AN independent alternative school in Bristol that was saved from closure last year has been dealt a new blow.
The former Bristol Steiner School, now known as Bristol Waldorf School, has received a highly critical Ofsted report following an inspection in June.
The watchdog rated the school’s overall effectiveness and its leadership and management as inadequate. Quality of education, including early years provision and pupils’ behaviour and attitudes and personal development were all judged to require improvement.
In his report, lead inspector Dale Burr said that the proprietors of the school on Redland Hill had failed to comply with the independent school standards.
“The lack of improvement since the previous inspection demonstrates that the proprietor body does not have sufficient capacity to improve the school,” he wrote.
“Since the previous inspection, the school has faced significant challenges. Many factors have impacted negatively on pupils’ learning. These include changes in leadership, staffing, staff absences and a period of financial administration. However, they are not the root cause of the decline. The proprietor body has not carried out its role effectively.”
The inspection team had particular concerns about weaknesses in safeguarding. Lack of a “culture of vigilance” was putting children at risk of harm and too many children were missing school, the inspectors said. However, they did acknowledge that some improvements had been made immediately before and during the inspection.
“Interim leaders have put in place systems to follow up any concerns appropriately. They track pupils’ attendance weekly and conduct welfare checks if any absences raise concerns. Nonetheless, these systems and processes are in their infancy,” Ofsted said.
The school was founded in 1974 and is part of a worldwide network of Steiner-Waldorf schools. The school offers a unique educational approach that focuses on holistic development, nurturing creativity, critical thinking, and a love for learning.
At the time of the inspection, the school had 91 pupils aged three to 11. Parents pay annual fees of £5,250 to £13,700.
Ofsted said the quality of education the children received was variable.
“The proprietor and school have not checked the impact of the curriculum with enough rigour.
“This has led to some weaknesses in the quality of implementation and gaps in staff’s expertise, including in teaching phonics. As a result, pupils do not build their knowledge securely in all subjects.”
The inspectors said some pupils with special educational needs and disabilities did not have their needs identified and met consistently well. The Ofsted team also said pupils were not prepared well for life in modern Britain.
The inspectors did find some positives at the school. These included:
• The school develops a love of language and books.
• Pupils achieve well in certain aspects of the curriculum, including art and woodwork
• Staff enjoy working with their colleagues.
• Parents and carers value the nurturing environment that fosters confidence, creativity and social responsibility in pupils.
Rhiannon Kitchen, interim head teacher, said: “We were disappointed by the outcome of the Ofsted report. The school has experienced some difficult challenges in recent times, but with a new leadership team now in place we have already acted on urgent priorities, including safeguarding. We are working closely with staff and the wider school community to deliver rapid improvements.”