The prep school that taught Prince Charles has been failed by Ofsted and could face closure.
Hill House, a family-run school in Knightsbridge, west London, was found to be inadequate in every area by the schools regulator, which said its 927 children were not kept safe nor taught properly, despite paying fees of £14,000 a year.
“Too few pupils make adequate progress across the school, particularly in writing and mathematics. Teachers do not plan activities which challenge all ability groups,” inspectors said. “The work that pupils are set does not build on what they already know and are able to do. Leaders and proprietors do not have the capacity to secure essential improvements. Teachers are given little support and training to improve their practice. As a result, too many pupils are achieving less than they should.”
Ofsted praised the school for being harmonious and cohesive, and said children enjoyed a wide range of sporting and musical activities in London, and in the annexe in Switzerland. However, it found the school inadequate overall, and gave it that rating in every category: leadership and management, behaviour and safety of pupils, quality of teaching, achievement of pupils and early years provision. “Health and safety are compromised. There are serious breaches in significant areas. The early years provision is inadequate.”
The school was rated good at its last full inspection in December 2012, but in May last year an emergency inspection was held at the request of the Department for Education, to assess issues drawn to its attention in a pupil survey.
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Richard Townend, the headmaster and one of the owners, said on the school’s website that the report did not represent “the school I run that is attended by two of my grandchildren”.
He said the school had commissioned an audit, and already held a separate security audit, which would lead to some senior roles being redefined.