L'Ecole de Battersea

Inspection of L’Ecole de Battersea Trott Street, Battersea, London SW11 3DS

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Inspection dates: 22 to 24 November 2022

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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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?

Leaders, including the proprietor, aim to empower all pupils at this school to succeed. This ambition shines brightly through all aspects of the school’s work. Pupils flourish socially, academically and emotionally due to the excellent standard of education and support they receive. Pupils take immense pride in being part of a harmonious and inclusive school. Teachers ensure that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve exceptionally well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils come to school eagerly each day. Parents and carers speak highly of the support provided. One typical comment was: ‘An amazing school that is great at bringing up our kids well-rounded, equipped with a skill set that will make them successful in their future life.’ Pupils value kindness. They show high levels of respect for each other and adults. Pupils behave exceptionally well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy taking part in the wide and inclusive range of exciting visits, trips and experiences available. They enjoy attending after-school clubs such as football, netball, drama and creative art.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders keep pupils safe. Leaders, staff and pupils do not tolerate bullying and deal with any rare incidents of bullying immediately. Leaders provide thoughtful support and guidance that helps pupils develop into responsible, articulate and impressive young people.

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better?

Leaders have designed a rich, inclusive and ambitious curriculum that has pupils’ needs at its heart. The quality of pupils’ work is consistently high in a wide range of subjects. Pupils speak confidently about their learning. They make links between pieces of knowledge from different subjects, such as art and history. Teachers are precise and clear about what pupils need to know and remember. They regularly check what pupils have learned. This means pupils are not at risk of falling behind.

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better?

Pupils with SEND access the curriculum alongside their peers. They receive expert support from teachers and teaching assistants to help them reach their full potential. They have full access to the range of extra-curricular opportunities on offer. They achieve extremely well.

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better?

Leaders understand the importance of strong relationships with parents so that pupils are supported both at school and at home. Leaders know how vital it is that pupils learn to read as soon as possible. Pupils benefit from highly effective phonics teaching, in English and French, in the early years and across Years 1 and 2. Pupils speak with increasing confidence in both languages. Reading books match the sounds that pupils know. Pupils who are struggling with reading catch up quickly with their peers because staff are well trained and highly skilled in providing the right support. Teachers read to pupils every day. Pupils say that they enjoy this and talk animatedly about favourite books they have had read to them. Leaders have put 22 to 24 November 2022 a range of approaches in place to promote a love of reading, for example regular visits to the well-resourced school library.

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better?

Pupils are very respectful of each other and adults. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning and show commitment to their education. As a result, pupils’ attendance is high. The programme for personal, social and health education is planned and sequenced with precision. Over time, pupils are taught how to keep themselves healthy and lead safe, active lives.

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better?

Leaders provide a wide range of opportunities for pupils to contribute to the life of the school and build self-confidence. Pupils take part in an extensive range of extra- curricular activities and clubs. For example, all pupils learn the sport of fencing and test their skills in competitions. Pupils show substantial knowledge of different faiths, types of families and relationships. They know how important it is to treat everyone equally and respect those who have different beliefs or opinions from their own.

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better?

Staff work closely together to achieve the best outcomes for pupils. They are highly successful in doing so. They are supported by the proprietors who offer challenge to leaders to fulfil their statutory duties. Leaders ensure that staff’s workload is manageable.

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better?

The requirements of the independent school standards and schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010 are met. Leaders have effectively planned and implemented the statutory guidance on relationships and sex education and health education. The safeguarding and welfare requirements for the early years foundation stage are met. There is a strong culture of mutual respect and teamwork among those with responsibility for running the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, staff and the proprietor receive regular, high-quality safeguarding training. As a result, they are knowledgeable and extremely vigilant. Staff know pupils very well. Staff know what to do when they have a concern about a pupil, and they act quickly.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding leaders, including the proprietor, act promptly, maintaining meticulous records of any concerns about pupils and the subsequent actions they take. They prioritise pupils’ well-being. Leaders publish the school safeguarding policy on the school's website. The policy reflects current government guidance. Regular opportunities are taken to teach pupils how to keep themselves safe, including online.

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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 22 to 24 November 2022 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

Annual fees (day pupils) £14,940 to £15,225

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School details

Email address admin@lecoledespetits.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 2 to 4 July 2018 22 to 24 November 2022

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Information about this school

 L’Ecole de Battersea is an independent day school for boys and girls age three to 11 years. The school opened in 2005 in south west London. It is part of L’Ecole des Petits Ltd, which was established in 1977. Its last standard inspection took place in July 2018.  The school is a bilingual ‘école homologuée’ and follows the French curriculum. It is inspected regularly by the French inspectorate. The school has an exemption from the statutory learning and development requirements of the early years foundation stage. The school uses no alternative provision for its pupils.  The curriculum is taught in English and French from the early years (Petite Section), with increased hours of English teaching as children get older.  The majority of pupils are French, but there are over 30 nationalities represented at 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 the headteacher, the principal and other senior leaders and members of staff.  The lead inspector met with the proprietor, who accompanied him during a tour of the school site to check compliance with some of the independent school standards.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, personal, social and health education, mathematics, history and art. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also looked at documentation and considered the curriculum in other subjects.  Inspectors considered a wide variety of school documents, including the school improvement plan.  Inspectors took note of the responses received on Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and considered the results of the Ofsted staff questionnaire.

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Information about this inspection

22 to 24 November 2022 Inspectors spoke with several pupils during the inspection.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s safeguarding policies, scrutinised the single central record, checked the school’s procedures for the safer recruitment of staff and met with safeguarding leaders.  Inspectors considered relevant documentation and reviewed the school facilities to check the school’s compliance with the independent school standards.

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Inspection team

Phil Garnham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Lloyd Ofsted Inspector 22 to 24 November 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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