Edith Kay Independent School

Inspection of Edith Kay Independent School 32 Crouch Road, Brent, London NW10 8HR

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Inspection dates: 30 January to 1 February 2024

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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?

Pupils like coming to this happy and friendly school. They talk positively about how teachers adapt lessons to include content that they are interested in, such as sport, art or animals. Pupils have time and space to ask questions, develop their imagination and to explore ideas in an organised way. Adults’ approaches help make it easier for pupils to learn and remember information.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement and behaviour. It is rare for lessons to be interrupted. If pupils get distracted, emotional or find it difficult to concentrate, staff guide them back to learning as soon as possible.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kept safe at school. Staff take great care of pupils, particularly paying attention to checking how pupils are feeling. Pupils say that bullying is not a problem, but if there are ever any friendship problems then staff sort it out straight away. Pupils have trusted adults with whom they can talk if they have any worries. Adults work closely with pupils to successfully develop their personal, social and emotional well-being.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils achieve well in their academic subjects, becoming more and more resilient as they move through the curriculum. Overall, they are well prepared for their next steps.

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better?

Leaders at all levels have made sure that there is an ambitious curriculum in place that meets pupils’ needs. The school’s approach successfully supports pupils to engage with academic subjects alongside learning how to manage and improve their mental health. Pupils needs and starting points are carefully assessed and considered when they join the school. This enables adults to understand any gaps pupils may have in their different subjects. If pupils have fallen behind in reading, they follow a tailored programme which helps them to catch up quickly.

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better?

The school offers a range of academic subjects that are taught by specialist teachers who have strong subject knowledge. If a pupil wants to study a subject that is not on the usual offer, leaders will do all they can to offer it. In most subjects, staff have thought about what pupils should be taught and the order it should be taught in. However, in a few subjects, leaders are still working to identify and sequence the most important bits of knowledge pupils should learn.

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better?

Pupils behave well. They treat each other with respect, showing mature attitudes to learning. Staff are quick to offer extra help should a pupil show signs of becoming anxious or unhappy. The school is a calm and orderly environment. Pupils say this helps them stay calm and to be able to concentrate on their work.

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better?

The school manages pupils’ attendance well. Staff analyse the individual reasons behind any absence and take carefully considered action to help pupils to attend as 30 January to 1 February 2024 much as possible. When absence cannot be avoided, staff minimise the long-term effects of poor attendance, for example by providing carefully targeted teaching when pupils return to school.

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better?

The pastoral support offered to pupils is excellent. It is a particular strength of the school’s work. Adults, including mentors, have regular, structured sessions to work with pupils on their long-term goals. There is a seamless approach to delivering the personal, social, health and economic education curriculum alongside supporting pupils’ independence and emotional development. For example, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe from the dangers of social media and from becoming victims of internet scams and fraud. Pupils learn important life lessons through topics such as maintaining safe and healthy relationships.

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better?

Pupils are taught how to develop their understanding and tolerance of the way that different people live their lives, including those with protected characteristics. Pupils have opportunities to visit interesting places to complement their social and cultural experiences in school, including art galleries and leisure centres. They support local charities such as a food bank and a community garden. Pupils have highly positive experiences of the world of work. They also receive strong independent advice on careers and future destinations in preparation for when the time comes to leave school. The curriculum for older students in the sixth form is carefully tailored to match their aspirations and chosen next steps. This ensures they have a range of qualifications that they need for their future studies. Collectively, pupils are being very well prepared for adult life in modern Britain.

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better?

The school site is kept safe and well maintained. Leaders and the proprietor keep the environment and resources under review, continually making improvements. The outdoor space at the school is small. Leaders have therefore organised for pupils to have regular planned visits to local facilities for physical education, including local parks, leisure centres and all-weather pitches.

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better?

The proprietor is involved in the life of the school. They have put in place an experienced and skilled local governing body. This body, along with the proprietor, ensures that leaders are supported and challenged to keep improving the school. The school’s accessibility plan complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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better?

Staff feel valued by leaders. They enjoy working at the school. They say that leaders take their well-being into account when making decisions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

30 January to 1 February 2024  In a few subjects, the most important component knowledge that pupils should learn and remember is not precisely identified. This means that, in these subjects, pupils learning is not as deep as it could be. Leaders should refine their curriculum thinking in these subjects, clearly identifying and sequencing the component knowledge that teachers must teach.

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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 144796 DfE registration number 304/6006

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School details

Inspection number 10299236 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

Annual fees (day pupils) £44,000 to £68,400

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form

Dates of previous inspection 11 to 13 February 2020 30 January to 1 February 2024

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  All pupils who attend the school have an education, health and care plan. The main area of need relates to pupils’ social, emotional and mental health. Some pupils have additional needs, including autism.

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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

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

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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.  Inspectors met with school leaders, the proprietor, the chair of the governing body and the director of education.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English and art. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, met with pupils and looked at samples of their work. Inspectors also met with other subject leaders and reviewed the curriculum in other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.  To check that leaders had ensured that the independent school standards were

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Information about this inspection

met, inspectors toured the school site. They also met with leaders and checked the school’s policies, records and other evidence of compliance.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for parents and carers, pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Gary Pocock, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sahreen Siddiqui Ofsted Inspector 30 January to 1 February 2024 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 looked after children, 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

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

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