West London Free School

Inspection of West London Free School 241 King Street, London W6 9LP

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 21 and 22 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish here. Leaders have high academic expectations for pupils. The curriculum is broad and ambitious. Teachers are skilled and know how to get the best from their pupils. Pupils behave well and work hard in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders encourage pupils to develop their skills in public speaking. Pupils are confident and articulate. They engage in debate around current affairs and are considerate of the views of others. Pupils report that bullying is rare. When it does happen, staff are quick to deal with it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders make sure that all pupils develop their talents and interests. Pupils who attend a range of physical, academic and creative clubs receive a special diploma from the school. Leaders have built valuable links with the local community, including a range of local sports facilities. This increases the opportunities for pupils to take part in a wide range of sporting activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Sixth-form students are role models to younger pupils. They support younger pupils with mathematics and reading and organise sections of the school’s orchestra.

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better?

Leaders have carefully considered what they want pupils to learn. The curriculum is knowledge-rich and sequenced so that pupils’ understanding and skills build over time. Subject leaders have broadened the range of authors, artists and historical figures that pupils study to reflect the school’s community. The curriculum offered to sixth-form students is of exceptional quality. Teachers routinely expose students to work that is above A-level.

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better?

Leaders have planned the curriculum to be broad and ambitious for most pupils. All pupils have the opportunity to study Latin from Year 7. A small number of pupils do not study modern foreign languages or classics alongside their peers. This limits the breadth of the curriculum for these pupils and narrows the range of GCSE subjects they can take.

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better?

Teachers are experts in their subjects. They communicate new learning with clarity. Teachers use every opportunity to revisit learning and check pupils’ understanding. They support pupils to remember key knowledge over time. Teachers use assessment well to help pupils to improve.

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better?

Pupils are polite and well mannered. They listen carefully to their teachers. Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. They have introduced a system of rewards to further encourage pupils’ positive attitudes and behaviour. They provide support for pupils who struggle to manage their behaviour. Leaders have built strong relationships with parents and carers and help them to support their children’s learning. 21 and 22 June 2022

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Teachers are trained to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. Leaders have developed clear plans that outline the specific support each pupil needs. Adults who work with pupils with SEND have the expertise needed to help pupils to access the same curriculum as their peers.

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The library is the ‘heart’ of the school. Leaders encourage pupils to read for pleasure. Form tutors read aloud with their form groups every week. Some pupils attend lessons to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. However, leaders do not ensure the needs of these pupils are accurately assessed. This limits the progress these pupils make over time in developing fluency in reading and mathematics.

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The personal development curriculum is exemplary. Pupils explore a wide range of important issues such as mental health, tolerance and respect, and British politics. The school’s ‘great conversations’ theme days give pupils the opportunity to debate challenging topics and question the world around them. Pupils in Year 7 engage in public speaking in an annual presenting competition.

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Sixth-form senior prefects work with leaders to improve the learning environment for all pupils. They organise charity events and run a range of clubs and activities for younger pupils. Some students in the sixth form take part in an ‘academic scholars’ programme. These students explore global issues through research and debate.

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Pupils choose from a wide range of extra-curricular clubs and activities. Pupils who join the school with a music scholarship receive additional opportunities to develop their musical talents. All pupils in the school are supported to make informed choices about their next steps in education, training and employment. The school invites a diverse range of guest speakers to discuss aspects of careers and further education with sixth-form students.

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Leaders are ambitious for the school’s future. Staff are proud to work at the school and value the support they receive from leaders. Members of the local governing body and trustees support leaders well with school improvement. Parents appreciate the regular communication they receive from the joint headteachers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The policies and procedures for keeping pupils safe are clear and well understood by all staff. Staff know how to identify any pupils who may be at risk of harm. When necessary, leaders work effectively with outside agencies to support vulnerable pupils. The procedures for the safe recruitment of new staff members are secure.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have increased support for pupils who are anxious or experience problems with their mental health. The school has two full-time counsellors and a school nurse who work with any pupils who need additional support. Pupils are taught about 21 and 22 June 2022

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healthy relationships, sexual harassment and consent. They feel well supported by the school when they need help.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A small number of pupils do not study a modern foreign language or classics alongside their peers. They are removed from these lessons for additional literacy and numeracy. Leaders should ensure that proposed plans for all pupils to study the full curriculum are put into practice.  Leaders do not accurately assess the needs of pupils with weak literacy and numeracy skills. Support for these pupils is not sufficiently tailored to help them to improve quickly. Leaders should ensure that pupils with weak literacy and numeracy skills are given specific support to enable them to access the full curriculum.

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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 school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 21 and 22 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10228397 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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sixth form

Headteacher Ben McLaughlin and Rob Peal (joint headteachers) Website www.wlfs.org

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 9 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Knowledge Schools Trust.  In September 2021 the school appointed two new joint headteachers.  The school uses two registered alternative providers.  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

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 21 and 22 June 2022

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 Inspectors held discussions with the chief executive officer of the Knowledge Schools Trust and joint headteachers, as well as members of the wider school leadership team. They also met with trustees and members of the local governing body, including the chair of the local governing body and the vice-chair.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in science, English, art and history. They met with curriculum leaders, visited a sample of lessons and spoke to classroom teachers. Inspectors also spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school improvement documentation including headteachers’ reports to the governing body. They also looked at records related to attendance, behaviour, and pupil movement.  Inspectors held meetings with leaders responsible for safeguarding and checked the record of pre-employment checks. They also reviewed safeguarding

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documentation and spoke to pupils and staff about the safety of pupils in school.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey and responses to the online survey of pupils’ views. They also reviewed responses submitted by parents to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Annabel Davies, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Anne Hudson Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 June 2022

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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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