Greenwich House School

For use from April 2009 Greenwich House School

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Independent School

DCSF Registration Number 925/6038 Unique Reference Number 120743 Inspection number 334295 Inspection dates 3–4 June 2009 Reporting inspector David Rzeznik HMI

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Independent School

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 162A of the Education Act 2002, as amended. 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.

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Independent School

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 08456 404040 www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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, the purpose of which is 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

Greenwich House School is an independent, co-educational day school in Louth, Lincolnshire. It opened in September 1990 and is privately owned. The headteacher is the proprietor of the school. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. Three pupils have a statement of special educational needs and a small number have reading and writing difficulties.

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Information about the school

There are 123 pupils on roll aged from six weeks to 11 years. The school provides full-time education for 52 pupils aged three to 11 years, and part-time education and care for 31 children aged up to four years. There is child care provision for children under three. This was not inspected as it is subject to a separate Ofsted inspection by a child care inspector. The previous inspection of child care was in July 2005. This is the second inspection, with a published report, of educational provision. The first inspection was in October 2006. The school aims to ‘provide a safe, happy, stimulating environment in which each child feels valued and able to make new discoveries or learn new skills’.

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Evaluation of the school

Greenwich House School provides a good quality education for pupils, both in the Early Years Foundation Stage (Kindergarten 2 and Reception) and in Years 1 to 6. Pupils are happy, their behaviour is excellent, they thoroughly enjoy their learning and reach high standards. The prefects said that, ‘The school has a real family atmosphere,’ and inspectors agree. Good teaching and an effective curriculum ensure that pupils make good progress academically and excellent progress in their personal development. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory. Most of the regulatory requirements are met, but fire safety procedures are not robust enough and not all of the required information is supplied to parents and others.

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Quality of education

The curriculum is good throughout the school. Pupils are well served by an interesting and stimulating curriculum that is effectively matched to pupils’ differing capabilities. The recently revised curriculum policy provides a satisfactory overview of curriculum provision. The indoor and outdoor curriculum in the Early Years Foundation Stage is rich and varied. Children’s basic skills and personal qualities develop very well. In Years 1 to 6, the curriculum is based on the National Curriculum subjects, and includes personal, social and health education (PSHE). Class teachers are responsible for teaching English and mathematics and specialists teach all other subjects. French is taught from Year 3 onwards, although it is offered to younger pupils as an extra-curricular option for which parents pay. The subject helps to further develop pupils’ linguistic skills and their awareness of other cultures. Each half term pupils go swimming or are taught dance. These subjects help improve

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Quality of education

pupils’ physical and creative skills and keep them fit. Provision is enriched by a wealth of visits, visitors, sporting events, stage productions, concerts and church services that increase pupils’ enjoyment of learning. Information and communication technology (ICT) skills are taught in the small computer suite, but the lack of computers in classrooms means that ICT skills cannot be consolidated and extended in other lessons. Internet access is not available in classrooms and this restricts opportunities for pupils to research and find things out for themselves. The PSHE programme is of very good quality and has an excellent impact on developing pupils’ personal and social qualities. A wide range of extra activities are provided after school, for which there is a charge.

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Quality of education

Teaching and assessment are good in each phase of education. Provision enables all pupils to make good progress academically and excellent progress in their personal development. The very best teaching is in the Early Years Foundation Stage and this enables children to get off to a good start in their education. In other years, teachers know pupils’ individual needs well and plan to meet them effectively. In the good or better lessons, expectations are high, teaching is stimulating and this leads to a high level of interest from pupils. Lessons move along at a cracking pace and good attention is paid to developing pupils’ spoken language, particularly their vocabulary. Teachers’ good command of their subjects means that they are able to teach concepts securely and choose methods and resources which ensure that pupils learn at a good rate. Teachers and assistants have formed excellent relationships with

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Quality of education

pupils and this is reflected in the purposeful atmosphere and the very well presented work. Where teaching is satisfactory, pupils are not sufficiently helped to achieve the learning objectives or extend their knowledge and understanding. A range of effective assessment procedures are used to plan lessons. This was not the case when the school was last inspected. Staff track pupils’ attainment appropriately but their evaluation of pupils’ progress from year to year is not sharp enough. The school has recently introduced new methods for the teaching of letters and sounds. However, teaching approaches are not yet consistently embedded throughout the school and not all staff have been effectively trained in the methods to be used. Pupils write regularly, in a range of different styles, but do not write at length often enough. The range of classroom resources is good, although the provision for ICT is more limited.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding, as is their behaviour. Children’s personal development in the Early Years Foundation Stage is outstanding. Pupils are well rounded and well adjusted and their attitude to learning is first rate. They really enjoy school, are keen to do well and always give of their best. These are key components in their success. Attendance is satisfactory. There is no unauthorised absence but authorised absence is higher than normal, mainly because some parents take holidays during term time.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils

The school has a strong tradition of involvement in the community. For example, pupils befriend elderly people in their care home and help to redevelop and tend a garden in the town. Pupils demonstrate an empathy for others as demonstrated in their willingness to raise considerable sums for local and national charities. Stage productions and Christmas and harvest festivities are highlights of the year that help to enrich community life and allow local people to celebrate the school’s achievements. Pupils develop a good awareness of public services and institutions. For example, during the inspection a local councillor came in to talk to the older pupils about her civic duties and council work. The input not only helped pupils gain a clear picture of how democracy works locally but also enabled them to present their ideas about how leisure facilities could be improved in the town. Pupils’ well developed academic and personal qualities stand them in good stead for the next

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Welfare, health and safety of the pupils

Provision for pupils’ welfare, health and safety is satisfactory, including in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The anti-bullying and behaviour policies are satisfactory and are implemented effectively. Pupils say that they feel safe and are not bullied. On a day-to-day basis pupils are extremely well cared for. The high adult-to-pupil ratio ensures that pupils are very well supervised indoors and outside. Regular swimming, dance and physical activities keep pupils fit and healthy. The ‘Bikewise’ road safety scheme ensures pupils adopt safe practices when riding their bikes.

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Welfare, health and safety of the pupils

A written child protection policy exists but it is not comprehensive enough. All staff, including the designated person for child protection, have been appropriately trained to fulfil their child protection duties, but procedures to be adopted in the event of a member of staff being accused of abuse are not sufficiently explicit. The recording system used to log incidents is unclear. Fire safety procedures are not sufficiently robust. A fire risk assessment has not been undertaken in line with regulatory requirements. The fire alarm is serviced annually and fire fighting equipment is regularly maintained. However, a three-monthly inspection of the fire alarm system is not carried out and emergency lighting equipment is not tested, inspected or serviced within the recommended timescales. This said, fire drills are routinely undertaken and pupils evacuate the building promptly.

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Welfare, health and safety of the pupils

The school has a written accessibility plan. This is an improvement since the last inspection when one did not exist. The school has started to improve facilities for those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. It is to draw up a three-year plan to review the possibility of further improving access to the premises and the curriculum in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act 2002.

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Suitability of the proprietor and staff

All of the required recruitment and staff vetting checks are carried out appropriately. The single central register contains all of the required information.

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School’s premises and accommodation

The school is located in a large, converted house that has been suitably adapted for effective educational use. Classrooms are quite small but adequate for the numbers using them. There is plenty of outside space for leisure, play and learning activities. The last inspection indicated a lack of facilities for pupils who are ill. This weakness has been rectified with the creation of a small medical room. The school is clean, well maintained and in good decorative order. It is tidy but the lack of sufficient storage space results in pupils’ bags and possessions, and some equipment, being stored in boxes on the floor. There is sufficient access so that emergency evacuations can be accomplished safely. The kitchen was awarded a three-star excellence rating in 2007. The quality mark indicates that the kitchen is hygienic and that safety procedures are outstanding.

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Provision of information for parents, carers and others

Parents hold the school in high regard and feel comfortable about approaching staff with questions, suggestions or a problem. Regular parents’ meetings and newsletters keep parents and others well informed about school life. At the time of the last inspection the prospectus did not contain all of the required information. It remains non-compliant because some essential information is still missing: the weaknesses are identified below. The school now submits to the local authority, and on request to the Secretary of State, an annual account of income and expenditure incurred by the school for those pupils wholly or partly funded by the local authority. This was not done when the school was previously inspected.

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Procedures for handling complaints

The complaints procedure meets all of the regulatory requirements.

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Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

The overall effectiveness of provision is good. On entry to Kindergarten 2 children’s skills are generally above those expected for three-year-olds. They make good progress in developing their basic skills and excellent progress in their personal, social and emotional development, because teaching and the curriculum are matched well to children’s needs. On entry to Year 1 most have reached or exceeded the expected level for their age, except in linking sounds and letters where attainment is at the level typically found.

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Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

Personal development and well-being are outstanding. Relationships between adults and children are superb and children love being at school. They do things for themselves so that they grow in independence and thrive in the purposeful learning environment. The quality of the welfare, health and safety of children is satisfactory. The day-to-day care of the children is very good and there are sufficient paediatric first aiders, but fire safety procedures are not robust enough, and the child protection policy does not fully meet requirements.

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Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

Leadership and management are good. Staff plan carefully to ensure that all children experience a good balance of adult-led activities and those of their own choice. Some members of staff have not yet undertaken Early Years Foundation Stage training. The continuity of learning between Kindergarten 2 and Reception classes is not sufficiently developed, particularly in the teaching of letters and sounds. Staff regularly observe children’s learning and share information with parents through the daily record books. However, the pinpointing of improvements and the tracking of children’s progress from year to year lack precision.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets all of the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003 as amended (“the Regulations”), 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 provision for pupils’ welfare, health and safety (standard 3) and must:

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 improve the quality of the child protection policy and ensure that procedures fully comply with the Department for Children, Schools and Families guidance ‘Safeguarding children and safer recruitment in education’ (paragraph 3(2)(b))  ensure that regular fire risk assessments are carried out and that the outcomes are formally recorded, and ensure that the fire alarm and emergency lighting systems are tested, inspected and serviced within the recommended timescales (paragraph 3(5)).

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet all requirements in respect of the provision of information for parents, carers and others (standard 6) and must:

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 ensure that parents and parents of prospective pupils are provided with particulars of the school’s policy on and arrangements for admissions, discipline and exclusions (paragraph 6(2)(e))  ensure that parents and parents of prospective pupils are provided with particulars of the educational and welfare provision for pupils with statements of special educational needs and for pupils for whom English is an additional language (paragraph 6(2)(f))  ensure that parents and parents of prospective pupils are made aware that they may request particulars of the curriculum offered by the school (paragraph 6(2)(g))  ensure that parents and parents of prospective pupils are made aware that they may request particulars of policies relating to bullying, child protection, health and safety, the promotion of good behaviour and sanctions to be adopted in the event of pupils misbehaving (paragraph 6(2)(h))  ensure that parents and parents of prospective pupils are made aware that

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

they may request particulars of academic performance during the preceding year, including the results of any public examinations (paragraph 6(2)(i))  ensure that parents and parents of prospective pupils are made aware that they may request details of the number of complaints registered under the formal procedure during the preceding year (paragraph 6(2)(j))  ensure that parents and parents of prospective pupils are made aware that they may request details of the number of staff employed at the school, including temporary staff, and a summary of their qualifications (paragraph 6(2)(k)).

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

In order to comply with the welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, the school must:

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 improve the quality of the child protection policy to ensure children are properly safeguarded  improve fire safety procedures by conducting regular fire risk assessments and ensure the fire alarm and emergency lighting systems are tested, inspected and serviced within the recommended intervals.

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Inspection Judgement Recording Form

outstanding good satisfactory inadequate

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The quality of education

Overall quality of education  How well the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of pupils 

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The quality of education

How effective teaching and assessment are in meeting the full range of pupils’ needs 

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The quality of education

How well pupils make progress in their learning 

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Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

Quality of provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 

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Welfare, health and safety of pupils

The overall welfare, health and safety of pupils 

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The quality of the Early Years Foundation Stage provision

How effectively are children in the Early Years Foundation Stage helped to learn and develop?  How well do children achieve in the Early Years Foundation Stage relative to their starting points and capabilities?  How good are the personal development and well-being of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?  What is the quality of welfare, health and safety of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?  How effectively is the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage led and managed?  What is the overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage including, where relevant, the quality of childcare? 

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School details

Name of school Greenwich House School DCSF number 925/6038 Unique reference number 120743 Type of school Independent Status Primary Date school opened September 1990 Age range of pupils 0–11 years Gender of pupils Mixed Number on roll (full-time pupils) Boys: 32 Girls: 20 Total: 52 Number on roll (part-time pupils) Boys: 33 Girls: 38 Total: 71 Number of pupils aged 0–3 in registered childcare provision Boys: 21 Girls: 19 Total: 40 Number of pupils with a statement of special educational needs Boys: 3 Girls: 0 Total: 3 Number of pupils who are looked after Boys: 0 Girls: 0 Total: 0 Annual fees (day pupils) £5,775 Address of school 106 High Holme Road Louth Lincolnshire LN11 0HE Telephone number 01507 609252 Fax number 01507 609252 Email address greenwichhouse@btinternet.com Headteacher Mrs Jennifer Brindle Proprietor Mrs Jennifer Brindle Reporting inspector David Rzeznik HMI Dates of inspection 3–4 June 2009

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