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Ofsted - Office for Standards in Education
Extracts from Report released 23rd November 2004
Dates of Inspection 18-21 October 2004
(Full report available from www.ofsted.gov.uk)
Introduction and summary
Compliance with the regulations for registration
School details
Introduction and summary
Purpose and scope of the inspection
This inspection was carried out by the Office for Standards in Education under Section 163 of the Education Act 2002 in order to advise the Secretary of State for Education and Skills about the school's suitability for continued registration as an independent school.
Information about the school
Sathya Sai School is an independent day school for boys and girls that opened in 2001. There are currently 25 pupils in the school, aged 3 to 10, one of whom is part-time. The school is housed on two floors of an old Victorian school building owned by the Sanathan Mandir Temple in a residential area of Leicester. It is actively looking for new premises as the current accommodation does not allow for expansion. This is the first Sathya Sai school opened in England. The school is centred on the teachings and philosophy of the founder, Sathya Sai Baba. It strives to `develop character and virtue alongside academic excellence'. `Sathya Sai integral education combines the brilliance of reason with the quiet calm and depth of moral and spiritual education'. The school motto is `the end of education is character.'
Summary of main findings
This is a distinctive school that is successful in achieving its aims. It provides a secure spiritual environment in which pupils can learn and make good progress. It is permeated by the Sathya Sai Education in Human Values (SSEHV) programme which is based on the five values of the right conduct, truth, love, non violence and peace. The welfare, health and safety of pupils are well promoted. Pupils experience a broad and balanced curriculum. They feel valued as individuals, well supported and are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Teaching is mainly good or very good. Parents are very supportive of the school. The school meets almost all the requirements for registration.
What the school does well
- it is successful in promoting the values of the Sathya Sai Education and Human Values programme through an integrated curriculum;
- it provides pupils with a strong spiritual foundation;
- it fosters very good relationships which enables the school community to work harmoniously together;
- it provides a broad and balanced curriculum of high quality;
- it promotes thinking skills and independent learning; and
- teaching is mainly good or very good.
1. The quality of education provided by the school
The quality of the curriculum
The school has a broad and balanced curriculum based on the National Curriculum (NC). All aspects of the NC are taught, including French. Teachers enthusiastically follow the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. Information and communication technology (ICT) is taught effectively across the curriculum. Specialist staff teach music and pupils in Years 3 and 4 have begun learning the recorder this term and are making good progress. Physical education (PE) is very well taught and the school is fortunate to have a former professional sportsman on its staff. The staff are very good at integrating the National Curriculum with the SSEHV programme. Personal, social and health education (PSHE) is effectively taught through this programme and includes elements of citizenship.
The Foundation Stage is taught to the nursery and reception pupils. There is a good balance between teacher-led and child-initiated activities with a strong emphasis on learning through play. The youngest pupil in the nursery currently attends mornings only in recognition of his specific needs.
All pupils make good progress, as reflected in the results of the national tests. Pupils with special educational needs (SEN) are well supported by their teachers and teaching assistants. The majority of pupils learn English as an additional language (EAL) and are supported effectively by multilingual staff. The staff are planning to consolidate their expertise through specialist training.
The curriculum is enhanced through a wide range of extra-curricular activities which include yoga, traditional dancing, gymnastics, snooker, chess and art. Pupils are taken on visits outside the school which have included visits to museums, activity centres, a farm, nature reserves and the seaside.
Pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education and the school is hoping to expand in order to admit older pupils.
The quality of the teaching and assessment
The teaching is good or very good, with a small minority of satisfactory lessons. Pupils are able to make good progress and develop their skills in all subjects because the staff know them very well and are aware of their current knowledge and abilities. Pupils with special SEN and those with EAL are well supported and make good progress. Pupils are encouraged to think for themselves, to work independently and to enjoy responding to challenges. This is a strength of the school.
Teachers have good subject knowledge and plan lessons well using National Curriculum documentation. The plans could usefully include more details of progression of skills and differentiated activities in some curriculum areas. Lessons are stimulating with a wide range of teaching methods in use and a varied range of activities planned. Teachers make effective use of class time. For instance, in a Year 3 and 4 literacy lesson, the teacher had planned varied activities to match the needs of each pupil. She gave good support to a new pupil who is at an early stage of learning English as an additional language by using the pupil's mother tongue appropriately. The progression of skills was so well planned that by the end of the session, pupils could paragraph and summarise a text competently. Teaching assistants are deployed so as to support pupils very successfully.
Classroom resources are good and used effectively to support teaching and learning. Resources for PE and ICT are particularly good.
The school has a rigorous framework in place to assess pupils' work. Pupils extend their learning through daily homework. End of unit tests and thorough end of half term tests are used to inform planning for the next term. Pupils are entered for national tests. The school plans to develop further the assessment of pupils' work in relation to National Curriculum levels.
Pupils behave very well in and around the school. Teachers are trained to be good role models and constantly link their teaching to the ethos of the school. They have high expectations which pupils are eager to meet. Pupils are very willing to help and cooperate. For example, in a Year 3 and 4 PE lesson, pupils practised their ball skills and the lesson culminated in a game of basket ball. Throughout the lesson, good sportsmanship was encouraged with the teacher emphasising in a sensitive way that winning was not the objective.
Does the school meet the requirements for registration?
Yes.
2. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils
Pupils' personal development is a very strong feature of the school and it is conspicuously successful in promoting its philosophy. The SSEHV programme is central to the life of the school. It manifests itself through the daily devotions, with the teachers acting as good role models and constantly linking all aspects of the curriculum to the values of the SSEHV programme.
The programme is based on the five cardinal virtues of the right conduct, truth, love, non violence and peace. `It aims to develop character and virtue alongside academic excellence, combining the brilliance of reason with the quiet, calm and depth of moral and spiritual education'. In several lessons pupils were encouraged to work calmly, independently as well as cooperatively, to treat each other with understanding and consideration and to exert themselves. Discussions with pupils confirmed the success of the programme in meeting its aims.
Spiritual education is particularly strong and is fostered through a range of strategies such as meditation and visualisation, regularly practised in assemblies. As a result, pupils grow to be calm and thoughtful.
The SSEHV programme is instrumental in pupils developing confidence and in raising their self-esteem. Pupils are valued as individuals and nurtured to realise their potential so as to become selfless, productive and responsible citizens. They learn to be confident through such roles as leading the singing at assemblies and helping younger pupils.
The school and the parents act as one community. Pupils identify very strongly with the school and discussions with the older pupils confirm that they are happy and enjoy coming to school. Pupils are able to distinguish right from wrong as moral education is embedded into the curriculum.
The SSEHV programme supports multi-cultural education as it is multi-faith and not based on any one religious teaching. Pupils are taught daily to appreciate and respect all faiths as the promotion of tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions is central to the philosophy of the school. For instance, they have visited various places of worship and are currently involved in activities related to the Harvest festival. This is well supported by resources and pictures symbolising the main religions displayed on the classroom walls. The staff and the pupils reflect a range of cultural backgrounds which are explored when appropriate.
Pupils are encouraged to increase their knowledge of the local community through visits to the local museums, activity centres and participation in local events. The school has recently won the first prize for lantern making and poetry writing at the Leicester Chinese Festival.
Pupils behave very well and the discipline is firm but fair. They are encouraged from an early age to accept responsibility for themselves and contribute to the community life of the school. Through their personal, social and health education (PSHE) and religious education (RE) programme, they have numerous planned opportunities to reflect on how they can serve their families and local community. This was seen in a PSHE lesson where Year 1 and 2 pupils could explain how good they felt when being helpful to their parents in difficult circumstances, and when they had to overcome their own fatigue, for instance.
The school enables pupils to acquire sound knowledge of British institutions but the learning opportunities need to be planned more systematically. It has had visitors in the past and realises that this area could be developed further. Pupils have recently raised funds for a national charity.
Does the school meet the requirements for registration?
Yes.
3. The welfare, health and safety of the pupils
The welfare, health and safety of pupils are well promoted. The school has devised and implements appropriate policies to prevent bullying in the school. Pupils and school records confirm that there are very few incidents. There is a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere in the school, free from oppression and pupils behave very well. They act very naturally with each other and with adults.
The school has prepared a detailed and comprehensive child protection policy of which all staff are aware. The current child protection officer works closely with local agencies and a newly appointed member of staff is undertaking training.
Health and safety policies are comprehensive. These include all aspects of fire safety and safety of pupils during educational visits. Risk assessments are carried out for all the places that pupils visit, including the swimming pool. Fire drills are held regularly and documented. A full fire risk assessment has been carried out at the school and deemed satisfactory by the fire officer. There is a detailed First Aid policy and one member of staff is a qualified First Aider.
4. The suitability of the proprietor and staff
The school fully meets the requirements for checking the suitability of staff. The school is currently run by a board of four trustees and seven governors, one of whom is a parent representative. It has recently registered as a limited company and has applied for charity status. All the current staff, including parent volunteers and the trustees and governors have been checked with the Criminal Records Bureau for their suitability to work with children.
Procedures for appointing staff are appropriate with professional references obtained in writing, medical fitness confirmed and qualifications checked. All teaching staff are well qualified for the age range they teach. Furthermore they hold qualifications in the SSEHV programme.
Does the school meet the requirements for registration?
Yes.
5. The suitability of the premises and accommodation
The school meets all the requirements for premises and accommodation. The school occupies the first and second floors of an old Victorian school building that belongs to the Sanathan Mandir Temple. The whole building is in need of repair but the area the school uses has been renovated by parent volunteers. The ground floor is used by a Day Centre for the local Asian community and the school is entirely separate with its own entrance.
The school area is attractively decorated in primary colours. The nursery class is on the first floor and shares the large area with the school gymnasium. The other two classes share the second floor with the dining area and the library. The furniture and fittings in the classrooms are suitable and appropriate for the size of the pupils. Toilets facilities are good and there are separate facilities for the staff. There is a large outdoor playground at the rear of the building, which is fenced and provides pupils with a safe play area at break times.
There are well presented displays of pupils' work celebrating their achievements along with extensive displays reflecting the ethos of the school.
Does the school meet the requirements for registration?
Yes.
6. The quality of information for parents and other partners
The school meets all the regulations relating to the provision of information to parents and prospective parents. The school prospectus is currently under review and plans are in place to provide an updated version. The new prospectus is detailed and informative. It includes details on the curriculum, school policies and the ethos of the school. In addition, parents are informed through regular newsletters and a notice board which is regularly updated. An attractive leaflet is used to inform a wider audience.
Communication between home and school is good. Most parents have daily contact with the school and feel free to discuss day-to-day issues informally. The school operates an open door policy and parents are welcome to make an appointment with staff at any time convenient to them. The school keeps parents well informed of their children's progress. A full, written report is sent out at the end of the summer term and parents have the opportunity to discuss their child's progress with the staff through termly meetings. All parents returned the pre-inspection questionnaires and revealed a high level of satisfaction with the school.
Does the school meet the requirements for registration?
Yes.
7. The effectiveness of the school's procedures for handling complaints
The school has a clear complaints procedure that meets all regulations. It includes a two-stage appeals system in an effort to offer an additional guarantee of fair treatment. All parents are supplied with a copy of the procedure and there is one available in the prospectus. The parents confirmed in the pre-inspection questionnaires that they are all aware of the complaints procedure.
Does the school meet the requirements for registration?
Yes.
School details
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Name of school:
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Sathya Sai School
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DfES ref number:
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856/6016
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Type of school:
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Day
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Status:
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Independent
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Age range of pupils:
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3-10 years
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Gender of pupils:
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Mixed
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Number on roll (full-time pupils):
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Boys 10,
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Girls 14,
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Total 24
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Number on roll (part-time pupils):
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Boys 1,
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Girls 0,
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Total 1
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Annual fees (day pupils):
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£500
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Address of school:
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Shree Sanatan Centre
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Belper Street
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Leicester LE4 6ED
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England
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E-mail address:
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sailimuk@yahoo.co.uk
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Telephone number:
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07929 660098 or 07973 544384
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Headteacher:
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Mrs Usha Lim
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Proprietor:
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Leicester Sathya Sai School Trust
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Lead Inspector:
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Mrs M Messaoudi
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Dates of inspection:
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18 - 21 October 2004
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