Education-My Life Matters

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Education My Life Matters The New Generation Centre, 111 Wells Park Road, Lewisham, Sydenham SE26 6AD

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a), 7(b) and 32(1), 32(1)(c)  At the progress monitoring inspection of April 2019, not all safeguarding leaders had received the required up-to-date training. Arrangements for inducting and training staff were not strong enough.  This progress monitoring inspection confirms that safeguarding leaders have all completed an enhanced level of relevant training. All staff are trained in accordance with the latest guidance. The school’s system for identifying, reporting, recording and following up concerns is fit for purpose.  The school’s safeguarding and child protection policy is compliant with the latest statutory guidance, and is published on the school’s website  Leaders have ensured that these standards are now met. Paragraph 9,9(b)  The previous inspection found improvements in pupils’ behaviour. Nevertheless, staff remained inconsistent in their application of the school’s behaviour policy.

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Main inspection findings

 Since the previous inspection, leaders have implemented a new written behaviour policy. Expectations of behaviour are clear within the policy and are well understood by staff and pupils. Staff are consistent in their application of the school’s expectations.  Leaders have ensured that these standards are now met. Paragraph 11, 12, 16, 16(a) and 16(b)  At the time of the last inspection, the standards were unmet because leaders did not ensure that the premises complied with relevant health and safety legislation. This included the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Leaders had not considered the actions recommended in the external fire risk assessment in order to ensure compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Checks on emergency lighting were not undertaken. Staff were not consistently clear about the use of a fire exit and electrical appliances had not all been safety tested.

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Main inspection findings

 Leaders have taken appropriate action following the external fire risk assessment completed in October 2019. All electrical appliances have been safety tested. Checks are undertaken and recorded for alarms, emergency lighting and fire extinguishers. Fire exits are clear. Fire drills take place regularly. These are recorded and evaluated in line with the fire safety policy and risk assessment.  Leaders have ensured consistency in applying the health and safety and risk assessment policies. Risk assessments for the building are fit for purpose. They have been recently updated, they identify hazards, and they have appropriate control measures in place. Risk assessments for trips and other activities meet requirements.  Leaders have ensured that these standards are now met.  The school meets all the requirements for this part. Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraph 24((1), 24(1)(b) and 25

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Main inspection findings

 At the previous inspection, these standards were not met, because the medical room facility was deemed too far away from toilet facilities.  The action plan submitted inferred that the disabled toilet would be converted and used for first-aid treatment.  This inspection confirms that the medical room and disabled toilet are separate facilities. The disabled toilet is appropriately close to the medical room.  Leaders have ensured that these standards are met. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c) and 34(2).  At the previous inspection, leaders did not demonstrate knowledge and understanding of all the independent school standards.  This inspection confirmed that leaders have taken effective action to meet the independent school standards that were previously unmet. Suitable actions to improve safeguarding, risk assessment, fire safety, health and safety, and the premises have been

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Main inspection findings

completed.  All the independent school standards in this part are met.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets 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. 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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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.  9 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor promotes good behaviour amongst pupils by ensuring that– – 9(b) the policy is implemented effectively.  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.  12 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.  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

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

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 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 24(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that suitable accommodation is provided in order to cater for the medical and therapy needs of pupils, including– – 24(b) accommodation for the short-term care of sick and injured pupils, which includes a washing facility and is near to a toilet facility.  25 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the school, the school premises and the accommodation and facilities provided therein are maintained to a standard such that, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of pupils are ensured.

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Part 6. Provision of information

 32(1) The standard about the provision of information by the school is met if the proprietor ensures that– – 32(1)(c) particulars of the arrangements for meeting the standard contained in paragraph 7 are published on the school’s internet website or, where no such website exists, are provided to parents on request.

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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.  34(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(c) ‘well-being’ means well-being within the meaning of section 10(2) of the Children Act 2004.

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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 Secondary day school and alternative provider School status Independent special school

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 20–22 March 2018

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Information about this school

 Education My Life Matters is an independent special school that also provides alternative provision.  The current headteacher took up her post in September 2019.  The school’s proprietor is supported by an independent executive board.  The school has registration for up to 20 pupils aged 11 to 16. Pupils typically attend temporarily on a dual-registration arrangement with their secondary schools.  The school premises is at 5 Rosenthal Road, Lewisham SE6 2BX. The Department for Education’s (DfE) online database ‘Getting Information About Schools’ (GIAS) does not reflect the name of the current headteacher or the school’s current address. This is because until all independent school standards are met the DfE is unable to progress the application for a material change.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The previous standard inspection took place 20–22 March 2018. Progress monitoring

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Information about this school

inspections took place 28 November 2018 and 25 April 2019.

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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.  In March 2018, a full standard inspection judged the school to require improvement, and some of the independent school standards to be unmet. Following the submission of an action plan, which was acceptable, the school received a progress monitoring inspection in November 2018. This progress monitoring inspection judged a number of the independent school standards as still not met. A subsequent action plan was judged to be not acceptable. A second progress monitoring inspection took place in April 2019, and it judged a number of standards to be unmet. An action plan was judged to be unacceptable in July 2019. The school submitted a revised action plan to the DfE in

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Information about this inspection

August 2019.  This was the school’s third progress monitoring inspection, and it was conducted without notice.  This inspection focused on the school’s progress against specific requirements within Parts 3, 5 and 8 of the independent school standards. During the inspection, I toured the premises with the headteacher, met with the designated leader for safeguarding, the strategic lead and the proprietor. I met with a group of pupils and a group of staff. Documentation in relation to safeguarding, health and safety, fire safety and risk assessment was scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Carolyn Dickinson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s 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/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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