Jasper City School

Inspection of Jasper City School 90a Lawson Close, Custom-House, London E16 3LU

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Inspection dates: 30 November to 2 December 2021

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a nurturing environment. The school’s Christian ethos contributes to a culture of care and trust. Pupils feel safe. They are confident, enjoy learning and are proud of their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils study a range of subjects but there are some weaknesses in how well they learn subject knowledge in depth and in their wider reading. Pupils do not receive relationships and sex education (RSE).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well and are supportive of each other. They play well together, organise events and contribute to the life of the school. They say that there is no bullying but are confident that adults would sort it out if it ever happened.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A lot of pupils’ work is individualised learning. However, adults check that pupils understand and know what they are doing. If not, adults provide help if pupils get stuck.

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What is it like to attend this school?

School leaders are committed to sustainability and taking care of the planet’s resources. Pupils learn about making healthy eating choices and support recycling schemes. Older pupils learn about the work of environmentalists.

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better?

The headteacher has a clear and ambitious vision for the school. She has high expectations of pupils and ensures that the curriculum is broad and covers all the areas of experience required by the independent school standards.

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better?

The headteacher and governors introduced GCSEs and IGCSEs (International GCSEs) from September 2021 for Year 10. These replaced the International Certificate of Christian Education. This is so pupils gain qualifications which are better known and more readily accepted in the UK. In doing this, a potential barrier to further study or employment for pupils has been removed.

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better?

Leaders planned this ‘transition programme’ well, and pupils have made a positive start. However, leaders cannot build effectively on the foundations of this new curriculum without developing staff skills and recruiting staff with specific subject expertise. Leaders recognise this.

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better?

In the primary section and key stage 3, the curriculum is well planned and sequenced. The Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) curriculum workbooks enable pupils to build steadily on their prior knowledge and to learn subject content. Teachers check that pupils understand the work. They address any misconceptions that pupils may have, and then they adapt the sequence if they need to. 30 November to 2 December 2021 However, lessons in the ‘expanded curriculum’ are less effective. Teachers deliver the curriculum in different ways to supplement the workbooks. For example, they use practical work and video resources linked to cross-curricular themes. However, the activities do not provide opportunities for pupils to learn subject content, such as scientific, practical and investigative skills, in depth. Pupils do not learn how scientists and historians use their skills in these subjects.

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better?

The school’s phonics programme is comprehensive. Staff use a variety of imaginative activities to help pupils learn sounds and use them to read, write and spell. When the early years is open, the programme starts in Nursery. The phonics scheme is used in older year groups to support new arrivals or weaker readers.

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better?

However, leaders do not provide books where the words match the sounds that pupils know. Pupils read their workbooks, and study a wide range of Christian literature and African-Caribbean authors. However, overall, pupils lack experience in reading whole books and do not read a wide enough range of contemporary or classic fiction in order to prepare them for life in modern Britain.

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better?

Pupils behave well in class and focus on their studies. They have positive attitudes to learning and develop the skills to self-manage their learning over time. There is a calm and orderly environment around the school. The strong relationships between pupils and adults create a warm and mutually respectful atmosphere, which helps pupils learn.

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better?

The school supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. Staff draw up detailed plans for what pupils should learn, and they support them well to achieve these goals.

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better?

Pupils’ character is well developed through the school’s Christian ethos. Pupils are thoughtful, kind and have a strong sense of right and wrong. They participate in performing arts and other cultural events. Some aspects of pupils’ personal development, such as careers education, are not as strong. Leaders are still developing networks and partnerships to strengthen this part of the provision.

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better?

The standards relating to RSE are not met. The school has an RSE policy but has not consulted on it with parents and carers. Arrangements for delivering RSE have not been planned and it has not been taught to pupils. Consequently, the leadership and management standards are also unmet. The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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better?

The proprietor and governors have a clear strategic direction for the school, but there is not enough leadership capacity to make this happen and keep all sections of the school open at the same time. At the time of the inspection, the early years was temporarily closed.

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better?

Staff and leaders work well together for the benefit of pupils. Staff say that they are well supported. 30 November to 2 December 2021

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff are trained in safeguarding and understand their responsibilities. Leaders know how and where to get advice when they need it to help pupils get the support they need. The safeguarding policy is available for parents on the school’s website.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including governors, are knowledgeable about safer recruitment. They make sure that pre-employment checks are completed and recorded. Pupils study some GCSE courses offsite at Learningsure College. Leaders have been diligent in ensuring that pupils are safeguarded effectively at the college.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in school and know to report any concerns they have, including at the Learningsure College.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school lacks capacity in both strategic leadership and staff subject expertise. This means that achieving the proprietor’s and headteacher’s vision and ambition is being held back. Weaknesses in the quality of education cannot be addressed effectively. Leaders should make sure there is sufficient capacity within the leadership team to support the strategic development of the school and to provide subject expertise.  Pupils do not read widely, and younger pupils do not read books where the letters match the sounds they have learned. This means that pupils are not able to access a range of literature. Leaders should enable pupils to develop their reading skills using easily decodable books, and they should provide access to a wide range of contemporary and classic fiction, and non-fiction, including whole books.  The cross curricular themes and the school’s expanded curriculum are underdeveloped. The plans give pupils different types of activities to do in lessons

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

but do not deepen pupils’ subject knowledge. Leaders should ensure that these opportunities deepen pupils’ substantive and disciplinary knowledge in subjects.  Leaders have not consulted on and implemented RSE as required. This limits pupils’ personal development. Leaders should ensure that they consult with parents on the RSE policy, that they publish it and that they implement the teaching programme.  Leaders are still developing the careers education programme. This means that pupils do not have as wide a range of information as they could when making decisions about their futures. Leaders should ensure that they use local networks and build partnerships with providers to strengthen the careers provision for pupils. 30 November to 2 December 2021

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 . 30 November to 2 December 2021

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School details

Unique reference number 145552 DfE registration number 316/6011

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School details

Inspection number 10204278 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Email address office@jaspercityschool.org.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 13 to 15 November 2018 30 November to 2 December 2021

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Information about this school

 Jasper City School is an independent school with a Christian ethos.  The school uses the ACE curriculum for English, mathematics, science, and social studies, which includes history, geography and citizenship. A range of other subjects, such as French, music and art, are taught in addition to the ACE curriculum.  There is a transition programme so that pupils study GCSEs and IGCSEs in key stage 4. The transition programme is provided by Jasper City School, Learningsure College (LSC) at Trinity Community Centre, Bothwell Close, Canning Town, London E16 1QS and North Star Worldwide (NSW) Learning, an online platform. Learningsure College is a registered provider.  In key stage 4, pupils study mathematics, triple science, and computer science at LSC; English and history with NSW Learning; and religious studies and sociology at Jasper City School.  The provision for early years, which includes Year 1, has been closed since July

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Information about this school

2021. This is a temporary arrangement so that leaders could focus on the key stage 4 transition curriculum.  The chair of directors of the proprietor body is also currently the acting chair of governors.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors 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

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

The school has failed to meet the independent school standards. These are the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher and other members of staff.  The lead inspector held a telephone conversation and met with governors, including the acting chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. Inspectors visited classes, looked at subject plans and pupils’ work. They met with pupils, listened to pupils read and held discussions with staff. 30 November to 2 December 2021  Inspectors visited a science class, talked to pupils about their work in science, geography and careers and looked at their work. Inspectors looked at a range of subject plans.  Inspectors met with the leader with responsibility for safeguarding (the headteacher) and reviewed the single central record of pre-employment checks.  Inspectors talked with staff about the impact of their safeguarding training and to pupils about how safe they feel in school. Inspectors considered how leaders

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Information about this inspection

ensure the safeguarding arrangements for pupils on site at Learningsure College.  The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with the headteacher of Learningsure College.

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Inspection team

Janet Hallett, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Maureen Okoye Ofsted Inspector 30 November to 2 December 2021

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2A(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor– – 2A(1)(a) ensures that every registered pupil who is provided with primary education at the school is provided with relationships education, – 2A(1)(b) ensures that every registered pupil who is provided with secondary education at the school is provided with relationships and sex education, except in so far as the pupil is excused as mentioned in sub-paragraph (2), – 2A(1)(d) in making arrangements for the purposes of paragraphs (a), (b) or (c), has regard to any guidance under section 80A of the Education Act 2002 that applies in relation to the provision of education by maintained schools, – 2A(1)(f) consults parents of registered pupils at the school before making or revising a statement under sub-paragraph (e), and – 2A(1)(g) publishes a copy of the statement on a website and provides a copy of the statement free of charge to anyone who asks for one.

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2A(2) Arrangements made by the proprietor for the purposes of sub- paragraph (1)(b) must ensure that where a pupil’s parent requests that the pupil is wholly or partly excused from sex education provided as part of relationships and sex education, the pupil is so excused until the request is withdrawn, unless or to the extent that the head teacher considers that the pupil should not be so excused.

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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– – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently. 30 November to 2 December 2021 regulates and inspects 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

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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