Eagle Park Independent School

Inspection of Eagle Park Independent School London Transport Sports Ground, Park Place, Chiswick, London W3 8JY

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Inspection dates: 21 to 23 September 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils make good friends and grow in confidence and independence. They are happy and safe at school and typically commented that they enjoy it more and more. Staff are trained and committed and supervise pupils well. There is always a member of staff on hand if a pupil has any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide pupils with a wide range of opportunities to help them to meet their individual targets. Outings to local shops and contact with people in the local community encourage pupils’ social skills. Through attending a variety of clubs, including cooking club, cinema and art, pupils gain new interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ achievements and behaviour. Pupils’ speech, language and communication improve as teachers encourage pupils to have conversations with each other and learn new vocabulary in all subjects. Pupils and staff interact calmly and kindly with each other. Leaders ensure that staff are watchful for any signs that a pupil may be having a difficult day and provide them with the support they need quickly to feel more settled. Staff deal effectively with any rare occasions of impolite behaviour or bullying.

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better?

Leaders have revised the whole school curriculum so that the content to be covered is clearly set out. The knowledge and understanding they expect pupils to learn is ambitious. The order in which pupils are introduced to new facts and skills is sequenced carefully so that pupils build on what they have learned before. Teachers adapt their teaching appropriately to meet individual pupils’ starting points and targets.

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better?

Leaders place great importance on the teaching of early reading and adjust their approach to this according to the needs of each pupil. Staff use a range of strategies, including phonics, to help pupils learn to read. While all pupils are introduced to phonics when they are ready, until recently there has not been a whole-school approach to the teaching of phonics. Leaders have introduced a programme for the teaching of phonics and provided staff with training to increase opportunities for pupils to develop their phonics knowledge across all subjects. Leaders provide plentiful opportunities for pupils to develop their reading fluency and vocabulary using a range of resources, including reading books, in lessons.

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better?

Leaders have developed a clear strategy to check how securely pupils have learned new knowledge and skills across all subjects. They carefully cross- reference assessment information with pupils’ personal learning plans to identify when pupils need more support to enable them to achieve well.

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better?

Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. They find the content and activities stimulating and interesting. Staff use effective strategies to enable pupils to engage with their learning. 21 and 23 September 2022 Leaders have responded to latest government guidance in the school’s programme of relationships education as part of personal, social and health education (PSHE). The programme includes themes such as safe and unsafe situations, and different types of relationships, approached sensitively according to the maturity and needs of each pupil.

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better?

Pupils have opportunities to take on responsibilities and leadership roles. Pupils who are members of the school council consider issues that are important to the pupils in the school, such as food choices and play equipment.

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better?

Leaders promote healthy lifestyles and physical and mental health across the curriculum and in regular newsletters. Leaders have developed an extensive programme of enrichment activities building on those offered last year. Through assemblies and activities, leaders inform pupils about, and celebrate, different faith-based and cultural festivals.

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better?

Leaders forge strong links with parents and carers. They work closely with parents and outside agencies, including therapeutic services, to provide pupils with support according to their education, health and care (EHC) plans. Leaders give extra support to parents to access external services. Parents who completed the parental survey expressed heartfelt appreciation for the difference that attending the school has made to their child.

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better?

The proprietor is knowledgeable about the work of the school and works closely with leaders, visiting regularly. Staff are positive about the support they receive from leaders. They felt that procedures and expectations are clear and well communicated. Staff appreciated the professional development opportunities and training they receive. They felt well supported to manage their workload.

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better?

Leaders have rigorous systems in place and ensure that regular and routine checks of the safety of the school site are carried out. They respond swiftly to prevent and remove any potential hazards or risks.

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better?

Leaders ensure compliance with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010 and that all the independent school standards are met.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff are vigilant and report the slightest concern about any pupil. Staff know and follow the school’s referral processes because of their up-to- date training and leaders’ regular reminders. Staff typically noted that every second of the day is spent safeguarding children. 21 and 23 September 2022 Leaders include opportunities across the curriculum to teach pupils how to keep themselves safe in and outside of school and when using the internet or playing online games.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including the proprietor, have established well-organised systems to check and record all required pre-employment checks of staff.

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Safeguarding

The safeguarding policy is published on the school’s website.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Recently, leaders have introduced their chosen programme for the teaching of early reading and phonics. The school’s routine and consistent approach to teaching phonics is in the early stages of development. Leaders should embed the new programme so that pupils’ opportunity to learn and practise phonics is established securely across the school.

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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. 21 and 23 September 2022

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School details

Unique reference number 148600 DfE registration number 313/6009

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School details

Inspection number 10226780 Type of school Other Independent Special School

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School details

Email address head@eagleparkschool.co.uk 21 and 23 September 2022

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Information about this school

 Eagle Park School provides education for pupils with EHC plans. Pupils have moderate learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorder, and communication and interaction needs.  This is the first standard inspection of the school. The previous inspection was a pre-registration inspection, which took place on 14 July 2021. The school was registered by the Department for Education on 28 July 2021. The school admitted pupils for the first time in October 2021.  The school is registered to provide education to pupils in the age range 7 to 19 years. Currently, all pupils are aged under 11 years. The proprietor is seeking alternative premises before admitting pupils aged 11 to 19 years.  Since the previous inspection, there have been several changes to leadership of the school. A new headteacher started in December 2021. Two assistant headteachers started in January 2022.  There are four key elements to the school’s curriculum: ‘explore and create’,

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Information about this school

‘problem-solving in the 21st Century,’ ‘I take care of you and me’ and ‘English and communication’. Leaders ensure that these areas of learning cover a broad range of subjects.  The school does not make use of 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

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 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 met with senior leaders, the proprietor and director of education. Telephone conversations were held with local authority representatives.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: communications, including early reading, PSHE, and science and art within the school’s explore and create curriculum. For each deep dive, inspectors met with leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also considered other subjects, including computing, mathematics, music and physical education.  The inspection of safeguarding included meeting with the leader with

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Information about this inspection

responsibility for safeguarding, looking at the school’s systems for recording 21 and 23 September 2022 safeguarding concerns and pre-employment checks of staff, discussions with the proprietor, director of education, staff and pupils, and records of staff training.  Inspectors considered the responses to surveys completed by staff and parents. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Amanda Carter-Fraser, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Annabel Davies His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 23 September 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 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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