School report
Eaton Square Upper School, Mayfair
106 Piccadilly, London W1J 7NL
Inspection dates 5–7 June 2018
Overall effectiveness Good
Effectiveness of leadership and management Good
Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good
Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good
Outcomes for pupils Good
Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected
Summary of key findings for parents and pupils
This is a good school
When the school first opened in All groups of pupils make overall good progress
September 2017, it had a difficult start. The across subjects. Progress is particularly strong
new senior leaders, who joined the school soon in English and mathematics. It is weaker where
thereafter, quickly secured improvements. They there has been a turnover of staff, such as in
have ensured that the school now provides its science.
pupils with a good education.
Pupils who have special educational needs
School leaders and the proprietors make sure (SEN) and/or disabilities and those for whom
that the school complies with the independent English is an additional language make similar
school standards. good progress as their peers. This is because
members of staff give them well-tailored
Leaders have credible plans and are taking
support.
decisive action to make sure that the school
continues to improve as it expands. They have Behaviour is good. Pupils are curious and keen
recently appointed a number of new middle to succeed. Generally, they conscientiously
leaders in order to add leadership capacity from apply themselves to their work during lessons.
the start of the next academic year. Occasionally, however, pupils fail to complete
the work set by their teachers. This slows their
The curriculum and an extensive range of clubs
progress.
make a sound contribution to pupils’ academic
success and personal development. Overall attendance is too low. This is mainly
due to parents taking their children on
Pupils feel safe and know how to stay safe in
extended holidays during term time.
different situations.
Teaching is good. Teachers benefit from regular
training that develops their effectiveness. They
frequently assess pupils’ progress and use the
information to plan activities to meet their
needs.
Compliance with regulatory requirements
The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards)
Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.
Full report
What does the school need to do to improve further?
Improve teaching and pupils’ outcomes by teachers ensuring that all pupils routinely
complete their work.
Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by leaders sharpening their
processes for checking pupils’ progress across the subjects so that they can hold teachers
to account for their pupils’ progress.
Increase rates of attendance by helping parents to understand that their child’s prolonged
absence can have a detrimental impact on their child’s outcomes.
Inspection report: Eaton Square Upper School, Mayfair, 5–7 June 2018 Page 2 of 10
Inspection judgements
Effectiveness of leadership and management Good
The school got off to a difficult start with the departure of the headteacher and some
turnover of teaching staff midway through the autumn term. The proprietors quickly
appointed a new headteacher and created two new pastoral leadership posts. They
further strengthened leadership with the appointment of an additional headteacher who
joined the school later in the year. New leaders rapidly set about making changes that
markedly improved teaching and learning, pupils’ behaviour and their outcomes. Staffing
stabilised and morale is now high. As one member of staff aptly put it: ‘Our headteachers
are focused on creating a community for pupils to flourish academically and emotionally.
They listen to staff for feedback on the best way to achieve our goals.’
Leaders and teachers benefit from the training and support that they receive as a
member of the group of schools owned by the proprietors. The group’s executive
headteacher and director of education support and challenge senior leaders. Teachers
benefit from working with colleagues in the other schools and from sharing best practice.
In addition, they welcome developmental feedback from leaders who observe their
lessons, and from opportunities to attend bespoke training that meets their personal
professional ambitions. As a result, leadership is effective and teaching and pupils’
outcomes are good.
Leaders regularly check each pupil’s progress and provide support or extra challenge
when needed. However, leaders do not have a sharp enough overview of the progress
that groups of pupils make across the subjects to enable them to hold teachers to
account.
Leadership of inclusion is good. Leaders provide targeted support for pupils who need
help to catch up. As a result, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and those for whom
English is an additional language make good academic and personal progress.
Leaders plan the curriculum so that pupils can study a wide range of subjects. Effective
planning ensures that pupils can make good year-on-year progression and deepen their
learning. Leaders arrange extra tuition for those Year 8 pupils wishing to sit the 13-plus
common entrance examination for the highest performing independent schools. The most
able pupils have extra opportunities to challenge themselves. In English, for instance, the
most able pupils entered a national essay writing competition. Four of the gifted artists
who entered an art competition had their work displayed in the Royal College of Art.
Leaders enhance the curriculum by offering pupils many clubs, ranging from a variety of
sports to chess and debating. Visits such as to Normandy, Paris and the Natural History
Museum enrich their learning. Pupils benefit from visitors such as a blind pilot, and from
assemblies and tutor time discussions based on the ‘thought of the week’. They gain
understanding of different people and moral issues from religious studies and personal,
social, health and economic education lessons. Pupils, therefore, learn to respect all
people, including those with protected characteristics as defined in the 2010 equality act.
They also learn to appreciate fundamental British values such as democracy and the rule
of law. All these opportunities make a strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social
and cultural development and prepare them well for life in modern Britain.
Inspection report: Eaton Square Upper School, Mayfair, 5–7 June 2018 Page 3 of 10
Governance
The chair of directors and other directors of the proprietorial company make up the board
of governors.
The chair and other governors regularly visit the school. One of the governors works
across the group’s schools as the director of education. As he bases himself in this school,
he has almost daily contact with members of staff and pupils. Governors are, therefore,
well informed about all aspects of the school’s work. They both support and challenge
leaders to improve the school. They make sure that school leaders and all other staff
benefit from collaborating with colleagues across the group’s schools as well as from joint
training sessions.
Governors established this new school and were successful in recruiting enough pupils to
open with three year groups, Years 7, 8 and 9. They have made a good start in
implementing their vision of establishing a high-performing non-selective independent
secondary school.
Governors and school leaders make sure that the school meets the independent school
standards and other requirements.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. A number of school leaders undertook
the training for designated safeguarding leaders. All members of staff complete online
refresher safeguarding training plus training on the ‘Prevent’ duty with regard to
radicalisation and extremism.
Members of staff are aware of the potential safeguarding and welfare issues that might
occur in the school community. They are alert and report any concerns that arise.
Leaders work closely with external agencies and parents and carers to make sure that
pupils are safe.
Leaders organised for an external agency to deliver separate workshops for pupils, staff
and parents on a range of safeguarding issues such as cyber bullying, safe internet use
and identifying fake news.
The school publishes its safeguarding policy on its website. The policy has due regard to
current government requirements.
Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good
Effective teaching enables pupils to make good progress.
Typically, teachers have expertise in their subject areas. They prepare lessons that
progressively build on pupils’ prior knowledge and understanding. Through regular
assessments, teachers know how well their pupils are learning and set activities that meet
pupils’ needs and abilities. Teachers refuse to accept superficial answers to their
questions. They probe pupils’ responses to make them think more deeply. Teachers have
established good routines for hard work. Classrooms are a safe environment in which
pupils feel confident to ask questions and express their opinions without fear of ridicule.
As a result, pupils make strong progress.
Inspection report: Eaton Square Upper School, Mayfair, 5–7 June 2018 Page 4 of 10
In a few instances, such as where there has been a turnover of teaching staff, teaching is
less effective as these routines are not as well established.
Teachers and additional adults provide pupils who need to catch up with effective support
and tailored resources so that they become successful learners. Teachers give the most
able pupils more challenging work to stretch and deepen their learning. The most able
Year 9 mathematicians, for example, learn advanced mathematics and practise answering
higher-tier GCSE examination questions.
In line with the school’s policy, teachers set homework that consolidates pupils’ learning.
In addition, homework sometimes requires pupils to do research and prepare a
presentation that they have to make to their peers. These opportunities expand pupils’
knowledge and make a good contribution in developing their confidence and speaking
skills.
In line with the school’s policy, teachers give pupils feedback on their work and expect
pupils to correct their work or answer a question designed to challenge them.
Occasionally, pupils do not complete the tasks, including homework, that their teachers
set them. When this occurs, pupils’ learning does not reach the standards that their
teachers planned.
Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good
Personal development and welfare
The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
Leaders and teachers encourage pupils to share their views and ideas. Pupils are
ambitious, articulate and self-assured. They value learning about each other’s cultures
and enjoy participating in the range of extra-curricular activities on offer.
In addition to physical education lessons, pupils take part in many extra-curricular sports-
related activities. They learn about healthy diet and the dangers of substance abuse. All
pupils attended a first-aid training workshop. In these ways, leaders make sure that
pupils understand how to keep themselves physically healthy. Leaders recently arranged
training for staff on how to support pupils’ emotional well-being and are at the early
stages of delivering sessions for promoting pupils’ mental health.
Pupils are aware of the different types of bullying, including through social media. They
say that leaders deal effectively with the rare instances of bullying and that there is no
racism in this diverse school community.
Pupils contribute to the community by assisting at the preparatory school’s sports day and
by raising funds for charity, for instance.
Leaders enhance pupils’ personal development through opportunities such as learning to
play musical instruments, joining the choir, participating in the school’s termly
performances and visits to places of interest, such as art galleries. They have arranged for
pupils to perform to audiences beyond the school community. Shortly, for instance, the
choir will be performing at the Queens College Chapel in Cambridge.
Inspection report: Eaton Square Upper School, Mayfair, 5–7 June 2018 Page 5 of 10
Behaviour
The behaviour of pupils is good. Behaviour improved markedly when the new leaders
raised expectations and introduced new policies and routines at the end of the autumn
term.
Pupils are polite and welcoming to visitors. They are proud of their school. They move
sensibly around the school, including when navigating the narrow staircases.
Pupils are inquisitive and are keen to learn. They work hard in lessons and try their best.
They work well by themselves, in pairs and groups. They gladly assist their peers who
need help. Occasionally, when teaching is less inspiring, there is some low-level
disruption.
Although most pupils attend school regularly, there are some whose overall absence is
too high. Often this is because parents take their children away during term time. This
lack of attendance inhibits those pupils from reaching their full potential.
Outcomes for pupils Good
Pupils who joined this new school, including those from overseas, arrived with varying
standards in all subjects.
Inspection evidence confirms the leaders’ view, that since the start of the year, pupils
have made overall good progress. Progress in English and mathematics has been
particularly substantial. Progress has been strong in almost all other subjects. It has been
weaker, however, where there have been difficulties in retaining staff, such as in science.
Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and those for whom English is an additional
language make similar good progress as their peers. This is because leaders provide them
with timely, well-targeted support.
The most able pupils make good progress because teachers set them difficult work and
offer them challenging enrichment activities.
Progress is not outstanding as pupils do not routinely complete all the work that their
teachers set them, and because of some of the staffing instability during the year.
Pupils are well prepared for continuing their education next year, and for their future lives
in modern Britain.
Inspection report: Eaton Square Upper School, Mayfair, 5–7 June 2018 Page 6 of 10
School details
Unique reference number 144795
DfE registration number 213/6004
Inspection number 10044420
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.
Type of school Independent secondary day school
School category Independent school
Age range of pupils 11 to 18
Gender of pupils Mixed
Number of pupils on the school roll 111
Proprietor Minerva Education Holdco Ltd
Chair Elaine Simpson
Headteachers John Wilson
Caroline Townshend
Annual fees (day pupils) £21,750–£22,500
Telephone number 020 7491 7393
Website www.eatonsquaremayfair.com
Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected
Information about this school
Eaton Square Upper School is an independent co-educational day school registered to
educate 420 pupils aged from 11 to 18. The school opened in September 2017. There are
currently 111 pupils aged from 11 to 14.
The school is located in Mayfair, in the London borough of Westminster. It is part of the
Eaton Square Schools Group.
There have been substantial changes since Ofsted’s pre-registration inspection in June
2017. The new headteacher took up his post in November 2017 and an additional
headteacher joined the school in April 2018. There have been some changes to staffing
Inspection report: Eaton Square Upper School, Mayfair, 5–7 June 2018 Page 7 of 10
and the current chair of governors replaced the previous chair in May 2018. She had
previously been the chair of the group.
This was the school’s first standard inspection.
The school does not use any alternative provision.
The school’s aims include, ‘to offer academic excellence within excellent facilities, and to
develop a purposeful attitude, self-confidence and a respect for others; developing trust,
truth and a strong sense of community’.
Inspection report: Eaton Square Upper School, Mayfair, 5–7 June 2018 Page 8 of 10
Information about this inspection
The inspection was carried out with one day’s notice.
Inspectors observed learning in 13 classrooms, most of which were visited with senior
leaders.
Inspectors scrutinised samples of pupils’ work. They checked the school’s information
about pupils’ progress.
Inspectors spoke with the headteachers, other leaders, teachers and other members of
staff. They also met with the chair of the proprietorial body and the director of education.
Inspectors had formal discussions with a group of pupils and various informal discussions
with pupils during social times and lessons.
Inspectors took account of the 13 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for parents and
parents’ additional written comments. Inspectors also spoke with parents at the start of
the school day. Inspectors considered the 14 responses to the staff questionnaire.
Inspectors checked documentation, policies and all aspects of the school’s work for
compliance with the independent school standards.
Inspection team
David Radomsky, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector
Alison Moore Ofsted Inspector
Inspection report: Eaton Square Upper School, Mayfair, 5–7 June 2018 Page 9 of 10
Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the
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 4234, or email [email protected].
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.
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/government/organisations/ofsted.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to 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
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.
If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone
0300 123 1231, or email [email protected].
You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms
of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-
government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or
email: [email protected].
This publication is available at www.gov.uk/ofsted.
Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates:
http://eepurl.com/iTrDn.
Piccadilly Gate
Store Street
Manchester
M1 2WD
T: 0300 123 4234
Textphone: 0161 618 8524
E:
[email protected]W: www.gov.uk/ofsted
© Crown copyright 2018
Inspection report: Eaton Square Upper School, Mayfair, 5–7 June 2018 Page 10 of 10
