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INSPECTION REPORT ON |
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Full Name of the School |
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DfES Number |
916
6020 |
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Address |
Shepherd’s
Way, |
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Telephone Number |
01707
602500 |
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Fax Number |
01707
602597 |
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E-mail Address |
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Name of Headmistress |
Ms
Clarissa Farr, MA, PGCE |
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Chairman of Governors |
Mr
Christopher Sneath, FCA |
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11
– 18 |
Gender |
Girls |
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Number of Pupils |
395 |
Number
of Boarders |
223 |
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Inspection Dates |
8th
– 12th November 2004 |
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This
inspection report follows the frame
The inspection was carried out in conjunction with the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). Their report on the National Minimum Standards is summarised in this report.
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. Their inspection of the premises is from an educational perspective and does not include in-depth examination of the structural condition of the school, its services or other physical features.
1.1
The school has many strengths and
no major weaknesses. Standards of
attainment and progress are very good across the school. Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. The teaching is of good quality and has
generally high expectations to which the pupils respond very well. Very high levels of pastoral care are
provided, both in boarding and throughout the school; relationships among
pupils and between them and the hard-
1.2 The school has many strengths that include the following.
· The Principal, senior management and governors provide strong and effective leadership.
· Very high standards of attainment are achieved across almost all subjects.
· The school provides an excellent wide-ranging programme of extra-curricular activities, led by both teaching and non-teaching staff and well supported by the pupils.
· Teaching throughout the school is good overall, and often very good, enabling pupils to achieve very well and make very good progress.
·
The school makes excellent
provision, through a dedicated, hard-
·
Pupils’ behaviour is excellent;
they have very positive attitudes towards each other and show pride in their
school and their
What the School Should Do Better
1.3 The school has no major weaknesses, although it will wish to attend to the following.
· A degree of inconsistency occurs in the awarding of grades for reports and ‘progress checks’. Marking lacks rigour in a few subjects and lacks consistency across others.
· Timetabling arrangements affect pupils’ punctuality.
· Regulatory Requirements are not fully met with regard to the checking of some ancillary staff prior to taking up employment, in training for child protection and first-aid, and for the keeping of attendance registers for day pupils.
Standards of Attainment and Progress in Subjects
1.4 Pupils achieve high standards throughout all years. Pupils’ attainment in AS and A level examinations and at GCSE is high in relation to their abilities. Results at A level over the last three years have been far above the national average for all maintained schools, and the percentage of A and B grades has also been far above the national average and above the average for maintained selective schools. At GCSE, attainment over the last two years has been far above the average for all maintained schools, as has the proportion of A* and A grades.
1.5 Pupils’ progress is good and often rapid at all stages of the school. Those in need of learning support make good progress with the help they are offered. Pupils of all backgrounds and ethnicity, and those for whom English is an additional language also make good progress.
The Quality of Pupils’ Learning, Attitudes and Behaviour
1.6 The quality of learning is very good across all ages and pupils’ behaviour is excellent. Pupils are competent learners and are well motivated. Pupils behave very well in class, in boarding houses and generally around the school. They form constructive relationships with all members of the community, are supportive of each other, respect the feelings, values and beliefs of others and are courteous to each other and to adults.
1.7
The quality of teaching in
Years
1.8 The best teaching actively challenges and engages pupils and inspires an imaginative response. Whilst teaching contributes effectively at all stages to pupils’ attainment and progress, teaching styles in a very few subjects are unadventurous and constrain its effectiveness in otherwise satisfactory lessons.
1.9
Attendance throughout the
school is very good, enabling pupils to take full advantage of the educational
opportunities provided, although pupils’ punctuality is often poor. The
1.10 The quality of the methods used for assessing and recording pupils’ achievements, progress and needs is generally good. Pupils’ progress is recorded at regular intervals and allows housemistresses and tutors to deal rapidly and effectively with any emerging problems. This information also serves to give praise and encouragement to pupils. A degree of inconsistency is apparent in the awarding of grades for reports and ‘progress checks’. The frequency and quality of marking are generally good but marking lacks rigour in a few subjects and consistency across others. Assessment is effectively used to identify pupils requiring extra support but is less effective in the development and planning of the curriculum.
1.11 The curriculum provided by the school is very good and, together with a wide range of activities, offers a broad and balanced general education well suited to all pupils across the full age and ability range. The curriculum is carefully planned so as to provide continuity and progression of learning across the age range and it contributes effectively to intellectual, physical and personal attainment. The excellent extra-curricular programme and the many visits abroad enrich the curriculum throughout the school.
Teaching and Non-teaching Staff
1.12
The provision of teaching and
non-teaching staff is very good. Members
of staff are well qualified, suitably experienced and effectively
deployed. The number and quality of
teaching and support staff are good, contributing significantly to the pupils’
educational experience and the standards achieved. The school has a staff appra
1.13 The quality of resources throughout the school is generally very good, and the provision of ICT is good. The books, equipment and materials needed to support the teaching, learning and recreation of the pupils at all levels are well organised and used effectively to support the curriculum and activities programme. The quality of resources for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) is good, and for those pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) is high.
1.14 The quality of library provision is very good; it offers very good support for the curriculum in most subjects and is very well used by both pupils and teachers. It has a wide range of resources and is attractively housed with excellent facilities for study and for recreational reading. The inviting and welcoming library adds considerably to the pupils' pleasure in reading and learning and to their development as independent learners.
1.15 The quality of the premises and accommodation is excellent. The buildings, accommodation and grounds are more than adequate and appropriate for the number, abilities and ages of the pupils. They are used very well and to very good effect, and the teaching areas enable effective teaching of the curriculum to be provided. The school grounds are particularly well cared for and the fine setting makes an important contribution to the pupils’ general wellbeing and welfare.
Links with Parents and the Community
1.16 The quality of links with parents is excellent and with the community good. The quality of information provided for parents and of the partnership between the school and parents is excellent. Parents are welcomed at a range of school events such as sports fixtures, plays and concerts. The school benefits from its association with the active and supportive Queenswood Fellowship, an association of Queenswood parents. The school has a number of worthwhile links with the local community and more extensive links, particularly through sport, with the wider community. These links enrich the pupils’ educational experience and are appreciated by pupils and parents alike. In their response to the inspection questionnaire, the great majority of parents were very supportive of the school.
1.17 The quality of the school’s provision for pupils’ personal development is excellent. The school provides a very wide range of suitable opportunities through which its pupils can develop a system of spiritual beliefs and a moral code. The provision for social and cultural development is also excellent. Moral and social issues are very well explored through chapel services, the personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme and a range of other subjects. Pupils are given many opportunities to consider their own feelings and those of others. Pupils are encouraged to take positions of responsibility to prepare them for a life outside the school, and their education is underpinned by a very good moral and spiritual tradition.
Pastoral Care, Welfare, Health and Safety
1.18 The quality of pastoral support and guidance is very good. The school is very effective in caring for its pupils’ wellbeing, academic and personal development. The measures to promote good discipline are effective, and fair and effective measures are in place to guard against bullying and deal constructively with unacceptable behaviour. The school’s arrangements to ensure a healthy and safe environment for its pupils are very good overall. The welfare, health and safety of pupils are generally very well promoted by the policies and procedures in place, although some shortcomings exist in respect to keeping child protection and first-aid training up to date. The school’s provision for EAL teaching and its support systems for pupils with EAL are outstanding.
1.19
Overall, the boarding
accommodation meets the required standards and has benefited from a planned and
continuing programme of refurbishment and updating.
1.20
The pastoral care provided for boarders
by a dedicated and experienced staff team is excellent. The boarders and their parents express a high level of satisfaction
with the service provided and their relationships with pupils and staff across
all areas of the school.
1.21 Recommendations have been made in relation to health and safety, record keeping, staff recruitment and updating the child protection policy.
1.22
The quality of governance and
management is excellent. It ensures that
the school’s aims are met and that a very good quality of education and care is
provided. Efficient planning secures
very good resources for teaching and learning. The governing body and the
Principal provide the school with excellent and clear-sighted leadership.
Senior management
Achievement and Quality in Activities
1.23 The quality and the levels of achievement in activities are excellent. These are a significant strength of the school. The programme of activities taking place outside the academic curriculum is wide ranging and forms an important part of school life, providing opportunities for pupils that greatly enhance their personal development. The level of participation is very high and the activities provided are well suited to the ages, aptitudes and abilities of all pupils.
Progress Made by the School since its Last Inspection
1.24 An ISI team inspected the school in November 1999. The inspection team made three recommendations, which have been dealt with.
Compliance with the Regulations for Registration
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DfES Standard |
Does the school meet the regulatory requirements? |
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1. |
Quality of education: |
1.(2) Curriculum |
Yes |
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1.(3)-(5) Teaching |
Yes |
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2. |
Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils |
Yes |
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3. |
Welfare, health and safety of pupils |
It meets most of the requirements |
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4. |
Suitability of proprietors and staff |
It meets most of the requirements |
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5. |
Premises and accommodation |
Yes |
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6. |
Provision of information |
Yes |
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7. |
Manner in which complaints are to be handled |
Yes |
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Actions Required for Compliance with the Regulatory Requirements
1.25 In order to meet all the requirements, the school must:
(1)
provide child protection
training for the child protection
(2)
put in place procedures for following up unexplained absences of day
pupils and a distinction must be made between authorised and unauthorised
absence. [Regulation 3. (9)]
(3)
ensure staff recruitment checks are complete prior to the taking up of
appointment. [Regulation 4. (b) and 4. (d)]
1.26 In addition to the actions set out above, the school is asked to address any issues highlighted in What the School Should Do Better. These are set out as recommendations for the school in Section 2 of the report.
2.1 The actions needed to comply fully with the regulatory requirements are specified in paragraph 1.25 of the report. This report has identified a small number of issues for action in the report itself that are intended to aid the school’s development. Three main recommendations are made to which the school and governors are invited to pay special attention. The recommendations are:
R1 Improve the quality of marking and assessment by:
· improving the consistency of marking across subjects, more closely monitoring its quality and instituting departmental in-service training on the topic.
R2 Improve pupils’ punctuality to lessons by:
· monitoring more closely the incidence of late arrival to lessons.
3.1 Queenswood School is an independent day and boarding school for girls aged 11 to 18 years. It was founded in 1894 in Clapham Park in South West London by two Methodist ministers and moved to its present rural site in Brookmans Park in 1925. Queenswood has expanded from the original Victorian house to encompass a range of boarding houses, a music school, science laboratories, a sixth-form study centre, a sports hall and a recently completed indoor heated swimming pool. The school is now an interdenominational Christian community, which welcomes girls of all faiths and backgrounds, although all girls are required to attend Chapel. The Methodist chaplain is a member of staff and the school remains firmly committed to its Methodist foundation.
3.2
At the time of the inspection,
the number of pupils on the roll was 395.
Of these, 99 were in the sixth form and 223 were boarders. Most of the pupils come from families with
professional or business backgrounds including company and managing directors,
banking and finance, business, health professionals, teachers and those in the
legal profession. An increasing
proportion of day pupils come from the north
3.3 All day pupils live within 20 miles of the school. The UK boarders tend to be local, from within a 40-mile radius of the school. About 40 boarders are Hong Kong Chinese and a further six are from other Far Eastern countries. The principal sources of new pupils at 11 and 13 are other independent schools, with about 10% from maintained schools
3.4 Although the school has no pupils with a statement of special needs, there are a number with specific learning needs (SEN) or for whom English is an additional language (EAL). The school has 65 pupils who have been identified by the school as having SEN requiring special educational provision, mainly for specific learning difficulties. The school has also 49 pupils whose first language is not English who are mainly Hong Kong Chinese.
3.5 Standardised tests are used on entry at 11 for spelling and mathematics. These indicate that most pupils are of above average ability, with a small but significant number of pupils below the national norm. The results of two nationally-standardised baseline measures of ability, in Years 7 and 12, confirm this pattern. The pupils’ average ability is therefore above that of the national average. If the pupils are performing in line with their abilities their results will be above the average for all maintained secondary schools.
3.6 Almost all pupils move on to higher education with about 30% taking an intervening gap year. Very few pupils leave before the end of Year 11.
3.7 The school’s declared aims are:
· “To promote a culture in which learning is seen as central.
· To foster independence in and a sense of personal responsibility for learning.
· To raise standards of achievement in all areas of school life.
· To encourage spiritual and moral development.
· To provide opportunities for personal, social and cultural enrichment.
· To increase girls’ awareness of and obligations to the outside world, as well as the community of which they are a part.
· To enable girls to participate in a wide range of activities in the arts, the sciences and sport.
· To develop appropriate competence in key skills, including Information and Communications Technology.”
3.8 Priorities of the school have included the continued development of its premises. Recent development have included an indoor heated swimming pool, a classroom block, the refurbishing of the library, Trew House (day and boarding accommodation) and the day study facility for the sixth form (Bridge House).
3.9 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 equivalence are shown in the following table:
3.10 GCSE
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Most recently completed Year 11 |
Average for the last three years |
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Entered for 5+ subjects |
78 |
63 |
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Achieved 5+ @ A* - C (%) |
96.2 |
98.7 |
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Achieved 5+ @ A* - G (%) |
98.7 |
99.6 |
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Average score per candidate* |
62.0 |
63.4 |
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Average score per entry* |
6.7 |
6.8 |
* Scoring is 8 for GCSE grade A*, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 for grades A – G.
3.11 A Level and AS
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