The Villa

Inspection of The Villa 54 Lyndhurst Grove, London SE15 5AH

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kept safe. There is a strong, caring and nurturing ethos that assists all pupils to access learning. They report little bullying. They say that this is because they are kind to each other. If any incidents do occur, they are always sorted out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

At lunchtime, pupils sit together at small tables. Older pupils provide help and support for the younger ones. This promotes a calm and caring atmosphere.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Classrooms are also a calm, orderly environment where learning is at the heart, beginning from the toddler classes, all the way through to Year 2. Clear routines are in place, and independence and resilience are encouraged and promoted.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have the ambition that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), will achieve well. They have identified the knowledge that pupils are expected to learn across the full range of subjects studied. They are committed to ensuring that pupils are well prepared to sit and experience success in the 7+ exams.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A wide variety of clubs and extra-curricular opportunities are on offer. In the curriculum, children in Reception and in Years 1 and 2 have weekly swimming lessons and learn an instrument. All children, from Nursery to Year 2, learn French and have yoga and dance lessons. There are extended opportunities before and after school every day.

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better?

Behaviour is exemplary. Pupils behave consistently well, demonstrating high levels of self-control and positive attitudes. Routines and expectations are clear and established. Even the youngest children in Nursery are independent and resilient in their learning.

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better?

In early years, children settle well. They are encouraged to become confident and successful learners. In Nursery, children experience a well-planned curriculum that reflects the guidance of the early years foundation stage (EYFS). The Nursery operates for 51 weeks of the year, providing full day care to families and children. In Reception, all areas of learning are taught effectively. Staff make sure that children learn to speak confidently, read and write well, and become proficient with numbers to 10 and beyond. For example, in Reception, children understand the value of numbers. Varied opportunities are provided for children to practise and embed this learning through carefully planned activities, both with an adult and independently. As a result, children are well prepared for the work in Year 1. The school meets the statutory safeguarding and welfare requirements of the EYFS.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised reading. Staff are well trained to deliver the phonics programme and it is delivered consistently. Further training has been provided 14 to 16 June 2022 internally, ensuring that the Nursery phonics programme is carefully planned, in small steps, to provide meaningful pre-learning opportunities. This prepares children well for learning in Reception and supports their progress. Assessment identifies those at risk of falling behind. Additional interventions are provided to help them catch up and keep up with their peers. Books used to teach reading are closely matched to the sounds that pupils know. This gives them opportunities to practise sounds and become fluent, independent readers at the earliest opportunity. A love of reading is evident across the school. Books are an integral part of the learning through other subject areas, and in early years. Pupils enjoy both reading and being

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better?

Pupils in Years 1 and 2 study a full curriculum that matches the breadth and ambition of the national curriculum. Leaders are knowledgeable and well trained. They have clear expectations for learning. Plans in mathematics, history, geography, art and design, design and technology, and music identify the key knowledge for pupils to learn. This has been well thought out so learning progresses from one year to the next. This helps pupils build deeper understanding over time. Learning is taught through a topic-based approach. These topics have been carefully chosen to make sure that the progression of subject-specific learning is adhered to. The close- knit teaching team ensures that preparation is detailed, and implementation is consistent.

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better?

In mathematics and music, the identified knowledge has been further broken down into small steps of learning. These are delivered in a logical order to build on prior knowledge. This is not always the case in other, wider curriculum subjects. Consequently, pupils do not always build on previous learning as well as they could.

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better?

In the topic-based lessons, while subject-specific content is taught, pupils do not always understand that they are learning historical or geographical knowledge. Nevertheless, in geography, pupils show detailed knowledge about maps, continents and compass points. Similarly, in history, they are knowledgeable about significant people and changes over recent times. However, they are not as well prepared for learning in key stage 2 as they are in the other subjects.

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better?

Pupils with SEND are very well supported. They access the same learning as their peers, with careful adaptations to facilitate this. Assessment identifies starting points and the high adult-to-pupil ratios enable a bespoke offer. Pupils make progress in line with that of their peers. Close relationships with parents and carers ensure that they are fully involved, and informed about, plans and interventions.

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better?

Pupils’ wider development is prioritised. Leaders have put a personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum in place. This curriculum includes the statutory content required for relationships education and health education. Pupils demonstrate a sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them. Their understanding, acceptance and respect for equality and diversity are well developed. Nursery children talk in a matter-of-fact way about different types of families. They demonstrate, through discussion and observation, that they are aware of similarities and differences. These are 14 to 16 June 2022 celebrated, as is healthy eating. Pupils are highly knowledgeable about food groups, talking in detail about food content and whether a food is healthy or not. Their knowledge in this area is quite remarkable.

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better?

Leaders and the proprietor know the school well and understand their roles. They are committed to school improvement and have a detailed understanding of the school’s strengths, together with the areas they want to improve further. All the independent school standards are met.

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better?

Staff are highly positive about the school’s leadership. They are happy working here and talk about the open culture of dialogue, where all voices are heard, and decisions are reached collaboratively.

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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 effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know their responsibilities for safeguarding. Staff are well trained. As a result, they know how to identify concerns and report them quickly.

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Safeguarding

Rigorous reporting and recording systems are in place, ensuring swift follow-up and next steps. While there have been no concerns requiring referral to social care, or other external agencies, leaders are not complacent. There is an ‘it could happen here’ philosophy that keeps safeguarding high profile. Behaviour and safeguarding logs are analysed to ensure that any trends are identified and acted on.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is woven carefully and strategically into the curriculum to support understanding about stranger danger and healthy friendships.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Leaders have identified the key knowledge they want pupils to learn. Planned schemes of work typically break down learning into small steps to support pupils in knowing and remembering more over time. Pupils revisit prior learning to help them deepen their understanding. While key knowledge has been identified, it is not always ordered well enough in history, geography, and art and design. In these subjects, leaders need to ensure that the curriculum is better sequenced, and pupils are aware of its subject specificity, to support the development of a deeper understanding over time. 14 to 16 June 2022

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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 . 14 to 16 June 2022

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Number of pupils on the school roll

195 (many part-time so registration not breached) Number of part-time pupils 120

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Annual fees (day pupils)

£11,625 for pre-prep £16,141 for full-time nursery Telephone number 0207 252 7157

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Annual fees (day pupils)

Website www.thevillaschoolandnursery.co.uk

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Annual fees (day pupils)

Email address school@thevillaschoolandnursery.com

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Annual fees (day pupils)

Date of previous inspection 5 to 7 June 2018 14 to 16 June 2022

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Information about this school

 The Nursery is open for 51 weeks of the year and provides full day care.  The school is open during term time only.  The school has a headteacher and two nursery managers.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club. It offers extended care for all from 8am to 6pm.  The school uses no alternative provision.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2019.

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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 meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in 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 had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, nursery managers and members of staff. They also spoke with the proprietor.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, art and design, and PSHE. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors also looked at curriculum plans, samples of pupils’ work and spoke to pupils about history, geography and music.  The inspectors considered early mathematics in the Nursery and Reception classes.  The inspectors looked at a range of documents, including leaders’ priorities for

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Information about this inspection

improvement.  The inspectors reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising records and through discussions with leaders, staff and pupils.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were gathered through discussions, and Ofsted’s surveys were considered. 14 to 16 June 2022

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Inspection team

Samantha Ingram, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gary Pocock Ofsted Inspector 14 to 16 June 2022 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 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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Inspection team

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