Eden Park Academy

Inspection of The Eden SDA School Gunnersbury Grounds, Park Place, Acton, London W3 8JY

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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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?

Pupils enjoy coming to this friendly school. They like the fact that the school is small. They said that this gives the school ‘a family feel’. Pupils are polite and get on well with each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are strong working relationships between staff and pupils. Leaders and staff focus on improving pupils’ emotional development and self-confidence. Pupils are well cared for and feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils are well behaved and have good attitudes. A few pupils sometimes struggle to manage their own behaviour. This occasionally gets in the way of pupils’ learning. Although staff are quick to deal with any incidents of poor behaviour or bullying, a few pupils need further support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is broad. It prepares all pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils take part in a range of trips, visits and sporting activities. They play different musical instruments, have dancing lessons and learn to swim. The annual production provides a further opportunity for pupils to develop their artistic talents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations. This, together with strong pastoral support, enables pupils to achieve well. Regular meetings for parents and carers help them to support their children’s learning at home. Most parents would recommend this school to others.

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better?

Leaders work together successfully to ensure that all pupils benefit from a good quality of education. Teachers are skilled in planning to meet pupils’ needs. They have strong knowledge of the subjects they teach. They check pupils’ understanding and adapt teaching to ensure that all pupils learn well. Staff provide strong support to those pupils who are at risk of falling behind. This helps these pupils to catch up.

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better?

Pupils study a broad range of subjects. All the areas required by the independent school standards are catered for. Staff make ambitious choices about the topics pupils learn about. Subject planning is based on the breadth of content in the national curriculum.

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better?

In most subjects, teachers’ planning builds well on what pupils have learned before. Staff also think about how the knowledge they teach will prepare pupils to learn harder content in the future. In science, for example, Year 3 pupils confidently described the main features of flowering and non-flowering plants. Teachers emphasised this knowledge to ensure that pupils were ready to understand other features of plants, including how they reproduce. Teachers expect pupils to use scientific vocabulary correctly. For instance, pupils used terms such as ‘anther’ and ‘stigma’ when explaining reproduction. This approach enables pupils to develop and deepen their knowledge. However, key stage 4 pupils have limited facilities to carry out scientific experiments to 19–21 November 2019

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support their learning. This holds them back from deepening their understanding of important content.

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Although most subjects are planned and taught well, history and geography are not as strong. Planning does not set out clearly enough what pupils should learn and the order they should learn it. As a result, pupils do not develop their knowledge as effectively as they should in these subjects

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Leaders give reading a high priority. The teaching of phonics has improved since the previous inspection. Staff now teach sounds accurately and systematically. Most pupils use their phonics knowledge well to read unfamiliar or difficult words. A few pupils sometimes struggle with their reading, because their reading books are too hard. Books are not always precisely linked to the sounds they are learning. This prevents pupils from building their fluency in reading.

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In the early years, children know the routines and work well together. Leaders have improved the outdoor spaces to support all areas of children’s learning. Staff ensure that children read, write and build their understanding of number successfully. They leave the Reception Year well prepared for Year 1.

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Pupils enter the school at different times of the year. Leaders and staff are determined to help pupils overcome any difficulties that they have had in the past. They make sure that pupils achieve the qualifications they need to be successful after school. In 2019, a sizeable group of pupils took GCSE exams in English, mathematics and science. All pupils achieved pass grades in these subjects, with most achieving higher grades. Pupils receive high-quality careers guidance from staff and external organisations. This helps pupils to make informed decisions about their future. The majority of pupils who leave the school at the end of Year 11 continue into further education, training or employment.

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Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are good. A few sometimes struggle to maintain good behaviour. Occasionally, this interrupts the learning of their classmates. Staff support these pupils to improve and manage their behaviour.

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Staff are highly skilled in supporting the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They ensure that these pupils learn well and are always included in the life of the school. Pupils learn strategies that they can use to improve their resilience. The ‘sanctuary room’ provides them with a calm place to reflect if they feel overwhelmed.

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Alongside academic subjects, pupils learn about important topics such as staying healthy and positive relationships. They are taught about British values as well as different cultures and faiths. Pupils know that it is important to respect differences.

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The headteacher provides effective leadership. The proprietor has put in place strong governance arrangements. Governors are skilled, and they challenge leaders effectively on what could be better. Together, the proprietor, governors and leaders have addressed the weaknesses found during the previous inspection. Leaders provide staff 19–21 November 2019

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with the necessary support and training to improve their subject knowledge and teaching skills. Leaders engage well with parents and provide them with comprehensive information on the school’s work.

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Leaders have ensured that the school continues to meet all the independent school standards. The statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are also met. This school is compliant with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all employment checks are carried out. All staff receive regular and up-to-date training on safeguarding and child protection. They know what they must do if they have any concerns about a pupil. Leaders work well with external organisations to safeguard pupils. Staff know pupils and their families very well.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure the premises are safe and suitable. They are vigilant about potential issues and assess risks thoroughly. They deal with and reduce any issues they identify promptly and effectively. Pupils feel safe. Staff teach them what they can do to stay safe, both in the school and beyond.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Pupils achieve well across a range of subjects. This is because leaders and staff have high expectations for what pupils should learn. Subject planning reflects this. However, pupils do not achieve as well in history and geography as they do in other subjects. Leaders should strengthen the planning of these subjects, so teachers know exactly what knowledge pupils should develop and by when.  Pupils learn to read well, because phonics teaching is effective. However, leaders should ensure that all pupils read books that closely match their phonics knowledge. This will ensure that pupils practise what they have been taught and, in turn, build their reading fluency as soon as possible.  In science, leaders are developing the curriculum to ensure that pupils have a secure knowledge of all aspects of science. In key stage 4, leaders should ensure that pupils have sufficient opportunities to carry out science experiments to

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

deepen their understanding of scientific concepts.  A few pupils sometimes struggle to maintain good behaviour. This occasionally slows down learning for others. Leaders need to work more closely with some pupils and their parents to improve pupils’ behaviour.  The curriculum is not yet sufficiently coherently planned and sequenced in some subjects. However, it is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken to plan next year’s curriculum and train staff in how to deliver it that they are in the process of bringing this about. 19–21 November 2019

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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 . 19–21 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10092450 Type of school Other Independent School

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £5,200 to £7,200

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14–16 November 2017 19–21 November 2019

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Information about this school

 The school’s previous standard inspection was carried out in November 2017, where its overall effectiveness was judged as requires improvement.  The Eden School is a Seventh Day Adventist independent school established in 1995.  There are 10 pupils with SEND. Seven pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school has a breakfast and after-school clubs. This provision is managed by the school.

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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

 We carried out this inspection with one day’s notice.  We looked closely at the quality of education in English, mathematics, science and art. We met groups of pupils to discuss their learning in these subjects and review the work in their books. We also met the leaders of these subjects.  We also looked closely at early reading. We listened to three groups of pupils in the primary school read and discussed reading with them. We also discussed pupils’ reading with senior leaders, including support for those pupils who need extra help with their reading.  We met groups of primary- and secondary-aged pupils to discuss their learning, including their views about the school, behaviour and safety.  We met the headteacher, senior leaders and staff.  We held meetings with two governors; the chair of governors took part in the meetings via video conferencing. We also held a meeting with the school’s education director, who is part of the trust board.

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Information about this inspection

 We spoke to parents informally at the beginning of the school day to discuss their views about the school.  We scrutinised a wide range of policies and documents in order to check that the statutory requirements of the independent school standards were met.  At the previous inspection, the school had provision for two-year-old children. There is currently no provision for two-year-old children, as the proprietor knows 19–21 November 2019

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it is not registered for this provision.  We were unable to include information on the extremely small number of sixth- form students, as this would identify them individually.

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Inspection team

Avtar Sherri, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Karen Matthews Ofsted Inspector 19–21 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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