Landmark International School

Inspection of Landmark International School 9 Church Lane, Fulbourn, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB21 5EP

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Inspection dates: 22 to 24 November 2022

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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 Insufficient evidence Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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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?

Landmark International School is a very happy place. Pupils from all over the world mix well with those living locally. When pupils are here for a shorter time, leaders plan their curriculum well and ensure that the experience that pupils receive is successful. Pupils say that it is ‘one big family’. A typical comment is, ‘We’re all besties.’ Parents and carers are very positive about the provision. They praise the ‘caring’, ‘thoughtful’ and ‘creative’ environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is exemplary. Pupils understand leaders’ high expectations. Pupils live and breathe the school’s values. The safe and nurturing atmosphere helps them become respectful and confident. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils say that there is almost no bullying or discrimination.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are committed to their education. They feel that leaders empower them to follow their own needs and interests. Because of this, pupils learn to be independent. They think for themselves and take ownership of their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy high-quality opportunities. They organise clubs and projects themselves, such as the popular school newspaper. Pupils develop exceptional attitudes towards their community, creating projects using recycled materials for charity. Pupils collaborate in most areas of school life. For example, they create class charters for digital literacy. Consequently, they have a rich understanding of online safety.

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better?

Leaders have developed a curriculum that is intended to meet the needs of pupils at the school. Pupils explore units of learning that build on their interests. Leaders plan the broad areas they want pupils to learn and fit these in progressively over time. Because of this, pupils develop a deep knowledge of what they learn. In most cases, pupils achieve very well, especially in the secondary phase. However, in a few areas, leaders do not break down in enough detail the knowledge they want pupils to learn. This is particularly the case in the primary phase. Consequently, in some subjects, pupils have occasional gaps in their knowledge. This means that they are not as well prepared for key stage 3 as they might be.

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better?

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They plan learning activities that help pupils develop their understanding. Staff know how to help pupils with SEND access the curriculum and develop their numeracy and literacy. Teachers check learning effectively. They pick up on misunderstandings and help pupils overcome these. As a result, pupils mostly build up what they know. For example, they learn to do increasingly complex mathematical calculations with speed and accuracy.

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better?

Reading is prioritised in all year groups. Leaders have trained staff to deliver the phonics scheme successfully. In the small classes, all early readers get a lot of individual support. Staff support pupils who need extra help skilfully. This means 22 to 24 November 2022 pupils quickly learn to read fluently. This includes pupils with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language. Teachers support pupils’ comprehension and vocabulary well. Older pupils read widely. They enthusiastically share recommendations with one another.

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better?

Leaders have very high expectations for behaviour and attendance. They have created an ethos that staff and pupils embody. When pupils occasionally struggle to attend or behave well, leaders’ processes to address this are highly effective. Consequently, pupils behave consistently well and demonstrate excellent levels of self-control.

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better?

The curriculum for personal development is very well considered. Leaders have trained staff effectively to deliver this. Teachers are adept in helping pupils gain deep knowledge of the adult world. As a result, pupils discuss different types of communities with maturity. Pupils in the secondary phase, including those with SEND, are thoroughly prepared for their next steps.

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better?

Trustees have the knowledge and experience they need to fulfil their roles. They are instrumental in developing the positive ethos in the school. Trustees monitor leaders’ work closely. They provide a lot of support to leaders and offer appropriate challenge. For example, they ask probing questions about the long-term plan for the curriculum. This has helped improve the quality of education since the previous inspection.

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better?

The proprietor body has worked well with leaders to ensure that the independent school standards (the standards) are met. Health and safety is robust and leaders use risk assessments regularly to ensure that the site is safe. The proprietor checks that leaders have the safeguarding training they need. Leaders ensure that pupils receive well-planned relationships and sex education. The appropriate information for parents is on the website. In a couple of instances, minor amendments were needed, but leaders did this when inspectors were on site.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are vigilant in regard to safeguarding. Staff have received the training they need in order to know how to keep pupils safe. Prompt intervention by leaders and staff means that concerns are often resolved quickly. Leaders liaise with agencies when they should.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum helps pupils learn how to stay safe. They develop a strong understanding of healthy relationships. The range of opportunities pupils enjoy helps them know about risk. They develop their resilience, including if they have anxieties. Pupils know whom they can talk to if they have a concern. As a result, they feel safe and enjoy school. 22 to 24 November 2022

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In a few areas, the curriculum that leaders have put in place does not break down the knowledge that they want pupils to learn as precisely as it should. This is especially so in the primary phase. This means that although pupils achieve well, they do not in some areas of the curriculum build up their subject-specific knowledge as well as they might. Leaders should identify more closely the key knowledge that pupils need to learn in all subjects, so that pupils achieve even better than currently and are fully prepared for their next stage of learning.

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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. 22 to 24 November 2022

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School details

Unique reference number 142776 DfE registration number 873/6054 Local authority Cambridgeshire

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Proprietor

Landmark International School, Cambridge Chair Martin Beazor

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Proprietor

Annual fees (day pupils) £12,609 to £15,807

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Proprietor

Website www.landmarkinternationalschool.co.uk

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Email address

gareth.turnbull- jones@landmarkinternationalschool.co.uk Date of previous inspection 28 to 30 January 2020 22 to 24 November 2022

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Information about this school

 Landmark International School is an independent day school. About half the pupils come from outside the UK. Many of them are bilingual, and a small proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.  Some pupils join the school at different points during the academic year and at different stages of their education.  The proprietor body is Landmark International School, Cambridge, a registered charity.  The school was judged to require improvement at the previous standard inspection in January 2020. Some of the standards were judged not to have been met. In March 2021, there was an additional inspection, at which all the standards were judged as met.  The school is registered to enrol pupils between the ages of four and 16. However, there are currently very few children in early years. Therefore, inspectors did not evaluate this area of provision.  Leaders do not use supply staff.  Leaders do not use alternative provision.

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Information about this school

 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.  The proprietor body has ensured that the school is compliant with their statutory duties under the Equality Act 2010.

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the chair of the proprietor body, other trustees, senior leaders, other leaders, staff and pupils.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and art. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, 22 to 24 November 2022 visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also evaluated the curriculum in some other subjects, notably social studies.  As part of the evaluation of safeguarding, inspectors checked the school’s single central record of recruitment and vetting checks, considered its safeguarding

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Information about this inspection

policy and procedures, and spoke to leaders, staff, parents and pupils.  Inspectors reviewed the 61 responses that were submitted during this academic year by parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, and 46 free- text comments submitted during the inspection. Inspectors considered the 32 responses to the staff survey and the 70 responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Charlie Fordham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Clare Fletcher Ofsted Inspector 22 to 24 November 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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