L'Ecole des Petits School

Inspection of L’Ecole des Petits School 2 Hazlebury Road, London SW6 2NB

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years 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?

Pupils are happy here and are kept safe. From the youngest children in the Nursery (‘Petite Section’) up to Year 1 (‘Grande Section’), pupils skip into school each day ready to start learning. Pupils thrive because of the supportive atmosphere and structured learning they experience. The school is highly ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It wants them to be very well prepared for the next stages of their learning. These ambitions are fully realised whether pupils transfer to another French school or into the English education system.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between pupils and staff are very strong. Pupils are confident to talk to adults and ask for help if they have any worries. Rules and expectations are clear, and pupils are consistently well supported to follow them. As a result, the school is a calm and happy place focused on learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment offered through visits and additional activities. For example, outings to London’s many national museums and attractions, as well as clubs such as cookery, football and board games. This also provides opportunities for older pupils to develop a sense of responsibility by helping younger pupils to build their sense of responsibility.

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better?

As a bilingual school, a key priority is the development of pupils’ speaking, reading and writing in two languages. The school works closely with families before their children start school to make sure they understand pupils’ level of language acquisition. This helps to ensure pupils receive the most appropriate teaching in French and English.

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better?

The school delivers the French national curriculum. This is meticulously organised into manageable steps to enable all pupils to acquire the foundational knowledge they need. There is a strong focus on oracy, fine motor development and early mathematics. For example, pupils complete well-chosen activities that enable them to practise fine motor control and embed their understanding of counting, pattern and shape. The curriculum is enriched through, for example, helping pupils to learn about the history of art, music and dance.

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better?

Staff are well trained and highly knowledgeable practitioners in early education. All pupils, including those with SEND, are extremely well supported. Assessment is used with precision to identify what pupils understand and what they need to learn or embed. Learning then provides the practice needed to embed fundamental knowledge and understanding. This means pupils develop fluency in what they know and remember and achieve highly. Those that struggle get the support they need to reach the same ambitious end points as their peers. 25 to 27 March 2025 Alongside developing pupils’ speech and language, the school has prioritised early reading. The learning of phonics in English begins in Reception, and by the end of Year 1, pupils are beginning to read simple texts with developing fluency. French phonics is introduced at this point to build on pupils’ understanding of the English alphabetic code. This helps to prepare pupils very effectively for their future learning

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better?

in a bilingual setting. Pupils’ love of reading is evident through the stories they enjoy in class and through assemblies. Pupils confidently retell the stories they know in both French and English.

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better?

Routines and expectations for learning are well embedded. Pupils concentrate for extended periods to complete set tasks. These expectations begin right from the start of school and are achieved even for the youngest children . Pupils are taught about empathy and helping others. For example, a ‘happiness bucket’ in the Nursery classes is used to share actions that have made others feel happy. Social stories are used well to support those who may need additional help in recognising and responding to the needs of others.

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better?

The provision for pupils’ wider personal development is exceptional. The curriculum for personal, health and economic education interweaves the expectations of the French curriculum with the statutory content for English schools. This has been created carefully to prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain. Regular assemblies also provide opportunities for pupils to practise public speaking. These assemblies are led by every class and performed to the rest of the school and to parents and carers in both French and English.

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better?

The school is under new ownership this academic year. There has been a well- organised and strategic handover to ensure there is continuity for families and staff and that the quality of provision remains very strong. As a result, the independent school standards and compliance with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010 continue to be fully met. The quality and precision of leaders’ work have a significant impact on pupils’ achievement, behaviour and wider development. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They appreciate leaders’ support for their workload and initiatives such as staff yoga to help maintain high levels of well-being.

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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. 25 to 27 March 2025

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School details

Headteacher Laurent Balerdi (Principal) Elise Mesnage (Headmistress) Annual fees (day pupils) £16,410 to £19,296

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School details

Email address admin@lecoledespetits.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 to 5 March 2020 25 to 27 March 2025

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Information about this school

 L’Ecole des Petits School is a bilingual school offering the French national curriculum (cycle 1). This aligns with the early years foundation stage (EYFS) and Year 1 national curriculum.  The curriculum is delivered in both English and French.  The school has an exemption from the learning requirements of the EYFS.  The school runs an after-school provision for pupils.  From 3 September 2024, the school came under the ownership of Globeducate. The proprietor is L’Ecole des Petits Ltd. The director is James M. Polanski.  The principal and headmistress were appointed in September 2024.  The school currently uses no 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 judgment 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

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the chair, the principal, the headmistress, the assistant headteacher and members of staff. They also met with a representative of Globeducate.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these areas of learning: communication and language, including early reading; understanding of the world; and personal, social and emotional development. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with leaders, discussed the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  The inspectors also considered the curriculum in some other areas.  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 looked at a range of documents, including leaders’ priorities for 25 to 27 March 2025 improvement.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were gathered through discussions. The inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted Parent View and Ofsted’s surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Samantha Ingram, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Teresa Neary Ofsted Inspector 25 to 27 March 2025 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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