Sophia High School

High School

On 20 and 21 September 2023, Ofsted visited Sophia High School as part of the Online Education Accreditation Scheme . Through this scheme, providers of full-time online education to school-age children in England can apply to the Department for Education (DfE) for accreditation.

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High School

Ofsted visits providers to find out whether they meet the minimum standards for online education set by the DfE. This report sets out what we found during our visit on 20 and 21 September 2023. You can find out whether this provider is accredited by the DfE on the Get Information about Schools website.

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Key findings

◼ Sophia High School meets all the minimum standards for online education. ◼ Sophia High School provides a carefully designed, challenging and ambitious curriculum that is extremely well-matched to the needs of the pupils attending. Teachers use their comprehensive analysis of assessment information to plan sequences of lessons that build on what pupils already know. Learning activities take account of the online nature of the setting, and teachers make excellent and innovative use of a wide range of technologies to immerse pupils in learning. ◼ Pupils say they would like more opportunities to engage in extra-curricular activities. ◼ The strategic leadership of Sophia High School is strong. Leaders proactively engage with other educators and technology stakeholders. Leaders set high expectations and take appropriate actions to help maximise the quality of education for pupils. ◼ Pupils conduct themselves responsibly online. Their positive behaviour and

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Key findings

attitudes to learning reflect the high expectations placed on them. Pupils listen attentively and are respectful of the views of others. Teachers make good use of the cultural diversity of the school population to teach pupils tolerance and understanding of other global citizens.

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Who is this online provider?

◼ Sophia High School is an online setting for children aged four to 16. Currently, no children in the early years attend the setting. Sophia High School’s ethos is rooted in British educational culture and strongly promotes fundamental British values. ◼ Pupils who attend Sophia High School study a curriculum, built around the English national curriculum, that has been carefully adjusted to take account of the global context in which Sophia High School operates. Pupils study a range of subjects, including English, mathematics, science, computer science, physical education and cross-curricular thematic studies that include creative art, music and the humanities. Pupils have opportunities to work towards achieving international GCSE qualifications. ◼ The pupil population of Sophia High School is very diverse. Pupils attend Sophia High School from a wide range of countries, in addition to those who reside in

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Who is this online provider?

England. The socio-economic backgrounds of pupils are similarly diverse. Pupils access Sophia High School for a variety of reasons. These include: being members of families who travel frequently; needing to travel to participate in elite sporting and cultural events; and parental choice regarding a British educational establishment. Some pupils are on placements commissioned by English local authorities. ◼ Currently, 43 school-age pupils study with Sophia High School full time. Fewer than five of these pupils have an education, health and care (EHC) plan . Ten pupils live in England. There are no part-time pupils.

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How are pupils taught at Sophia High School?

◼ Classes and activities at Sophia High School are undertaken live. Staff and pupils have their cameras on. This allows for effective interactions between participants. Class sizes are small, with typically less than five pupils in each class; consequently, teachers know their pupils well. Lessons vary in length depending on the type of activity being undertaken. Staff plan learning activities carefully to ensure that pupils waste no time in their learning. ◼ Live teaching allows for lessons to be interactive. Pupils are encouraged to develop their linguistic skills through lively and often mature philosophical debates. For example, during a personal, social, health and economic education lesson, older pupils discussed the impact of different behaviours observed on social media. Leaders at Sophia High School recognise that online education can limit some aspects of social life that are usually experienced in physical settings.

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How are pupils taught at Sophia High School?

However, they have taken appropriate steps to help overcome this. Pupils have access to social spaces in the online setting, known as the ‘playground’, where they can meet and play. Additionally, Sophia High School runs some ‘after-school’ clubs, such as a coding club. However, some pupils said that they would welcome more opportunities for extra-curricular activities. ◼ Teaching makes effective use of cutting-edge technology as a tool to support learning. Staff use immersive learning in a wide range of subjects. This supports pupils effectively to overcome anxieties, grow in confidence, and grasp concepts that benefit from physical interaction. For example, pupils were able to demonstrate their confident use of immersive technology and their well- developed linguistic skills as they performed Macbeth from the stage of a virtual Globe Theatre. Parents were able to join the immersive world and show their

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How are pupils taught at Sophia High School?

appreciation, just like a live audience. ◼ All lessons and learning are recorded. This allows pupils to revisit lessons and activities to help consolidate and celebrate their learning. Inspectors were able to visit an immersive art gallery and experience the high-quality work produced by pupils on gender and beauty. This was done as part of their studies in partnership with an LGBTQ+ organisation.

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keeping children safe?

◼ Ofsted’s visits to online providers can give only a limited level of

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inspections of schools and other providers of face-to-face education

and training. However, we found that the arrangements for keeping pupils safe at Sophia High School are appropriate. ◼ A comprehensive safeguarding policy, which takes account of the online context of the setting, sets out clearly how pupils will be kept safe while attending Sophia High School. The policy is implemented consistently by highly motivated, knowledgeable and vigilant staff. Frequent and routine training, in a wide range of safeguarding topics that relate to the physical and online worlds, keeps staff knowledge up to date. ◼ Leaders have a strong understanding of safeguarding. They have ensured that all appropriate checks on the suitability of staff are completed before they start work at Sophia High School. This includes secure knowledge of how to conduct international suitability checks of staff who have lived or worked abroad and checks relating to persons who have leadership and management responsibilities.

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inspections of schools and other providers of face-to-face education

All suitability checks are recorded meticulously in a single central record. ◼ Leaders have ensured that an appropriate written risk assessment policy and risk assessments are in place for Sophia High School.

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Sophia High School?

◼ Parents told inspectors that they felt very well informed about their children’s education at Sophia High School. From the moment a pupil joins the setting, staff reach out to parents to keep them informed. All parents have opportunities to have frequent meetings with their children’s teachers using video technology and to join activities to see what is being taught. Parents receive comprehensive and detailed reports about their child’s learning, including the analysis of standardised assessment scores in some subjects. Parents are also encouraged to attend events such as visiting virtual galleries of their children’s art work or attending end-of-term performances. ◼ Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning. They are attentive in class and eagerly engage with adults in mature discussion around such topics as sustained global development and entrepreneurial ideas. Pupils demonstrate tolerance and

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Sophia High School?

understanding of the cultures and beliefs of others. ◼ Parents are overwhelmingly positive in their views of Sophia High School. Those who spoke with inspectors praised the level of contact that staff had with them. As a result, parents feel well-informed about their children’s education. They have confidence that staff members would act quickly to resolve any issues that they might raise. ◼ Pupils are also overwhelmingly positive about Sophia High School. They like the small class sizes and felt that Sophia High School promotes a family-like atmosphere. Pupils said they feel safe attending the setting and found it difficult to identify any misbehaviour. The greatest transgression they spoke about was not completing homework on time. When asked how the school could be even better, some pupils explained that they would like greater choices in specific subjects for GCSEs, while others stated ‘I would not change a thing.’

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About the visit

◼ This is Sophia High School’s first accreditation visit. John Nixon, His Majesty’s Inspector (HMI) was the lead inspector, accompanied by Jonathan Dyer HMI.

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standards for online education

This section reports on how well Sophia High School meets the standards for online education.

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standards for online education

Sophia High School meets all of the applicable standards for online education set out by the Department for Education. The standards that are not applicable to Sophia High School are listed below.

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standards for online education

The full list of standards can be found in DfE’s guidance on meeting the online education standards .

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The following standards do not apply to this provider:

◼ Standard 1.5 only applies where the principal language of instruction is a language other than English ◼ Standard 1.8 only applies where the provider has at least one full-time pupil of above compulsory school age ◼ Standards 5.11, 5.12, 5.13, 5.14, 5.15, 5.16, 5.17, 5.18 only apply where the provider uses supply staff ◼ Standards 6.5, 6.10 only apply where a report on the provider has been published under the Online Education Accreditation Scheme at the time of the visit

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Address

The Engine Room, Battersea Power Station, 18 Power Station Road, London SW11 8BZ

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DfE unique reference number

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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to

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DfE unique reference number

the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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DfE unique reference number

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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DfE unique reference number

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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