Hyland House School

Independent School

DCSF Registration Number 320/6052 Unique Reference Number 103111 Inspection number 322026 Inspection dates 15-16 April 2008 Reporting inspector Stephen Dennett AI

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Independent School

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 162A of the Education Act 2002 (as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005). Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Independent School

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated. For use from April 2008

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Purpose and scope of the inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under section 162A of the Education Act 2002, as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005, in order to advise the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about the school

Hyland House School is a small primary school located on the outskirts of Walthamstow in north-east London. It was established in 1939 by the present proprietors, South England Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It was last inspected by Ofsted in March 2004. Nearly all pupils are of a British Afro- Caribbean heritage. All pupils speak English as their first language. Pupils come from homes of mainly professional backgrounds and attainment on entry is generally average, although there are a significant number of pupils with above average ability. The school admits boys and girls aged from three to eleven and there are currently 80 pupils on roll. There are eight children in the attached Nursery and 10 in Reception. The school has no pupils with additional educational needs. The school runs a before-school club for the benefit of parents and pupils.

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Information about the school

The school has a wide range of objectives, based on ensuring that pupils receive a good Christian education. The school’s mission statement says that it is dedicated to the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of its pupils. Its aim is to ‘train our pupils to climb and achieve the building bricks that form ‘Characters of Excellence’’. The school seeks to base itself firmly on Christian values and the principles contained in the ‘Every Child Matters’ document.

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Evaluation of the school

The quality of education provided at Hyland House School is good. There is an interesting and varied curriculum and good teaching, which engages pupils’ interests effectively; as a result, pupils make good progress. Pupils’ personal development and behaviour are outstanding. Parents and pupils are very positive about the school, which has a clear Christian ethos and provides a good quality of care. It has made satisfactory progress in addressing the issues raised by the last inspection, with the exception of aspects of planning, assessment and the premises, which still do not meet the regulations in some respect.

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Quality of education

The curriculum is good. A wide range of activities is provided for pupils, who appreciate the opportunities they are offered. There is a wide range of educational visits offered and pupils enjoy the before-school club. There is an appropriate curriculum policy and good schemes of work for all subjects taught. The curriculum is For use from April 2008 well matched to the needs of all pupils. Although there are no pupils with additional learning needs at the school, good support is provided for those who need extra help in developing their language skills. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall and is appropriate to their needs, although there are insufficient opportunities provided for them to engage in outdoor physical activities as a routine part of their learning. There is good provision for developing their literacy and numeracy skills.

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Quality of education

Personal, social and health education is good and is rooted in the Christian ethos of the school. A good range of sporting activities is available to pupils, and they say that they especially enjoy the different sports available.

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Quality of education

The quality of teaching and assessment is good. Relationships between staff and pupils and between the pupils themselves are warm, caring and respectful. Pupils are confident in speaking to staff and will share their problems and ask for help with their work assured that they will have a positive response. One pupil in Year 6 commented, ’Teachers always give you extra help if you don’t understand – they feel for you when you are stuck.’ Teaching in Key Stage 2 is good overall and occasionally is outstanding. Teachers have high expectations and pupils are consistently challenged to work to their full capacity. Teaching in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 is satisfactory overall, although on some occasions it is good.

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Quality of education

Planning for lessons is variable, but generally satisfactory. It is much better in Key Stage 2 than in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. Planning is not evaluated effectively to identify the next steps pupils need to take in their learning. The best planning clearly identifies what pupils are to learn in the medium and longer term as they move through the school and sets out how pupils’ achievement is to be assessed. There is good support for pupils who need extra help with their English skills. Teachers are well qualified and have good subject knowledge. They make good use of questioning to extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the subject being taught. The school is generally well equipped and resources are used effectively. However, there is insufficient large play equipment for children in the Foundation Stage and teachers do not always make effective use of information and communication technology (ICT) to support learning. Teachers have very effective

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Quality of education

systems for managing pupils’ behaviour, which encourage them to behave responsibly.

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Quality of education

There are satisfactory systems for assessing pupils’ progress and attainment in reading, writing, mathematics and science, but assessment information is not always used effectively to inform teachers’ planning and to match work to pupils’ needs. There is no baseline assessment when children enter the Nursery, although informal assessment are carried out in the Reception class. Systems for assessing pupils’ progress in other subjects of the curriculum are in a very early stage of development.

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Quality of education

Pupils of all abilities make good progress. Children in the Foundation Stage are making satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals for children aged five. Pupils make good progress in the acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills. They For use from April 2008 also make good progress in most of the other areas of the curriculum. However, more able pupils are not making as much progress as they could in numeracy as they are not always sufficiently challenged in their work. Progress in the acquisition of ICT skills is satisfactory. Pupils’ progress in the development of their handwriting is variable and standards towards the end of the school are not as high as they should be.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils

Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils are very enthusiastic about their school and all say that they really enjoy being there. The daily acts of collective worship reinforce the strong Christian ethos of the school and provision for pupils’ all-round personal development is excellent. Pupils are consistently encouraged to take responsibility for their own work, and there are incentive schemes such as ‘marbles in the jar’ to support this. Pupils make a positive contribution to the community, for example by singing at local retirement homes, and there are excellent links with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Pupils have a range of duties around the school, such as being prefects, which encourage their sense of responsibility. The school council is very effective and management has taken seriously their suggestions for improving the school.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils

Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding and their attendance is good. Incidents of poor behaviour are very rare, but when they do arise, they are dealt with fairly and firmly. Consequently, pupils feel safe and enjoy working in a happy, well-organised and friendly environment. Pupils’ cultural development is very good. As a result of studies in a number of subjects, pupils develop a very good appreciation of their own and other cultures. Racial harmony is very good and pupils are very caring and tolerant towards each other, irrespective of background. Pupils have a good understanding of public services and institutions in England through their work in history and current affairs. They are currently keenly watching the process of electing the next Mayor of London. Pupils are very positive about their future and feel that they are well prepared for the next phase of their education. They have all the skills necessary to

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils

ensure their future economic well-being.

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Welfare, health and safety of the pupils

The school makes good provision for the health, welfare and safety of pupils. Pupils are helped to be aware of the importance of personal safety, a balanced diet, regular exercise and healthy living. All staff are trained in first aid. It is a safe place in which to work and learn and pupils are well supervised at all times. Behaviour and safety policies are implemented effectively. The school is aware of the latest guidance on the safeguarding of children and staff have received up-to-date training in safeguarding matters. Pupils’ attendance is recorded accurately and registers are kept well. All areas of the school have been assessed for risks and all staff have clear guidance relating to the care that should be taken when organising visits out of school. The school has a suitable policy with regard to the Disability and Discrimination Act 2002 and has devised a three-year accessibility plan. For use from April 2008

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Suitability of the proprietor and staff

Procedures for checking the suitability of staff to work with children meet all current requirements, including that for the maintenance of a single central register.

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School’s premises and accommodation

The school’s premises and accommodation are safe and satisfactory overall and are used effectively. Teachers make good use of the accommodation and classrooms are bright and enhanced by attractive displays of pupils’ work. However, there are a number of shortcomings which adversely affect the learning environment. The school’s provision for pupils who are ill does not have a bed, it is too far away from the school office and it is not near a toilet. Parts of the buildings are in urgent need of cleaning and decoration, especially the toilets and the kitchen. There are several untidy areas where redundant equipment and litter has accumulated. The flooring in several areas is worn and needs replacing, notably in the Nursery, on the landings and the main doorway. The school playground is also uneven and there are a number of trip hazards around the site.

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Provision of information for parents, carers and others

The school provides a good range of information for parents, carers and others. This includes an informative prospectus and regular newsletters. Parents receive three helpful reports each year and have regular opportunities to attend consultation evenings. Parents are extremely positive in their views of the school and the majority feel that their children are well cared for and make good progress.

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Procedures for handling complaints

The school has an effective complaints procedure that is available to parents and meets the requirements. There have been no formal complaints received by the school in the last academic year.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets all of the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003 as amended January 2005, with the exception of those listed below.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet all requirements in respect of the curriculum (standard 1) and must:

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 improve teachers’ planning so that it takes better account of the aptitude, needs and prior attainment of pupils, especially in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 (paragraph 1(3)(d)) For use from April 2008  improve the use of assessment information to adjust planning so that it meets the needs of pupils effectively (paragraph 1(3)(g)).

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet all requirements in respect of the premises and accommodation (standard 5) and must:

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 improve the facilities for pupils who are ill by providing a room that is close to a toilet, adult supervision and has a suitable bed (paragraph 5(l))  ensure that all areas of the school are maintained in a tidy, clean and hygienic state (paragraph 5(n))  ensure that the premises are maintained in a good state of decoration (paragraph 5(q))  improve the state of flooring and the school playground so that they no longer present trip hazards to users of the premises (paragraph 5(s)).

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What the school could do to improve further

While not required by the regulations, the school might wish to consider the following points for development:

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What the school could do to improve further

 provide more opportunities for children in the Foundation Stage to have access to the outdoor area as part of their normal learning activities  ensure that more able pupils are given sufficient challenge in mathematics so that they reach their full potential in the subject  improve pupils’ ICT skills by providing more opportunities for them to use ICT equipment to support their learning in subjects across the curriculum  improve the standards of cursive handwriting of the older pupils in Key Stage 2. For use from April 2008

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School details

Name of school Hyland House School DCSF number 320/6052 Unique reference number 103111 Type of school Nursery and Primary School Status Independent Date school opened September 1939 Age range of pupils 3-11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number on roll (full-time pupils ) Boys: 43 Girls: 37 Total: 80 Annual fees (day pupils) £3,000 Address of school 896 Forest Road Walthamstow London E17 4AE Telephone number 0208 520 4186 Fax number 0208 520 1549 Email address hylandhouseschool@btconnect.com Headteacher Mrs Gina Abbequaye Proprietor South England Seventh-day Adventist Church Conference Reporting inspector Stephen Dennett Dates of inspection 15-16 April 2008

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