Insights Independent School

Inspection of Insights Independent School 3-5, Alexandria Road, West Ealing, West Ealing W13 0NP

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive here. They benefit greatly from the school’s caring and professional learning environment. Leaders have high expectations that pupils will achieve their best, and pupils respond positively. Pupils develop respectful relationships with staff and with each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils participate in a wide range of activities beyond their subjects. Leaders give careful thought to each pupil’s timetable and identify what they need to help them to learn well. For example, pupils have regular opportunities to learn in different off- site environments, such as a farm or a community fishing park. Their engagement with their peers and with staff, and their focus on their schoolwork, improves as their social skills and self-esteem develop.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils generally behave and socialise positively, and there are few instances of bullying. Staff know each pupil well. They recognise swiftly if any problems occur, including bullying, so that matters are resolved and pupils return calmly to their learning. Pupils are safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils really enjoy educational visits. They enthused about their recent outing to a theatre. Leaders have resumed their well-established programme of special events, excursions and residential trips, including overseas.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that all pupils are able to take part in clubs, including model- building, and arts and crafts.

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better?

Leaders have thought carefully about the knowledge and skills they expect pupils to learn in every subject. Teachers organise pupils’ learning in a logical sequence, and check that pupils have learned key facts before moving on to more demanding work.

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better?

Teachers have strong subject knowledge and anticipate what pupils may find difficult. Staff use a wide range of resources to enhance pupils’ learning. Staff provide strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, in the primary class, while all pupils accessed the same curriculum content, staff provided each pupil with the support that they needed to enable them to focus and achieve well in the task.

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better?

Leaders use a range of strategies to support pupils who are behind with their reading. The teaching of reading includes the use of phonics where needed. All staff have received training to ensure a consistent approach when working with pupils of any age who struggle with reading. Leaders use regular assessment to identify the specific areas in which pupils need more help. Staff skilfully determine the most productive approach for each pupil, based on pupils’ maturity and prior learning. Staff provide pupils with plenty of encouragement and opportunities for them to read. Staff select books for pupils to read that suit their interests. Pupils are 24 to 26 January 2023 enthusiastic about reading because staff help them to build up reading fluency and develop their vocabulary. Staff support pupils to choose books to read that are suitably matched to each pupil’s reading ability and the phonics sounds that they

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better?

know. Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ correct pronunciation. They ensure that pupils practise reading regularly, including across subjects and in assemblies.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. They prioritise enabling pupils to gain knowledge and skills so that they are well prepared for their next steps in education. They ensure each pupil receives personalised careers guidance, working closely with parents and carers, professional agencies and local colleges to secure places relevant to pupils’ career aspirations.

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better?

Pupils are attentive in lessons. Staff deliver subject content in a way that appeals to pupils’ interests. Pupils are motivated to learn because teachers help them to recognise the relevance of their studies to everyday life. In mathematics in the secondary phase, pupils were motivated to learn about percentages when their teacher showed them how this is important for calculating reductions in prices or interest rates on mortgages. Pupils grow in confidence and independence as they learn to play musical instruments and perform, inspired by the use of the school’s on-site recording studio and their teachers’ expertise.

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better?

The school’s personal, social and health education programme covers a wide range of topics. Pupils are taught about the importance of belonging to a community, respecting and valuing differences, and themes relevant to relationships and sex education (RSE), such as changing and growing, and consent. Leaders also organise regular specialist-run RSE sessions, which include age-appropriate coverage of issues such as sexuality and use of social media. Leaders adapt the content of the RSE curriculum in response to pupils’ questions and needs.

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better?

Leaders encourage positive relationships with parents. They have set up the ‘hands- on parent empowerment’ (HOPE) initiative, which involves staff working closely with parents to overcome barriers to pupils’ engagement with education.

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better?

Staff feel highly appreciative of the training that leaders provide to support them in their roles and their future careers. Leaders consult regularly with staff and make changes to help with their workload, and to promote mental health and well-being.

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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 know the current safeguarding requirements and ensure staff receive regular training and updates. Staff are alert to any safeguarding concerns and follow correct referral procedures. 24 to 26 January 2023 Leaders respond swiftly and appropriately when any concerns are raised, working closely with professional organisations to provide support and guidance to pupils and their families.

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Safeguarding

Aspects of safeguarding, such as e-safety, are woven through the curriculum and revisited with pupils regularly.

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Safeguarding

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

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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. 24 to 26 January 2023

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £42,780 to £63,750

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School details

Email address bquartey@insightsesc.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 to 20 September 2018 24 to 26 January 2023

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Information about this school

 Insights Independent School is a specialist day school. It caters for pupils and sixth-form students with a wide range of needs, including challenging behaviours, mental health needs and social and emotional difficulties. Some pupils have a specific learning difficulty or autism spectrum disorder. All pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The school uses two sites approximately half a mile apart. The site located at Alexandria Road accommodates primary-age pupils and pupils in Years 7 to 9. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 are based at the site at 1 Craven Road, Ealing, London W5 2UA.  There is a very small number of students in the sixth form. At the time of the inspection, there were no pupils in Years 1 to 4.  Since the previous inspection, there have been some changes to the structure of and responsibilities in the leadership team.  The school’s previous standard inspection took place on 18 to 20 September

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Information about this school

2018.  The school does not have provision for two-year-olds.  The school makes use of part-time alternative provision for a small number of pupils.  The proprietor appointed an advisory body which provides support to school leaders, including the long-term planning for the future of the school.

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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 and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with school leaders, held telephone calls with representatives of two local authorities and met with the chair of the advisory body and two members of the advisory body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, physical education and music. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders to discuss the 24 to 26 January 2023 curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, held discussions with pupils and staff and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspection of safeguarding included meeting with the leader with responsibility for safeguarding, looking at staff’s training records, reviewing documentation, including records of leaders’ work with outside agencies relevant to safeguarding, reviewing behaviour logs and speaking to outside organisations that work with the school.  Due to the very small number of students in the sixth form, inspectors did not make a separate judgement for the sixth form. The effectiveness of the sixth form

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Information about this inspection

provision is incorporated into all other judgement areas.  An inspector visited an off-site provision used by the school.  Inspectors visited both school sites at different times. An inspector toured both sites accompanied by school leaders to consider compliance with relevant aspects of the independent school standards.

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Inspection team

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

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Inspection team

Karen Matthews Ofsted Inspector 24 to 26 January 2023 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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