Harrow House International College

School and boarding progress monitoring inspection report

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checked during this inspection

Boarding provision outcome The school does not meet all of the national

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraph 3(a), 3(c), 3(d), 3(e)  The college provides a course for pupils from outside the UK who wish to study here for a year. This is the International Academic Semester Programme (IASP). No pupils are enrolled on this course for the current academic year.  At the first monitoring inspection, in May 2019, inspectors found that the quality of education provided on the IASP had improved in many respects. Nevertheless, some weaknesses remained in the implementation of the curriculum in subjects other than English.  Senior leaders’ work to monitor the quality of teaching, and take steps to improve it, continued until June 2019 when the previous cohort of pupils left the college. Since then, with no pupils on the course, they have been unable to continue this development work. As a result, senior leaders are unable to demonstrate that teachers are helping pupils to

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Main inspection findings

learn more effectively and acquire new knowledge quickly.  Senior leaders recognise that in the past, teachers did not pay enough attention to what pupils already know and can do. In English and mathematics, the initial assessment of pupils’ understanding identified the starting point for pupils’ next steps well. However, in other subjects, teachers were less successful at identifying what pupils already know at the start of the course. Senior leaders have plans to improve the initial assessment of pupils’ knowledge and so help teachers plan learning that builds on pupils’ understanding. They have not been able to put these plans into practice yet.  When the course was running, teachers’ feedback to pupils about their work was not precise enough to help pupils to improve. Senior leaders have provided advice and guidance to staff to help them improve this aspect of their work. However, teachers have

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Main inspection findings

not yet had the opportunity to implement these ideas and so their impact on pupils’ learning cannot be judged.  Senior leaders plan to increase the amount of extended writing that pupils complete in subjects other than English. Teachers intend to introduce more summaries of what has been learned so that pupils gain more experience of writing in these subjects. These plans have not been enacted yet.  The standards in these paragraphs are not met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a), 7(b), 8, 8(a), 8(b)  Following the previous standard inspection, senior leaders acted swiftly to improve the quality of safeguarding practice at the college. In May 2019, at the first monitoring inspection, the standards relating to safeguarding were met in full. Since then, senior leaders have not changed the safeguarding procedures that would apply if pupils were enrolled on the IASP. The safeguarding policy follows the latest guidance and is published on the college website as required.  The standards in these paragraphs continue to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b)  Senior leaders have made significant improvements to the quality of leadership and management since the full inspection in October 2018. The proprietor appointed external advisers and introduced a new governance structure. These changes ensured effective oversight of the college’s work. Inspectors recognised these improvements during the monitoring inspection in May 2019.  Senior leaders continue to provide the board with timely information about the performance of the college in general. However, no pupils currently attend the IASP and so senior leaders are not able to monitor the quality of this programme. Consequently, senior leaders are not able to demonstrate that they meet all of the independent school standards that apply to the programme.  The standards in these paragraphs are not met.

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Main inspection findings

Boarding provision The overall experience and progress of children  No boarders are enrolled on the IASP for this academic year and so no boarders were present during this inspection. This course remains on offer at the college for the next academic year starting in September 2020.  Fire safety checks and the refurbishment of boarding accommodation continue to take place to ensure that the provision for boarders is safe and well maintained. The national minimum standards that were assessed during this inspection Standard 11.1  Overall, the management of child protection concerns continues to be effective. The designated safeguarding lead takes appropriate action in response to concerns about children. Detailed records are kept in relation to these concerns. These records provide evidence of the action taken and the outcome.  This standard is met. Standard 13.1  Senior leaders provide reports about the boarding provision to a biannual committee

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Main inspection findings

meeting attended by the proprietor, specialist adviser and directors. Leaders state that these meetings enable boarding matters to be discussed and reviewed by the committee. For example, sanction records are reviewed, and the proprietor and committee chair now sign off these records. Other records relating to monitoring of the boarding provision were not available for inspection, so the effectiveness of this new system could not be tested fully.  This standard is not met as it could not be assessed in full at this inspection. Standard 13.6  Records relating to staff training were not available for review at this inspection. However, residential boarding managers state that important training in safeguarding, first aid and fire safety is completed by staff.  Since the last inspection, a system to provide boarding staff with induction, supervision and appraisal has been implemented. Records are maintained to show the support and

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Main inspection findings

monitoring of these staff.  Similar provision is not formally in place for senior boarding staff. Senior boarding staff and the designated safeguarding lead meet regularly with their line manager to discuss their role; however, records are not kept of these supervision meetings.  The residential boarding manager continues to study for the boarding school association qualification, having almost finished the first year.  This standard is not met. Standard 13.8  Senior leaders and the proprietor review records of major sanctions at boarding committee meetings. Senior leaders can demonstrate records to show that this monitoring process is being maintained.  Boarding staff report that risk assessments are reviewed at least annually. The boarding manager states that important information about boarders’ specific needs are recorded in their care plans. This information is now also documented on ‘special consideration’

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Main inspection findings

forms for staff to follow during excursions. Risk assessments and care plans were not available for review at this inspection and so the system to ensure that these important documents align could not be assessed.  This standard is not met as it could not be assessed in full at this inspection.

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standards for boarding schools

The school does not meet the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’), the national minimum standards for boarding schools 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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School details

Social care unique reference number SC481067

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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. The inspection of boarding provision was carried out under the Children Act 1989, as amended by the Care Standards Act 2000, having regard to the national minimum standards for boarding schools.

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School details

School status Independent boarding 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

Annual fees (boarders) £21,450 to £22,300

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School details

Email address sharon.patterson@harrowhouse.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 16–18 October 2018

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Information about this school

 Harrow House International College provides short-term language tuition combined with sports and outdoor pursuits for students from around the world. The college is located on one site in Swanage, Dorset. The college site has extensive sports facilities. Most students join the college for one- or two-week courses. The college has facilities for up to 500 students.  The college is registered with the Department for Education (DfE) to run a year-long International Academic Semester Programme (IASP) for up to 30 residential pupils in the age range 15 to 17 years old. Pupils study towards the Cambridge English Language Assessment examination. This programme is subject to inspection by Ofsted.  The college does not use any alternative providers of education.  The college has not recruited any pupils for the IASP this year. Therefore, there are currently no pupils being taught on this programme.  The college was last inspected on 16–18 October 2018. At that time, its overall

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Information about this school

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 standard inspection in October 2018. This was the second progress monitoring inspection.  The first monitoring inspection took place on 23 May 2019. Subsequently, the DFE required the school to submit a statutory action plan setting out how it intends to meet the independent school standards that remained unmet at the first monitoring inspection. Ofsted evaluated the action plan on 14 August 2019. The DfE rejected this action plan. Senior leaders have not produced a revised action plan.  This was an integrated inspection between Ofsted’s social care and education (schools) remits.  The inspection was conducted without notice. Inspectors considered the IASP course

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Information about this inspection

only.  No pupils are currently enrolled on the IASP and so no teaching on this course has taken place during this academic year.  At the time of the inspection, no pupils or teachers were on site. Maintenance work and redecoration was being carried out in several areas of the college. The computer network was being upgraded and so senior leaders did not have access to any information or records held on their computers.  Inspectors held meetings with the director of studies, senior leaders and the proprietor.  The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with an external adviser who provides guidance to the proprietor and senior leaders about the development of the college.  A limited number of documents were scrutinised, including the college safeguarding policy and minutes of the proprietor’s board meetings.

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Inspection team

Paul Williams, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Paula Lahey Social Care Regulatory 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

 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school—

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(a) enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 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;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 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 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–

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently;

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently;

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schools

Standards that were not met at the previous inspection and remain unmet at this inspection

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schools

 The school’s governing body and/or proprietor monitors the effectiveness of the leadership, management and delivery of the boarding and welfare provision in the school, and takes appropriate action where necessary. (NMS 13.1)  Senior boarding staff have an adequate level of experience and/or training. (NMS 13.6)  The records specified in Appendix 2 are maintained and monitored by the school and action taken as appropriate. (NMS 13.8) 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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schools

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schools

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schools

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schools

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schools

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schools

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