Wildwood Nature School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Wildwood Nature School St Mary Brookfield Hall, York Rise, London NW5 1SB

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraph 2(2)(a)  The previous inspection in July 2024 found that the proprietor body did not ensure that the quality of education was ambitious enough, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). There was no curriculum policy in place. The proprietor body had not ensured that the curriculum was broad. The school had not thought through what pupils should learn and remember thoroughly enough. Teaching did not ensure what pupils know and understand was routinely checked.  The school’s post-inspection plan included a number of vague actions which were judged to be unlikely to result in compliance with the unmet independent school standards (the standards).  This inspection found that there have been some small steps of progress. There is a curriculum policy and documents that outline a progression of skills that the school wants pupils to acquire, in a range of subjects. The quality of the teaching of reading

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Main inspection findings

and the phonics programme has improved.  The school has ensured that there is a clear process in place to support staff in identifying the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff provide suitable support for pupils with SEND.  This standard is now met. Paragraphs 2(1), 2(1)(a), 2(2), 2(2h)  The school has put in place some actions to improve the quality of curricular thinking and planning. However, though the curriculum design is better, it does not place a sharp enough focus on the key knowledge pupils need to know and remember as they move through the school.  While the school has adopted an online system to record and assess what pupils know and can do, this is in its early stage of use. Staff are still in the process of deciding what knowledge and activities that will enable pupils to access and achieve the ambitions of the curriculum. These standards remain unmet.

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Main inspection findings

Paragraph 3 to 3(d), 3(g)  At the last inspection, teaching did not ensure what pupils know and understand was routinely checked. The school’s work did not ensure that pupils conduct themselves appropriately and participate in all aspects of their education.  This inspection shows that teaching has not improved. The school’s current practice continues to reflect the findings from the previous inspection. Though leaders have taken actions to address the inconsistencies in teaching, there are still limitations in staff’s pedagogical expertise and pupils’ self-motivation. This work is still very much in its early stages and has had not enough time to demonstrate the impact on the quality of education.  All the standards in this paragraph that were checked remain unmet. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1) to 34(1)(b)  Leadership and management were judged to be inadequate at the previous inspection.

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Main inspection findings

 The school’s post-inspection action plan identified some suitable areas of focus, but success criteria were not consistently underpinned by clear, measurable targets.  This inspection found that the proprietor body is actively endeavouring to implement actions outlined in their action plan to address the areas identified requiring improvement. The school has increased its leadership capacity by recruiting additional staff. The proprietor body has more time to develop and monitor the implementation of the curriculum. It is also working with external professionals and local schools to develop staff pedagogical expertise. The proprietor body, which also fulfils the role of trustees, are more involved in supporting and challenging leaders and staff.  At this moment in time, much of the work undertaken is too new to be able to demonstrate the impact on improving the aspects of the quality of education identified

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Main inspection findings

as weaknesses in the previous standard inspection. The school needs to ensure that they continue to monitor carefully the way the curriculum is planned and how effectively it is delivered. This includes the rigorous checking that all the independent school standards are met.  Despite the work undertaken, the previously unmet standards in this part remains unmet.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet the requirements of the schedule to The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection, as set out in the annex of this report. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which 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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School details

Email address info@wildwoodnatureschool.org.uk

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School details

Dates of previous standard inspection 9 to 11 July 2024

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Information about this school

 The school opened in August 2023.  The school uses various outdoor sites at: Queen’s Wood, Muswell Hill Road, London N10 3JP and Parliament Hill, Hampstead Heath, London NW5 1QR.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school currently has pupils in Reception, and from Years 1 to Year 3.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  This was the school’s first progress monitoring inspection since its last graded inspection in July 2024. Since the previous inspection, leaders were asked to submit a statutory action plan. This was judged by Ofsted to be not acceptable in December 2024.  This inspection was conducted without notice. The focus of the inspection was to check whether the school complies with particular requirements within parts 1 and 8 of the standards.  The inspector met with the headteacher, trustees and other leaders, including those with responsibility for curriculum and safeguarding. The inspector spoke with pupils, toured

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Information about this inspection

the premises and reviewed some documents, such as curriculum schemes of work and policies.  The inspection also considered the school’s safeguarding arrangements, including the single central record of checks on adults. The relevant requirements in parts 3, 4 and 6 of the standards continue to be met.

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Inspection team

Lascelles Haughton, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards

Standards that were not met at the previous inspection and remain un-met at this inspection

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if- – 2(1)(a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub- paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and  2(2) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are- – 2(2)(h) that all pupils have the opportunity to learn and make progress;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school- – 3(a) enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught; – 3(b) fosters in pupils self-motivation, the application of intellectual, physical and creative effort, interest in their work and the ability to think and learn for themselves; – 3(c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time; – 3(d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons; – 3(g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils’ work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school- – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(2)(a) full-time supervised education for pupils of compulsory school age (construed in accordance with section 8 of the Education Act 1996), which gives pupils experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education; guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

Parent View You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/ofsted .

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

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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Part 1. Quality of education provided

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

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

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