The Llewellyn School and Nursery

School progress monitoring inspection report

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The Llewellyn School and Nursery Quex Park Estate, Birchington, Kent, Margate, Kent CT7 0BB

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7–7(b), 32(1) and 32(1)(c)  Although no concerns were raised about the welfare, health and safety of pupils and staff at previous inspections, checks were carried out during this progress monitoring inspection to ensure that leaders continue to actively promote the well-being of pupils and that the school continues to be a safe place for pupils, staff and visitors.  The safeguarding policy is published on the school’s website. It is compliant with current guidelines. Further policy documents to guide staff in areas such as risk assessment, managing behaviour, first aid and health and safety are all in place and known to staff.  Staff’s safeguarding training is up to date. This includes appropriate training for the designated safeguarding lead and deputies. Staff also benefit from additional training provided by external specialists that takes the specific context of the school and its

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Main inspection findings

pupils into account.  The single central register of check on adults is compliant with current requirements after minor alterations were made during the inspection.  These independent school standards continue to be met. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1)–34(1)(b)  At the material change inspection held in February 2020, it was found that some school policies had not been updated with proper regard to requirements. Furthermore, governors did not have a strong enough understanding of the independent school standards, nor were they holding the proprietor, who is also the school leader, to account to ensure that they were met.  Since the last material change inspection, school leadership has been strengthened. New positions of deputy headteacher and curriculum quality manager have been introduced, increasing leaders’ capacity to lead and manage the school. New governors have been

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Main inspection findings

appointed and a new and suitably experienced chair of governors took up her position in the autumn of 2020.  Leaders provided an action plan at the request of the Department for Education (DfE) to address un-met standards shortly after the last material change inspection. This was approved by the DfE in March 2021. All outcomes stated in the plan have now been achieved.  New school improvement planning is in place. A self-assessment report (leaders’ self- evaluation against the education inspection framework with links to the independent school standards) is also in place and used as an audit tool by leaders and governors to monitor the quality of provision at the school.  Despite the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic on day-to-day life at the school, it is clear that leaders and governors have worked successfully to address the un- met standards from the last inspection.  Meetings of the governing body have been on a remote basis, as have regular meetings

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Main inspection findings

between the chair of governors and the school leader. However, it is clear that governors are fully involved in aspects such as the recruitment of staff, approving key policies, monitoring the action plan and self-assessment report and supporting leaders with arrangements during the recent lockdown.  Minutes of governing body meetings show that governance is now more strategic in nature. They record the governing body having an overview of finance, staffing and premises. They show leaders reporting to governors on key areas such as the curriculum, resources and monitoring the quality of provision. They demonstrate that governors are more active at holding leaders to account than they may have been in the past.  Governors are also becoming more involved in the day-to-day working of the school. Notwithstanding the restrictions imposed by COVID-19, governors have been involved in the process of monitoring different aspects of the quality of education the school

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Main inspection findings

provides. The chair of governors was also present during recent, on-site safeguarding update training for staff.  Because leaders, the proprietor and those in positions of governance have addressed the shortcomings found at the last monitoring inspection, these standards are now 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 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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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 Other independent special school

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School details

School status Independent special school

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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School details

Headteacher Sara Llewellyn (School leader)

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £56,000–£64,000

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School details

Email address info.llewellynschool@gmail.com

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 3 to 5 July 2018

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Information about this school

 The Llewellyn School and Nursery caters for pupils who have severe learning difficulties and who also have multisensory, communication and physical development needs. All pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The school is registered for up to 14 pupils aged from two to 16. At the time of this progress monitoring inspection, the school had 15 pupils on roll. This is a temporary and time-limited arrangement by agreement with the DfE.  At the time of this progress monitoring inspection, the school did not have any pupils in the early years.  The proprietor is also the school leader. The school has a small governing body which works with the proprietor to provide arrangements for governance. The governing body has recently expanded and has a new chair in position since November 2020.  The school recently enlarged its leadership team to create leadership capacity, appointing a deputy headteacher and a curriculum quality manager. These new appointments are

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Information about this school

additional to the school leader and the business manager, who are the other members of the leadership team.  The school’s first standard inspection took place in July 2018. At this inspection, the school was judged to be good in all areas and all the independent school standards were found to be met.  The school was subject to a material change inspection in February 2019 to extend the upper age range of pupils from 12 to 16. This material change was approved.  The school had a second material change inspection in February 2020 to approve a change of premises. Un-met standards were found at that time, leading to the school having to produce an action plan.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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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.  The school underwent a material change inspection in February 2020 when un-met independent school standards were found. As a result, the school was required to prepare an action plan. This was evaluated by Ofsted in December 2020 and found to be acceptable by the DfE in March 2021. This was the first progress monitoring inspection as a result of un-met standards being found at the last material change inspection.  This inspection was commissioned by the DfE during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020/21. The inspection was carried out with due regard to the school and Ofsted’s own risk assessments.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with the proprietor, who is the school leader, and with other members of the leadership team to evaluate the school’s progress in meeting un-met independent school standards. The inspector also held an online meeting with the chair of the governing body.  The inspector was able to tour the school site, including classrooms, communal areas and the outside environment. During the tour of the school, the inspector was able to talk to staff and pupils, both formally and informally.  The inspector checked a range of policies and documents. Minutes of meetings, correspondence between governors and school leaders and records of the work of the governing body were also reviewed.  The inspector checked the school’s single central register and records of staff training. The inspector held a meeting with the school’s designated safeguarding lead and two deputy designated safeguarding leads.

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Inspection team

Clive Close, 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 1231, 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 children looked after, 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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