Roehampton Gate School

Inspection of Roehampton Gate School Priory Lane, Roehampton, London SW15 5JJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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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?

Leaders foster a nurturing school community. They place high importance on getting to know pupils and their families. This is because they want pupils to have a positive experience at school. Adults take swift action if pupils need help and support. School staff care deeply about pupils’ welfare and well-being. Leaders and staff work collaboratively and effectively to keep pupils safe. Most pupils feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders understand the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including how pupils’ needs may affect their behaviour. Leaders and school staff teach pupils what are suitable and acceptable behaviours, including the importance of treating others with respect. School staff respond to any negative behaviour or bullying quickly. As a result, pupils’ behaviour improves quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. They want pupils to achieve well both academically and socially. Leaders provide well-thought-through wider curriculum opportunities that will be of most benefit to pupils. For example, to help students learn about money management, leaders organised for students in the sixth form to visit the Bank of England.

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better?

Leaders assess what pupils know about different subjects when they join the school. Leaders take into account pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs and the requirements of pupils’ education, health and care plans. Leaders use this information to devise highly personalised adaptations to teaching and resources to support pupils in learning the curriculum. Leaders and school staff analyse and check the approaches used. They collaborate with parents, carers and a wide range of external professionals, including medical experts, therapists and psychologists. Leaders listen to pupils’ opinions and aspirations for their future. As a result, pupils receive effective help and support and impartial careers education advice and guidance.

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better?

Leaders take pupils’ needs and interests into account to cater for their personal development. Pupils have tailored opportunities to take on additional responsibilities. For example, leaders encourage pupils to apply for democratically elected roles to help build self-confidence. Leaders forge professional working relationships with a range of employers. This is to provide opportunities for pupils to take part in work experience for secondary-age pupils and students in the sixth form. Leaders provide opportunities for pupils to learn how to manage food allergies independently when cooking as part of the life-skills curriculum. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum is appropriate. Pupils are taught about respecting others and those who have protected characteristics. They are taught age- appropriate relationships and sex education. Pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education and adulthood.

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better?

The curriculum covers the required subjects. Some pupils learn additional subjects 4 to 6 July 2023 as well. For example, the ‘alternative curriculum’ includes lessons on life skills. Typically, leaders decide the most important knowledge and vocabulary for pupils to know and remember, including in the sixth form. Where this is the case, knowledge is well sequenced towards ambitious end points. For example, in history, pupils build their knowledge of chronology as they move up through the school. Sometimes curriculum thinking identifies tasks and activities for pupils to do or experience instead of emphasising the key subject knowledge that pupils need to know. As a result, sometimes teaching does not ensure that pupils build up a deep rich body of subject knowledge.

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better?

Leaders place high importance on reading. Leaders choose books carefully. They ensure pupils read a wide range of books. Pupils have many opportunities to read throughout the school day. Leaders check how well pupils read when they join the school. Pupils at the early stages of learning to read receive additional support and receive phonics teaching from well-trained staff. However, leaders do not use a systematic approach to teaching phonics to weaker readers. They do not check the specific letter sounds that pupils know and provide books matched closely to pupils’ knowledge. As a result, pupils who are weaker readers are not helped to develop reading fluency and confidence as quickly as they could.

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better?

Pupils know the behaviour expected of them in lessons. School staff recognise the situations which may lead to challenging behaviour. School staff teach pupils approaches to recognise and manage their feelings and responses. Where pupils struggle with this, school staff take appropriate action. As a result, most lessons are calm and orderly. Any interruptions to learning are dealt with effectively.

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better?

The proprietor provides effective support and challenge. The proprietor and members of the governing body make sure that the independent school standards are met consistently. The proprietor and leaders consider staff workload. Typically, staff felt that leaders are considerate of their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The proprietor ensures leaders make appropriate safeguarding checks on staff in line with statutory requirements. Leaders provide appropriate safeguarding training for school staff. Leaders have strong working relationships with a range of safeguarding partners. This includes the police, medical experts and experts at local authorities. Leaders escalate concerns appropriately where necessary.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught important information about staying safe. This includes online safety. Pupils are taught about factors that constitute healthy relationships and consent. Pupils said they have many trusted adults to speak to in school if they are worried about anything. The school’s safeguarding policy is published on the school’s website. 4 to 6 July 2023

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Sometimes the school does not ensure that important subject knowledge and vocabulary are made explicit in curriculum thinking. As a result, sometimes curriculum planning focuses more on activities and experiences than on what pupils need to know and be able to do. The school needs to make sure that curriculum thinking in all subjects identifies the important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn.  Phonics teaching and resources for weaker readers in particular are not targeted to the specific letters and sounds that pupils know. As a result, those at the early stages of learning to read are not helped as quickly as they could be to gain the knowledge and skills to read with confidence and fluency. The school must use a systematic approach to teaching phonics.

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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. 4 to 6 July 2023

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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form

Proprietor Aspris Children’s Services Ltd

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Website www.aspriscs.co.uk/roehampton-gate- school Email address roehamptongateschool@aspriscs.co.uk

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Date of previous inspection 21 to 23 May 2019 4 to 6 July 2023

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Information about this school

 This special school caters for pupils with education, health and care plans. The vast majority of pupils have autism.  Leaders provide two curriculum pathways for pupils to learn subjects, a ‘traditional curriculum’ and an ‘alternative curriculum’. Both pathways include a broad range of subjects in line with those in the national curriculum.  The previous standard inspection took place in May 2019. An emergency inspection took place in February 2020.  The school’s name changed from The Priory Lodge School to Roehampton Gate School after the previous inspection.  The name of the proprietor was previously Priory Education Services Ltd. The name changed in January 2022.  There are 26 schools across the UK that are part of Aspris Children’s Services.

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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

Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders 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 and other senior leaders. Inspectors also spoke with the chair of the proprietor body, the chair of governors and a representative of Wandsworth local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  Inspectors examined information collected and checks made on staff before they start working at the school. Inspectors scrutinised safeguarding records. They also spoke with staff and pupils about safety and pupil welfare.  Inspectors checked the standard of the school premises and analysed documents related to health and safety.

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Information about this inspection

4 to 6 July 2023  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys from parents, pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Andrea Bedeau, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Aliki Constantopoulou His Majesty’s Inspector 4 to 6 July 2023 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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