La Petite Ecole Francaise

School progress monitoring inspection report

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La Petite Ecole Française 73 St Charles Square, London W10 6EJ

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraph 2A(1), 2A(1)(f)  At the previous inspection, leaders had not consulted with parents about the school’s relationships education policy. The policy also needed reviewing and developing to ensure that it met the needs of pupils and parents.  The school’s action plan proposed to review the relationships education policy in the light of feedback from parents.  The new headteacher, working closely with the proprietor, took prompt action to address this weakness. Leaders invited parents to read the school’s relationships education policy and complete a short survey to provide feedback. Leaders followed up on any questions or concerns that parents raised and took these into account when reviewing the policy. After this work was complete, the headteacher wrote to parents to confirm the outcome of the review and stated that a revised policy was in place. The policy is published on

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Main inspection findings

the school’s website.  This independent school standard (the standards) is now met. Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 9, 9(a) and (b)  The last inspection found that leaders had not set out a suitable behaviour policy. There were no agreed procedures for staff to follow when managing pupils’ behaviour. Consequently, pupils’ behaviour was not managed consistently or well enough.  Leaders’ action plan aimed to develop a new behaviour policy and to provide training for staff to support them to manage pupils’ behaviour effectively.  The behaviour policy now sets out a clear, shared system of rules, sanctions and rewards. Staff have received appropriate training to support them to implement these expectations. Pupils and parents have also been informed of the new approach. The headteacher visits classrooms regularly to check that the policy is working well.  Pupils and staff like the ‘behaviour keys’. Pupils know the keys remind them to listen

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Main inspection findings

carefully, respect others and work with care. They know that if they have red keys for two weeks their parents will be informed. Equally, pupils know that if they behave well, they will receive stickers or a reward such as watching a film. As a result, pupils say, ‘Everyone wants green keys.’  Records show that instances of negative behaviour have reduced since the policy was implemented. Around the school, pupils behave well, are polite and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning.  This standard is met. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a) and (b)  At the previous inspection, the proprietor did not have effective arrangements in place to oversee the work of leaders, and the standards were not all met. Furthermore, staff did not receive consistent training to develop their teaching or subject knowledge.  The school’s action plan included a range of actions to address these weaknesses.

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Main inspection findings

Actions included appointing external advisers, providing training for senior leaders and putting in place a programme to develop staff.  The proprietor acted positively and decisively in response to the findings of the last inspection. She has ensured that the action plan has been implemented promptly and in full. This has included the very recent appointment of an advisory governor.  The new headteacher has quickly earned the respect of staff and worked closely with the administration manager to introduce important changes. Senior leaders’ expectations of staff and pupils are clear. The headteacher checks that staff implement these expectations consistently. Consequently, the standards are now all met.  Staff now receive training to support them to develop their teaching and subject knowledge. For example, staff have attended training that enhances their knowledge of the French curriculum for science and other subjects. Teachers say that leaders provide

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Main inspection findings

them with helpful feedback and encourage them to identify training that will enhance their work.  The proprietor meets regularly with senior leaders to oversee their work. Records of meetings show that actions are identified and followed up. It is not yet clear how the advisory governor will be deployed to support the proprietor in strengthening the direct line management of senior leaders.  The standard in this part is now met.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2A(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if-

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2A(1)(f) consults parents of registered pupils at the school before making or revising a statement under sub-paragraph (e).

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 9 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor promotes good behaviour amongst pupils by ensuring that-

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 9(a) a written behaviour policy is drawn up that, amongst other matters, sets out the sanctions to be adopted in the event of pupil misbehaviour;

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 9(b) the policy is implemented effectively.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school-

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which 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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School details

Website www.lapetiteecolefrancaise.co.uk

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School details

Email address lapetiteecolefrancaise@gmail.com

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School details

Dates of previous standard inspection 22 to 24 June 2022

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Information about this school

 La Petite Ecole Française is an independent bilingual French-English nursery and primary day school. Pupils follow the French national curriculum. Most pupils speak French as their first language.  The school is part of the AEFE (Agence pour L’Enseignement Française a L’Etranger) and has homologation status that confirms that the school follows the objectives of the French curriculum.  The headteacher took up post in September 2022.  The school has a sole proprietor. There is no governing body. The proprietor has recently appointed an advisory governor.  The school is exempt from the learning and development requirements of the early years foundation stage statutory framework.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  This was the first progress monitoring inspection. The inspection was conducted without notice.  At the previous standard inspection, which took place on 22 to 24 June 2022, the school was judged to be not meeting all of the independent school standards.  The Department for Education (DfE) required the school to prepare a statutory action plan. The DfE approved the action plan on 14 December 2022.  The inspector met with the proprietor and senior leaders. She also met with a group of pupils and a group of teachers.  The inspector visited classrooms and observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and

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Information about this inspection

breaktimes.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s pre-appointment checks on staff, to check compliance with the independent school standards.

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Inspection team

Caroline Dulon, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Parent View You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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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