that pupils are well prepared to keep themselves safe in the community and wider world, including online.  Leaders and governors have a vastly over- inflated view of the school’s effectiveness. They do not know what is required to improve.  The statutory safeguarding, welfare and learning and development requirements of the early years foundation stage are not being met. The use of assessment does not inform teaching securely enough to ensure that children make consistently good progress.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders do not monitor effectively, or use the information they gather about pupils’ learning, to help them to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning accurately.  Leaders have not ensured that those pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities are identified and supported well.  Teaching does not meet the different needs of pupils, including the most able. Consequently, pupils make variable progress and do not achieve as well as they are capable. The school has the following strengths?

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. They play, learn and interact well with one another. Bullying is rare and instances of poor behaviour infrequent.  Parents are very positive about the school’s provision.  Pupils are proud of their school. They appreciate their new premises, particularly the outside areas, and treat their surroundings with care and respect.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school must take action to meet the requirements of the schedule to The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 and associated requirements. The details are listed in the full report.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Urgently improve safeguarding procedures and pupils’ safety and welfare by ensuring that: – leaders, including governors, have a comprehensive understanding of their responsibilities to promote and embed a culture of safeguarding – the school’s safeguarding procedures are up to date and compliant with statutory guidance and legislation – record-keeping and monitoring of all safeguarding concerns are rigorous and of the highest quality to ensure that pupils are kept safe – governors routinely check safeguarding arrangements and the implementation of policy so that processes are thorough and meet statutory requirements.  Rapidly improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that: – the school consistently meets all the independent school standards and associated requirements – leaders evaluate their work to identify how to improve the school’s provision, and take appropriate and timely actions

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– leaders create meaningful systems to monitor and improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning – the system used to record pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities accurately identifies their needs and provides appropriate support so they achieve well.  Urgently improve the early years provision by: – ensuring that all statutory safeguarding and welfare requirements are met – providing a wide range of opportunities for children to develop their early reading, writing and number skills, both inside and outdoors – precisely assessing children’s learning to be able to know how to support them effectively so that they make better progress.  Improve pupils’ personal development and welfare by: – developing pupils’ knowledge about how to stay safe in a range of situations, for example when online – increasing pupils’ depth of understanding and awareness about independently making the right decisions to help them keep safe.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching, learning and pupils’ outcomes by making sure that teachers: – have consistently high expectations about what pupils can achieve, including the most able – improve the accuracy of assessment information and use this to identify what pupils should learn next – plan activities to take account of the needs and abilities of pupils in their classes so that they achieve well.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders and governors have failed to ensure that the school consistently meets all the independent school standards. Crucially, they do not demonstrate that they have the necessary knowledge and understanding of statutory safeguarding requirements to meet the standards relating to pupils’ welfare and safety. This significantly weakens the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements throughout the school. Consequently, leadership and management are inadequate.  Leaders believe that the provision in the school is good. This is an overgenerous view of the school’s work and means that leaders’ plans for improvement do not accurately identify the areas that require immediate action. Leaders have not undertaken a comprehensive evaluation of the school’s performance. They do not know if their work is having any impact on improving the quality of provision and pupils’ achievement. Therefore, leaders do not have a clear strategic understanding of how to improve.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders have failed to ensure that they focus on pupils’ progress and attainment. Their monitoring has focused almost entirely on aspects unlikely to improve the quality of teaching, for example the quality of displays and presentation of pupils’ work. There is little attention paid to how teaching will improve outcomes for pupils. As a result, leaders are not holding staff rigorously to account for pupils’ achievement.  Leaders and governors are failing to uphold the requirements of the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice 2014. The leadership of this provision is weak. There is currently no appropriate process to identify the needs of pupils in the school. Consequently, leaders neither have a comprehensive understanding about which pupils have the most complex needs, nor do they know how to meet their needs.  There is a system in place to check pupils’ progress and use information about pupils’ prior

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

attainment to set targets for their achievement. However, it is not well understood or implemented effectively by leaders and staff to ensure that pupils achieve as well as they are capable, including the most able pupils.  The school’s accessibility plan is not fit for purpose. The current plan has not been individualised and well considered in order to meet the needs of pupils at Bhaktivedanta Manor School. Therefore, it does not comply with Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.  The curriculum enables pupils to develop sound literacy and numeracy skills as well as access to other subject areas. Themed weeks are a part of the curriculum, including ‘multifaith’ and ‘safety’ weeks. Additionally, pupils have opportunities to utilise their local area, in particular, the neighbouring Bhaktivedanta Manor Hare Krishna Temple, its farm and its grounds, to enhance their educational and personal experiences in a variety of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

ways.  Leaders, including governors, remain deeply committed to the school’s vision to create ‘a caring, personal and family-oriented primary school, devoted to the service of Lord Krishna and the nurture of spiritually-minded pupils who will help build ethical, prosperous and sustainable communities’. An ethos of courtesy and respect is embraced and governs the school’s work.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted successfully. Pupils who spoke with the inspector said that they enjoyed being able to practise and learn more about their own faith. Equally, pupils talked enthusiastically about respecting friends outside of school who have different beliefs. Pupils demonstrate that they have a good understanding of British values and apply them to their daily life.  Parents are very positive about their children’s experiences of the school. They collectively say that one of the many strengths of the school is how happy their children are.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

Inspection evidence confirms that pupils are happy in school. Parents believe that: ‘The head and staff love the children, who are nurtured with care and affection to enhance their development.’

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Governance

 Governance has not ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  Governors have an unwaveringly positive view of the school’s provision. Despite evidence to the contrary, governors do not see the significance of the issues facing the school, for example the lack of precision in leaders’ work, such as monitoring and assessment, and that they are not rigorously holding leaders to account.  Governors are unaware of many of the safeguarding issues. They have not been checking the Department for Education’s (DfE) guidance and information about safeguarding in schools. This means that they are not in a secure position to determine whether the school meets statutory requirements and the relevant independent school standards.  Where governors have identified actions to be taken, they have been too slow to ensure that they happen swiftly. Along with leaders, governors have not evaluated the impact of

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Governance

their work thoroughly enough.  The health and safety governor has worked diligently to ensure that the new premises are fit for purpose. All statutory checks are up to date and risk assessments suitably mitigate any risks in all areas of the school. Consequently, the independent school standards about premises and accommodation at schools have been fully met.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.  Leaders, including governors, have failed to ensure that procedures and systems to safeguard pupils meet statutory requirements and that they are implemented consistently.  Leaders, including the designated lead for child protection, do not monitor safeguarding issues well enough for all pupils in their care. Leaders’ records are of poor quality, and often reflect a lack of care to monitor, record and act appropriately on all issues that come to their attention. This gives rise to a lack of rigour in this aspect of leaders’ work.  At the beginning of the inspection, the school’s safeguarding policy did not comply with the most recent government legislation. This was later rectified during the inspection. Even so, evidence shows that staff have not received up-to-date safeguarding information. Staff do not have an appropriate knowledge and understanding about how to effectively

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Safeguarding

undertake all their duties when following systems to safeguard pupils in the best interests of the child.  A significant proportion of pupils spoken to indicated that they were not confident that they felt safe. Pupils’ understanding and awareness about aspects of safety is limited. For example, when discussing safety, pupils talk about avoiding ‘nettles and brambles’. Pupils showed little depth in their understanding about the potential dangers when using the internet and how to keep themselves safe online and out in the community.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement because there are too many inconsistencies across all year groups and subjects in the curriculum.  Assessment information is not being used effectively to adapt planning to ensure that learning is suitable for all year groups. Teachers do not take careful account of what pupils’ starting points are before planning their lessons, especially for the most able pupils. Teaching does not routinely provide activities that set an appropriate level of challenge for the most able pupils.  Not all teachers have high enough expectations of pupils. Where expectations are too low, teachers do not provide pupils with work that ensures that they make the progress they are capable of. In some instances, pupils find the work too easy and evidence in their books shows that, on occasions, pupils repeat learning even though they have demonstrated they can already do it.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The work in pupils’ books is too similar for different ability groups. Too often the variations made for pupils involve an increase in repetitive tasks that do not encourage pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding or apply their learned skills. This slows the progress that pupils make from their different starting points.  Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are not supported well enough in lessons, because leaders and staff do not accurately know who needs additional help and support. Group sessions led by teachers and teaching assistants lack focus and impact because staff have not correctly identified the needs of the pupils in the group. Similarly, it is not clear if teachers know or check if there are other pupils who have needs that may have been missed.  The most effective teaching observed was characterised by targeted questions that encourage pupils to think and to apply their knowledge and understanding. For example,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

in one key stage 2 class, a mathematics discussion about number was extended effectively by questioning so that pupils had the opportunity to apply their decimal knowledge to number. However, this level of questioning is inconsistent across the school. When it does not happen, pupils are not challenged to do better.  Pupils show that they want to learn in lessons. They use the prompts and reminders displayed in classrooms routinely to help them with their learning. Teachers celebrate and promote achievement through displays of the pupils’ work and by giving an appropriate level of praise and encouragement.  Staff are eager to do their best for the pupils and expect them to behave well. They work hard, are enthusiastic and dedicated to ensuring that they better their own practice to successfully improve pupil outcomes. Even so, they do not have a secure understanding of how they can improve, because leaders do not provide them with rigorous feedback about

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

the effectiveness of their teaching.  Parents receive regular information about how well their children are progressing with their learning. For example, during the inspection a few parents attended a meeting to learn about how their children are taught phonics.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate.  Some pupils told the inspector that they do not always feel safe. Although pupils are provided with opportunities to learn about how to keep safe, they do not effectively apply them to their personal safety. Pupils’ limited understanding results in them not being adequately prepared to make the right decisions to ensure that they stay safe.  Aspects of the school’s curriculum teach pupils about online safety. Although pupils have a basic understanding about the need to stay safe online, they do not demonstrate a depth of understanding about how to do so.  A lack of identification of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities means that it is not clear whether this group of pupils’ welfare needs are being met.  Pupils feel that there is very little bullying in school and they have a general understanding of what this is. When prompted, some pupils say that staff sort out their problems well

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Personal development and welfare

and this makes them feel safe. However, evidence highlights that while some pupils would approach adults, there are others who choose to keep their concerns to themselves.  Generally, relationships between adults and pupils are strong. Adults model respect and kindness well. This successfully establishes positive learning attitudes in pupils, self- motivation and a commitment to achieve well.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils’ conduct is positive throughout the school day both inside and outside of the classroom. Staff supervise breaktimes and lunchtimes effectively. During social times, pupils engage in play well and enjoy friendly conversations. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the difference the new school site has made and speak fondly about being able to ‘run freely and play in the beautiful grounds’.  Parents, pupils and staff confirm that the good behaviour observed during the inspection is typical at Bhaktivedanta Manor. Pupils are united in their view that: ‘There is very little poor behaviour, but if there is a problem, the teachers sort it out well.’ All pupils spoken with demonstrated respect, compassion and empathy for others.  Attendance is currently above average and further improving. This is because pupils enjoy school and look forward to returning after holidays. One parent said, ‘Even when my child

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Behaviour

is poorly they get upset if they cannot go to school.’

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 The school chooses to follow the national curriculum programmes of study and they take the national tests in key stages 1 and 2. Results show that over time, standards appear to be improving. However, due to the very small number of pupils, trends over time must be treated with caution. Work seen in pupils’ books shows that while some pupils are making good progress, others are not doing as well as they might. This is particularly the case for the most able pupils.  Pupil outcomes in phonics improved in 2018. All pupils met the expected standard in the Year 1 screening check.  The 2018 key stage 1 results show pupils’ overall attainment is below national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils achieving greater depth is below average in writing and mathematics but above average in reading.  The key stage 2 outcomes in 2018 show the proportion of pupils achieving the expected

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

standard in reading, writing and mathematics was above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. This demonstrates that pupils achieve standards of work that prepare them appropriately for the next stage of their education.  Scrutiny of leaders’ assessment information alongside pupils’ work shows that the most able pupils sometimes achieve higher standards of work than other pupils. However, in many cases, their initial starting points were higher. Teaching does not consistently stretch the most able pupils to apply and deepen their learning.  As was the case at the time of the previous inspection, the school does not keep information about pupils’ progress in subjects other than English and mathematics. This is because assessments have only just begun for science and are due to start in January 2019 for all other curriculum subjects.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language are supported effectively. The

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

teaching and learning emphasis on language acquisition and development for these pupils is resulting in this small group of pupils becoming increasingly fluent in all aspects of English.

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Early years provision Inadequate

 Early years provision is inadequate. The overall judgement on the school as a whole, that safeguarding is ineffective, with related unmet independent school standards, also applies to the early years.  Leaders report that children enter the early years with skills, knowledge and understanding that are generally typical for children of the same age. Initial baseline evidence shows that this is the case for the current small group of children.  Assessment information recorded is too broad for the steps of progress to be measured accurately. Adults record the early learning goals but not the objectives within these. This results in a lack of precise and rigorous information about how well children are progressing from their starting points.  Adults use the information to a varyingly effective degree to prepare and plan appropriate activities to support and challenge children to take their next steps. The inconsistency of

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Early years provision Inadequate

adults’ work leads to some children not being challenged as well as others to achieve the best they can.  There is a growing awareness of early years practice and how children learn well. This is reflected in the outdoor area and current environment which is being developed. However, children are not given enough opportunities through the activities planned to explore freely and apply their skills to a wide enough range of contexts. For example, children’s regular chances to ‘mark make’ and write are limited, and too often children cannot choose to learn within the outdoor area currently in use.  The leader in early years is very new to the leadership role. While she has not had time to demonstrate her effectiveness, she is enthusiastic and eager to perform the role well.  Children have quickly settled into school life. They take care of each other and were seen to work well together by sharing and taking turns.

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Early years provision Inadequate

 Parents are positive about the experiences of their children in the early years. Regular information keeps them informed about their children’s learning. Parents are very supportive and are keen to help their children at home.

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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 ISKCON Bhaktivedanta Manor (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) Co-Chairs of governors Mr Kartik Khandwala/Mr Kapila Monet

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School details

Headteacher Mrs Wendy Harrison (also known as Padma Dasi) Annual fees (day pupils) £1,980

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School details

Email address headteacher@bvmschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13–15 September 2016

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Information about this school

 The school is registered as a school with a religious character and a Hindu ethos.  The school is registered to admit a maximum of 60 pupils. There are 52 pupils currently on roll. The registered age range is four to 11 years. Pupils currently at the school are aged four to 11 years.  In March 2016, Ofsted conducted a material change inspection at the request of the DfE. This was to consider the proprietor’s request to increase the number of registered pupils from 30 to 60. At the time of that inspection, the school was found to be unlikely to meet the independent school standards relating to the school’s arrangements to safeguarding pupils, the recording of sanctions and the suitability of staff and proprietors.  In March 2017, Ofsted conducted a progress monitoring inspection to check on the school’s progress towards meeting all the independent school standards. That inspection found that the school was still not meeting all of the previously unmet standards.

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Information about this school

 At the January 2018 progress monitoring inspection, all the independent school standards were judged as being met. The DfE requested that during this visit, inspectors consider the proprietor’s request for a material change to temporary accommodation and the school’s registration to extend the number of pupils in the school from 43 to 60. Inspectors reported that the school was likely to meet the required standards if the material changes were implemented. Following this, the DfE agreed to the material change for the premises and accommodation. The school has now moved temporarily to Hartspring Cottage, Elton Way, Watford, Herts WD25 8HB while building works are completed in the original building.  The proprietorial body owns and runs an early years provision on the Hare Krishna temple at the Bhaktivedanta Manor site. The Manor Pre-School (URN 130503) is registered with Ofsted and is inspected separately. The school and pre-school are run separately.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out with one day’s notice.  The inspector observed current learning across all year groups and while doing so looked at pupils’ books and spoke to pupils to find out how well they are learning in reading, writing, mathematics and other curriculum subjects. The headteacher joined the inspector for a few of the classroom visits.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, the designated safeguarding lead, the two new key stage leaders and governors, including both the co-chairs of the governing body.  The inspector met with two groups of pupils, one group of which were part of the school council, to discuss aspects of safety, behaviour and to find out about their school experiences.  The views of parents gathered from the 31 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, as well as the 28 free-text responses were considered. Additionally, the inspector joined the parent phonics workshop and spoke to parents afterwards.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector checked the school’s compliance with the independent school standards. Part of this work included carrying out a tour of the premises and scrutinising a wide range of documents. These included the required policies, records of the checks made on staff, curriculum planning, and records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance. The inspector also looked at collections of previous pupils’ work and pictorial records of pupils’ educational visits and experiences.  The school’s assessment information of pupils’ attainment and progress was evaluated. In all classes, the inspector looked at a sample of pupils’ books across a range of subjects to evaluate pupils’ learning in English, mathematics and across the wider curriculum. The headteacher also provided pupils’ books from the previous school year for scrutiny.  The inspector also visited the Hare Krishna temple at Bhaktivedanta Manor.

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Inspection team

Tracy Fielding, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Annex. Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet the following independent school standards.

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if  – 2(1)(a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub-paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and – 2(1)(b)(1) take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those pupils with an EHC plan.  3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school  – 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; – 3(c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time; – 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 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils’ work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress.

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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  – 7(a) arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school; and – 7(b) such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.

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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; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and, – 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils. The school does not meet the following requirements.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 The proprietor must make arrangements to meet the requirements of paragraph 3 of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.  The proprietor must meet the statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage for child protection contained in paragraphs 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7. 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 8. Quality of leadership in and management of 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 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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