Europa School UK

Inspection of Europa School UK Thame Lane, Culham, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 3DZ

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Inspection dates: 30 April and 1 May 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Sixth-form provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Lynn Wood. This school is a part of the single- academy trust, Europa School UK. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Terry Stock. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school are supported to become resilient, considerate and articulate individuals. The school has exceptionally high expectations for pupils’ outcomes, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This leads to pupils achieving highly across the curriculum, including at the end of key stage assessments.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school bases its rich and ambitious curriculum on the International Baccalaureate. This curriculum provides pupils with a multicultural perspective of the world. They learn to become international and global-minded citizens. The unique approach to teaching languages from the early years is impressive. This leads to pupils developing multilingual skills, resilience and a keen interest in the wider world.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend the school. They thrive in the caring and nurturing school community. They say that this school is a safe place. Routines and high expectations for behaviour start from the early years and exist throughout. Pupils are respectful and courteous and display excellent manners.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are completely immersed in their learning. They develop high levels of confidence and are extremely well prepared for their next phases of education. Precise career guidance, alongside rich opportunities in enterprise activities and competitions, helps them to be aspirational for their futures and develop a comprehensive understanding of the world of work.

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better?

The school has designed and implemented a broad, rich and very ambitious curriculum. It deepens pupils’ knowledge and understanding highly effectively across a breadth of areas. Key concepts are sequenced and taught in a logical order. Staff understand the precise knowledge and skills that pupils should know and remember in every subject. This enables pupils to produce high-quality work across the curriculum. Teachers deliver lessons with notable expertise. They revisit pupils’ previous learning, which helps build connections and deepen their understanding.

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better?

Teachers have excellent subject knowledge that enables them to make skilled decisions in the way they teach new learning. Through careful and bespoke adaptations, the school makes sure that pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve highly too.

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better?

In early years, learning activities are carefully planned to support children’s development. Children’s time is divided so half of their learning is in English and the other half in a second language. This leads to children developing fluent language skills and knowledge across all areas of learning. Adults are expert at delivering the learning this way and check children’s knowledge very thoroughly. They use this information to plan their next steps and address gaps in learning swiftly. Children 30 April and 1 May 2024

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are fully immersed in learning languages and demonstrate exceptional levels of engagement. They sustain long periods of concentration and interest in the activities available.

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Reading is prioritised and carefully planned across the curriculum. The teaching of phonics is clear and systematic and matches pupils’ needs. Pupils practise their phonics by reading books that contain sounds that they know. Staff identify any pupils who are falling behind and provide support. However, at times, this is not as precise as it could be meaning some pupils are not learning to read as quickly as they could.

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Sixth-form students demonstrate exceptional attitudes towards their learning. They follow the International Baccalaureate diploma programme. Teachers ensure that all students are expertly supported to help them learn and achieve highly. Attendance, punctuality and engagement in the sixth form are excellent, mirroring the high standards across the rest of the school. All students are expected to engage in a wide range of studies that extend beyond the taught curriculum. These programmes support students’ personal development and deepen their knowledge across a range of subjects. Students develop their presentation and interpersonal skills through a range of extended projects. They also contribute to the wider community. Students learn how to work independently and produce very high-quality work.

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Personal development is delivered through personal and cultural development lessons. This prepares pupils exceptionally well for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn about topics, including healthy relationships and consent. Pupils, and students in the sixth form, have many opportunities to take on leadership positions and work with school leaders to make changes to the school. Examples of these involve being part of the school council or being eco-leaders, working with the school’s sustainability committee to drive environmental change. These responsibilities help pupils to feel valued and to see their impact on the school community.

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School leaders, staff and trustees are determined to make the school the best it can be for all pupils. They explore ways the school can help pupils to do even better. As a result, staff are provided with high-quality training. Staff are supported well with their well-being and workload. Trustees have a clear oversight of the school. They recognise there have been some challenges linked to the maintenance of the school environment. Leaders are taking relevant action to address this.

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The school provides a wealth of well-considered opportunities. They help pupils to develop their talents and interests. These include sports and arts clubs and external events. Pupils experience a rich, well-rounded and broad education, going beyond learning in the classroom. Pupils are familiar with different faiths, cultures and beliefs and show great respect. The school ensures that there are no barriers to pupils acquiring wider experiences through what the school offers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The support that some pupils who are at the earliest stages of learning to read receive is not yet as precise as it could be. This means that these pupils do not overcome gaps in their phonics knowledge as quickly as they could. The school should continue to ensure that staff know how to precisely support pupils who find learning to read more difficult.

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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.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 30 April and 1 May 2024

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,039

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sixth form

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 December 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The Europa School UK is a standalone all-through academy free school.  In the primary section, pupils are taught for half of the week in English. For the second half of the week, all teaching is conducted in either French, Spanish or German. In the secondary section, pupils follow the International Baccalaureate up to the age of 18.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school does not offer GCSE courses and is exempt from doing so.  The academy meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical educational qualifications and apprenticeships. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During this inspection, the inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the senior leadership team, teachers, support staff and pupils.  The lead inspector met with the chair of trustees and vice-chair of trustees.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, modern foreign languages, art and design and science. In each subject, the inspectors met with subject leaders, talked to pupils, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Other aspects of the school’s curriculum were also considered.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

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.  The inspectors took account of a range of other information, including the school’s development plans, school policies and trustees’ minutes.  The inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and the free-text comments that were submitted. They also took account of the responses to the confidential staff survey and gathered the views of both staff and pupils throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Numera Anwar, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sue Cox His Majesty’s Inspector 30 April and 1 May 2024

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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.

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