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INSPECTION REPORT ON |
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The junior
school was inspected at the same time and a separate report published. |
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Full Name of the School |
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DfES Number |
933/6029 |
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Address |
Wells, |
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Telephone
Number |
01749 834200 |
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Fax Number |
01749 834201 |
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E-mail Address |
Main-office@wells-cathedral-school.com |
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Name of Head |
Mrs Elizabeth Cairncross |
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Chairman of
Governors |
The Very Reverend John Clarke, Dean of Wells |
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11-18 |
Gender |
Mixed |
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Number of
Pupils |
478 |
Number of Boarders |
197 |
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Inspection
Dates |
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This inspection report follows the frame
The inspection was not carried out in conjunction with the
Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and the report does not contain
specific judgements on the National Minimum Boarding Standards. It comments on the progress made by the
school in meeting the recommendations set out in the most recent statutory
boarding inspection and evaluates the quality of the boarding experience and
its contribution to pupils’ education and development in general.
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
is very successful as a unique provider of specialist musical education in the
context of a mainstream school. The
curriculum provides well for the majority of pupils, who are not music
specialists, and outstandingly well for those who are. Pupils achieve well academically and
standards in music are exceptionally high.
The very good pastoral care, the breadth of extra-curricular activities
and the wealth of opportunities for pupils’ personal and social development
complement the academic elements very effectively. Some shortfalls exist in academic monitoring
and in a few areas of the accommodation.
1.2
The school
has a number of strengths, of which the following are the most important.
·
Musically
talented pupils reach exceptionally high levels of knowledge, understanding and
performance.
·
At age 18,
pupils achieve very good examination results in relation to their abilities in
a broad range of subjects.
·
The strong
community ethos results from the very good quality of relationships between
girls and boys, boarding and day, specialist musicians and all other pupils.
·
The
teaching and non-teaching staff are deeply committed to providing the best for
pupils and they give their time generously with that aim.
·
The full
programme of activities and very good links with the local, regional and
national communities enrich the life of the school substantially.
What
the School Should Do Better
1.3
The
following shortcomings need attention.
·
Elements of
the academic management are undeveloped, leading to insufficient monitoring of
aspects of the school’s performance, including teaching and learning and use of
assessment data.
·
Some
teaching areas are shabby or unsuitable for the purpose.
Standards
of Attainment and Progress in Subjects
1.4
Pupils
achieve good and frequently very good standards across the curriculum. Attainment in music is consistently very good
and often excellent. Pupils across the
ability range make good and sometimes rapid progress at each stage in the
school. Pupils’ attainment in GCSE examinations
is good in relation to their abilities.
Over the last three years, results have improved progressively to a
point where the average points per subject and the proportion of grades A*/A
now exceed the national averages for maintained selective schools. At AS/A Level, pupils’ attainment is also
good in relation to their abilities.
Results over the last three years have been well above the national
average for maintained selective schools, both for the average points scored
per subject and for the proportion of grades A/B.
The
Quality of Pupils’ Learning, Attitudes and their Behaviour
1.5
The quality
of learning, attitudes and behaviour is good and frequently very good; it is
always at least sound and sometimes excellent, especially in music. Examples of
very good quality occur across the age range, but particularly in Years 12 and
13. Very good responses to challenging
questions, perseverance in solving problems and the ability to correct their
own mistakes characterise learning at its best.
Some pupils face additional challenges as a result of a learning
difficulty or because English is not their first language. Most overcome them but a few who would
benefit from additional support do not receive it consistently enough.
1.6
The quality
of teaching is good and frequently very good.
It contributes effectively to pupils’ attainment and progress at each
stage. Teachers’ knowledge and
understanding of their subjects is very good.
Teaching usually has high expectations and challenge. The music teaching is consistently very good
and frequently excellent, but excellent teaching occurs in many lessons in a
wide variety of subjects. The pace of
lessons is often good, particularly among pupils preparing for public
examinations. The potential of
information and communication technology (ICT) and the library to support the
teaching are under-exploited in some subjects.
1.7
The level
of pupils’ attendance is excellent. The
admission procedures are properly followed.
Registration occurs twice daily and is efficiently conducted. Procedures are in place to check any
absence. Teachers begin lessons
punctually. Pupils’ punctuality
varies. A significant number arrive late
for lessons partly as a result of widely dispersed classrooms, partly because
of specialist music tuition. The effect
on attainment and progress is not significant.
1.8
Methods
used for assessing and recording pupils’ achievements, progress and needs are
good and are, in general, accurate, consistent and effective. Marking and regular
assessments are carefully done, but not all subjects make specific use of the
resulting data to influence teaching and plan the improvement of learning and
progress in lessons. The link between assessment and curriculum
planning is not always explicit.
1.9
The
curriculum is good, with excellence in the provision of music. All pupils follow a balanced compulsory core
curriculum, enriched through sport and extra-curricular activities. The curriculum is planned effectively to
provide continuity of study and progression in learning for all pupils. The range and variety of subjects available
is good. The curricular choices
available to pupils are further broadened by several excellent partnership
arrangements with local schools and by a rich programme of activities.
Teaching and Non-teaching Staff
1.10
The number,
qualifications and experience of the teaching staff are good throughout the
school and excellent in the music department, where the staff are very highly
qualified and experienced. The staff are
effectively deployed. Policies and
procedures for induction, appraisal, training and professional development are
in place, although some have yet to be implemented in full. A very good team spirit marks most
departments, but the sharing of good practice and fostering of collaborative
working are only now beginning to emerge.
1.11
The
provision and use of resources for learning are good for the most part. Excellent facilities are used well for
music. Provision and use of books and
equipment in other academic departments are good. The contribution of ICT to pupils’ quality of
education is sound overall but some departments make little use of the
facilities available.
1.12
Library
facilities are good: they are well managed and offer positive support for the
curriculum. They are used well for
individual study and reading for pleasure, but use by subject departments
varies widely.
1.13
The accommodation
offered by the present buildings is adequate for most subjects and for
boarding. Some teaching spaces are
cramped for the numbers using them. They
restrict the teaching and learning activities that can take place but, on the
whole, the accommodation meets the needs of the pupils and supports the current
curriculum satisfactorily. Maintenance of facilities is very good and the
decoration of most buildings is good. The building development programme has
brought about significant improvements over the last five years.
Links with Parents and the Community
1.14
Links with
parents are good and with the wider community they are excellent. Parents receive good information about their
children’s progress. They have suitable
opportunities to become involved in school activities. The school handles any complaints with due
care. More than two-thirds of parents
replying to the pre-inspection survey of their views were entirely supportive
of the school. A minority of respondents
made criticisms. The inspection showed
that the concerns were not justified, except that parents had not received
information about some matters of school policy. Plans are in hand to put right this omission.
1.15
The school has an excellent range of innovative partnerships with
the community. The music department
holds workshops, seminars for primary school music teachers, instrumental days,
classroom visits and young people’s concerts.
Useful links also exist with local businesses and, of course, with the
life and work of the cathedral.
1.16
The
provision for pupils’ spiritual and moral, social and cultural development is
very good. A wide range of opportunities
is in place for pupils to develop a system of spiritual beliefs and a moral
code, as well as developing personally, socially and culturally.
1.17
The
school’s provision for pastoral care, support and guidance is very good. The personal and academic welfare of the
pupils is well supported and pupils are safe and well cared for. Relationships in the school are characterised
by a relaxed, respectful rapport based on mutual trust and respect. The school climate is one of openness and
tolerance in which pupils feel confident to be themselves, to take risks and to
aim to be the best they can.
1.18
No
Commission for Social Care Inspection team took part in the inspection.
1.19
Governance
and management are sound overall with good and very good features. Several areas of the school’s life are well
led and managed, including music, pastoral care and maintenance of the strong
community ethos. Some aspects of
academic and strategic management are insufficiently developed. The management of faculties and departments
is uneven and monitoring of their performance by the senior management team is
not sufficiently rigorous. The school
has realistic aims and the staff and governors enable them to be achieved to a
high degree.
Achievement and Quality in Activities
1.20
The overall
achievement and quality in the activities provided are very good. The range of activities offered is well suited
to the ages and abilities of the pupils and provides a balance between the
aesthetic, the sporting and the recreational.
The active involvement of senior pupils in running teams and societies
develops their leadership qualities effectively.
Progress
Made by the School since its Last Inspection
1.21
The
previous inspection was carried out six years ago by a team from HMC. The recommendations made in the ensuing
report have all been acted on; those concerned with refurbishing the houses and
the music practice rooms continue to receive ongoing attention. The recommendation concerning management
structures and more delegation has been addressed vigorously and considerable
advances have been made. The monitoring
and evaluating role of the senior team now needs to be further developed.
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 |
It meets almost all of
the requirements |
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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
1.22
In order to
meet all the requirements, the school must:
(1) publish to all parents particulars of educational and welfare provisions for pupils with statements and those for whom English is an additional language; [6. (1) f] and
(2) ensure that parents and prospective parents are aware of the full range of policies available to them. [6. (1) g; h; j]
1.23
In addition
to the actions set out above, the school is asked to deal with the 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.
2.1
The actions
needed to comply fully with the regulatory requirements are specified in
paragraph 1.22 of the report. Some
points for action, intended to help the school’s further development, are
identified in the body of the report. In addition to responding to these, the
school should pay attention to the following recommendations.
R1
The senior
management team and the governing body should develop their monitoring and
evaluating roles, with a view to the further improvement of:
·
the quality
of teaching and learning;
·
the use of
assessment data;
·
the use
of resources, such as ICT and the library.
R2
As
resources permit, the school should continue to improve the accommodation.
3.1
3.2 Music specialists concentrate on their musical development with a reduced non-musical curriculum to allow for individual music lessons, ensemble work and practice. Special provision musicians experience a wider curriculum with a smaller musical element, although the musical education they receive is far more intense than that received by those designated musician who also receive a wider musical education than pupils in other schools.
3.3
The school has 478 pupils, boys
slightly outnumbering girls overall.
Boarders, full-time or part-time, form about two-fifths of the total;
they constitute about a quarter of Years 7 to 9 and a half of Years 10 to
13. Approximately half of the Year 7
pupils come from the
3.4
Pupils entering Year 7,
including those from the
3.5 The overwhelming majority of leavers at age 18 enter higher education to study courses in a wide range of subjects. Most of the specialist musicians gain places at music colleges. One pupil has a statement of special educational need. The school has identified 11 pupils as needing special learning support, mostly for dyslexia or related needs. Nearly one-third of pupils is identified as gifted musicians and is provided with a special programme.
3.6 In its mission statement, the school states that it strives ‘to enable students to discover themselves through high academic standards, musical excellence, an extensive range of opportunities and an expectation of commitment to the wider world.’ In pursuit of this aim, the business plan includes a continuous programme of improvement and refurbishment of the existing premises, and the continued the acquisition of appropriate resources to support teaching and learning in a contemporary context.
3.7
The
3.8 National Curriculum nomenclature is used throughout this report to refer to year groups in the school.
3.9 Externally marked National Curriculum Assessments at age 14 (Key Stage 3)
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Most recent year |
Average for the last three years |
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Subject |
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Level 5 or higher
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Level 6 or higher
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Level 5 or higher
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Level 6 or higher
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English |
Boys |
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