The New School Rome COBIS Inspection Report

Confidential to the Headteacher and Board of Governors Peter Simpson Director of Accreditation COBIS Sharon Gallagher Accreditation Officer COBIS The findings and next steps of this report reflect the work of the Lead Improvement Partner The Compliance visit took place between 20 and 22 November 2017 Compliance is valid for years The next Compliance check is due in November 2022 1.0 Recruitment 2.0 Student Welfare 3.0 Facilities 4.0 Governance 5.0 Ethos and Values Overall Observations 11 13 15 The New School Rome is fully compliant with the standards to of the COBIS Compliance system The school has as a priority the recruitment of appropriately qualified and experienced staff 1A STANDARD The school recruitment process is fair and transparent and ensures that appropriate staff and volunteers are appointed This applies to all staff, teaching and non teaching FEEDBACK The documentation is an effective and robust guide to the process of recruitment The Equal Opportunities Policy is clear, universal and treats people with dignity The interview protocols ensure a consistent approach to candidate selection and appointment The Central School Register is comprehensive and detailed A random sample of entries was checked and all the documentation supported and validated the register The Central School register is dated and checked NEXT STEPS Consider updating or at least reviewing the policies with currently a review date of 2007 (protocols for interviewing) A possibility would also be to have standalone Equal Opportunities document available to protection and the safe-guarding of astudents those applying for posts in the school 1B STANDARD All staff within the school, including volunteers and supply staff, meet high standards of child protection and the safeguarding of students FEEDBACK The Child Protection policies are comprehensive and a good deal of thought has been given to both their construction and the internal mechanisms for reporting A commitment has been made regarding staff training and this needs to be sustained for both new staff and existing staff whether teaching or non-teaching Bus drivers have Italian Police checks and DBS or Italian Police checks as appropriate have been carried out for teaching staff It is good to see the serious work that has been undertaken and the school's commitment to improve for the future In conversation, regarding the Duke of Edinburgh Award, it was good to hear that opportunities were screened for child protection and unless they met the school requirements these were not pursued Progress has been made in relation to the provision of external sport (child protection) but further developments are needed to ensure school policies are consistently applied NEXT STEPS The DSL has a monitoring role and is on the Executive Council but a formal system of overview reporting to the Executive Council is strongly advised Consider some internal cascade training in Italian for non-teaching staff who might be subject to a student disclosure Ensure that DBS and Police Checks for teachers, non-teaching staff and governors becomes formalised in the system All staff within the school including volunteers, and supply staff meets high standards of child protection and the safe-guarding of students The school provides a safe and supportive environment for all young people 2A STANDARD The school provides a pastoral structure that meets the needs of all students and promotes their personal development FEEDBACK A thorough approach to pastoral arrangements shows considerable thought behind young people’s development It is also in keeping with the school’s small friendly ethos which promotes a happy and aspirational student environment Opportunities are taken to celebrate success such as speaking English, house competitions, the use of collaborative forums such as Talking Partners or year groups constructing their own rules of behaviour Students demonstrating evidence of a cause for concern are carefully monitored and tracked The pastoral structure ensures students are regularly discussed NEXT STEPS Further development of the SENCO and/or EAL role in respect of senior school students would be of benefit Consider whether liaison between Y6 and Y7 needs to be more proactive and less reactive including assessment data and learning styles in the light of ambitions towards establishing a baseline 2B STANDARD The school has provision for the health and safe supervision of all students to allow them to flourish in the school environment FEEDBACK Health and Safety issues are addressed by the school itself and through annual external auditing Evidence of maintenance projects and proactive interventions were to be seen such as security fencing, drainage and gardening tenders for contractors The mechanism for reporting H&S issues appears to be effective but not always recorded However, a new computerised system is available once this is bedded in A good deal of the schools’ documentation regarding this standard relates to First Aid and the importance of regular and appropriate training In this respect, the school has robust and wellaligned policies and is to be commended for this In the case of accident/incident reporting the school is thorough The Chair of the Executive Council has a legal obligation in relation to H&S NEXT STEPS Consider ways to log and record environmental/safety issues requiring attention as part of a seamless recording system 2C STANDARD The school ensures that through positive behaviour management students are supported in their learning and safety FEEDBACK Students are happy and expressed the view that they were well cared for and listened to The attendance and rewards policies celebrate areas of student achievement such as the granting of merits that we were told all age groups appreciate Clear guidance is given in areas such as cyberbullying and dress code which is both supportive and establishes expectations We also witnessed a Year lesson on e-safety There are also clear rules and sanctions In respect of the fair use of internet policy, a number of the more common issues are addressed NEXT STEPS Consider whether BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) considerations need to be addressed and if the mobile phone policy is sufficiently proactive and age appropriate In the case of serious sanctions, a transparent and robust complaints/appeal procedure utilising an external opinion would be recommended to protect the school 2D STANDARD The school ensures that off-site activities are appropriate and safe FEEDBACK The sample risk assessment is very effective and an excellent document that reveals an awareness of risk management Templates are in place to ensure a consistent and superior approach to risk management A flow chart exists with permissions at various stages to provide rigour to the process including the provision of cover Off-site visits integrate with the educational and personal development mission of the school such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award, a recent development This is a great innovation for the school and is clearly well supported by the parents It is also positive to hear the value of liaison with other international schools in Rome and plans for the future NEXT STEPS Ensure all risk assessments are consistently at the high standard evident Consider the challenge of making the Duke of Edinburgh Award available to all students irrespective of their needs and inclinations particularly in the examination years The school provides all students with access to an environment conducive to learning and that keeps them safe 3A STANDARD Accommodation supports the learning needs of students FEEDBACK We saw a diverse range of learning spaces that made excellent use of the environment The outside spaces and gardens were carefully managed to provide opportunities for all students The school is committed to developing further learning spaces to enhance the needs of students and we saw evidence of this, for example, the new science laboratories and primary classrooms in the annexe and the resurfacing of the football pitch There is a clear desire to add new facilities to meet the expectations of students of all ages within the planning and financial constraints of the school A highly creative approach, for example, is the use of sheds for storage This has allowed the school to maximise teaching space NEXT STEPS Consider the development of a larger classroom space for Year and the potential use of the ‘valley’ Consider the teaching space of the IT room which is currently limited 3B STANDARD The site(s) provides a secure environment for students to enjoy FEEDBACK The evidence addresses a number of risks to the students of the school and effectively plans for a variety of situations – such as earthquakes There is a robust approach to security with a guard monitoring those entering the site and checking both ID and contacting the school office We also saw the school fence, part-funded by the US state department, and heard about the school’s lockdown protocols Supervision of the outdoor spaces was of acceptable standard The use of the play space after the end of school by Primary parents and students posed some practical difficulties The fabric of the school, particularly the outdoor paths and steps, could be challenging for those with mobility issues whether students or staff We were informed that this has not caused problems to date NEXT STEPS Consider risk assessment for outdoor spaces on the site to manage potential risks and generic classroom risk assessments STANDARD The fabric of the school provides an effective working environment 3C STANDARD The fabric of the school provides an effective working environment FEEDBACK We saw age-appropriate furniture and washroom facilities A programme of introducing Promethean interactive whiteboards gives all age groups access to these Catering provision is supplied by an outside contractor under the supervision of the school and meets the needs of the parents as well accommodating the culture of the students NEXT STEPS Consider the evolution of classroom teaching technologies that support learning such as SMART TVs instead of interactive whiteboards as part of a long-term plan An overall strategy for e-learning needs to be considered 3D STANDARD Overall facilities meet the needs of all students including those with learning needs or physical disability FEEDBACK The site is problematic for those with physical disabilities but accommodation is clearly made for those with temporary restrictions A new SEN full-time coordinator has been appointed this year and this provides for students throughout the school Exam arrangements are effectively in place to support those with SEN needs NEXT STEPS At present arrangements appear to be reactive to student need Whilst this is commendable an overall plan needs to considered to ensure consistent decision making as students progress through the school For example, access to GCSEs C s and evels The school’s governors/proprietor(s) work to support students and the work of the school 4A STANDARD All governors or proprietor(s) meet all the requirements for staff with access to young people reinforcing the importance of safeguarding within the school FEEDBACK Members of the Executive Council have undertaken appropriate police checks and engaged with child protection training and protocols NEXT STEPS We suggest this high standard is maintained 4B STANDARD Measures are in place for governors/proprietor(s) to either register interests and/or manage conflicts of interest FEEDBACK A full COI (Conflicts of Interest) policy is in place and all members of the Executive Council have completed the declaration Although this has not been a problem for the Executive Council it is important that this approach is sustained in the way the Executive Council operates NEXT STEPS None noted 4C STANDARD There are written procedures/protocols for the remit of the work of governors/proprietor(s) FEEDBACK A constitution outlining the responsibilities and functioning of the Executive Council lays out the working practices of the Council NEXT STEPS Consider utilising a co-opted external education based governor to both help the Executive Council hold the Head to account and support the Head in advising on educational matters 4D STANDARD There is appropriate induction for new governors FEEDBACK Some evidence regarding the reading of policies and observing lessons is in place but this is informal in approach NEXT STEPS Consider a more structured approach to inducting new governors and incorporating elements such as Child Protection None noted 4E STANDARD Governors or proprietor(s) have a commitment to training or development FEEDBACK A number of members of the Executive Council have engaged with training, for example, governance and Child Protection as well as the Head (Vice Chair of Executive Council and Chair of Academic Council) attending COBIS annual conferences NEXT STEPS Continue the good work in promoting training and ensure information from such training opportunities is disseminated and training is recorded 4F STANDARD The governors or proprietor(s) provide records of meetings and decisions as appropriate Contact details for the governors/proprietor(s) are made available to parents FEEDBACK Minutes of Executive Council meetings provide evidence of their procedures and the recording of matters that have been discussed There are also policies in place to ensure these are disseminated to both staff and parents excepting issues that must remain confidential NEXT STEPS None noted The school has an evident British ethos and promotes internationalism 5A STANDARD A British ethos is apparent and important to the school This may involve reference to British values, freedoms and culture as far as it is permissible within the host country context FEEDBACK Many examples were both seen during the visit and in documentation regarding British celebrations such as Easter Eggstravaganza and Burns Night Theatrical productions, in addition, support the holistic nature of the provision made for students This also translates to curriculum and English speaking policy as well as assessment methodologies Drama is pursued to a high standard and valued by the school The school has expanded the number of extracurricular opportunities available which the students were particularly appreciative of NEXT STEPS Consider conducting a survey of students to get a picture of their commitments both in and out of school regarding extra-curricular activities Continue to expand extra-curricular activities as finance and logistics allow 5B STANDARD The school promotes education for international understanding FEEDBACK Opportunities are taken to celebrate a variety of global issues and contexts such as EcoDudes, Carnevale, Wartime Family Histories and Water Week Parents spoke eloquently concerning the WWII project which embraced the diversity of the student community As well as this, the PSHE curriculum promotes international understanding in keeping with the diverse nature of students and families The school evidently celebrates differences and values individual experiences For example, in Year 1, parents tell the Goldilocks story in 11 languages NEXT STEPS None noted 5C STANDARD The school teaches the majority of subjects through the medium of English FEEDBACK The curriculum and assessment policies provide a strong foundation for an academic British and COBIS ethos The school adheres to the English national curriculum and subjects are offered in English with the obvious exception of Modern Foreign Languages NEXT STEPS None noted The New School seeks to stimulate creativity, intellectual curiosity and a sense of social responsibility Students are happy, respectful and proud of their school The atmosphere that the staff create allows students to flourish in line with the school’s mission The school is clearly on a journey and has made some impressive progress This is to be celebrated and should renew the commitment to develop further The staff are hardworking and provide both support and drive for aspirational students A good working atmosphere was seen in almost all lessons Curriculum linkage between KS2 and KS3 was centred on personalities for the transfer of information Whilst this met the needs of the school divergence at KS4, the impact on curriculum content at KS3 and below was largely addressed on a subject by subject basis The school is particularly dependent on two teachers, Lionel (facilities) and Lucy (finance) Whilst both of these an extremely effective and conscientious job and indeed they are highly valued by the school it is important to consider issues of succession planning and contingencies if they were unable to temporarily discharge their duties The school, within the constraints of space and planning regulations, is ambitious for delivering the highest level of care The community and family feel of the school is prized by all students, staff and parents and owes a debt to the leadership of the Headteacher, Jonny Massey RECOMMENDATION TO THE COBIS MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE The New School Rome is fully compliant with the COBIS Compliance Standards to and should be granted the relevant membership status www.cobis.org.uk accreditation@cobis.org.uk +44 (0) 203 826 7190 @COBISorg ... Values Overall Observations 11 13 15 The New School Rome is fully compliant with the standards to of the COBIS Compliance system The school has as a priority the recruitment of appropriately qualified... RECOMMENDATION TO THE COBIS MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE The New School Rome is fully compliant with the COBIS Compliance Standards to and should be granted the relevant membership status www .cobis. org.uk... this, for example, the new science laboratories and primary classrooms in the annexe and the resurfacing of the football pitch There is a clear desire to add new facilities to meet the expectations