LSI Independent College

Inspection of LSI Independent College 13 Lyndhurst Terrace, London NW3 5QA

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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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?

Leaders are ambitious for all students to reach their academic potential. They tailor GCSE and A-level courses to meet students’ needs and career aspirations. Students appreciate the small class sizes and the personal attention they receive. They value their teachers’ dedication to helping each of them achieve their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Students work hard and with the determination to succeed. They enjoy strong and respectful working relationships with staff. As a result, students’ behaviour is excellent, and they work with diligence. Students cherish meeting and working with peers from around the globe. They enjoy learning about and celebrating each other’s cultures. They report, and school records confirm, that bullying is unheard of. They are confident that staff would deal effectively with any inappropriate behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Students welcome the regular opportunities to discuss current affairs and moral dilemmas. Staff encourage them to think and express their views. They do so in a safe and respectful environment. This allows them to express and debate divergent views without fear of ridicule. It helps them understand that others may hold valid opposing views.

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better?

This new school was a sixth-form college. Leaders are now able to admit 15-year-old pupils. They have built a curriculum to meet the variety of pupils’ and students’ needs. Leaders have planned a range of GCSE courses. These meet the requirements of the independent school standards. Currently, there are only a few pupils studying some one-year intensive GCSE subjects. This means that the pre-16 curriculum is not fully established and embedded. In the sixth form, students can study a good range of A-level courses. These are either over the usual two years, or as a one-year intensive course.

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better?

In all disciplines, teachers have very strong subject expertise and teaching experience. They plan lessons in a logical and challenging way. Students gain new knowledge and deepen their understanding well. They learn to apply their knowledge and skills in different situations and across subjects. Teachers make sure that students have many opportunities to revise their previous learning. This helps students to remember, long term, what they have learned.

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better?

Leaders share personalised strategies with teachers to help support students’ learning needs. This includes students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Through regular assessments, teachers identify any student falling behind. Together with pastoral leaders, they give students extra support that helps them to catch up. As a result, students, including those with SEND, achieve well across the subjects. Last year, most students continued to university. They are studying a range of courses, including economics and medicine. 25–27 February 2020

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Students are unwavering in their determination to succeed. They want to achieve the best possible grades to help them pursue their career goals. They engage in learning without disruption and make full use of learning time in lessons. Pre-16 pupils study a personal, social, health and economic education programme. It makes a strong contribution to their personal development and well-being.

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Students in the sixth form enjoy enrichment activities linked to their studies. These include attending lectures on religious ethics and English literature. They visit art exhibitions and museums. Students elect their own student council representatives. Council members make recommendations to leaders on how to improve the school. They recently requested a health-food vending machine, for instance. Students take part in an annual inter-college general knowledge quiz. They have recently taken the initiative to introduce new clubs, which are due to start soon. These include a debating club and a music club.

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School staff and an external advisor give students strong, impartial careers guidance. All students have regular one-to-one discussions about their options for their future careers. They benefit from interview practice and guidance on writing their application forms.

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Some students make their own arrangements for work experience and volunteering. However, leaders do not ensure that all students have similar opportunities to develop their character and wider skills beyond their studies, or be prepared for the world of work.

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Staff morale is high. They told us that leaders are approachable and trust their staff. Leaders are concerned for staff well-being and do not make any unreasonable demands.

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The proprietors have ensured that all the independent school standards are met. The school complies with the Equality Act 2010. They keep the premises in a good state of repair. They have advanced plans for expanding the site. They aim to improve further the facilities and accessibility for all.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that all staff have up-to-date safeguarding training. Staff are vigilant. They are aware of students’ potential vulnerabilities. In this small school, adults know all the pupils well. They report anything that does not seem right.

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Safeguarding

Pastoral leaders meet often with each student. Their discussions include talking about students’ safety and welfare. Students told us that they have at least one adult in the school who they trust. They feel they can confide any concerns, knowing that the caring staff will help them.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make all necessary checks on adults before they work at the school. 25–27 February 2020

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school’s planned pre-16 curriculum is not yet fully embedded and established. Leaders should make sure that they have the planning and staffing in place to deliver their ambitious pre-16 curriculum that meets the potential needs and interests of future Year 11 pupils.  Some aspects of leaders’ provision for sixth-form students’ personal development are not planned and checked well enough. This means that not all students have sufficient access to a range of rich experiences, including in the world of work, or opportunities to contribute actively to society. Leaders should plan and make sure that all students benefit from opportunities that support all aspects of their personal development and preparation for adult life.

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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 are the provider and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 25–27 February 2020

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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form

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected 25–27 February 2020

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Information about this school

 This was the first standard inspection since the school was registered as an independent school in August 2019.  The school is registered for up to 80 pupils in the age range 15 to 19+ years.  The school provides GCSE and A-level courses and is an approved education provider that can sponsor international students to study in the United Kingdom.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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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 did deep dives in these subjects: English, science, politics, and business studies and economics. This involved discussions with leaders and teachers, visits to lessons, looking at examples of pupils’ work and discussions with pupils. We also considered other subjects as part of the inspection.  We spoke with the chair and another director of the proprietary body, the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  All the above activities contributed to our review of safeguarding. In addition, we reviewed a range of documentation, including that relating to safeguarding and the checks carried out during the appointment of staff. We also looked at records of pupils’ attendance.  We considered the views of pupils, staff and parents about the school.  We scrutinised a range of documentary information in order to check on the statutory requirements of the independent school standards.

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Inspection team

David Radomsky, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Kanwaljit Singh Ofsted Inspector 25–27 February 2020

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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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