Tennis Avenue School

Inspection of Tennis Avenue School Manor Park, Malden Road, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 6AU

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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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?

Leaders encourage pupils to strive for excellence and show resilience. This is in regard to tennis and to the academic curriculum. Pupils take part in weekly mental fitness sessions where they are encouraged to develop characteristics such as perseverance. Pupils are happy in school. They share a common passion for playing tennis and regularly support each other to do their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are focused and attentive during lessons. At breaktimes, pupils get along well and no one is left out. If any bullying or other problems arise, leaders manage these appropriately. Pupils are safe in school. Leaders and staff foster trusting relationships with pupils. Pupils said they feel confident to raise any issues with school staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for what pupils can achieve both on the tennis court and within the subjects that pupils study. Pupils typically achieve well in these subjects. However, the subjects offered currently do not match the breadth of the national curriculum or the independent school standards.

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better?

Leaders aim to find a balance between academic subjects and specialist tennis provision. As a result, the curriculum breadth is narrowed and provides limited coverage in some subjects. Human and social education is focused on history. The curriculum does not meet the ambition of the national curriculum. This is in part because geography experience is limited to visits to countries during tennis tournaments. In addition, the school’s aesthetic and creative education does not provide coverage to allow pupils to reach an appropriate level of understanding. For example, pupils draw when they create posters in English lessons and sing songs in languages lessons. However, this does not enable them to build cumulative aesthetic and creative knowledge and skills over time.

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better?

In the subjects studied, teachers deliver the school’s intended subject content. Leaders and teachers have secure subject knowledge. They think about what pupils need to know and remember. Leaders sequence content so that pupils build strong knowledge over time. Leaders and teachers provide opportunities for pupils to recall knowledge from previous lessons. They check that pupils remember what they learned previously. They use this assessment information to decide what to teach next and to see whether any pupils need extra help.

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better?

Leaders and teachers give additional support to selected pupils. Sometimes, this includes teaching content in advance so that pupils can keep up during lessons. Leaders work jointly with parents and carers to find suitable ways to support pupils. Where necessary, leaders seek advice from external professionals to help them identify what help pupils need. 1–3 February 2022 Pupils read every morning in class. They borrow from the small book collection in school or bring their own reading books. Leaders check that pupils get better at reading. Pupils understand why reading is important. They spoke about why reading is an important part of school and daily life.

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better?

Pupils are attentive and behave well. Pupils said that playing tennis regularly helps them to stay motivated. Pupils know the school’s routines and expectations. They are punctual and settle to learning quickly.

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better?

During international tournaments, leaders take pupils to visit museums and galleries in different countries. Some trips were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders plan for these to resume soon. The PSHE programme meets requirements and is designed to support pupils to learn about life in modern Britain. Pupils are taught about parliament and politics. They enjoy learning about diversity and difference. Pupils also have opportunities to discuss current affairs and topical issues at lunchtimes. Leaders provide pupils with appropriate careers education information, advice and guidance.

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better?

The proprietor, chair of governors and headteacher work closely together to lead the school. They regularly meet to make strategic decisions. Leaders ensure that the school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum is broad. Therefore, they have not ensured that the independent school standards are met in full. The proprietor, chair of governors and headteacher have the capacity to correct the unmet standards. Leaders have positive relationships with parents and school staff. School staff appreciate that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being when making decisions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have thorough safeguarding arrangements. Leaders make sure staff have up-to-date training. Leaders expect staff to complete more in-depth training than is required. Leaders work with external safeguarding partners to seek advice and guidance. Leaders provide information to parents on matters regarding pupil welfare and online safety.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide information for pupils on how to keep safe. For example, pupils took part in a workshop delivered by the police on keeping safe in the local area. Pupils are taught about online safety and how to report concerns. The school’s safeguarding policy is on the website.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

The curriculum does not give pupils experience in the full scope of the independent school standards and does not match the ambition and breadth of the national 1–3 February 2022 curriculum. Pupils do not learn important knowledge and skills sequentially in all subjects. Leaders must make sure the curriculum is broad and rich and enables pupils to build knowledge and skills across the full range of required subject areas.

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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 . 1–3 February 2022

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School details

Unique reference number 147908 DfE registration number 314/6008

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School details

Inspection number 10204280 Type of school Other Independent School

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £9,600 to £12,600

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School details

Email address office@tennisavenue.school

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected 1–3 February 2022

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Information about this school

 This is the first standard inspection since the school was registered by the Department for Education on 4 November 2020.  The school provides full-time education for aspiring professional tennis players. Leaders select pupils to attend the school based on their tennis ability.  Some teaching takes place remotely because some teachers live abroad. Leaders supervise pupils during these sessions. – The school does not use alternative providers.

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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

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

 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.  Inspectors held meetings with the proprietor, chair of governors and the headteacher.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, history and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  Inspectors looked at procedures undertaken for carrying out pre-employment checks on staff. Inspectors also checked safeguarding records and documentation.  Inspectors checked compliance with the independent school standards. This

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Information about this inspection

includes exploring the school site. – Inspectors considered pupils’, staff’s and parents’ responses to Ofsted surveys.

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Inspection team

1–3 February 2022 Andrea Bedeau, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Alice Clay Her Majesty's Inspector 1–3 February 2022

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(2)(a) full-time supervised education for pupils of compulsory school age (construed in accordance with section 8 of the Education Act 1996), which gives pupils experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education;

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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; 1–3 February 2022 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

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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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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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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