SIAL

SIAL

Address: 154-156 Holland Park Avenue, London, W11 4UH Unique reference number (URN): 136747

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Insufficient evidence: Inspectors were unable to gather sufficient evidence to judge whether safeguarding standards are met.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils’ personal development and wellbeing are central to the life of the school. Leaders place the highest priority on this work and have created a rich, coherent and carefully sequenced programme of personal, social, health, and economic (PSHE) education. This programme supports pupils to grow into thoughtful, confident and compassionate young people. From the early years onwards, pupils learn to reflect on their own beliefs and experiences, respect the views of others and engage sensitively with ethical issues. They develop a secure understanding of equality and diversity, speaking with maturity about different types of families, disability and the impact of dementia, for instance. The school consistently promotes kindness, tolerance and respect for differences between people. Pupils demonstrate these values in their daily interactions, including when supporting pupils who have newly joined the school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The curriculum for PSHE education, relationships and sex education, and fundamental British values is extremely well developed. Pupils learn about healthy relationships, consent, trust and the importance of treating others with dignity. They understand how to keep themselves safe online and offline, including how to protect personal information, report concerns and seek help where needed. They learn about physical and emotional health, healthy eating and exercise, and how to recognise and talk about their feelings. Pupils can identify trusted adults in school and understand safeguarding procedures. Older pupils learn about a range of different career pathways.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders ensure that all pupils experience a wide and exciting range of opportunities that broaden their horizons. For example, weekly outdoor learning in the early years builds children's confidence and curiosity, while trips to museums, galleries, parliament, theatre and the opera deepen pupils’ cultural understanding. Residential visits in Years 5 and 6 help pupils develop independence and resilience. Pupils speak with enthusiasm about clubs, performances and special events. They are proud of the memorable experiences they share. Pupils are extremely well prepared for the next stage of their education and life beyond school.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils achieve well across the school. They learn the curriculum securely over time and develop increasingly detailed knowledge in the subjects they study. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, pupils learn to read musical scales accurately in Year 3, which subsequently enables them to identify pitch and notation with precision when singing to music in Year 5. Pupils typically recall key concepts and vocabulary well. However, in a small number of subjects they can occasionally be less successful at building detailed knowledge when teaching does not focus sharply on the most important content. From the early years, and from the point at which pupils join the school, they quickly secure important knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics. This supports them to access the wider curriculum confidently. Pupils’ work is typically of high quality. By the end of their time

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Achievement Expected standard

at the school in Year 6, pupils have a broad, secure understanding of the curriculum that prepares them well for secondary education.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

The school works closely with parents and carers and pupils to promote the importance of high attendance at school. The school's policies and procedures reflect national guidance and ensure that any emerging attendance concerns are identified and addressed swiftly. Attendance is high and it is rare for pupils to be persistently absent from school. Leaders monitor the attendance of all pupils closely and work with families, external professionals and the local authority to remove any barriers that may prevent a pupil from coming to school. Leaders look for any patterns in attendance and consider how they can improve pupils' attendance further.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils behave well and learn in a calm, orderly and supportive environment. Leaders have established clear expectations, underpinned by the school’s values. Staff receive training so they can support pupils' behaviour well. Pupils are taught to understand what positive behaviour looks like. They are encouraged to demonstrate the school's values through rewards such as the gold award, which recognises their positive conduct. They are respectful, cooperative and keen to help one another, such as by helping new classmates to understand unfamiliar language. Bullying, discrimination and harassment are extremely rare, and leaders treat these issues with the utmost seriousness. Leaders identify patterns in pupils' behaviour carefully so they can act where needed to help pupils to behave well. Leaders are working to embed some of their newer approaches to promoting positive behaviour so these are consistently effective, including for pupils with any additional needs

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. Curriculum thinking has been shaped by the aims of the national curriculum while thoughtfully incorporating key content set by the Italian Ministry of Education. Leaders have identified the essential concepts, knowledge and language that pupils need to learn in both English and Italian, and they ensure that this learning is carefully sequenced. This enables pupils to revisit and deepen their understanding over time, and to express their thinking in both languages.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers use their subject knowledge to help pupils connect new learning to what they already know. They adjust their approaches so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those new to speaking English or Italian can access the curriculum successfully. Typically, there are clear processes in place to check pupils' understanding of curriculum content. At times, however, staff ask pupils to complete tasks without fully focusing on the key knowledge that they intend pupils to understand. While pupils enjoy completing their classwork, they do not benefit as much from it when teaching does not draw out the important content that they need to know. Leaders place a deliberate emphasis on helping pupils to secure foundational knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics. Phonics is taught systematically. Pupils learn to read accurately and with increasing fluency and enjoyment. Where pupils join the school

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

mid ‑ year or with limited English or Italian, leaders ensure that they can learn key ideas in their mother tongue while they develop fluency in their second language. This prevents gaps from emerging in pupils’ understanding of the wider curriculum.

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Early years Expected standard

Children in the early years benefit from warm, nurturing relationships with staff that help them to feel secure and ready to learn. Staff establish clear routines supported, for example, by consistent language and non ‑ verbal prompts. This helps children to understand what is expected of them. They cooperate well with one another and develop important social skills such as sharing and turn ‑ taking. The environment is positive and purposeful, and children engage confidently with staff and peers.

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Early years Expected standard

The school's curriculum is clearly designed so that children build knowledge progressively across all areas of learning. Communication and language are prioritised. Staff encourage children to talk about their learning. At times, however, staff's explanations of learning, including new words that children need to know and use, lack precision. As a result, some children are not as well supported as they could be to grasp and recall key concepts.

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Early years Expected standard

Early reading and mathematics are taught effectively. Children in Nursery develop secure early number sense while in Reception. Children build on this through well ‑ planned opportunities to further explore number and shape, for instance. Phonics is introduced systematically from Reception. Staff nurture children's love of reading through rich experiences with both story and song.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff identify the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who speak English or Italian as an additional language. They adapt provision to support all children to participate in learning activities. Partnerships with parents and carers help staff to understand children’s starting points and support learning at home. Children are well prepared for Year 1, with the confidence and foundational knowledge needed for the next stage of their education.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Many pupils join the school part way through their primary education, often from overseas and often without fluency in English or Italian. Leaders act quickly when they know a pupil is due to arrive. They gather detailed information about pupils’ prior education, experiences and any additional needs so that pupils can settle quickly and begin to learn well from the moment that they start.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders work closely with a range of professionals, including speech and language therapists and occupational therapists, to shape effective support for pupils. Staff use this guidance to adapt the environment, resources and teaching approaches so that pupils can access the curriculum and benefit fully from the school’s wider offer. Leaders and staff check regularly that strategies are working and make timely changes where needed. Leaders have strengthened the school’s inclusive culture by increasing the provision available for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND receive quality support from staff. Leaders have also increased training for staff so they can better understand pupils’ needs and use a wider range of strategies to support them. This work is still developing, and leaders have clear plans to build staff's expertise further so that pupils with additional needs or barriers continue to achieve well.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a deep, accurate understanding of their school and its community. They evaluate the school’s strengths with clarity and identify appropriate priorities for improvement. These currently include, for example, further developing communication in the early years and embedding the school's work on inclusion. Although some of their initiatives are currently in the early stages of implementation, leaders’ actions are well informed by reliable analysis of the school’s provision and its impact on pupils. Inclusion is central to leaders' vision. Leaders act quickly to identify pupils who need additional support and work closely with external professionals, including the local authority, to ensure that pupils who may face any barriers to learning receive timely, effective help.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have established highly positive relationships with parents and carers, who hold the school in high regard. Communication is highly effective, and parents are meaningfully involved in their children’s education. Staff feel valued and well supported. Leaders manage workload carefully, consult staff regularly and provide high ‑ quality, purposeful professional development that strengthens teaching effectively.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors and the proprietor know the school’s work in detail. They receive comprehensive information from leaders and validate this effectively, including, for example, through visits, discussions and scrutiny of evidence. They provide appropriate challenge and support to the school, ensuring that decisions are in pupils’ best interests and that resources are managed responsibly. Governors also monitor staff wellbeing and workload closely and are attentive to how the school supports its staff. They also check that all statutory duties are met, including those related to the early years, safeguarding, attendance and compliance with the independent school standards.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are part of a warm, welcoming community where they settle quickly because staff know them well and value each child as an individual. From the early years onwards, pupils feel safe and cared for. Staff are diligent in spotting any risks and take effective steps to minimise them, while teaching pupils how to keep themselves safe in school and beyond. The school is calm and purposeful. Pupils behave well, cooperate with one another and build respectful, trusting relationships with adults. They follow routines confidently and focus well on their learning. Bullying is rare. Pupils understand clearly what bullying is and why it is harmful, and they play an active role in preventing it. They are kind, supportive of one another and assured that adults will help them if they have a concern. Pupils are enthusiastic learners. Their attendance is high. They enjoy studying a broad and interesting curriculum that develops their knowledge successfully. Whether they arrive

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

speaking Italian, English or both, pupils learn to communicate confidently in both languages. Staff place a strong emphasis on vocabulary, enabling pupils to express themselves precisely and think critically about what they learn. Pupils achieve well overall. Their work is of high quality. Pupils talk thoughtfully about complex ideas, such as comparing systems of government in Italy, England and other countries. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils benefit from an extensive range of wider experiences that help them to feel part of a rich and vibrant school life. For example, they take part in knitting, coding, swimming and debate. From the early years onwards, they regularly visit parks, museums, galleries, theatre and the opera. Residential stays in rural locations give pupils opportunities to explore, develop independence and make lasting memories with friends.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to ensure that staff develop greater confidence in the curriculum aims across all subjects and promote these consistently well in their teaching, so that pupils secure the key subject knowledge they need to recall and build on in future learning. Leaders should continue to strengthen staff expertise in explaining new concepts and shaping questions and discussions so that children in the early years embed essential knowledge and associated vocabulary securely.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this standard inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, and checked the school’s compliance with 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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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and members of the proprietor body who also act as governors. Inspectors also spoke with staff, pupils and parents and carers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school is a bilingual Italian and English school.

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About this inspection

The school uses no alternative provision.

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Independent school standards

Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category. The school is registered to admit 160 pupils. At the time of the inspection, the school had 89 pupils on its roll.

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Independent school standards

The school is registered to admit pupils from age 2 to 14 years. At the time of the inspection, the school was admitting pupils from aged 3 to 11 years.

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Independent school standards

The chair of the proprietor body is Alberto Pravettoni.

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Independent school standards

The email address of the school is info@SIAL.school

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Independent school standards

1. Quality of education provided Standards met

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Independent school standards

2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Standards met

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Independent school standards

3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Standards met

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Independent school standards

4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Standards met

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Independent school standards

5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Standards met

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Lead inspector:

Rebecca Iles-Smith, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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160

6. Provision of information Standards met

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160

7. Manner in which complaints are handled Standards met

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160

8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Standards met

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Insufficient evidence

Inspectors were unable to gather reliable enough evidence to grade an evaluation area. This is rare and normally only happens if there are no pupils on roll at the school.

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Insufficient evidence

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

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

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