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INSPECTION REPORT ON |
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Halstead Preparatory School |
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Full Name of the School |
Halstead Preparatory
School |
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DfES Number |
936/6402 |
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Registered Charity Number |
270525 |
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Address |
Woodham
Rise, Woking, GU21 4EE |
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Telephone Number |
01483
772682 |
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Fax Number |
01483
757611 |
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Email Address |
headmistress@halstead-school.org.uk |
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Headteacher |
Mrs
Sabine Fellows |
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Chair of Governors |
Mrs
Sue Herd |
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Age Range |
3-11 |
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Gender |
Girls |
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Inspection Dates |
June
12th – 15th, 2006 |
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 162A(1)(b) of the Education Act 2002, as amended by the Education Act 2005, 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
Halstead
Preparatory School was opened in Kent by its founding proprietor in 1927. It moved to Wiltshire and then in 1947 to its
current site in a former family home on the outskirts of Woking. In 1975 it became a charitable trust. It provides day education for girls from 3 to
11, preparing them for entrance to local independent day and occasionally
boarding schools. The current head has
been in post since 2001. Recent developments
have included a new performing arts, gym and music building, a dedicated
building for Year 6 pupils and improved facilities for information and
communications technology (ICT).
1.2
The school
is committed to single sex education for girls, believing them to have a
different learning pattern to boys. It
aims ‘to provide a
broad and challenging education within a secure and caring Christian
environment, and to educate the whole child.’
It wants girls ‘to leave the school with a good academic foundation,
with a range of skills and talents, perhaps in sports, music art or drama and
with the self-confidence to deal with whatever the future brings.’
1.3
The school
currently has 187 full-time and 19 part-time pupils. All the part-time pupils and 24 full-time
ones are in the Foundation Stage, for pupils of five and under. Forty-two are in Years 1 and 2, and 121 in
Years 3 to 6. Pupils up to Year 2 are in
the pre-prep department, housed in its own building, and older pupils are in
the prep department. Girls come mainly
from professional families and generally live within 5 or 10 miles of the
school.
1.4
The school
is non-selective and girls take no entrance test. Their range of ability is above the national
average. If girls perform in line with
their abilities, their results will therefore be above the national
average. Two girls have statements of
educational need funded by local authorities and a further nine have been
identified by the school as having some special educational need. Three pupils have English as a second
language and receive support from the school.
1.5 National Curriculum nomenclature is used throughout this report to refer to year groups in the school and is the same as that used by the school apart from Reception, which the school refers to as the Kindergarten.
The Educational Experience Provided
2.1 Pupils are both well educated and well prepared for the next stage of their education by the time they leave the school. The school fulfils its aim of providing a broad and challenging education within a secure and caring Christian community. Pupils’ experience has been further enhanced since the last inspection, for example by broadening opportunities in the performing arts.
2.2 The school provides a broad and balanced education which contributes well to all aspects of pupils’ development, as well as to their skills in speaking, listening, literacy and numeracy. A sufficient proportion of curricular time is given to English, mathematics and science, with good opportunities for pupils to develop their skills in the humanities, music, dance, drama, swimming and art and design. In addition to French, some pupils take Latin within the extra-curricular programme. ICT is taught as a discrete subject and some use of it is made across the curriculum, but its potential is not yet fully realised. The curriculum for Years 5 and 6 reflects the need to prepare pupils for entrance examinations to senior schools, but also promotes access to all aspects of the curriculum. However, the length of the school day places some limitations on the time allocated to individual subjects, such as religious education, within this broad curriculum.
2.3 An extensive programme of extra-curricular activities includes music, dance, sports, art, science and chess; it extends and strengthens pupils’ creative and physical development. The ‘cross-curricular fortnight’ offers a stimulating and challenging programme of activities to Year 6 after they have completed entrance examinations to senior schools. The school has also developed links with the community through initiatives within the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum and through a regular programme of fund-raising activities for charities.
2.4 Pupils are well prepared for entrance examinations for several selective independent senior schools; in addition, pupils acknowledge the support and guidance provided by their teachers in preparing them for the more general aspects of moving to senior school. For example, they are given good opportunities to hold positions of responsibility to develop their confidence and social skills.
2.5 Teachers’ planning is thorough and supports the curriculum well. It has improved since the last inspection, when a significant variation in quality and detail between subjects was reported. Current plans are detailed and identify clear learning objectives. The curriculum incorporates national guidelines, through the six areas of learning in the Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum elsewhere. Planning includes evaluation of the effectiveness of lessons and is based, in part, on a good deal of discussion and evaluation between teachers. Teachers take particular care to liaise with staff teaching pupils the following year.
2.6 All pupils benefit from experiencing the full curriculum. Appropriate support is given to those whom the school has identified as having special educational needs; following a change in staff, the school has effective plans to develop this support further. Helpful action plans are written for pupils under initial observation, and those on the school action register have detailed individual education plans; these pupils’ progress is reviewed regularly. Particularly effective use is made of support teachers. The school meets the requirements for the two pupils who have statements of educational need, each having a carer who provides individual support and the school has particularly thorough records for these pupils.
2.7 Small groups of gifted and talented pupils are given extra problem-solving challenges in mathematics; in English and in some work in science more able pupils carry out the same work, but to a higher standard than other pupils. Elsewhere, work done by pupils of differing ability is too similar.
2.8 The very few pupils who have English as an additional language have appropriate support through extra individual or small group lessons.
2.9 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the curriculum [Standard 1].
Pupils’ Learning and Achievements
2.10
By the
time they leave, pupils have extremely well-developed knowledge, understanding
and skills both in and out of the classroom, supported by a mature approach to
their learning. This gives them the good
academic foundation combined with an introduction to a range of skills that is
in line with the school’s aims. These
high standards have been maintained since the time of the last inspection, and
the standards achieved by more able pupils in Year 2 have been improved.
2.11
By the
time they leave the school in Year 6, pupils achieve an excellent grasp of core
academic skills, such as literacy and numeracy.
They are confident and at ease in their writing, and can apply their
substantial body of mathematical knowledge to new problems and situations. They have a particular ability to relate
their experimental observations to a secure understanding of scientific
concepts. They build up creative ideas
most effectively, whether creating complex presentations in ICT or developing
imaginative artwork in a wide range of media.
They learn to reason out problems and become more creative and critical
in their approach to work across the curriculum. This high level of achievement is based on
good standards throughout the school, from the Nursery onwards.
2.12
No differences
in achievement were observed between different groups of pupils. However, their knowledge is less secure in
areas of the curriculum which receive less time, such as religious education,
where some pupils show a limited grasp of the context of the Christian and
other faiths, though they do appreciate the need to understand different
cultural and religious traditions.
2.13
Pupils’
results in national tests at ages 7 and 11 are high for their abilities; in
each case they have been far above the national average for all maintained
primary schools over the past three years.
Over the same period, all pupils have obtained places at their first
choice school and a significant number win scholarships at selective schools.
2.14
Pupils
also perform well in their activities outside the classroom. The school has done well in academic
competitions run for pupils from local schools.
Pupils obtain awards for their work in science from the British Association
of Young Scientists. Their early
experience in the Year 3 music circus underpins the high standards they achieve
in instrumental music; about half the pupils taking individual music
examinations obtain merit or distinction.
A variety of musical groups sing or play with confidence and accuracy,
both in assembly and elsewhere; the choir and orchestra have won their classes
at the local music festival. Sports
teams achieve varied success in their matches, but the school’s policy is to
give experience of match play to as many pupils as possible, rather than always
selecting the same best players.
Nevertheless, the school gained a decisive victory in rounders over a
local school during the course of the inspection, to enthusiastic acclaim.
2.15
Pupils are
very articulate and express ideas accurately, both orally and on paper. They participate fully in discussion,
listening carefully to the views of others and showing self-confidence when
expressing their own opinions. They
write with equal fluency and show a good command of language, both in English
and across the curriculum. Their writing
combines imagination with confidence, clarity with conviction and accuracy with
expression; as a result, it is always interesting to read.
2.16
Pupils are
confident mathematicians who apply themselves to unfamiliar problems. They are able to see how mathematics is used
in everyday life, for example when using bearings in geography or sailing. They use graphs well in science.
2.17
By the
time they leave, pupils have well-developed skills in ICT and produce high
quality work. They use interactive
whiteboards in their classrooms effectively.
At an early age they learn to develop programming skills, for example to
make a set of traffic lights work in sequence.
Pupils make very effective use of word processing across the curriculum,
whether combining poetry with graphics in English or presenting information
they have researched in geography. They
use data loggers in science and are beginning to produce musical scores on
computer. However, most internet
research is done at home and limited use is made of ICT skills in
mathematics. ICT is used particularly
effectively in Year 6, but this potential is not yet fully realised in all
areas of the curriculum on a day-to-day basis.
2.18
In some
areas, pupils show considerable independence of thought and ability to think
for themselves. For example, in science
they always plan their own investigations and at times devise an investigation
entirely themselves. In art, their work
shows both imagination and flair. Poetry
shows empathy, but younger pupils have insufficient opportunity to produce
creative writing. Although pupils say
they enjoy problem-solving, lack of experience means that on some occasions,
they jump to conclusions rather than working through a problem step by step. Pupils make limited use of the library for
research, and on some occasions the books they use are selected by the teacher
rather than being found by the pupils themselves. In part, this is because the library contains
no workspace enabling it to be used as the academic heart of the school and is
not linked directly with the ICT facilities, thus restricting pupils’ ability
to move easily from on-line to book-based research. When they do have the opportunity, such as in
the cross-curricular fortnight in Year 6, pupils engage in independent work
well, producing lively and stimulating projects; these contain a wide variety
of information, which pupils have collected for themselves from a variety of
sources.
2.19
Pupils
work well together in pairs and larger groups.
They bring very positive attitudes, commitment and concentration to
their work. They settle quickly to
written work and stay on task for long periods.
They are always seeking to improve.
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development of Pupils
2.20 The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness well. Since the time of the last inspection, it has enhanced this aspect of education further by introducing the school council and creating more opportunities for pupils to hold positions of responsibility. These arrangements make a significant contribution to the school’s aim of developing pupils’ self-confidence.
2.21 Pupils’ self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence are very well developed. They are beginning to develop both their knowledge of different faiths and their ability to reflect on their own personal beliefs, through assemblies, religious education and PSHE lessons; the latter include visits to local churches and a synagogue. The contribution from assemblies to the school’s ethos is recognised as important by staff, pupils and parents. Led by staff and pupils, they engage pupils by offering a lively and enjoyable programme, and usually combine a clear moral message with the opportunity to worship through prayer and singing. Themes are chosen to deepen pupils’ understanding of both the Christian tradition and other world faiths, as well as promoting moral values and attitudes. In addition, the vicar from a local church, who is also a governor, leads Life Trail workshops for pupils. Pupils are regularly praised and rewarded for their achievements, which contributes to their self-esteem and pride in their work and activities. Similarly, assemblies are used to celebrate both individual and group successes. The respect and care shown to pupils by all the adults in the school are reciprocated through the positive response from pupils and the obvious pride which they have in their school.
2.22 Pupils display a strong moral code, which is sustained by the school’s system of rewards and sanctions and is felt by all to be appropriate and scrupulously fair. Pupils know and understand the principles expressed within the Kindness Code and Golden Rules; for example, Year 5 pupils demonstrated a clear understanding of how people would feel if a precious personal item was damaged by someone else. Manners are excellent and behaviour exemplary.
2.23 Pupils throughout the school are well-developed socially and enjoy working and playing together. They readily accept invitations to take responsibility and strive to fulfil such requests with the greatest performance and commitment. Pupils appreciate how they can contribute to the life of the wider community, including a knowledge of public institutions and services in England; for example, their programme of educational visits includes the Houses of Parliament.
2.24 Pupils respond positively to opportunities for them to learn about different cultures and to help those less fortunate than themselves. They regularly support activities to raise funds for both local and overseas charities. Pupils develop their understanding and appreciation of other cultures through subjects such as geography, history and music. In religious education lessons, pupils learn about major world religions. Invited speakers, including parents, occasionally talk to the pupils about their own religion.
2.25 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils [Standard 2].
The Quality of Teaching (Including Assessment)
2.26
A high
proportion of teaching is good and a significant proportion is
outstanding. It succeeds in its aim to
combine the best of traditional and modern methods. Teaching is significantly better than it was
at the time of the last inspection, and no teaching was seen to be unsatisfactory.
2.27
Teaching
is based on secure subject knowledge, enabling teachers to explain ideas
clearly, and on a sympathetic understanding of pupils’ needs. Teachers are aware of individuals who find
aspects of the work difficult and provide good support for them. Teachers achieve high standards of behaviour
in class and take a firm but positive and supportive approach to their pupils.
2.28
In almost
all respects, teaching is very well planned.
Plenary sessions review objectives and bring together lessons learned. In the best teaching, lessons contain a wide
variety of increasingly challenging activities presented in a well-structured
way. Open-ended investigational work is
at the core of science teaching but is a less obvious component in
mathematics. In some areas of the
school, worksheets are used effectively as a basis for a broader range of
written work; many of these worksheets are of high quality and devised in
school. However, in some years, too much
of the work is based on worksheets, giving limited opportunity for independent
working or for pupils to plan how they will tackle an issue for
themselves. In these lessons, pupils of
differing ability are often set the same work to do, not meeting their differing
needs.
2.29
Almost all
lessons present pupils with interest and challenge, so that they are encouraged
to apply themselves to the full. High
achievement in mathematics reflects rigorous teaching, and high expectation in
English provides pupils with a stimulating and interesting experience as they
move up through the school. Work in
science goes beyond the immediately obvious; pupils are challenged both in
class and in science club to think for themselves and to plan their own work. Good use is made of question-and-answer in
many lessons to extend pupils’ thinking and develop their ideas. Occasionally, the pace of the lesson is
misjudged, being either too fast, so that some pupils cannot keep up, or too
slow so that pupils spend too much of the lesson being inactive. Some lessons for younger pupils are too
teacher directed, giving too little opportunity for pupils’ own ideas.
2.30
The
division of pupils into ability groups for English and mathematics in Years 5
and 6 enables teachers to provide work appropriate to pupils’ differing
abilities. Some work provides very good
opportunities for pupils to carry out the same tasks at different levels, for
example when they analyse the outcomes of an experiment differently or produce
artwork of different quality. In other
lessons, extension work is provided when pupils have finished the main task, or
through support groups. In a few
lessons, pupils of differing ability are set tasks suitable to their abilities
from the start of the lesson; more frequently this is not the case and, as a
result, the tasks set early in the lesson are too easy for some pupils. The school is aware of the need to provide
more explicitly for pupils of differing abilities.
2.31
Teachers
make very effective use of resources, especially the interactive whiteboards
which provide a stimulating and varied medium for many lessons. Homework is set regularly. Some parents complained there was too much,
but pupils to whom inspectors spoke did not think this was an issue.
2.32
In almost
all cases, teachers provide good feedback to pupils about their written work,
either through formal marking or through discussion. Pupils feel that they know where they stand.
2.33
The school
makes good use of regular assessment to monitor pupils’ progress, and some use
is made of target setting, for example in English and science, to identify
where pupils need to improve.
Information from a variety of assessment tests is used well to modify
long- and short-term planning where necessary.
2.34 The school meets the regulatory requirements for teaching [Standard 1].
3. THE QUALITY OF CARE AND RELATIONSHIPS
The Quality of Pastoral Care, and the Welfare, Health and Safety of Pupils
3.1 The pastoral care of the pupils is outstanding; it reflects the school’s aim to provide a secure and caring environment for its pupils. The high standard of pastoral care has been maintained since the time of the previous inspection and is now further enhanced by an updated PSHE policy and scheme of work.
3.2 Halstead is a happy school where pupils appreciate the high quality of support and guidance they receive from staff. The warm and confident relationships at all levels in the school form a secure basis for the effective system of pastoral care, which is overseen by the form teachers. Staff have frequent opportunities to discuss any pupils who may give cause for concern and do so with detailed knowledge and sensitivity.
3.3 The quality of relationships between staff and pupils is excellent. Staff know pupils very well. Girls take responsibility for each other and older pupils have opportunities at the beginning of the morning and lunchtimes to build relationships with, and help, younger ones. Year 6 pupils support those in the Nursery. The friendship bench in the play area provides a place where pupils may go if they need company and support. Family grouping at lunchtimes further supports the caring ethos of the school.
3.4 Pupils are well behaved; they move around the school sensibly and are polite to guests. They understand and respect the school’s rewards and sanctions for encouraging good behaviour. They are confident that teachers will deal effectively with any difficulties between pupils on the rare occasion they arise. Parents feel the school has a gentle nurturing atmosphere and that it manages pastoral issues very well.
3.5 The school has very appropriate arrangements for medical care and first aid. Child protection procedures meet current requirements. Suitable steps have been taken to reduce risk from fire and other hazards, and to develop policies and procedures for health and safety. Pupils of all ages say they enjoy the lunches. Admission and attendance registers meet legal requirements. Effective arrangements are made for extended care at the beginning and end of the day, but the school has only just begun the process of registering these arrangements with Ofsted.
3.6 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the welfare, health and safety of pupils [Standard 3].
The Quality of Links with Parents and the Community
3.7 Links with parents are very positive and the school has appropriate links with the local community. The school meets its aim to work together with parents in the education of their daughters. Reports to parents, identified as needing improvement in the last inspection report, are now of high quality.
3.8 Parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were very satisfied with the teaching, the range of subjects, the high standards of pupils’ behaviour and the attitudes and values promoted by the school. A few parents were concerned about the amount of homework, the opportunities to discuss their children’s progress, their opportunities to be involved in the life of the school and the school’s handling of their concerns. Inspectors found that parents have good opportunities for discussions about their children’s progress beyond formal parent evenings and to be involved in the life of the school. Pupils did not comment adversely about homework when discussing it with the inspectors. The school carefully considers any parental concerns and makes changes to arrangements where appropriate. It has an appropriate complaints procedure.
3.9 Information is provided for parents in many ways. The prospectus and website are helpful and attractive, as are calendars and regular newsletters. The parents’ handbook is detailed and wide ranging. Parents are invited to attend an information evening about the curriculum at the start of the academic year and the school holds formal parents’ evenings in the Autumn and Spring terms; in the Summer term they have the opportunity to discuss their children’s reports. All pupils have a very comprehensive written report towards the end of the Summer term and halfway through the school year pupils in Years 3 to 6 also have a record card indicating their effort and achievement; reports are of high quality and indicate clearly what pupils can do and how their work may be improved..
3.10 Parents have a wide range of opportunities to be involved in the life of the school. Reading record books and homework diaries provide an easy and effective means of contact between home and school. Parents are welcomed at matches, concerts and productions, class assemblies and the annual carol service; a large group came to an excellent assembly presented by the Reception class during the inspection. Parents with special skills, professional expertise or cultural knowledge are invited to visit the school to talk to the pupils. From time to time, mathematics or reading workshops are organised for the parents. The Way and Means Committee and form representatives are a very valued and active link between parents and the school. The committee is very supportive of the school and organises a range of social and fund-raising events. It has recently provided the school with a sound system and interactive whiteboards and also made generous donations to the local centre for the disabled. The school values parents’ views, which it collects through a parental questionnaire conducted every few years.
3.11 The school has appropriate links with the community; charitable links are particularly strong. Harvest festival gifts are given to local charities for the homeless and for vulnerable young people. Each year, pupils in each house choose a charity to support in addition to those chosen by the staff for the school as a whole; currently, these include the RNLI, the Make-a-Wish Foundation and SOS Children’s Villages. A spellathon and a sponsored skip recently raised considerable sums of money for other good causes. Girls support the Romanian Christmas shoebox appeal.
3.12 The school has close ties with the local parish church. Local children are welcome to join the Brownie pack or to attend the Summer holiday musical theatre course. The chamber choir sings evensong at St George’s Chapel, Windsor once a year and girls have participated in a national concert at the Royal Albert Hall in aid of Barnardo’s. At Christmas, they sing to the elderly and disadvantaged. Girls participate in the Woking Music Festival.
3.13 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the provision of information and the manner in which complaints are to be handled [Standards 6 and 7].
4. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
4.1
Governors
give very extensive leadership, advice and challenge to the school, enabling it
to fulfill its aims of providing a broad and challenging education within a
secure and Christian learning environment.
Governors have continued to give the support reported at the time of the
last inspection and have developed a very positive working relationship with
the current headmistress.
4.2
Governors
have a very broad range of relevant experience and expertise with particularly
good representation from those working in education. The sequence of sub-committees is well
thought out to ensure that issues are worked through in a logical order before
being presented at a full governors’ meeting.
4.3
Governors
take their responsibilities very seriously and give a good deal of time to
school business. Their commitment and
expertise have enabled the school to engage in a number of high quality
developments, such as the relatively new pre-prep building which meets pupils’
needs very well. Their meetings focus
sharply on important issues and they give due attention to matters such as
child protection and health and safety.
They take advantage of opportunities to attend governor training and
some join staff for their whole-school in-service training days from time to
time, most recently on child protection.
4.4
Relationships
between staff and governors are very positive.
Staff appreciate the visits governors make to their classes. Senior staff are well represented on
governors’ sub-committees and both the head and deputy attend full
meetings. This, together with the fact
that many governors are past or current parents, gives governors a clear
insight into the school and its needs, enabling them to draw up clear
priorities and to hold school managers to account in an appropriate way. In their meetings, especially of the
education committee, they provide support, advice and challenge to both staff
and head.
The Quality of Leadership and Management
4.5
Pupils
benefit from the strong leadership and clear sense of direction which permeate
the school and enable it to meet its aims of providing a broad and challenging
education for the whole child. The
school has improved development planning since the last inspection and
developed clearer roles for head and subject leaders.
4.6
The school
has identified areas of development accurately and sets appropriate priorities
as a result. The clear vision provided
by the head is implemented through efficient meetings of the senior management
team and very effective subject leadership.
Development planning at all levels provides a clear plan for each area
of the school as well as for the school as a whole. Overall priorities are linked to in-service
training so that, for example, all staff have been working to improve
handwriting skills following in-service training earlier in the year. Monitoring is based on annual work sampling,
a limited amount of observation of classroom teaching and some monitoring of
planning.
4.7
The school
has a full set of policies covering all areas of its work and these are
reviewed on a regular basis. It is
sensitive to the need to examine aspects of its work and practice and uses
parental questionnaires as an important part of this process. Senior management team meetings provide an
effective forum for reviewing both policies and practice.
4.8
The school
is successful in recruiting and retaining high quality staff, who are
hardworking and fully committed to both the school and its pupils. It has very well developed procedures for
induction and professional development, supported by targets set at
three-yearly appraisals. Staff appreciate
the contribution these make to their work and the commitment to staff development
demonstrated by the school being awarded Investors in People
accreditation. Procedures for supporting
newly qualified teachers, reading and classroom assistants are very thorough
and appreciated by staff.
4.9
The very
effective management of the school’s finances enables it to be well resourced
and to develop its accommodation well.
New facilities are of high quality and the school is set in
well-maintained and attractive grounds.
The recently purchased interactive whiteboards are already making a considerable
contribution to classroom teaching.
Although library facilities have been much improved since the last
inspection, full use is not yet made of them.
The school is well organised and runs smoothly, as a result of the
valuable support provided by administrative, bursarial, catering and
maintenance staff.
4.10 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the suitability of proprietors and staff and for premises and accommodation [Standards 4 and 5].
4.11 The school participates in the national scheme for the induction of newly qualified teachers and meets its requirements.
5.1
Halstead
Preparatory School provides a broad and balanced education which prepares
pupils very well for the move to senior schools, at which a significant number
win scholarships. Pupils achieve high
standards in national tests, as well as in creative areas such as art and
music. The school introduces pupils to a
wide range of interests, both through subjects such as drama, dance and music
and through an extensive programme of extra-curricular activities. By the time pupils leave, they have extremely
well-developed knowledge, understanding and skills both in and out of the
classroom, combined with a mature approach to their learning. Their positive and focussed approach to their
work benefits much from the considerable amount of support they receive from
their teachers. However, younger pupils
do not have sufficient opportunity for independent work and creative
writing. In some years worksheets are
used too frequently and full use is not made of the library. Excellent pastoral care, together with
extensive opportunities to take on responsibilities and to contribute to the
needs of others, enable pupils to develop personally; their
self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence are very well developed and
they relate very well to others. The school has a clear sense of direction
created by governors, head and senior staff alike, under the strong leadership
of the head; all staff are both hardworking and fully committed to the pupils
in their care. The school works well
with parents in meeting pupils’ needs.
However, the process for registering the school’s good provision for
after-school care has not yet been completed.
5.2 Since the last inspection, the school has broadened opportunities in the performing arts, introduced a school council and created more opportunities for pupils to hold positions of responsibility. Teaching has been improved significantly and, in particular, now enables more able pupils in Year 2 to achieve higher standards. Provision for PSHE has been improved, as has the quality of reports. The school has improved development planning since the last inspection and the roles for head and subject leaders are now clearer.
5.3 The school meets all the regulatory requirements.
5.4
The school
has no significant weaknesses. To
further improve the good quality of education it already provides it should:
1.
continue
to increase opportunities for pupils to engage in independent learning by
·
reviewing
the use of the library and extending the use of ICT further across the
curriculum,
·
developing
greater opportunities for creative and independent writing especially amongst
younger pupils,
·
reviewing
the quantity and use of worksheets to ensure that all practice is as good as
the best;
2.
complete
the process of registering provision for after-school care.
5.5
No action in respect of
regulatory requirements is required.
6. summary of inspection evidence
6.1 The inspection was carried out from June 12th to 15th, 2006. The inspectors examined samples of pupils’ work, observed lessons and conducted formal interviews with pupils. They held discussions with teaching and non-teaching staff and with governors, observed a sample of the extra-curricular activities that occurred during the inspection period, and attended registration sessions and assemblies. The responses of parents to pre-inspection questionnaires were analysed, and the inspectors examined a range of documentation made available by the school.
|
Ian Newton |
Reporting Inspector; former Head, HMC school |
|
Michael Connolly |
Head, IAPS school |
|
Sheila Hayward |
Former Head, IAPS school |
|
Susan West |
Head of Pre-Prep, IAPS school |