INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTORATE
INSPECTION REPORT ON
Shoreham College
Full Name of the School	Shoreham College
DfES Number	938/6027
Address	St Julian’s Lane, Shoreham by Sea, West Sussex BN43 6YW
Telephone Number	01273 592681
Fax Number	01273 591673
E-mail Address	info@shorehamcollege.co.uk
Name of Headmaster	Mr Roy Iremonger
Chairman of Governors	Mr Edward Gray
Age Range	3-16	Gender	Mixed
Number of Pupils	420
Inspection Dates	25^th-29^th April 2005

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. MAIN FINDINGS

Overall Summary

1.1 Shoreham College is a small, expanding and improving school for boys and girls aged 3 to 16. Its premises and accommodation are spacious and maintained to a very high standard. Teaching and non-teaching staff are very committed to the school and to pupils’ welfare, while pupils and parents are also very loyal to the school. The great majority of pupils are courteous and hard working. Most senior teaching and non-teaching staff give a good lead. Management structures, however, do not lend themselves to effective monitoring of the curriculum, assessment and special needs, and staff do not always get the best from all pupils in Years 5 to 9.

What the School Does Well

1.2 The school provides very well for pupils in the above average to below average ability range.

· The school community gives strong support to senior management, who in turn ensure a good environment for teaching and learning.

· Pupils’ examination results at the age of 16 are good in relation to their abilities.

· Pupils learn in a secure, attractive and well-resourced environment.

· Through their commitment and encouragement, the teaching and non-teaching staff are a positive influence on pupils’ personal development.

What the School Should Do Better

1.3 The school does not have management systems and staffing arrangements to bring out the best in all of its pupils.

· The coordination of the curriculum and, in some subjects, of teaching is unsatisfactory.

· Standards of classroom management in a few lessons, primarily in Years 5 to 9, are unsatisfactory and allow a small minority of pupils to hinder work.

· Support, especially in-class support, for pupils who have special educational needs, is insufficient.

· Junior pupils are not always set sufficient work. Few senior pupils approach their studies as independent learners who have enquiring minds.

Standards of Attainment and Progress in Subjects

1.4 Overall, pupils achieve satisfactory standards and make sound progress. Standards and progress are often good and a few pupils attain high standards and make rapid progress. Attainment and progress are good in the Nursery and Reception classes, in Years 1 and 2 and Years 10 and 11. Pupils in all years have good knowledge of information and communication technology (ICT). Those in the senior section have good, and those in the junior section sound, literacy and numerical skills.

The Quality of Pupils’ Learning, Attitudes and their Behaviour

1.5 The overall quality of pupils’ learning, attitudes and behaviour is sound. In the main, pupils are competent learners, and most are strongly supportive of the school. The behaviour of a minority, mostly boys in Years 5 to 9, detracts from the good behaviour and learning of the majority.

The Quality of Teaching

1.6 The quality of teaching is good overall. In almost all lessons it meets the needs of the majority of the pupils, and it makes a significant contribution to the quality of pupils’ attainment and progress. In the majority of lessons observed, teaching is at least sound and in nearly one in five it is very good; on occasions it is excellent. A small but significant minority of lessons, however, are not taught effectively. Very good or excellent teaching is often characterised by clear objectives, high expectations, a good pace and the setting of a variety of tasks that arouse pupils’ interest.

Other Aspects of the School

Attendance

1.7 The level of attendance and the school’s procedures for recording registration are very good and meet legal requirements. The office staff follow up any unexplained absence and retain letters of explanation from parents. Admissions registers have long been well kept. The level of attendance by pupils is high. Unauthorised absence is very rare.

Assessment and Recording

1.8 The quality of teachers’ assessment and recording is sound. The whole-school system of recording pupils’ progress by attainment and effort grade mark orders in each subject is well established. Although pupils do not sit externally moderated national tests at the ages of 7, 11 and 14, they take cognitive ability (CAT) tests at regular intervals. A few teachers use their own assessments to plan lessons and schemes of work, but the school does not yet have sufficient data with which to monitor pupils’ progress or to plan the school curriculum. Marking of work by staff is inconsistent, but in many years and subjects it is detailed and constructive.

Curriculum

1.9 The curriculum is sound overall. It is broadly based and in many respects is well balanced, providing an education suited to pupils of all ages and abilities. Through the areas of learning for children under five and the subjects and courses offered to junior and senior pupils, it contributes effectively to their intellectual, physical and personal development, as well as preparing them for the next stage of their education or training. The evaluation of the curriculum, however, is unsatisfactory. Plans to support the curriculum of special needs pupils have been drawn up but are not yet fully implemented.

Teaching and Non-teaching Staff

1.10 Teaching and non-teaching staff provision is good. Almost all staff are well qualified and experienced for the roles they undertake, and they are soundly deployed. The teaching and support staff are industrious and enthusiastic; they contribute significantly to the positive ethos of the school. Induction procedures for newly qualified and newly arrived staff are good. The administrative and other non-teaching staff provide very good support.

Resources for Learning

1.11 The range, quality and organisation of ICT, audio-visual equipment, books and materials needed to support the teaching, learning, and recreation of the pupils is good at all levels. Resources are appropriate to the ages and abilities of the pupils. They are easily accessible and well used, and they contribute effectively to pupils’ attainment.

Libraries

1.12 Library provision is sound. Book stocks adequately support teaching in most, but not all, subjects. Access and supervision are satisfactory overall, although the times at which senior pupils, in particular, can use their library for independent study are limited. Although most junior classrooms have book corners, and a few subject teachers in both sections of the school keep selections of books in their classrooms, classroom and departmental stocks do not significantly augment those in the two main libraries.

Premises and Accommodation

1.13 The school’s premises, accommodation and other facilities are very good for the numbers, ages, abilities and gender of the pupils. They are well used and enable the curriculum to be taught effectively. The school stands in spacious grounds which, like the buildings, are maintained to an excellent standard.

Links with Parents and the Community

1.14 The school has good links with its parents and with the wider community. Parents receive good quality information about the school and its activities. Twice a year they receive good reports on pupils’ attainment and progress. The school welcomes them to all events, and many are members of the Parents Association. Parents responding to a confidential questionnaire distributed before the inspection gave the school strong support. The school has many positive links with the local community.

Pupils’ Personal Development

1.15 The quality of pupils’ personal development across the whole school is good. A wide range of opportunities ensures the promotion of a moral code and promotes the spiritual, cultural and social awareness of pupils. By their commitment and example, the teaching and non-teaching staff contribute positively to pupils’ personal development.

Pastoral Care

1.16 In its arrangements for pastoral care, guidance and welfare, the school cares effectively for the well-being of all of its pupils. It has good systems, formal and informal, for pastoral care, and has good child protection procedures. Pupils understand well its measures to maintain discipline and good order. The school gives high priority to measures to promote health and safety and first-aid. The dining hall serves adequate meals, although not always at suitable times.

Governance and Management

1.17 The quality of governance and management of the school is sound, and in many respects it is good. Good governance ensures the provision of adequate resources to enable staff to provide a rich and successful education for the pupils. The head and other senior staff receive strong support from pupils, staff and parents, although lines of responsibility within the school are not always clear and effective. Middle management is uneven in quality, because pastoral management is stronger than academic. The school’s financial administration is well organised, effective and very good. Very capable non-teaching staff support the academic staff well. Communication within the school, routine administration and documentation are good.

Achievement and Quality in Activities

1.18 The extra-curricular activities the school provides are appropriate for the ages, aptitudes and abilities of the pupils. These activities enrich the curriculum and appropriately support the personal development of the pupils. A good proportion of staff supervise activities, and pupils achieve good standards in them.

Progress Made by the School since its Last Inspection

1.19 The last inspection was in April 1999. Inspectors judged that the school had many good features: the staff, the support of the parents, the nursery, the breadth of the curriculum, and its overall ethos. Weaknesses were: the organisation of pupils in stages that did not mirror National Curriculum key stages, the need for a more rigorous assessment system linked to standard tests, too little use of the excellent new library, too little use of ICT, the lack of a policy for staff development, an unnecessarily complex management structure for the size of the school, the heavy load carried by the head of juniors, and the need for a director of studies. In the last six years, the school has grown in size and greatly improved its accommodation and facilities. It now gives greater priority to staff development, although it has yet to appraise all staff. It has good ICT provision. It has improved the quality of pupil assessment, without linking this to standardised tests. It has modified its management structure to coincide with National Curriculum key stages. Senior pupils, however, still make too little use of the library for personal study, accommodation for DT remains limited, the head of juniors continues to carry heavy responsibility and no member of staff, other than the head, has sole responsibility for coordinating the curriculum.

1.20 A nursery inspection took place in October 2004. Inspectors commended the school for the high quality of its nursery provision.

Compliance with the Regulations for Registration

DfES Standard			Does the school meet the regulatory requirements?
1.	Quality of education:	1.(2) Curriculum	Yes
		1.(3)-(5) Teaching	Yes
2.	Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils		Yes
3.	Welfare, health and safety of pupils		Yes
4.	Suitability of proprietors and staff		Yes
5.	Premises and accommodation		Yes
6.	Provision of information		Yes
7.	Manner in which complaints are to be handled		Yes

Actions Required for Compliance with the Regulatory Requirements

1.21 No action is required.

1.22 In addition, 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. MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS

2.1 The main recommendations are listed below.

R1 Clarify which staff have immediate responsibility, throughout both the junior and senior sections, for monitoring the curriculum, subject development, assessment, and pupils’ progress.

R2 Introduce strategies to improve classroom management and pupil behaviour, and so ensure effective learning by all pupils, especially those in Years 5 to 9.

R3 Develop a coherent and whole-school approach to the teaching of special needs pupils.

R4 Set junior pupils work of sufficient quantity and give senior pupils opportunities to learn independently.

3. INTRODUCTION

Characteristics of the School

3.1 Shoreham College was originally a privately owned boarding school for boys, founded in 1852. In 1968 this became a charitable trust, moving from its premises in the centre of Shoreham to its present location, Kingston House, a substantial manor house with Tudor and more recent features. At the same time it assumed its present name. The first girls were admitted in 1981 and juniors in 1983. A nursery was opened in 1994, when the school stopped taking boarders.

3.2 The present head, having joined the staff in 1979, has been in post since September 1997. The general manager, responsible for non-academic administration and provision, was appointed in January 1997. The school was reorganised in September 2004 to clarify the academic structure and to underline that its three sections, the junior (Nursery, Reception, Years 1 to 6), and the two senior sections, Years 7 to 9 and Years 10 and 11, form one school, each having its own assistant head.

3.3 Numbers in the school have increased considerably in recent years. At the time of the inspection 420 pupils (274 boys and 146 girls) were on the roll. Of these, 161 were in the junior section, (8 boys and 5 girls in the Nursery and Reception classes, and 95 boys and 53 girls in Years 1 to 6. Pupils under the age of 11, therefore, total 151. Senior pupils in Years 7 to 11 numbered 259 (172 boys and 87 girls).

3.4 The majority of pupils’ parents live and work locally. Reflecting the transfer ages of the local maintained schools, most pupils enter the school at the age of 9 into Year 5 or two years later into Year 7. Pupils leave at the end of Year 11 to go to colleges of further education or to the sixth forms of independent or maintained schools.

3.5 The school’s entry policy is non-selective. In ability, therefore, pupils range very widely, from well above to well below the national average. Overall, their ability is broadly in line with the national average. If pupils are performing in line with their abilities, their results at GCSE will be broadly in line with the average for all maintained schools. Very few pupils come from ethnic minority backgrounds and only six pupils do not have English as their first language. No pupil holds a statement of special educational needs (SEN), although the school gives learning support to 30 boys & 6 girls and lists a further 19 (15 boys and 4 girls) as having very mild SEN.

3.6 The school endeavours to meet parents’ expectations for a spacious environment and small classes, none larger than 19 pupils. It sets out clearly its aims and ethos: “a good all-round education to children of varied ability, ensuring that they achieve their full potential”, and “sound discipline, respect for self, respect for others, and responsibility for our actions”. A Church of England foundation, the school aims to “instil values and attitudes in keeping with the Christian tradition.”

Key Indicators

3.7 The school does not enter pupils for national tests at the ages of 7, 11 and 14.

3.8 GCSE

	Most recently completed Year 11			Average for the last three years
	Boys	Girls	All	Boys	Girls	All
Entered for 5+ subjects (%)	100	100	100	100	100	100
Achieved 5+ @ A* - C (%)	87	79	84	83	62	82
Achieved 5+ @ A* - G (%)	100	100	100	100	100	100
Average score per candidate*	46.7	49.7	47.8	48.8	51.4	49.0
Average score per entry*	5.6	5.9	5.7	5.5	5.6	5.5

* Scoring is 8 for GCSE grade A*, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 for grades A – G.

3.9 Attendance for Second Half of the Autumn Term 2004

Authorised

Unauthorised