London Bunka Yochien

PROTECT INSPECTION

London Bunka Yochien School Independent school inspection report

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PROTECT INSPECTION

DCSF registration number 307/6079 Unique Reference Number (URN) 131755 Inspection number 345378 Inspection dates 29–30 April 2010 Reporting inspector James Henry

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PROTECT INSPECTION

Published: May 2010 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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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PROTECT INSPECTION

T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk No. 090070 Independent school inspection report

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Purpose and scope of the inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Section 162A 1 of the Education Act 2002, as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005 2 , 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

The London Bunka Yochien School follows the Japanese National Curriculum and offers an education in Japanese. Situated in Ealing, West London, the school educates two-year-old children on a part-time basis and provides full-time education for children aged two to six years. The school’s provision for children under the age of three is not yet registered. The school has in total 45 children on roll. There are forty four children in the Early Years Foundation Stage, which includes twenty four under-threes and eleven children aged two years of age. There are very few children of compulsory school age. No child in the school receives nursery funding. Children tend to move in and out of the school on a regular basis due to parents returning to Japan. Established in 1996, the school aims, ‘to provide a family atmosphere so that children can develop their personality and independence.’ The inspection took place

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Information about the school

at the beginning of the Japanese school year and, due to travel difficulties at the time, two teachers and a number of children were still in Japan. The school was last inspected in May 2007.

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Evaluation of the school

The overall quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory with satisfactory provision for the welfare, health and safety of all its children. The curriculum and teaching are satisfactory and all children make satisfactory progress. The overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage is satisfactory. The school follows the Japanese Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum which covers most of the areas of learning in the English curriculum. The school has met a significant number of the regulations that were not met at the last inspection, especially with regard to safeguarding arrangements, the information given to parents and the complaints procedure. However, it still fails to meet a number of regulations.

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Quality of education

The overall quality of education is satisfactory. The quality of the curriculum is satisfactory with some good elements. It places a strong emphasis on developing

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Quality of education

1 www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2002/ukpga_20020032_en_14#pt10-ch1-pb4-l1g162 2 www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2005/ukpga_20050018_en_15#sch8 Independent school inspection report children’s personal development before focusing on acquiring reading and writing skills. Older school-age children are taught these skills in both Japanese and English and by the age of six years, children are satisfactorily equipped to enable them to move on to their next phase of education. The school provides a balanced curriculum, including topics based on science and the history of Japan. After-school activities such as ballet and gymnastics help to add variety and promote children’s enjoyment of their education. However, there is a lack of opportunity for children to develop their information and communication technology skills through the use of computers.

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Quality of education

Teachers interact well with children and encourage them to talk about what they are learning. Japanese rhymes and stories are used to develop children’s communication and language skills. Children are given opportunities to use books to talk about pictures and are helped by adults to identify simple words. Using photographs, teachers make individual books for children based on their activities to help promote their developing writing skills. The curriculum in the Early Years Foundation Stage is satisfactory. Teachers are undertaking ongoing training with the local authority on the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum; at present, their knowledge and understanding of this curriculum is satisfactory.

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Quality of education

The quality of teaching and assessment is satisfactory with some good aspects. Provision for six-year-olds is satisfactory. As a result of good behaviour and positive attitudes to their learning, school-age children make good progress in their creative and physical development, but satisfactory progress in developing their language and literacy skills. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught satisfactorily overall but well in most required areas of learning. They make good progress in their personal development but satisfactory progress in their language and literacy skills. Teachers have good subject knowledge and provide positive role models to make learning fun. However, on occasions, adult-led sessions are too long with children losing concentration. While lessons are conducted in Japanese, teachers make every effort to develop children’s understanding of English through activities such as

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Quality of education

learning the days and months of the year and words to describe the weather in English. The school is developing procedures to assess more effectively and to monitor children’s progress. These procedures are at an early stage of development and are not yet fully informing teachers how well children are progressing over time. The school is beginning to use appropriate assessment procedures to track children’s progress throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage. Initial assessments show that all children, including those in the Early Years Foundation Stage, are making satisfactory progress. Children enjoy their time in school. They quickly settle and develop good relationships with each other and the staff in the school.

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Quality of education

The school has good daily links with parents. Teachers give regular verbal feedback about children’s progress but do not provide any form of written reports. The information given to parents is satisfactory and has improved since the last inspection. Independent school inspection report

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils

The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of children is good in both the Early Years Foundation Stage and for those of school age. The school promotes children’s independence and cooperation. Behaviour and attendance are good. Children contribute to the school community well. They are respectful and friendly and willingly respond when asked to help with the daily routines of the school. All children feel safe and enjoy school. They place great trust in staff and there is a genuine family atmosphere that places real emphasis on their well-being. This is especially important given that families often arrive from Japan with children who need to adapt and settle into a new country and culture. There is no bullying in school because teachers expect everyone to behave themselves. The school recognises that provision for children’s cultural development is satisfactory and that the school needs to provide more opportunities to learn about different faiths and

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils

cultures in Great Britain. They learn satisfactorily about British institutions through visitors to school, for example, from the local fire brigade and the police. Opportunities to visit a local farm and museums further support children’s understanding of the British community in which they live.

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Welfare, health and safety of the pupils

The provision for the welfare, health and safety of all children is satisfactory. All children, including those in the Early Years Foundation Stage, have a good understanding about being safe and keeping healthy. They use the outdoor equipment safely and follow instructions when undertaking different activities, such as using scissors or the outdoor trampoline. Children bring in healthy packed lunches based on Japanese eating habits. Children have constant access to water and enjoy a good range of physical activities, including music and movement and physical education lessons. They show a good awareness of the importance of hygiene, for example, by washing their hands at appropriate times.

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Welfare, health and safety of the pupils

The necessary policies and procedures to safeguard children are in place, including staff undertaking the appropriate child protection training. Actions required from the last inspection have been successfully addressed, except for the need to keep written records showing what action may have been taken in cases of serious misbehaviour. Risk assessments are undertaken for activities both in and out of school. The owners of the building have an appropriate regard for the Discrimination and Disability Act 2002 with wheelchair access and suitable toilet facilities.

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Suitability of the proprietor and staff

The school has now established suitable procedures for ensuring that staff, including those coming from overseas, are checked for their suitability to work with young children. This is an improvement since the last inspection. All required checks, including an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check, have been completed for Independent school inspection report those in regular contact with children and these are recorded as required on a single central record.

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School’s premises and accommodation

The accommodation is fit for purpose and the outside of the building, although satisfactory, is not in a good state of repair. There is a large grassed play area for outdoor activities and a sizeable indoor space for teaching. Teachers use the facilities effectively to organise different learning activities.

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Provision of information for parents, carers and others

The provision of information for parents has improved since the last inspection. The school website provides useful information about the school’s aims, curriculum and policies. The school has improved its communication with parents about policies for health and safety, arrangements for admissions, discipline and exclusions, and the promotion of good behaviour. However, there are still a number of regulations not yet met, including the need to provide parents, carers and others with details about the complaints procedure, the provision for pupils with special educational needs, the number of staff employed at the school, including their qualifications, details about their safeguarding policy and the need to provide an annual written report of each child’s progress.

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Procedures for handling complaints

The school now has a clear procedure for handling complaints and this is an improvement since the last inspection. While parents are informed that they may raise any concerns with the school, they are not informed about the formal procedures that are available.

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Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

The overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage is satisfactory. The quality of provision is satisfactory with an appropriate balance between adult-led and child-initiated activities. Outcomes for children are satisfactory. The school is working with the local authority to further develop the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, especially in developing the different areas of learning both indoors and outdoors.

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Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

Provision for children under the age of three is satisfactory and they integrate well with older children. The school works well to ensure that the needs of the youngest children are met, especially in their emotional and physical development. The youngest children take a full part in activities such as singing and child-initiated play. Staff are suitably qualified and trained and are working towards improving the quality of education provided. Independent school inspection report Children make satisfactory progress overall and in developing their literacy and communication skills. In their physical and creative development, they make good progress. Teachers plan for individuals and groups of children using both the indoor and outdoor environment. However, they are not yet fully effective in observing and tracking children’s progress in order to plan the next steps in their learning. Children’s personal development and behaviour are good.

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Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

Leadership and management are satisfactory. Safeguarding procedures and policies are now in place and this is an improvement since the last inspection.

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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. 3

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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

 maintain written records of sanctions imposed upon pupils for serious disciplinary offences (paragraph 3(8)).

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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

 provide particulars of educational and welfare provision for children with statements of SEN and for pupils for whom English is an additional language (paragraph 6(3)(b))  provide particulars of academic performance during the preceding school year, including the results of any public examinations (paragraph 6(3)(e))  ensure that parents are aware they can request details of the complaint procedure adopted by the school, together with details of the number of complaints registered under the formal procedure during the preceding school year (paragraph 6(3)(f))

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 ensure that parents are aware they can request particulars of the number of staff employed at the school, including temporary staff, and a summary of their qualifications (paragraph 6(3)(g))

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 provide parents with an annual written report of the progress and attainment of each registered child in the main subject areas (except where a parent has agreed otherwise) (paragraph (6(6)).

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

3 www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2003/20031910.htm Independent school inspection report The school does not meet all requirements in respect of procedures for handling complaints (standard 7) and must:

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 ensure that the complaints procedure is made available to parents of children and prospective children (paragraph 7(b)). Independent school inspection report Inspection judgement recording form outstanding good satisfactory inadequate

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

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

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

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

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

How well pupils make progress in their learning √

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

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

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The overall welfare, health and safety of pupils √

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The quality of the Early Years Foundation Stage provision How good are the outcomes for children in the EYFS? √ What is the quality of provision in the EYFS? √ How effectively is the EYFS led and managed? √ Overall effectiveness: how well does the school meet the needs of children in the EYFS? √ Independent school inspection report

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School details

Name of school London Bunka Yochien School DCSF number 307/6079 Unique reference number (URN) EY URN (for registered childcare only) Not yet registered Type of school Nursery and Infant Status Independent Date school opened 1996 Age range of pupils 2–6 years Gender of pupils Mixed Number on roll (full-time pupils) Boys: 18 Girls: 14 Total: 32 Number on roll (part-time pupils) Boys: 11 Girls: 2 Total: 13 Number of pupils aged 0–3 in registered childcare provision (Not yet registered) Boys:14 Girls:10 Total: 24

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School details

Number of pupils with a statement of special educational need Boys: 0 Girls: 0 Total: 0

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £ 5,340 Address of school Church of the Holy Family Vale Lane London W3 0DY Telephone number 020 8992 9822 Fax number 020 8992 4209 Email address home@londonbunka.com Headteacher Mrs Yukimi Asato Proprietor Mrs Yukimi Asato Reporting inspector Mr James Henry Dates of inspection 29–30 April 2010

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