Freshsteps Independent school

Inspection of Freshsteps Independent school Innova House, Kinetic Crescent, Enfield EN3 7XH

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Inspection dates: 30 January to 1 February 2024

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Sixth-form 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?

Parents and carers noted that ‘Freshsteps Independent School is an exceptional institution…’ Inspectors could not agree more. Pupils get a remarkable experience that gives them the knowledge and skills to achieve successfully, and the self- confidence to tackle adversity.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The broad curriculum is highly ambitious. As well as English, mathematics and science, pupils get to develop their creative and technological capabilities particularly effectively. For example, pupils very much enjoy their study of computing and design and technology as well as creative subjects such as textiles, music and drama.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Additional activities, such as swimming and horse riding, and visits to places like the Neasden Temple add even more to pupils’ experiences. These opportunities develop pupils’ positive attitudes to school, and help them manage the ups and downs of their lives very effectively. Pupils’ behaviour in school is excellent. Pupils can, at times, become anxious but all adults work together extremely effectively to create a calm, respectful, positive and safe environment. Lessons are rarely, if ever, interrupted by poor behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Breaktimes and lunchtimes are civilised affairs, with pupils chatting or playing board games calmly and respectfully. Bullying is rare and pupils were confident that teachers will sort any issues quickly and effectively. Everyone is treated with respect and as an individual. This cannot be underestimated. It is one of the key things that enables pupils to achieve so well.

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better?

A key strength of the school is consistency. This consistency is seen in the ambitious way that the curriculum is designed and implemented, and in the high expectations and aspirations of staff. It shows in the care taken to ensure that classrooms and common areas are clean and bright, and in the considerate and courteous way pupils are treated. It is evident, too, in the well-planned and rich personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme, which includes relationships and sex education and careers.

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better?

Staff go the extra mile to get to know each pupil thoroughly and to establish positive relationships. They are supported by the school’s ‘passports’ that identify pupils’ needs, and the strategies to meet these, simply and concisely. Teachers use these effectively, for example by making sure that they direct the support of teaching assistants appropriately. Good opportunities for training help staff to take their expertise to the next level.

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better?

With consistency comes a whole host of other strengths. The curriculum has breadth and ambition. It provides the fundamental concepts, for example in literacy and numeracy, while still ensuring that it is adapted to meet individual needs. Pupils study up to seven subjects, including music, drama, physical education (PE), and 30 January to 1 February 2024 design and technology. Financial literacy is included as part of mathematics. Work is arranged in bite-sized chunks that build carefully on previous learning. Teachers check that pupils remember what they learned in previous lessons, going over work again to help learning ‘stick’ in pupils’ minds. Educational trips to places of worship and art galleries, for example, enhance classroom-based work most effectively.

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better?

Reading, including phonics, has the highest priority. Across the school, for all ages, the curriculum promotes pupils’ reading very well. The two well-stocked libraries include a wide range of texts and a diversity of authors. Phonics lessons are well planned and assessed. Support for reading is sensitive and skilled. In the primary classes, reading books are closely matched to the sounds that pupils are learning in phonics. Pupils become increasingly fluent readers during their time at the school.

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better?

Other strengths that come from consistency are pupils’ behaviour and attitudes. All staff have the highest expectations of behaviour and pupils rise to these easily. Staff work very successfully to ensure that relationships are positive. This is one of the reasons why attendance rates are strong. Pupils very much value how the school’s ethos is underpinned by them being treated with respect and politeness.

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better?

Support for pupils’ well-being is another key strength. Leaders and staff provide a safe and secure place for pupils, including ensuring that they get specialist help when needed. For example, the school invests in art and speech therapy provision to support pupils’ mental and physical health. Staff work closely with the local authority to make sure that pupils’ needs are understood and met thoroughly.

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better?

All pupils leave the school with an accredited qualification, including those in the sixth form. This includes the ‘unit award’ qualification from a national examination board and sports leadership qualifications. Pupils can also study for functional skills certificates and GCSE examinations. That all pupils gain a recognised qualification is a key achievement.

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better?

In the sixth form, the opportunity for students to study vocational courses, such as catering, hairdressing, beauty and engineering, prepares them well for the world of work. The careers and employability programmes enhance this further. A range of additional vocational subjects are planned, such as motor sport engineering, which will start shortly.

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better?

The school’s plans to develop the sixth-form curriculum are being carefully monitored and supported by governors to help ensure that they are sustainable. Governors use up-to-date information to support and challenge the proprietor wisely. They understand the balance between new developments and keeping teachers’ workload manageable. Teachers confirmed that leaders take workload seriously.

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better?

The proprietor ensures that the independent school standards are met in full and the school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. 30 January to 1 February 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 30 January to 1 February 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 135839 DfE registration number 308/6305

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School details

Inspection number 10299208 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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sixth form

Website www.freshstepsindependentschool.org.uk

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sixth form

Email address head@freshstepsindependentschool.org.uk

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sixth form

Dates of previous inspection 26 to 28 February 2020 30 January to 1 February 2024

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Information about this school

 Freshsteps provides education for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities that are primarily related to social, emotional and mental health needs. A few pupils have complex needs.  The proprietor is also the headteacher.  Pupils who attend the school have typically experienced difficulties in mainstream schools or have been absent from education for a long time.  The school is registered to take up to 80 pupils from the ages of five to 18.  All pupils at the school are funded by the local authority and have education, health and care plans.  The school’s last standard inspection was in February 2020. Its overall effectiveness was judged to be outstanding.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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.  As part of this inspection, inspectors considered information in relation to the proprietor’s proposed request for a material change to increase the number of pupils on roll to 120.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, design and technology, and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at the wider curriculum and visited other subjects, including science, drama, music and PSHE.  Meetings were held with the proprietor/headteacher, staff and pupils.  Inspectors met with the chair of the governing board. 30 January to 1 February 2024

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors considered four responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey.  Meetings were held with some pupils to discuss their views about different aspects of their school. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil or staff surveys.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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The school’s proposed change to the maximum number of pupils

The school has applied to the Department for Education (DfE) to make a ‘material change’ to its registration. At the DfE’s request, we checked whether the school is likely to meet the relevant independent school standards if the DfE decides to approve the change. This part of the inspection was carried out under section 162(4) of the Education Act 2002.

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The school’s proposed change to the maximum number of pupils

 The outcome of this part of the inspection is: the school is likely to meet the

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relevant independent school standards if the material change relating

to the school provision is implemented.  The proprietor, together with other leaders, has made suitable arrangements to ensure that the premises and wider provision on offer could accommodate the proposed increase to the number of pupils, if this is approved by the registration authority.

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Inspection team

Brian Oppenheim, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sean Flood Ofsted Inspector 30 January to 1 February 2024 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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