Beechtree Steiner Initiative

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Beechtree Steiner Initiative 192a Chapeltown Road, Leeds LS7 4HZ

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 11, 12  At the previous inspection in June 2018, the inspector found that the school’s health and safety policy was not implemented effectively because fire regulations were not being followed consistently.  Leaders have acted to address this. Fire evacuation record-keeping and checks are now robust. Leaders ensure that records are kept of all fire evacuations, including dates, timings and any follow-up action required. The pupils spoken to during the inspection were clear about the fire evacuation procedures.  Staff now check the fire escape routes for any hazards daily.  Hazards in the school hall, identified at the previous inspection, have been removed. Daily checks are made by staff to ensure that no equipment belonging to the landlord is stored in the main hall.  Leaders have updated the whole-school risk assessment. This includes a risk assessment

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Main inspection findings

of the school hall. Risk assessments are carried out daily and these checks are recorded.  These standards are now met. Paragraph 7, 7(a), 7(b), 32(1)(c)  Leaders have updated the safeguarding policy. The policy takes into account current government requirements. The policy is available to parents and carers on the school’s website.  These standards were met at the previous inspection and continue to be met. Paragraph 15  At the time of this inspection, the admissions register was not fully compliant. For example, the school is not systematically recording pupils’ previous schools when they join during the school year.  This standard was met at the last inspection and is now not met. Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraph 20(6)(b)(i), 20(6)(b)(ii), 21(1)  Leaders do not consistently record the statutory checks made on trustees. During the inspection, gaps were found in the school’s register of checks made on trustees. For

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Main inspection findings

instance, leaders could not provide evidence that all trustees have received an enhanced criminal record check.  Leaders have ensured that all appropriate checks have been made on adults who work with children in the school. These checks are recorded on the school’s single central register.  These standards were met at the previous inspection and are now not met. Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraph 25  At the previous inspection, the storage of some equipment on the school site presented a risk to pupils.  All potential hazards at fire exits have been removed. Leaders conduct daily checks of fire exits to ensure they are free from obstruction.  Leaders have ensured that items belonging to the landlord have been removed. The conditions in the hall are checked daily, this is included in the building risk assessment.  This standard is now met. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Main inspection findings

Paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b)  The previous inspection identified that although trustees were clear about many of their duties, they were less clear about their role in holding staff to account for the progress made by children and pupils.  Since the previous inspection, a new trustee has been appointed with an education background. She is responsible for developing systems to monitor the quality of teaching and learning, and pupils’ progress. There is a regular programme of lesson visits and discussions with staff about pupils’ progress. As a result, staff are being held more to account. Nevertheless, trustees agree that the systems to check on the work of the school need further development.  At the previous inspection, children were not sufficiently challenged in their reading. For instance, they were not reading whole books. Leaders and trustees have ensured that the profile of reading has been raised. Older pupils are now reading whole books. They

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Main inspection findings

read regularly in school. However, sometimes the books that pupils read are too easy for their reading ability.  Leaders and trustees have ensured that some of the standards that were not met at the previous inspection are now met. However, they have not ensured that all of the independent school standards are consistently met.  These standards are not met. Paragraph 34(1)(c)

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Main inspection findings

 Since the previous inspection, leaders and trustees have ensured that the school’s health and safety policy is implemented effectively. Leaders and trustees now ensure compliance with fire safety.  Some of the standards associated with checking the backgrounds of trustees and admissions registers that were met at the time of the previous inspection are no longer met.  This standard is not 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 Beechtree Steiner Initiative

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School details

Email address enquiries@leeds-steiner.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 12–14 June 2018

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Information about this school

 In September 2017, the school moved to its current location. The school is situated in the grounds of a Sikh temple.  The school offers Steiner Waldorf education to pupils aged two to nine. There are currently 44 pupils on the school’s roll. There are 33 children in the Kindergarten and 11 pupils in class 1 and 2.  The school does not use any alternative education provision.  The school is led by the general manager. An operational management group has been established since the previous inspection to oversee the day-to-day decision making.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. It was conducted without notice. 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 to not comply with at its previous inspection.  This inspection was the first progress monitoring inspection since the standard inspection in June 2018.  The Department for Education (DfE) required the school to complete an action plan for improvement. The action plan was evaluated by Ofsted in November 2018. The action plan was deemed to be acceptable with modifications. At the time of the progress monitoring inspection, leaders had made the modifications to the action plan.  The inspector met with the general manager, the designated senior leader for child protection, the chair of trustees, a trustee with responsibility for quality assurance and

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Information about this inspection

the school’s health and safety lead.  The inspector talked to staff and pupils in class 1 and 2.  The inspector checked the single central register, which records the school’s checks on staff and trustees.  The inspector toured the school site with the health and safety lead.

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Inspection team

Michele Costello, 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 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 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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

 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[13].

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

 20(6) The standard in this paragraph is met in relation to an individual ("MB"), not being the Chair of the school, who is a member of a body of persons corporate or unincorporate named as the proprietor of the school in the register or in an application to enter the school in the register, if–

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

– 20(6)(b) subject to sub-paragraphs (7) to (8), the Chair of the school makes the following checks relating to MB–

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

– 20(6)(b)(i) where relevant to the individual, an enhanced criminal record check

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

– 20(6)(b)(ii) checks confirming MB’s identity and MB’s right to work in the United Kingdom.

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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 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 11 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the 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 5. Premises and accommodation of 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 is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of pupils are ensured. 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 and accommodation 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 5. Premises and accommodation of 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 and accommodation of 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 and accommodation of schools

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Part 5. Premises and accommodation of schools

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Part 5. Premises and accommodation of schools

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