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INSPECTION REPORT ON |
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Full Name of the School |
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DfES Number |
866/6038 |
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Address |
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Telephone Number |
01732
452142 |
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Fax Number |
01732
740388 |
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E-mail Address |
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Name of Headmaster |
Mr.
Peter Evans |
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Chair of Governing Body |
Mr.
John Munro |
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4-13 |
Gender |
Boys |
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Number of Pupils |
177 |
Number
of Boarders |
0 |
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Inspection Dates |
23rd
- 27th May, 2005 |
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This inspection report follows the framework laid down by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). The inspection was carried out under the arrangements of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) Associations for the maintenance and improvement of the quality of their membership. It was also carried out under Section 163(1)(b) of the Education Act 2002, under the provisions of which the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has accredited ISI as the body approved for the purpose of inspecting schools belonging to ISC Associations and reporting on compliance with the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003.
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
1.2 The school has many strengths. Outstanding among these are the following.
· The quality of leadership and management is good.
· The Foundation Stage provides a very good start to the children’s education.
· Pupils achieve high standards overall in the subjects inspected.
· The quality of pupils’ learning and the quality of teaching are good.
· The school has a very good ethos.
· The school enjoys strong support from parents.
What the School Should Do Better
1.3 The school has no major weaknesses. The following areas, however, could be improved.
· The role and function of the various curriculum groups vary in quality.
· The scheme of work for personal and social education (PSE) is insufficiently detailed, and the place of cultural development is inadequately defined.
Standards of Attainment and Progress in Subjects
1.4 Pupils attain high standards and make rapid progress overall.
1.5 The substantial majority of parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were pleased with the quality of their child’s attainment and progress.
1.6 At the Foundation Stage, the children’s development is very good. Children’s attainment is high in all aspects of the curriculum; namely, personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development.
1.7 At age 7, pupils’ attainment high in English and history. It is good in mathematics and music, and satisfactory in science, information and communication technology (ICT), art and physical education (PE) and games.
1.8 At age 11, pupils’ attainment is high in English, art and music, and it is good in mathematics, science, ICT, history and PE and games.
1.9 At age 13, pupils’ attainment is high in English, history, art and music. It is good in science and satisfactory in ICT. In mathematics, impressive attainment in Common Entrance (CE) examinations indicates high levels of attainment, though lessons and pupils’ completed work available for inspection indicated that attainment is satisfactory. In Years 7 and 8, too little work was inspected in PE and games for a reliable assessment of standards.
1.10 This year, Year 8 pupils gained three academic scholarships and two art scholarships to senior schools. In English and mathematics, results in national tests at age 11 over the last three years, at Level 5, were far above the national average for all maintained primary schools. Results at level 5 in science they were well above the national average.
1.11 Pupils make good progress overall. Pupils who have special educational needs attain good standards in relation to their ages and abilities, and they make good progress.
The Quality of Pupils’ Learning, Attitudes and their Behaviour
1.12 The quality of pupils’ learning, attitudes and behaviour is very good. Pupils are competent learners who respond readily in lessons. They are well motivated, co-operative, sustain concentration and apply themselves well. There are indications that pupils have a capacity for personal study. Relationships between pupils are excellent and the pupils show initiative. Pupils value the beliefs and feelings of others and standards of behaviour are very good. They are courteous, trustworthy and an asset to the school.
1.13 The quality of teaching is good overall. Teachers are knowledgeable and the teaching meets the needs of all pupils, including those who are abler, those with learning difficulties and pupils whose first language is not English. Pupils are well managed and high standards of discipline are achieved. Teachers generally have high expectations of the pupils. Lessons are well planned, time is used well and most lessons proceed at a brisk pace. Teachers use assessment capably to determine the focus of work set for the pupils. Resources and time are used effectively.
1.14 The level of pupils’ attendance is good. In the term before the inspection, there was no unauthorised absence. Admissions and attendance registers comply with requirements, and the pupils attend school and lessons punctually.
1.15 The quality of assessment and recording is very good. The methods used for assessing and recording pupils’ attainment and progress are accurate, consistent and appropriate. Examinations and a wide range of formal tests and examinations are used effectively. National Curriculum tests at ages 7 and 11 provide a useful comparison with national averages. Most teachers maintain sound records of marks awarded for work completed in lessons and prep. Detailed assessment of pupils with special educational needs informs the preparation of individual education plans. The quality of marking is satisfactory and the quality of whole-school record keeping is excellent.
1.16 The quality of the curriculum is good. It provides a broad and balanced general education and prepares pupils effectively for the next stage of their education. ICT is timetabled throughout, but the application of ICT skills to support learning across the whole curriculum is uneven. Schemes of work are detailed and aspects of personal development permeate the curriculum over the full age range. Meetings of curriculum groups, comprising subject co-ordinators and representatives of other age groups, contribute in most subjects to curricular planning. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The curriculum is enhanced by a range of visits and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Teaching and Non-teaching Staff
1.17 The quality of teaching and non-teaching staff is good. The school is well staffed with appropriately qualified teachers who are effectively deployed. The adult-to-child ratio for children under five years of age meets statutory requirements. Members of the secretarial staff and other non-teaching staff contribute well to the efficient administration of the school. Recently appointed teachers are well supported on taking up their posts. An effective staff appraisal system and a complaints procedure for parents are in place. Background checks have been undertaken on all staff.
1.18 The quality of resources for learning is good. The provision of resources for ICT is good. The ICT suite contains a sufficient number of good quality machines and is efficiently managed by the subject co-ordinator. Computers are available in most classrooms and are networked with those in the ICT suite. Plentiful resources are readily accessible and visits are used well to support the curriculum. Teachers are not allocated set budgets but reasonable requests for equipment are met.
1.19 The library facilities overall are adequate. Collectively, the libraries contain about 3000 books and in addition some classrooms have small libraries that pupils use on an ad hoc basis. Provision of non-fiction for the various subjects of the curriculum varies in quality. The libraries are accessible to pupils throughout the day. Records scrutinised during the inspection indicate that the libraries are underused. The libraries do not have fixed annual budget.
1.20 The buildings and accommodation are good for the numbers, abilities and ages of the pupils, and they are used well to support pupils’ learning. Rooms in the modern junior school building are spacious, light and appropriately furnished, and the recently completed music facility is an excellent facility. The wide range of specialist accommodation contributes to the quality of learning. Corridors and classroom walls throughout the school are enhanced by examples of excellent art work and standards of decoration and maintenance are good. The outdoor space is adequate. The school does not have a playing field on-site but makes good provision through use of other facilities nearby.
Links with Parents and the Community
1.21 The school has developed a very effective partnership with parents and worthwhile links with the community. Parents are well informed about the school and their children’s work and progress. Parents’ response to the pre-inspection questionnaire was very positive. They were pleased with their children’s attainment and progress, with the curriculum, pastoral care, high standards of behaviour and extra-curricular activities. Numerous opportunities are provided for parental involvement in school activities. Many of the governors are parents and the headmaster meets parent representatives termly. The school supports a number of charities. It has a complaints procedure but does not make provision for a person who is independent of the management and running of the school to be present on a panel convened to hear a complaint.
1.22 Good provision is made for pupils’ personal development. Provision for spiritual development is good and many opportunities to raise spiritual awareness and knowledge of self are provided. Provision for moral development is good. Classrooms display the school code of conduct, but the biggest influences on pupils are the high expectations of adults and other pupils in the school community. Provision for social development is good. Pupils have many opportunities to take responsibility, relationships are good, and pupils often work co-operatively. Provision for cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils learn a little about other traditions, cultures and religions in some subjects, and the citizenship programme helps them to understand their own culture. The school policy on PSE is not sufficiently detailed.
1.23 The quality of pastoral care, support and guidance is very good and staff know the pupils well. The school provides very effective support and systems to monitor social and academic progress are good in most subjects. Form teachers encourage pupils’ involvement in extra-curricular activities. Measures to promote good discipline, health and behaviour are effective. Lunches are sufficient in quantity and quality. The head is responsible for the child protection measures, which follow official guidelines. Arrangements to ensure a safe and healthy environment are effective.
1.24 The governance and management of the school are good. They ensure that the aims of the school are met and that a suitable quality of education is provided. Efficient planning ensures that sufficient resources are provided to support the teaching and learning. Management roles are well defined. The headmaster provides very good leadership, ably supported by other members of the senior management team. The leadership places high value on the all-round development of the pupils, including academic, creative and sporting achievement. Governors have a good range of professional and educational expertise that contributes to the success of the school. Subject co-ordinators carry out their roles effectively, though the curriculum groups they lead vary in effectiveness. The quality of strategic planning is good and the school development plan is appropriate. Routine administration in the school is efficient and effective and communication is good.
1.25 The headmaster monitors almost all teachers’ weekly curriculum planning sheets, but subject co-ordinators do not receive this planning. Effective arrangements are in place for the appraisal of teachers and teaching is often monitored by the headmaster. Material resources are monitored by the headmaster and are properly deployed. Almost all statutory requirements are met.
Achievement and Quality in Activities
1.26 The quality of extra-curricular activities is good. Pupils are enthusiastically involved in the activities programme and they attain good standards.
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 |
Yes |
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4. |
Suitability of proprietors and staff |
Yes |
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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 |
It meets almost all of the requirements |
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Actions Required for Compliance with the Regulatory Requirements
1.27 In order to meet all the requirements, the school must:
(1)
Ensure that, where there is a
panel hearing of a complaint, one person will be independent of the management
and running of the school. [Regulation 7.(g)]
1.28 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 need to comply fully with the regulatory requirements are specified in paragraph 1.27. The school has no major weaknesses, but has areas where improvements could be made. The most significant of these are as follows;
R1 Clarify the role of curriculum groups to include responsibility for;
· monitoring curriculum planning;
· monitoring standards attained by pupils.
R2 Refine the scheme of work for PSE to ensure, in particular, greater consistency in the attention paid to pupils’ cultural development.
R3 Address the matter raised in paragraph 1.27; namely the section on Compliance with the Regulations for Registration.
3.1
3.2 National Curriculum nomenclature is used throughout this report to refer to year groups in the school.
3.3 Externally marked National Curriculum Assessments at age 11 (Key Stage 2)
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Most
recent year (2004) |
Average
for the last three years |
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Subject |
Level 4 or higher (%) |
Level 5 or higher (%) |
Level 4 or higher (%) |
Level 5 or higher (%) |
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English |
100 |
87 |
100 |
68 |
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Mathematics |
100 |
91 |
100 |
93 |
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Science |
100 |
90 |
100 |
68 |
3.4 Attendance for Spring Term 2005
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Authorised |
Unauthorised |
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Percentage absence |
6 |
0 |
3.5 Exclusions Over the Previous 12 Months
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Temporary
exclusions |
Permanent
exclusions |
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1 |
0 |
4. Educational Standards Achieved by Pupils at the School
4.1 Pupils attain high standards and make rapid progress overall.
4.2 The substantial majority of parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were pleased with the quality of their child’s attainment and progress.
4.3 At the Foundation Stage, the children’s development is very good. Children’s attainment is high in all aspects of the curriculum; namely, personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development.
4.4 At age 7, pupils’ attainment is high in English and history. It is good in mathematics and music, and satisfactory in science, information and communication technology (ICT), art and physical education (PE) and games.
4.5 At age 11, pupils’ attainment is high in English, art and music, and it is good in mathematics, science, ICT, history and PE and games.
4.6 At age 13, pupils’ attainment is high in English, history, art and music. It is good in science and satisfactory in ICT. In mathematics, impressive attainment in Common Entrance (CE) examinations indicates high levels of attainment, though lessons and pupils’ completed work available for inspection indicated that attainment is satisfactory. In Years 7 and 8, too little work was inspected in PE and games for a reliable assessment of standards.
4.7 This year, Year 8 pupils gained three academic scholarships and two art scholarships to senior schools. In English and mathematics, results in national tests at age 11 over the last three years, at Level 5, were far above the national average for all maintained primary schools. Results in science at Level 5 were well above the national average.
4.8 Pupils make good progr