Carmel Christian School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Carmel Christian School 817A Bath Road, Brislington, Bristol BS4 5NL

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraphs 2(1), 2(1)(a), 2(1)(b), 2(1)(b)(i), 2(2), 2(2)(f), 3, 3(a), 3(c), 3(d), 3(f) and 3(g)  When the school was inspected in November 2018, inspectors found shortcomings in the quality of teachers’ plans. Staff were not planning lessons that closely matched pupils’ learning needs.  Work remains poorly matched to pupils’ prior knowledge and skills. For some it is too easy and for others too hard. Pupils complete their comprehension activities in their workbooks but show limited understanding of the concepts that are covered.  Teaching staff do not use assessment effectively to assess what pupils know, understand and can do.  Children in the early years play well together. However, opportunities to develop children’s communication and language skills and their personal and social development are not capitalised on. Too often, there is a lack of purpose to the activities that children

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Main inspection findings

undertake.  These standards remain unmet.

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a) and (b)  This standard was not met at the previous standard inspection as the proprietor had not ensured that procedures to keep children safe were applied consistently. Inspectors raised concerns about the procedures followed when staff or volunteers were appointed.  The leaders with specific responsibility for safeguarding have ensured that all staff and volunteers have the necessary employment checks in place. They have organised a comprehensive range of safeguarding training and have checked that staff and volunteers understand the implications of this training.  Leaders are suitably trained and receive regular updates of the latest developments in safeguarding practice. They share this information with staff, volunteers and parents. Where appropriate, they talk to the pupils about the risks they may face.  The standard is now met.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraph 12  At the previous inspection, leaders could not demonstrate how they were complying with the fire safety regulations. Inspectors were concerned about the unsafe storage of chemicals and the lack of regular testing of fire safety equipment.  Leaders have taken action to ensure that all harmful chemicals are now locked in designated cupboards. The necessary repairs have been made to doors and the fire detection equipment has been serviced. Weekly checks of the fire alarm and of the emergency lights are now in place.  During the inspection, a planned fire evacuation drill was carried out. This demonstrated the effectiveness of the arrangements. Staff and pupils left the building quickly and quietly.  This standard is now met. Paragraph 16, 16(a) and (b)  At the standard inspection in November 2018, the proprietor had failed to implement the school’s risk assessment policy effectively.  Leaders have still not ensured that adequate risk assessments are in place. Risk

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Main inspection findings

assessments for off-site visits fail to identify many of the most significant risks. Although risk assessments now consider the needs of pupils with medical conditions, the control measures are not sufficiently robust to ensure that the likelihood of harm is minimised.  The standard remains unmet.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a)–(c)  Governors do not show a good understanding of the independent school standards or their role in ensuring that the school meets these standards. Governors lack the knowledge and skills that are needed to bring about change.  The proprietor has not ensured that there is sufficient capacity to make the much- needed improvements to the quality of education.  The standard in this part is not met.

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Main inspection findings

Statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage  Since the inspection in November 2018, leaders have ensured that all the necessary checks have been carried out for staff working with children in the Nursery and Reception class. Staff have completed additional training and so all of the requirements to keep children safe are now met.  As in the rest of the school, work to improve the fire safety of the building has been completed. Regular checks are now in place. As a result, the arrangements to keep children safe in the event of a fire are now adequate.  Safeguarding and welfare requirements: paragraphs 3.2, 3.4, 3.55 are now met.  In the early years, the November 2018 inspection found that teachers did not plan challenging experiences for children. This situation continues. Observations by staff are not being used effectively to assess what children know, understand and can do and plan future learning.

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Main inspection findings

 Learning and development requirements: paragraph 1.6 remains unmet.  At the previous inspection, the proprietor had not ensured that staff in the early years had adequate supervision arrangements in place. Although supervision is now in place for staff, it is not effective in providing the coaching that they need to improve their work day by day.  Risk assessments that were absent at the inspection in November 2018 are now in place for the early years learning environment. However, the risk assessments when children go off-site lack consideration of the most significant risks children may face.  Safeguarding and welfare requirements: paragraphs 3.21, 3.22, 3.64 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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The school now meets the following independent school standards

 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.  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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the early years foundation stage

Safeguarding and welfare requirements: paragraphs 3.2, 3.4, 3.55

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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 Carmel Ministries International

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £1,440 to £2,040

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School details

Email address jaapv@carmelchristianschool.org

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 13–15 November 2018

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Information about this school

 Carmel Christian School is owned by Carmel Ministries International. The school is part of Christian Education Europe, a network of independent Christian schools.  The school opened in 2000. It is a non-selective, independent Christian day school.  The school is situated on one site and does not use any alternative providers.  Children in Nursery and Reception are taught in one early years class which caters for children from three years old. Staff continue to be supported by advisers from The Bristol Standard.  There are currently no students in the sixth form.  Much of the curriculum is taught through booklets called Packets of Accelerated Christian Education (PACEs).  The most recent standard inspection took place in November 2018. The school did not meet all of the independent school standards and the overall effectiveness was judged to be inadequate.

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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 to not comply with at its previous inspection.  This was the first progress monitoring inspection since the standard inspection in November 2018.  During the inspection, the inspector held discussions with the principal, the proprietor’s governance manager and designated safeguarding lead, the deputy designated safeguarding lead, the chair of the governing body, teachers and pupils. The inspector reviewed a range of the school’s documentation, including policies, safety checks, schemes of learning, and other records maintained by school staff. The inspector toured the building to confirm the remedial actions to address concerns about fire safety.

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Inspection team

Iain Freeland, 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

 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) the written policy, plans and schemes of work- – 2(1)(b)(i) take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those pupils with an EHC plan.  2(2) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are- – 2(2)(f) where the school has pupils below compulsory school age, a programme of activities which is appropriate to their educational needs in relation to personal, social, emotional and physical development and communication and language skills.  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

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

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; – 3(f) utilises effectively classroom resources of a good quality, quantity and range; – 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

 16 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that- – 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 – 16(b) appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified.

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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- – 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.

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for the early years foundation stage

Learning and development requirements: paragraph 1.6 Safeguarding and welfare requirements: paragraphs 3.21, 3.22, 3.64 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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for the early years foundation stage

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for the early years foundation stage

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for the early years foundation stage

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for the early years foundation stage

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for the early years foundation stage

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for the early years foundation stage

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