Eifa International School

Inspection of Eifa International School 36 Portland Place, Marylebone, London W1B 1LS

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Inadequate Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said they are happy here and enjoy attending school. They behave well and work hard because this is what teachers expect. Pupils know how to raise any concerns they may have about bullying or safety and are confident these would be resolved.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kept safe when they are on site. However, the proprietor and school leaders have not fulfilled their statutory safeguarding responsibilities relating to pupils leaving the school roll. This means that these pupils may be at risk of going missing in education and not being kept safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is ambitious and prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education, employment or training. Pupils produce work of high quality and are confident in discussing what they have learned. The curriculum is enriched by a programme of educational visits. For example, children in the early years visited the Postal Museum and older pupils the Houses of Parliament. Pupils also enjoy outings and residential visits to Oxford, York and Barcelona.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend after-school activities that develop their interests and talents in art, computing, drama, languages, music and sport. Pupils take on additional responsibilities enthusiastically. For example, the school council has designed and led the implementation of the ‘school charter’, and older pupils run the school’s radio station.

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better?

Leaders prioritise pupils’ reading. This begins in the early years where children listen to and join in with familiar stories, rhymes and songs. Staff model language clearly and, as a result, children demonstrate confidence in speaking, using a range of vocabulary well.

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better?

Staff have received training to teach phonics, and many do this with precision and accuracy. This helps pupils develop as fluent readers. However, some staff with less secure subject knowledge have not received further training and are not as effective. Pupils who struggle with reading are quickly identified and supported to help them catch up. The online materials teachers use to help pupils read and practise new sounds are well matched to what they have already learned. However, some of the reading books that teachers give pupils to practise their reading are less well matched. Leaders have identified this as a priority for improvement.

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better?

Pupils throughout the school study a curriculum that is ambitious in both its breadth and depth. Leaders have carefully considered the important concepts and vocabulary they expect pupils to learn and remember. This knowledge is well sequenced so that pupils revisit and deepen their understanding of key ideas. This allows them to apply their learning over time and as they move on to more demanding work. 17 to 19 May 2022 In mathematics, children in the early years practise counting forward and backwards and in different steps. This supports pupils in the primary phase to add, subtract, multiply and divide increasingly more complex numbers and fractions. In the secondary phase, pupils apply their knowledge of multiplication when expanding and simplifying brackets in algebraic equations.

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better?

Teachers make effective use of assessment. They gauge what pupils have remembered from previous lessons. Throughout the year, pupils complete projects to demonstrate what they have learned. For example, in art, pupils respond to a given theme by demonstrating their practical knowledge, as well as their understanding of different artists’ work. Similarly, as part of the International Baccalaureate in the sixth form, students complete extended essays based on their own research. These projects are typically of high quality and demonstrate how well pupils learn and remember important concepts identified in the curriculum.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are swiftly identified and well supported to access the same curriculum as their peers. Pupils at the earliest stages of learning English and/or French are equally well supported by bilingual staff to access the same broad curriculum.

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better?

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They show courtesy and respect to each other, their teachers and visitors. Pupils sustain concentration and work equally well independently or collaboratively. As a result, classrooms have a calm, focused and studious atmosphere. However, some pupils at both sites arrive late for school. Leaders have plans in place to address this.

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better?

The curriculum for personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is well considered. This starts in the early years when children begin to recognise and discuss feelings and emotions through the stories they hear. Older pupils understand how to stay physically and emotionally safe, talking confidently about concepts including democracy and equality. While pupils in the secondary phase speak knowledgeably about different cultures, beliefs and traditions, pupils in the primary phase do not have this understanding.

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better?

Pupils receive effective careers guidance. Pupils gain work experience in different settings. Students in the sixth form also benefit from an enrichment programme of lectures and visits. These prepare them well for university applications and future study.

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better?

Most staff agree that leaders manage their workload effectively. They particularly praised the guidance they receive from specialist teachers and the support in place for adult mental health.

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better?

Senior and subject leaders demonstrate strong drive and ambition. They have tackled the weaknesses identified in the previous inspection. Mathematics is now a strength across the school. However, the proprietor and director have a limited understanding of the school’s current strengths and weaknesses. They do not have 17 to 19 May 2022 sufficient awareness or understanding of their statutory roles and responsibilities. This means they have not ensured that leaders have complied fully with their safeguarding duties. Leaders have not ensured that all the independent school standards are met.

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better?

The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have not followed the safeguarding guidance issued by the Secretary of State that requires the school to inform the local authority when any pupil of compulsory school age is removed from the admissions register part way through their primary education. This increases the risk of these pupils going missing in education. Leaders were unaware of their duty to pass on this information.

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Safeguarding

Clear systems are in place for staff to report any concerns about pupils’ welfare that they may have. Staff have received up-to-date training and understand their role in keeping pupils at the school safe. Leaders seek advice from external services and provide timely support to families who need it.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum has been designed to help pupils to understand how to stay safe. Pupils are knowledgeable about online safety and the importance of healthy and respectful relationships.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that pre-employment checks and risk assessments of the premises and off-site visits are effectively managed and maintained.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Leaders have not fulfilled all their statutory duties relating to safeguarding. Pupils leaving the school roll part way through their education are at risk of becoming missing in education and they are, therefore, not kept safe. Leaders must notify and provide the local authority with all the required information when any pupil is removed from the school’s roll part way through their education.  Pupils are supported to read with fluency and accuracy. Most staff have received appropriate training, and the materials used to teach and practise sounds are well matched to what pupils have learned. However, there are a few staff who do not have sufficient expertise. Some reading books used are less well matched. Leaders should provide additional phonics training where needed, check the impact of any training on the quality of the teaching of reading and ensure that all books that pupils read are carefully matched to the sounds that pupils have

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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 . 17 to 19 May 2022

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School details

Proprietor L’Ecole Internationale Franco-Anglaise Ltd

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School details

Headteacher Françoise Zurbach (Head of School)

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School details

Annual fees £18,640 to £23,940 (day pupils)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 to 3 May 2018 17 to 19 May 2022

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Information about this school

 Eifa International School is a co-educational, bilingual independent day school founded in 2013. The school changed its name from L’Ecole Internationale Franco-Anglaise to Eifa International School in August 2018.  The school provides a bilingual curriculum in English and French, based on the French schools’ curriculum.  The sixth form opened to students in September 2020. There were fewer than five students in the sixth form at the time of the inspection. The school provides for children aged two and Nursery provision for three- and four-year-olds.  The school is based across two buildings in the London Borough of Westminster. The early years and classes up to Year 3 are housed in Portland Place. From Year 4, pupils are educated in a building on Duchess Street, which is near the school’s main site.  The school has arrangements to use a local park and sports centre for physical education and recreational activities.

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Information about this school

 The school is governed by a board of directors which consists of the proprietor and one director.  This was the school’s third standard inspection. The school was last inspected in 2018.  There have been changes in leadership since the previous inspection. The current head of school and deputy head teacher took up their posts in September 2018.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors completed deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, geography, history and PSHE. To do this, they met with leaders, had discussions 17 to 19 May 2022 with staff, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work. Other subjects were considered as part of this inspection.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ priorities for improvement.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, teachers, teaching assistants and the human resources and admissions officers.  Inspectors met with the proprietor and the director of L’Ecole Internationale Franco-Anglaise Ltd.  The inspection team reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising records and through discussions with staff and pupils. Inspectors also toured the premises and looked at documentation and policies to check compliance with the independent school standards.  The views of pupils, parents and staff, as gathered through discussions and

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Inspection team

Nick Turvey, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Moore Ofsted Inspector 17 to 19 May 2022

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Part 3. Welfare, health, and safety of pupils

 7 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that- – 7(a) arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school: and – 7(b) such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.  15 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that an admission and attendance register is maintained in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006[13].

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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; and – 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils. 17 to 19 May 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

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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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