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INSPECTION REPORT ON |
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Merchant |
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Full Name of the School |
Merchant |
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DfES Number |
9196036 |
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Address |
Sandy
Lodge, Northwood, Middlesex HA6 2HT |
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Telephone Number |
01923
820644 |
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Fax Number |
01923
835110 |
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E-mail Address |
Info@mtsn.org.uk |
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Name of Headmaster |
Mr
J.R. Gabitass |
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Chairman of Governors |
Sir
G. Holland |
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11
- 18 |
Gender |
Boys |
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Number of Pupils |
765 |
Number of Boarders |
None |
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Inspection Dates |
October
7 – 11th, 2002 |
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This inspection report is
based on a framework laid down by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI)
and agreed with the DFES and OFSTED for the purposes of ensuring that standards
are maintained and that the school complies with relevant legal
requirements. Recommendations are
included to help the school improve.
The report will be lodged with the ISI, the Head of the School, the
Proprietors, the DFES and OFSTED. A
summary will be provided by the school for all parents free of charge and the
full report on request. Other
interested parties may have the summary or full report, subject to a charge
for copying and postage. The report
may not be selectively quoted in the school prospectus or other promotional
literature but may be used selectively within the school. The inspection does not
examine the financial viability of the school or investigate its accounting
procedures. The inspectors check the
school’s health and safety procedures and comment on any significant hazards
they encounter: they do not carry out an exhaustive health and safety
examination. |
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1.1
Merchant
1.2 The school has many strengths. The following are particularly notable.
· The magnificent, well maintained grounds provide a pleasant, spacious setting which has a strong, positive influence on the morale and ethos of the school community. This celebrates its rich cultural and ethnic diversity in a harmonious and civilised atmosphere.
· The pupils are very good ambassadors for the school. They are courteous and helpful, and take a pride in their appearance. They show great concern for each other and enjoy very good relationships with the staff. They are proud of their school and show sensitive concern for the needs of others, in particular through the many opportunities to serve the local community.
· The staff are well qualified, enthusiastic and wholly dedicated to the pupils’ well-being. This is evident in their commitment to their subjects and to the provision of an all-round education, and in the care they exercise in carrying out their pastoral duties. The high quality of the teaching, combined with the positive attitude of the pupils, has developed an ethos in which high academic achievement is the norm and is valued by the school community.
· The governors and senior management provide a clear vision for the school, which has developed over the years to a position of strength.
· The distinctive structure of the pastoral system and the high quality of the care by the staff have established a community at ease with itself in which the pupils flourish. Parents feel welcome within this community and appreciate the school’s efforts to promote this.
· The library enjoys a magnificent setting and, under lively management, provides a rich resource for the pupils’ development through study, research and reading for pleasure.
· The rich and diverse programme of extra-curricular activities provides excellent opportunities for the pupils’ further all-round development.
What the School Should Do Better
1.3 The school’s strengths far outweigh its one significant weakness.
· There is insufficient awareness in the school of the learning difficulties experienced by certain pupils, not excluding those of high academic ability, and there is no coherent strategy for identifying such pupils or providing the support they need.
Standards of Attainment and Progress in Subjects
1.4 In relation to their ages, abilities and aptitude the attainment of the pupils is very high; this is a major strength of the school. They make rapid progress in developing their knowledge, skills and understanding. By any standards the attainment in public examinations is outstanding and is well above that of maintained selective schools. Over the last two years the improvement in examination results has been dramatic. Analyses by Middle Year Information Systems (MidYIS) and by Advanced Level Information Systems (ALIS) indicate a very good level of value added at both GCSE and A level.
1.5
Across the age range pupils of
all abilities read and communicate well and, in discussion, show themselves to
be orally confident and articulate. They
use technical and specialist terms with confidence and in many subjects showed
their ability, when given the opportunity, to think independently. The pupils make good and confident use of
their numerical skills in many subjects and, when appropriate, use graphical
skills with assurance; they also display satisfactory ICT skills.
1.6 Pupils of all abilities make appropriate or better progress in all subjects across all key stages. The pupils are challenged in their learning and they respond admirably. The rate of progress is often enhanced by the use of practical equipment and varied teaching techniques where appropriate. Those pupils who are identified as having specific learning difficulties progress at least as well as expected during their time at the school. The attainment and progress of pupils from all ethnic backgrounds are equally good.
1.7 Pupils leave the school well qualified to enter courses in further or higher education, in most cases of their first choice.
The Quality of Pupils’ Learning, Attitudes and their Behaviour
1.8 Across all age groups the pupils’ attitude to their learning and personal development is very good and their behaviour exemplary. This enhances the academic and social environments; and is a great strength of the school.
1.9
The pupils are eager learners
and highly motivated; typically they maintain concentration throughout the
lessons. They readily co-operate with
their teachers and have excellent relationships with each other. They work well
as independent learners, in particular in their enthusiastic use of the
library.
1.10 The atmosphere of tolerance and mutual respect amongst the pupils is remarkable and permeates the whole school. Issues of race and faith are discussed openly. The pupils value and celebrate difference to the extent that it is the norm and therefore no issue.
1.11 The pupils are excellent ambassadors for Merchant Taylors’.
1.12
The overall quality of teaching
is very good and represents a major strength in the achievements and reputation
of the school. Of the 167 classes observed the teaching in over four-fifths was
good or better. All teaching staff possess the
appropriate ability and professional standards suitable for this calibre of
school. They are strongly committed to the academic and personal welfare of the
pupils. Planning and organ
1.13 Attendance levels are high and there are clear procedures for following up all absences. The school complies with the statutory requirements relating to the maintenance and retention of admissions and attendance registers.
1.14 The size of the site means that pupils often have some distance to travel between lessons and, whilst punctuality is not a major concern, this can result in lateness and uneven starts to lessons.
1.15 The overall quality of the methods used for assessing and recording pupils’ achievements and progress is good.
1.16
All boys are graded for effort
and achievement twice a term except when public examinations occur. Pupils are
monitored throughout the school by the Heads of Lower, Middle and
1.17 Full subject reports are written regularly and discussed with each pupil’s tutor. This leads to a self-review by the pupil who sets himself further targets. In addition, full tutor reports, supported by a headmaster’s report, are sent regularly.
1.18 Marking of work is generally frequent, with many pertinent, supportive comments.
1.19
A clear procedure appears in
the Staff Handbook for recording boys’ special needs and difficulties, however
only limited assessment of the needs of all pupils is undertaken on their
arrival at the school.
1.20 The school maintains a close view of assessment information to inform timetable allocation between subjects.
1.21 The school provides a curriculum which offers a wealth of choice and opportunity for able boys across its age range.
1.22
In the
1.23
The curriculum in Years 10 and
11 is conventional, with a good range of subjects on offer. In Year 10 there
are opportunities for the more able students in mathematics and/or French to
take GCSE a year early. They then continue with a more advanced course in year
11. ICT is taught in the
1.24 The sixth form curriculum is appropriate and well balanced between specialist study and broader education. In Year 12 all students study four academic subjects to AS-level, chosen from a wide range and most students continue with three subjects in Year 13. In addition there is a general studies programme for years 12 and 13.
1.25 At all stages the formal academic curriculum is enriched by a very wide range of “extra-curricular” activities.
1.26 In several subject areas the curriculum is enhanced by the multi-cultural nature of the school.
Teaching and non-teaching staff
1.27 All teaching staff are appropriately qualified and effectively deployed. Professional development is well supported and the school makes good use of “in-house” in-service training.
1.28 The quality of the staff and their very high level of commitment to the pupils constitute a major strength of the school, which the pupils are happy to acknowledge. In addition the school receives very valuable, loyal support from its non-teaching staff.
1.29 In most respects the school has very good resources to support teaching, learning and a wide range of educational activities at a very high level and these are well used. ICT is not well resourced but a major expansion is planned for development in this area. The time-scale planned does not ensure the short-term enhancement of teaching and staff training.
1.30 The library constitutes a major strength of the school. It enjoys a magnificent setting and, under lively management, provides a rich resource for the pupils’ development.
1.31 The quality and care of the buildings and grounds are a major strength of the school, since they provide very good facilities for work and recreation, and exercise a strong positive influence on morale and behaviour.
Links with Parents and the Community
1.32 The school seeks to welcome parents into the school community and succeeds to a very high degree. Parents declared themselves pleased with all aspects of the school’s performance in response to the questionnaires sent to them, and in communication about the pupils’ development and welfare the school scored particularly highly.
1.33 Contacts are maintained through regular reports on academic progress from subject teachers, and also through an annual tutor’s report to provide the broader picture of each pupil’s development. Parents’ evenings also provide valued links, and the tutor remains the principal point of contact for parents throughout a pupil’s career.
1.34 Literature informing parents of school events, achievements and expectations is sent out regularly, and parents have good opportunities to support the school at plays, concerts and sporting fixtures, and by serving on committees.
1.35 Strong links are also maintained with the local community through a variety of initiatives, including an extensive community service programme, sharing of facilities and charity events. Pupils welcome these opportunities, acknowledging the benefit they gain from them.
1.36 The school caters very well for its pupils and sets a high priority on their personal development. The multi-cultural nature of the school enhances the opportunities for spiritual, moral and cultural development, and the tolerant, friendly ethos provides a secure environment for pupils to grow. There are good opportunities for responsibility and initiative.
Pastoral Care (including Welfare, Health and Safety)
1.37 The pastoral care is a major strength of the school. The support of a personal tutor throughout a pupil’s career and of form teachers for each year provide a level of care that is greatly appreciated by pupils and parents. Academic and pastoral monitoring are caring and thorough. Awareness of special educational needs is relatively limited.
1.38 The school’s governance and management are of very high quality. Planning is thorough and visionary, and needs and priorities are clearly identified. Good leadership and a strong sense of purpose are evident throughout the school. Policies are clear and explicit, and structures are in place to ensure that expectations are met. Communication throughout the school is good.
Achievement and Quality in Activities
1.39 The extra-curricular programme is a major strength of the school. It offers wide-ranging opportunities for achievement and for participation. Pupils respond at a very high level and greatly appreciate the richness on offer. The many opportunities for responsibility and initiative within the programme significantly enhance the pupils’ experiences and development.
Progress Made by the School since its Last Inspection
1.40 The school was inspected by HMC in November 1996, and has moved forward very purposefully since then. Of the ten recommendations made nine have been fully carried out and some of the concerns raised are now strengths of the school. The tenth concerned the development of IT. This has been the subject of a very detailed development plan and measures are in hand to meet long-term needs to a very high level of provision.
2.1 The main recommendation is given below. The school should:
R1 take steps to develop a greater awareness of the learning difficulties of certain pupils, not excluding those of high ability. They should develop a system to ensure the identification of pupils with such difficulties and determine a strategy to provide the support they need.
3.1
Merchant
3.2 The school has 765 boys on its roll, 250 of whom are in the Sixth Form. There is a three-form entry at 11 and a further substantial intake at 13. Year 9 currently has seven forms.
3.3 Roughly half the intake at 11 comes from local state schools. The remainder at 11 and virtually all at 13 come from preparatory or other independent schools. In addition, about three pupils a year enter the Sixth Form from other schools.
3.4 The school lies in a wealthy suburban area and the pupils are almost entirely from middle-class families. Roughly a quarter of the intake receives some financial help, in the form of scholarships or bursaries, which does widen the range of backgrounds. The school contains, however, a significant number of pupils, who, though born and brought up locally, are from families with Asian origins. There is a very wide range of religions represented in the school.
3.5 Admission is via the school’s own entrance examination in English, mathematics and verbal reasoning at 11, and a similar examination at 13, incorporating a wider range of subjects. In both cases there is an interview as well. The MidYIS base-line testing reveals a very similar level of intake over the years, significantly above the national average. In comparison with independent schools the profile shows 80% in the top half of the ability range.
3.6 A learning programme caters for the 12 pupils shown as requiring special educational provision. The school does not make any provision for extra English, since they are satisfied that the entrance examinations ensure appropriate standards for all pupils.
3.7 The school has carried out an extensive building programme over recent years. During the inspection a massive re-structuring of the main school's undercroft was in progress, which will provide enhanced reception areas and provision for the Sixth Form and for Careers. Other planned developments include a theatre and extensive development of the ICT facilities.
3.8 National Curriculum nomenclature is used throughout this report to refer to year groups in the school. The year group nomenclature used by the school and its National Curriculum (NC) equivalence is shown in the following table:
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Third Form |
Year 7 |
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Upper Third Form |
Year 8 |
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Fourth Form |
Year 9 |
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Divisions |
Year 10 |
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Fifth Form |
Year 11 |
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Lower Sixth |
Year 12 |
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Upper Sixth |
Year 13 |
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3.9 GCSE
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Most recently completed Year 11 |
Average for the last three Year 11s |
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Entered for 5+ subjects |
100% |
100% |
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Achieved 5+ @ A* - C |
100% |
100% |
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Achieved 5+ @ A* - G |
100% |
100% |
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Average score per candidate* |
69.3 |
68.4 |
* Scoring is 8 for GCSE grade A*, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 for grades A – G.
3.10 A Level and AS
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Most recent year |
Average for the last three years |
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Average score per candidate |
31.51 |
26.86 |
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Average score per subject entry |
8.8 |
8.45 |
Scoring is 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 for A level grades A – E, and 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 for AS grades A to E.
3.11 Attendance for First Half of Autumn Term 2002
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Authorised |
Unauthorised |
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Percentage absence |
2.9 |
0 |
3.12 Exclusions Over the Previous 12 Months
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Temporary
exclusions |
Permanent
exclusions |
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9 |
0 |
4. Educational Standards Achieved by Pupils at the School
4.1 In relation to their ages, abilities and aptitude the attainment of the pupils is very high; this is a major strength of the school. They make rapid progress in developing their knowledge, skills and understanding. By any standards the attainment in public examinations is outstanding and is well above that of maintained selective schools. Over the last two years the improvement in examination results has been dramatic.
4.2 The standard of attainment seen in lessons was high across all key stages. The attainment of pupils in relation to their capabilities was at least sound in the great majority of lessons and good or very good in well over four-fifths of the lessons observed. Examples of particularly good levels of attainment in relation to capabilities were seen in history, Latin and modern foreign languages.
4.3 Across the age range pupils of all abilities read and communicate well, and in discussion showed themselves to be orally confident and articulate. They use technical and specialist terms with confidence and in many subjects showed their ability, when given the opportunity, to think independently. The pupils make good and confident use of their numerical skills in many subjects and, when appropriate, use graphical skills with assurance; they also display satisfactory ICT skills.
4.4 The GCSE results have been excellent over the last three years. In 2000 the proportion of pupils achieving grades A* and A was 76.4%, with 99.2% obtaining grades A* to C; these figures rose to 83.4% and 99.6% in 2001. A further improvement was seen in 2002 when the proportion of A* and A grades was 84.4%, with 100% of pupils achieving grades A* to C. These results outperformed maintained selective schools and indicate a very good level of added value. Results were particularly high in biology, chemistry, and physics where all of the pupils achieved grades A* or A in 2001 and 2002. The MidYIS (Middle Years Information System) analysis of the GCSE results for 2000 to 2002, standardised by independent schools, indicate that particularly good value is added in English, history, Latin and modern foreign languages as well as the sciences.
4.5
At AS level the results were
outstanding. In 2001 79.9% of entries
were graded A or B with all graded A to E; in 2002
82.8% of the entries were graded A or B with 99.7% graded A to E. These results suggest that the school has
responded well to the demands of the new Year 12
examinations.
4.6
At A Level the proportion of
pupils obtaining grades A or B has also been consistently high with a peak of
84.8% in 2001. In both 2000 and 2001
99.8% of entries were graded A to E; in 2002 all
entries were A to E. These figures are
well above those achieved in selective maintained schools and reflect great
credit on the school. The ALIS analysis
of the 2002 results indicate that a good level of value is added in almost all
subjects and show that a particularly high value was added in art, design and
technology, general studies, history, mathematics, modern foreign languages and
the sciences. Of the year group who sat A levels in 2002, 24 were awarded places at
4.7 Overall progress is good. Pupils of all abilities make appropriate or better progress in all subjects across all key stages. Progress was at least good in over four-fifths of the lessons seen and was rapid in two-fifths. The pupils are challenged in their learning and they respond admirably. The rate of progress is often enhanced by the use of practical equipment and varied teaching techniques where appropriate. Those pupils who are identified as having specific learning difficulties progress at least as well as expected during their time at the school. The attainment and progress of pupils from all ethnic backgrounds are equally good. Pupils leave the school well qualified to enter courses in further or higher education, in most cases of their choice.
Quality of Pupils’ Learning, Attitudes and Behaviour
4.8 Across all age groups the pupils’ attitude to their learning and personal development is very good and their behaviour exemplary. This enhances both the academic and social environments; it is a great strength of the school.
4.9 The pupils are eager learners and highly motivated; typically they maintain concentration throughout the lessons. Given the challenge they are willing to participate in lessons without being prompted. They readily co-operate with their teachers when asked and are capable of quick responses and imaginative problem solving.
4.10 Independent learning is a feature of the school whenever the pupils are given the opportunities.
4.11 The pupils have excellent relationships with each other and the staff; there was often a shared enjoyment of the lessons. They wil