Radlett Preparatory School Ltd

Inspection of Radlett Preparatory School Kendal Hall, Watling Street, Radlett, Hertfordshire WD7 7LY

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school has a real ‘family feel’, where pupils are known as individuals. Its caring and supportive ethos is at the heart of everything the school does, which helps pupils to thrive. Pupils told us they thoroughly enjoy going to school and feel happy, supported and safe. The school has an open-door policy for parents and carers to encourage effective communication between home and school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

We found that the school has high expectations of what each pupil can achieve, both academically and personally. Leaders have created a happy learning environment. Pupils enjoy the full and rich curriculum on offer. In lessons, pupils listen carefully to teachers and follow instructions carefully.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Around the school, pupils demonstrate exemplary manners to each other and to adults. They behave sensibly when moving between lessons and during breaktimes. Pupils told us that they feel free from all forms of bullying. They said that, if bullying did happen, staff would deal with it effectively so that it would not continue. Pupils told us that it is fine to be different.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ excellent attitudes enable them to make the most of what the school has to offer. Pupils show absolute delight when participating in the wide range of clubs and activities available. These include netball, cricket, football, fencing and ballet.

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better?

Pupils at Radlett Preparatory School receive a good quality of education. The principal wants the absolute best for all pupils. He has ensured that pupils achieve high standards. They receive a well-rounded education, which includes a full range of subjects. Leaders have high ambitions for what pupils can achieve and are developing the work of subject leaders to improve achievement further. They have a clear understanding of what they want pupils to be able to do when they leave the school.

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better?

Pupils and children love books and are confident and fluent readers. A positive attitude to reading is promoted throughout the school, even by the active work of the school council. They responded to pupils’ requests for outside reading huts, which provide many happy hours of quiet reading time. The children visit the school library regularly and have access to a wide range of books within their classrooms. As a pupil explained, ‘It doesn’t mean that we are all free readers, but it does mean that we can read.’

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better?

Pupils told us about the rest of their learning, including their growing knowledge in computer work and humanities. Pupils enjoy the challenge of using new mathematical knowledge to work out problems. Teachers make sure that tasks build carefully upon what pupils already know, understand and remember. Humanities is not quite as well planned as other parts of the curriculum. 12–14 November 2019

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Pupils told us how they enjoy their personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons. They say they ‘learn what they need to at the right age’ to stay safe and healthy. The curriculum holds pupils’ interest and inspires them to work hard.

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Leaders have created first-rate opportunities for pupils’ personal development. The pupils take part in a wealth of popular sporting events with children from the local schools. They take part in international and fundraising events. This adds to the rich curriculum provision. Pupils are provided with responsibilities across the school, such as being a prefect, a sports ambassador and a librarian. Those elected to the school council to represent their peers do so with pride. Pupils undertake these leadership roles exceptionally well and told us how much they enjoy the opportunities. Pupils discuss and debate current affairs. This includes the planning of an election to tie in with the country’s general election in December.

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The school prides itself on equality. The celebration of pupils’ cultures ensures that everyone is valued. Pupils visit a range of places of worship. Pupils learn about respect, tolerance, democracy and the rule of law. Equality of opportunity is promoted strongly so that all pupils can flourish together.

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The school is committed to ensuring that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do well. Pupils with SEND are included in all aspects of school life.

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The lower school leader has responsibility for Reception and has created an excellent provision for the children. Children quickly settle into their established routines and safe environment. They play happily together and are cooperative in their learning. We saw stimulating activities with enthusiastic children eagerly participating in learning. The interactions between adults and children are delightful. We saw adults challenge children sensitively in order to develop and extend their ideas and thoughts further. Children are polite, respectful and kind to others. They behave exceptionally well. Leaders have developed the outdoor area well. It provides an inspiring and well-managed learning environment. Leaders are highly successful in ensuring that parents share in their children’s learning.

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Leaders and proprietors have ensured that the school meets legal requirements. All the independent school standards are met. Leaders check on a regular basis that the welfare, health and safety of pupils are maintained. We found that they monitor the condition of the school site well, carrying out the necessary checks to ensure that it is safe. For example, on the second day of the inspection, leaders had organised for the fire brigade to check the premises. The school keeps all of the documentation required to show how they are meeting the independent school standards.

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Proprietors share leaders’ aim to make the school even better. They want the very best for their pupils. We found that the proprietors are mindful of staff’s workload, including that of the principal. They also ensure that leaders promote inclusive practice so that every child is valued. Proprietors check the quality of the school’s provision on a regular basis. They support and challenge leaders effectively to meet the high expectations set. 12–14 November 2019

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The culture to keep pupils safe is strong. Staff are well trained and are kept aware of updates as and when needed. They know their roles in keeping pupils safe and know what actions to take if they have a concern about any pupil’s welfare. Staff know the pupils well and are quick to spot changes in pupils’ behaviour. Pupils know how to protect themselves and who they need to tell if they have any concerns. Leaders record concerns appropriately and work with other agencies when it is appropriate to do so.

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Safeguarding

Proprietors make sure that all appropriate checks are made on adults before they start to work at the school.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school provides a well-ordered and broad curriculum that is scrutinised frequently by the leaders. The curriculum, including the core subjects and the foundation subjects, provides good coverage. Curriculum leadership needs further development in order to enable pupils to reach even higher standards.  Leaders are unwavering in their determination to ensure that subject-specific content and skills in humanities enable pupils to be better equipped for the next stage of their education. Leaders and proprietors need to ensure that the separate components of the humanities curriculum are systematically planned and sequenced to further enhance pupils’ knowledge and skills.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 12–14 November 2019

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School details

Unique reference number 117615 DfE registration number 919/6034

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School details

Inspection number 10113574 Type of school Preparatory day school

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27–29 September 2016

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Information about this school

 The school is situated in a Georgian Grade II listed building in private grounds in the village of Radlett. It was established in the 1930s. Pupils come from a wide range of cultural backgrounds.  The school has a below-average proportion of pupils with SEND compared to national figures.  The school does not have any pupils who are in receipt of free school meals.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The principal took up post in September 2013.  The school has an exemption from the learning and development requirements of 12–14 November 2019

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection 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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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, we met with the principal, the vice-principals, the upper school leader, the lower school leader and teachers from different year groups. We spoke to several groups of pupils about their learning across the curriculum.  We considered reading, mathematics, humanities (geography and history), computing and PSHE as part of the inspection. We spoke to curriculum leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils, and carried out work scrutinies to understand the quality of education.  We held meetings with the designated safeguarding officer, and spoke with staff, pupils and proprietors to check safeguarding arrangements. We also checked the school’s processes for checking the suitability of adults who work with children and who visit the school.  We considered 65 parent responses to Ofsted’s online and free-text survey, Parent View, 48 responses to the staff survey and 69 responses to the pupil survey. We

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Inspection team

Stefanie Lipinski-Barltrop, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Declan McCarthy Ofsted Inspector 12–14 November 2019

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to 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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