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INSPECTION REPORT ON |
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Our Lady of |
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Full Name of the School |
Our Lady of |
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DfES Number |
9386030 |
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Registered Charity Number |
248747 |
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Address |
Westbrooke, Worthing, W. Sussex, BN11 1RE. (Junior) |
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Telephone Number |
01903 204063 (Senior) 01903 204062 (Junior) |
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Fax Number |
01903 214434 (Senior) 01903 213075 (Junior) |
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Email Address |
enquiries@sionschool.org.uk |
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Headmaster |
Michael Scullion M.A. B.Ed. |
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Chair of Governors |
Mrs. Penny Eggebrecht M.B.A. |
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Age Range |
2½ – 18 |
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Gender |
Mixed |
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Inspection Dates |
25th –28th
September 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 School 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 Our Lady of Sion School is an independent Christian co-educational day school founded by the Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Sion. Its aims are derived from the mission of the Sisters, and are designed to embrace students, staff and parents of all faiths or none in a community partnership that values individuals. It seeks to follow the lead of its founders in fostering mutual understanding between people of different religious and cultural traditions, enabling pupils to reach their highest potential in a caring atmosphere, and encouraging staff and pupils to engage in the wider community, addressing the future well-being of society in light of Christian teaching. These aims have always underpinned the school’s educational aspirations, as has its motto “Consideration always”.
1.1 The original girls’ boarding school was established in 1862 as an adjunct to the convent. Some years ago the nuns moved into separate convent accommodation adjacent to the senior school, sharing the overall site and maintaining a lively interest in the school’s life. The nuns retain an interest in teaching and other activities across the school, with one nun helping in junior school, and some are involved with the school’s governance.
1.2 Over the years the school has expanded to fill its current urban site close to the centre of Worthing and now includes a nursery and a junior school, housed a few hundred yards away from the senior school. The nursery has 20 part-time pupils on roll, six being boys, and the junior school has 144 full-time pupils aged 4 to 11; 56 of the junior school pupils are boys. The senior school has 323 pupils, 76 of whom are in the sixth form. One hundred and seventy of the senior school pupils are boys. The school is fully co-educational, therefore, and, since the late-twentieth century, has been for day pupils only.
1.3 The pupils’ average ability profile on entry to the school is slightly above the national average, and ranges from average to well above average. If pupils are performing in line with their abilities they will be just above the average for all maintained schools. Two pupils in the junior school and six in senior school have English as an additional language (EAL), but are fluent in English. No pupils are identified as having special educational need related to the national Code of Practice, but three pupils in junior school and seven in senior school have been identified as having learning difficulties. Whilst not rigorously selective the school seeks to ensure that all its pupils are able to follow and successfully complete an academic programme designed to lead to the GCSE and A level work. Pupils are tested with this in mind especially when entering the senior school. In recent years just over 50 per cent of pupils in Year 11 have transferred into the school’s sixth form but in 2006 this figure rose to around 80 per cent. A few external pupils enter the school’s sixth form annually. Most sixth form pupils move on to higher education on leaving school.
1.4 National Curriculum nomenclature is used throughout this report to refer to year groups in the school.
The Educational Experience Provided
2.1 The school is continuing to provide the broadly based curriculum reported at the time of the last inspection, when it was said to contribute effectively to pupils’ intellectual, physical and personal development.
2.2 At the foundation stage children benefit from the good provision, make good progress and achieve good standards in the early years six areas of experience. By the time they transfer to Year 1 they are well prepared for the new challenges of the National Curriculum. The junior school provides effectively for the linguistic development of pupils in Years 1 to 6 through the specific subjects of English and French, and also through literacy in other subjects throughout the curriculum, where they also develop their oral and listening skills well. In mathematics and science pupils develop a better than average understanding of number and the value of testing out theories, skills they confidently use in other subjects. The school rightly believes that it has reasonable provision for the technological development of its pupils in junior school, especially as the provision for information and communication technology (ICT) has been enhanced since the last inspection and design and technology is also provided. Pupils develop a useful range of ICT skills in the planned ICT lessons, though their use across the curriculum remains limited. The high standards reached in music and art and the enjoyment they gain from physical education further pupils’ aesthetic, creative and physical development well.
2.3 These curricular experiences are positively enriched through an attractive programme of extra-curricular activities. Pupils have opportunities for a wide range of visits, including residential experience for the older pupils. In line with the school’s aim to contribute to the community, the school joins in various festivals, charities, elements of the local parish programme and, in a wider context, sister schools in different parts of the world. Children’s understanding and knowledge of other beliefs and cultures are enhanced through teaching on faiths such as Judaism and Islam in religious studies and different life styles in history and geography.
2.4 Subject schemes of work provide an effective basis for teachers’ mid- and short-term planning, ensuring a range of appropriate learning experiences for pupils. All pupils have ready access to all that the school provides.
2.5 In the main, teaching seeks to cater for the small number of pupils with learning difficulties well and some of the planning provides work suited to their different needs. The provision of work for pupils of different abilities is not consistent across the curriculum, and in several lessons observed teaching did not challenge the most able sufficiently. The three pupils with individual education plans are well supported.
2.6 Links between the foundation stage and Year 1 are good and the arrangements for transfer help pupils to settle quickly. The junior school also prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education, providing them with the knowledge, understanding and skills required to do well in the senior school or any other secondary school that the very few pupils who do not move into the senior school are likely to enter. For the great majority of pupils who continue into the senior school the two induction days contribute well to the smooth transition. The links between the junior and senior school have improved since the last inspection, particularly as a result of the discussion of whole-school policies and procedures among senior management and in the exchange of general information. Liaison on the strengths and weaknesses of individual pupils and curricular experiences they have enjoyed is not as effective. Those with responsibility for the same subject in the different schools rarely meet to discuss what the pupils are doing.
2.7 The positive educational experiences pupils have enjoyed in the junior school continue in the senior school and provision remains, to a large extent, in line with the aims for the school. The generally small classes and caring community ensure that all pupils benefit equitably from what the school offers.
2.8 The curriculum provides a suitably broad range of subjects up to Year 9, with strong linguistic provision through English, French, German, Spanish and Latin. Pupils also follow all the subjects of the National Curriculum, with the addition of dance and drama, which provide effectively for pupils’ academic, spiritual, physical, moral and social development. In Years 10 and 11 pupils have a suitable menu of compulsory subjects and a good range of other subjects from which they can choose to complete their curricular programme. A wide range of AS Level subjects and A Level subjects is offered in the sixth form. The arrangements for personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) after Year 7, leads to the normal timetable being suspended at various times of the year, enabling the school to focus for longer periods on particular aspects of the course and invite outside speakers into school, thus furthering the school’s aim of preparing pupils for a future life in society guided by Christian teaching.
2.9 The good provision for careers education, the guidance pupils receive in relation to higher education, and the personal advice given to pupils and parents help to prepare pupils for the next stage of their education or life at work. This is supplemented with experiences that pupils say they enjoy, such as work experience and community service.
2.10 The number and variety of school trips and visits have improved since the last inspection and now provide a positive addition to the pupils’ curriculum. The extra-curricular activities, which include sport, music, art, dance and drama at lunchtime and after school provide rich experiences for pupils. The range of clubs and societies is more limited than expected for a school of this type, a point mentioned by parents and some senior pupils, particularly boys. The school feels that the range of clubs and societies is the result of the limited response of pupils rather than the provision on offer. Inspectors found mixed views on the range of activities and the reasons for this among pupils, which reflect their answers to the pre-inspection questionnaire.
2.11 Curriculum planning is thorough, with subject handbooks and schemes of work providing a secure basis for teaching. Most pupils are well served and all have access to what the school provides. The provision for pupils with different abilities is inconsistent, with some subjects arranging groups by ability and others not, and some teachers providing different work for pupils of different abilities while others do not. In general, the most able are not always sufficiently stretched and staff are not trained to provide adequately for the very few pupils who have learning difficulties and who may have a psychologist’s report.
2.12 Links with the community are better than at the time of the last inspection. Opportunities exist for voluntary service, notably helped through links with local agencies that provide placements for pupils inside the local community, and for work experience for Years 11-13, organised by parents or the local authority careers service. Participation in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme also provides opportunities for community involvement and six pupils achieved awards last year, with two at gold level.
2.13 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the curriculum [Standard 1].
Pupils’ Learning and Achievements
2.14 Pupils are doing well in their studies throughout the school. The school has continued to build on the good quality work reported at the last inspection. It has made a successful effort to improve pupils’ standards in ICT, in which pupils were gaining increasing confidence at the time of the last inspection, and further developing pupils’ skills in literacy and numeracy.
2.15 In the Foundation Stage standards are above average. By the time pupils enter Year 1 they are achieving beyond the expected goals for their age group, with the school fulfilling its aim of enabling pupils to reach their potential in a caring atmosphere. Between Years 1 to 6 pupils achieve well, developing their oral and number skills and using them confidently across the curriculum. Standards are particularly strong in the performing and creative arts, with many pupils showing talent in music and art. Standards in ICT and humanities are now secure. The well-equipped ICT suite has assisted in the raising of skills and knowledge. In French and physical education (PE) pupils make positive gains. Boys and girls are making similar progress and achieving similar standards and those with learning difficulties make good progress. The progress of the less able reflects the good support they receive.
2.16 In the senior school pupils reach good and sometimes high standards. They have ready understanding of the issues raised in the subjects they study and cope well with work of increasing difficulty. In work observed, girls and boys achieved similarly whether it be in class or in the quality of their recorded work. In GCSE, girls tend to achieve better results than boys; and the school has introduced a skills course in Year 11 to give further support to those pupils who require it to do well in their examinations. At A level in 2006 boys did better than girls.
2.17 Pupils’ achievement in GCSE is good in relation to their abilities. At GCSE pupils have achieved well above the national average for all maintained schools over the three years 2003-2005, the last for which official figures are available. Results were even better in 2006. Results in English literature, mathematics and music have tended to be among the best. Pupils also perform well at A level although the cohort is too small to compare averages against national statistics. The school’s overall results at A level were better in 2006 than in 2005 and in line with those for 2004 with pupils performing well in biology, psychology, design technology, ICT and the more recently introduced sports studies.
2.18 Pupils of all ages are highly articulate; they have a good facility with number and when given the opportunity show a good ability to apply their understanding in mathematics, as, for example, in statistical analysis in geography and science. They have good basic skills in ICT, but other than using computers for research and improving the presentation for their work, there is little evidence of pupils using the more complex skills of spreadsheets and data analysis across the curriculum. They can argue a point effectively and assess quality, as observed when they were involved in peer assessment in drama. They can also reason out cause and effect well when discussing issues such as the morality of actions in the First World War. Pupils take care in the presentation of their work and when using folders organise them tidily, enabling them to be used effectively for progressing their learning. They can also work independently when given the opportunity and persevere with tasks in an endeavour to complete them as well as they can. Pupils collaborate well in a range of subjects, enjoy their work and are committed to doing well.
2.19
Although the school has limited on-site facilities, pupils participate in
all the major sports and their record of achievement has improved since the
last inspection. The relatively small
number of pupils in each year means that pupils have to perform particularly
well to achieve outstanding success in team games; the successes of the
school’s netball teams are notable, therefore.
Several individuals encouraged and supported by the school have also
reached high standards in a range of activities, including county
representation in running, netball and girls’ rugby and England representation
in golf. In performing arts, the junior
school choir performs to a high competitive level and pupils perform well in
the senior school choir, orchestra and brass group. Pupils also do well in dance and drama. Outstanding achievement in activities extends
to gold success in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development of Pupils
2.20 The provision for, and the response of pupils to, the school’s effective provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school, and an improvement on the situation at the time of the last report. The school works hard to prepare pupils to take their place in society, guided by the Christian principles of love for neighbour, honesty and trustworthiness, social responsibility and respect for others, no matter their creed or race. In short, pupils and staff seek to implement the school’s mission, ‘Consideration always’ and the school rightly judges that the caring ethos of the school contributes effectively to the pupils’ personal development.
2.21 The outstanding spiritual development is encouraged through Christian practices in both the junior and senior schools, as well as through spiritual issues raised from time-to-time in the curriculum. In religious studies pupils discuss spiritual life, have time for reflection, and compare the faith and practices of different groups of people, while in art pupils are taken beyond the aesthetic to think about the spirituality encapsulated in the works of some of the great painters. A well-planned programme of assemblies supports the spiritual development of pupils, who often take the lead in organising and presenting the assembly theme. Pupils have opportunities for reflection at certain times in the liturgical year and the birth of Christ is recognised at the school carol service. In the foundation stage pupils study the world around them, coming to terms with the wonders of creation. On holy days pupils have opportunities to go to Mass and, in junior school, a special celebration is held for those who have received First Holy Communion. Members of different faiths come into school from time-to-time to talk with pupils, thus broadening their experience of the world in which they live and their understanding of what different faiths believe about life after death.
2.22 Relationships in school between pupils and staff and between pupils themselves help pupils to develop self-esteem and confidence and recognise one another’s talents and personal attributes. The caring, Christian concern pervades the school and is mentioned repeatedly by parents and pupils alike. Significantly it is also spoken of by staff, some of whom gave it as the reason why they have never sought advancement in more prestigious establishments.
2.23 The school provides pupils with a strong framework of moral values. Staff and pupils have high expectations of what is acceptable behaviour for individuals and groups, and pupils have a clear sense of what is right and wrong. They recognise the difference between fairness and unfairness and the efficacy of being considerate to others; the school code and the school’s approach to rewards and sanctions reinforce their understanding. In subjects such as history, art and English pupils explore moral values and the way people react in different circumstances. Questions of morality are also explored in assemblies, PSHCE and religious studies. Moral development is also encouraged through awareness of moral responsibility to others less well off than themselves through charitable activities related to causes at home and abroad.
2.24 Pupils’ sense of social responsibility is very well developed. The school code makes clear to pupils that they need to develop an understanding of the importance of social cohesion. The same sentiments are repeated in the sixth form code. In the foundation stage pupils develop excellent habits of tidiness and take increasing responsibility for looking after themselves. They begin to take satisfaction in their social achievements, as shown by one child proudly announcing, ‘Look, I did my own buttons’. Social development is encouraged through the house system and the fledgling school council, which provide opportunities for pupils to take responsibility, especially Year 6 in the junior school and older pupils in the senior school. Year 6 pupils carry out monitoring duties and help with the nursery, pupils from Years 12 and 13 lead assemblies and pupils from Year 11 and the sixth form provide support for younger pupils. Pupils from Year 10 onwards learn to organise their own learning effectively through use of private study time. Sixth form pupils develop a sense of responsibility through acting as prefects in a variety of capacities.
2.25 Pupils recognize the importance of a code of discipline that includes sanctions and rewards in ensuring that society functions smoothly and their behaviour around the school exemplifies this. Pupils interviewed spoke of ‘tolerance’ and of ‘thinking of the whole community’, reflecting the importance they attach to the varied ethnic groups and faith backgrounds represented in the school and the well-being of society in general.
2.26 The wide range of cultural activities enhances pupils’ education effectively. Provision includes the opportunity to study how different people in the world live now and have done so in the past. School visits and the study of history and geography extend pupils’ understanding of life in modern and ancient Greece and an insight into the culture of Spain, for instance. The good range of visits to the theatre, art galleries and concerts further advances their cultural development, as does pupils’ involvement in school-based activities, which include choirs, brass and orchestral groups and regular drama productions. The PSHCE and religious studies programmes include teaching about other cultures and faiths and older pupils visit different places of prayer such as a mosque and a Sikh Temple. The school makes good use of external speakers, including parents, who come to talk to pupils on a range of topics.
2.27 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils [Standard 2].
The Quality of Teaching (Including Assessment)
2.28 Teaching is of good quality throughout the school, as was the case at the time of the last inspection. Pupils and parents are very positive in recording in their responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire that teachers help learning and progress. The school has a clear policy on teaching, which covers principles and practice, and provides sensible advice to teachers. For the most part, teaching ‘enables pupils to reach their highest potential in a caring atmosphere’ fulfilling the aims of the school. Occasionally, teaching is less effective and does not challenge all pupils successfully, one outcome of the limited use of all the assessment data collected on pupils as they move through the school.
2.29
Teaching, from the foundation stage, through junior school and into the
sixth form has secure subject knowledge.
Planning is thorough, based largely on informal assessments made by
teachers. In the foundation stage
planning caters well for teaching the areas of experience and the programmes
for Years 1 to 6 provide teachers with a secure basis for their teaching. Some of the subject handbooks in senior
school, for example geography and science, contain good guidance on teaching
approaches and the use of resources.
Short-term planning is clear and teachers know what they are about. One of their main concerns is to provide a
caring environment in which the needs of pupils are given the consideration
expected and which supports the school’s aims.
The less able and those with learning difficulties are well supported
for the most part; this is a particularly strong feature in foundation stage
and rest of the junior school. In the
senior school it is not uncommon for teachers to give extra tuition to pupils
in time outside the normal curriculum when they feel it is needed, helping them
to keep pace and improve their standards of achievement.
2.30
Class management is good. The
positive relationships in classes encourage pupils to learn and the enthusiasm
of the teaching helps them recognise the importance of what they are
learning. This encourages commitment
from the pupils and their perseverance in completing tasks furthers their
learning. Lessons are taught at a brisk
pace and pupils respond well, especially when given the opportunity to be
actively involved and challenged to draft and re-draft what they are doing, as
in the drama and dance lessons observed.
2.31
Teaching uses a reasonable range of strategies and resources. Pupils have opportunities for research, for
solving problems and for applying the skills they are developing. These approaches are supported by the good
use of resources. Where teaching is less
exciting across the school, teachers rely on more formal didactic methods,
concentrating on moving the class as a whole through the different stages of
learning. This has the advantage of
ensuring that pupils gain a good grasp the topics being taught, but means that
some pupils, the most able, are not always sufficiently stretched. In the desire to ensure pupils gain the good
grounding in the subjects being taught, teachers sometimes over-use worksheets,
thus inhibiting pupils from taking responsibility for their own learning and
moving at a pace best suited to them.
2.32 The school has made some progress in assessment since the last inspection. It now has a detailed assessment policy for the whole school, which outlines the principles of assessment and the practice that teachers are expected to follow. Currently, departments adapt the policy to their own needs, which leads to differences in the way the policy is implemented. Teachers are given guidance on how to record the outcomes of assessment and complete reports to parents, which is followed rather more closely.
2.33 Formal whole-school assessments occur at specific times during the school year. The results are recorded and various grades are included in reports to parents. In the foundation stage the well-kept pupil profiles provide information on what pupils know, understand and can do and continue with the pupils into Year 1. In the junior school pupils take standardised tests each year and the results for Year 6 have been passed on to the senior school. For the first time this year, Year 9 pupils have also taken a standardised test. The results from these tests are not used sufficiently to augment the usually good knowledge that teachers have gained of their pupils through informal assessment and school examinations. The school is aware of this and has rightly identified strengthening the link between the outcomes of formal assessment and planning as one of its priorities.
2.34 The GCSE and A level results are analysed to see if there is improvement year-by-year, and subject leaders in the senior school meet with the director of studies to discuss them. This helps in the evaluation of how well the school is performing overall and how well individual pupils have achieved. It does not draw sufficiently on previous standardised assessments to indicate how well pupils have done, or should have done, in relation to their potential.
2.35 The school has an appropriate marking policy that has been agreed at the curriculum review committee. It is implemented inconsistently with several subjects following it and others using their own systems. In some subjects, the subject teachers use their own methods rather than following the expected model. Where these differences occur, pupils tend to be left in some doubt as to how well they are doing and do not have the benefit of specific targets. As one child put it ‘my target for GCSE is to get a grade C to A*’.
2.36 Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and pupils respond accordingly. The small classes, close relationships, and general ethos of care stimulate an environment that encapsulates the school’s mission. The use of rewards and encouragement in teaching motivates pupils to learn and to behave responsibly.
2.37 The school meets the regulatory requirements for teaching [Standard 1].
2. THE QUALITY OF CARE AND RELATIONSHIPS
The Quality of Pastoral Care, and the Welfare, Health and Safety of Pupils
3.1 The school rightly prides itself on fulfilling its aim to care for its pupils and to engender in them care for others. Pastoral care is outstanding. Parents and pupils commented positively on the way in which the school effectively creates a happy supportive environment for learning from nursery to the sixth form. The emphasis is on understanding, consideration and encouragement rather than sanctions, which, although these exist, are rarely used. The school has made good progress in its provision since the last inspection. Pupils take pride in the house system, facilities for sick children are much improved in the junior school, the systems for child protection are now fully in place, the school has appropriate risk assessments and the health and safety issues raised at the last inspection have been attended to. In all aspects of its work, the care exercised by the school is successfully meeting its aim of helping pupils to understand the values associated with a world influenced by ‘an ethos of Christian fellowship and understanding’.
3.2 Form tutors and class teachers are the first point of contact in the pastoral care system. They are well supported by the structure of deputy head and senior teacher in the junior school and heads of year and pastoral deputy in the senior school. The house system and procedures for rewards and sanctions allow pupils to see the framework of behaviour that is expected while helping them feel secure.
3.3 In the foundation stage pupils enjoy a well-structured environment that gives them the security to learn and achieve well. Elsewhere in the junior school pupils comment on the encouragement they get to ‘join in’ and to ‘support one another’, particularly if new pupils arrive. As one of these expressed it, ‘this is a much more caring school than the one I have just left’.
3.4 The quality of relationships throughout the school is outstanding. The strong ethos of care and consideration means that any difficulties are resolved quickly and the school’s well-structured policies related to bullying and poor behaviour are rarely needed. If children are perceived to be having any personal difficulties teachers work hard ‘to find the key’ that will help overcome them.
3.5 The procedures for child protection are thorough and effective links with outside agencies exist. Staff have received appropriate training, which is regularly updated. Regulatory Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks have been carried out on all those involved with the school, including governors, support staff and peripatetic teachers. Much work has been done on the management of risk and a comprehensive set of risk assessments is in place for each on- and off-site activity, the facilities, the teaching and the circulation spaces within the school buildings. Fire regulations are followed and the school has an up-to-date certificate from the local fire officer.
3.6 Staff have been trained in first aid and several in first aid advanced skills. The medical rooms on each site of the school provide well for pupils of all ages and are a significant improvement on what existed at the time of the last inspection. The nature of the school buildings presents difficulties for those with particular disabilities, but the school has appropriate planning to deal with the issue as funds become available.
3.7 The school has a healthy eating policy, which is understood and followed by pupils. Since the last inspection healthy cooked meals have been introduced into the junior school and are enjoyed by the majority of pupils. In the senior school packed lunches remain the order of the day and pupils were observed eating pasta and drinking water rather than the crisps and fizzy drinks they said they had been advised not to bring to school.
3.8 The health and safety committee, which the head of sixth form chairs, meets half-termly. It is supported by the inclusion of a qualified external health and safety consultant. The committee is having a noticeable impact and has introduced clear and manageable systems for identifying and dealing with health and safety issues. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection.
3.9 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
3.10 The school has worked hard and with success to include parents in its work. The quality of relationships in the junior school as recorded at the last inspection has been sustained while relationships with parents in the senior school have been improved. Both are now judged to be strong. At the same time, the school has strengthened its links with the community, meeting its aim ‘to encourage staff and pupils to engage in the wider community, addressing the future well-being of society in light of Christian teaching’.
3.11 Parents responded positively to the pre-inspection questionnaire. They appreciate the concern the school shows for their children, the approachability of staff, the amount of information they receive, and the way in which the school deals with their queries. Parents feel that the school inculcates appropriate values in relation to behaviour and commitment in their children and helps them to make good progress in their studies. A few parents expressed some concerns over the support for children with learning difficulties and, in the senior school, the limited extra-curricular provision. Inspectors agree to some extent with these concerns expressed by parents, but not wholly. They found that pupils with learning difficulties are well supported in junior school and less so in senior school. They found extra-curricular provision better than at the time of the last inspection but agree that the number of clubs and societies is more limited than expected for a school of this type.
3.12 The school keeps parents well informed through regular bulletins and the Sionian about the range of activities in which their children are involved and the events that occur at school. The school magazine contains a range of articles that present the work of pupils and the school in an interesting and enlightening way. New parents are handed a useful welcome pack, which contains a prospectus and appropriate information about the school. The headmaster, the deputy heads and the heads of year go to great lengths to ensure that parents are made to feel welcome, and in this they are well supported by the secretarial staff. Daily contact between teachers and parents of the very young pupils leads to constructive two-way communication helpful to pupils’ learning.
3.13 Reasonable opportunities exist for parents to be involved in the work of the school. Parents are invited into school to talk to pupils about careers and about their different faiths and customs. They are also active in supporting school outings as well as sport, drama and musical events. Some contributed to the recent healthy eating week. The Parents’ Association in the senior school and the Sion Friends Association in the junior school support the school well. Both groups raise substantial amounts of money and host a variety of functions, which are generally well attended.
3.14 The school has an appropriate complaints policy and handles the very few complaints it receives sensitively. Parents in general feel that they receive fair treatment.
3.15 Parents receive well-constructed reports regularly, which help them see how well their children are progressing. The best reports indicate in broad terms areas in which pupils are performing well and those in which they need to improve. Parents have the opportunity to comment on the reports, as do their children. This is a very useful exercise and some of the reports scrutinised by inspectors showed how thoughtful these responses can be. The school sees these comments as useful feedback and follow up issues promptly. Parents have the opportunity for consultation with their children’s teachers at appropriate times of the year. They also receive guidance in preparation for their children’s transfer between different sections of the school and on the various subject options available to their children as they enter Year 10 and the sixth form.
3.16 The school has continued the worthwhile links with the community reported at the time of the last inspection. In line with its aim of fostering in pupils the skills required to contribute successfully to society pupils are encouraged to raise funds for charities, carry out community service and engage in activities with others in the local and wider community.
3.17
Both sections of the school
encourage links with local Christian churches; this supports the ethos of the
school and the intentions of its founders.
Pupils raise money for a variety of local, national and international
charities. Senior pupils do community
service locally through a scheme called OUTSET, and the choirs perform
successfully at music festivals and at local events. Very young pupils were observed furthering
their civic knowledge by being asked to provide a sentence of news during
registration. The school invites guests
from the local community to speak at assemblies and contribute to the PHSCE
course, the police-school’s liaison officer visits, and the school has a
fruitful partnership with the local authority careers service. The school also offers placements to students
training in local colleges, which further develops links with the community and
provides useful professional dialogue.
It has links with sister schools in various parts of the world, pupils
have visited such a school in
3.18 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].
3. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
4.1 The governors make a thoughtful contribution to the school’s success in moving towards the fulfilment of its aims. They oversee financial matters effectively through the finance and general purposes committee and provide sufficient resources and well-qualified staff to promote effective teaching and learning. They also support the school well as it seeks to ensure that the internal and external accommodation on site, and the local community facilities that the school uses, effectively sustain pupils’ learning. Governors’ contribution to the school development plan and their commitment to the achievement of its priorities stem from their support for the headmaster and staff, and their desire to ensure that pupils have the best possible educational provision.
4.2 The structures of governance are appropriate. The full governing body has a reasonable programme of meetings and the two standing committees, the finance and general purposes committee and the staff salaries committee, meet to ensure that the school’s financial and staffing position is secure. Ad hoc committees provide a suitable instrument for carrying out the more specific tasks in which the governors are inevitably involved from time-to-time; a governor links well with the health and safety committee. The governors recognise the importance of buying in expert advice when appropriate, as in the case of a surveyor to check on school buildings
4.3 Governors work well with senior staff in discussing and devising policies and procedures, relying on feedback through reports from the headmaster, other staff and the bursar to keep themselves informed of the school’s needs, to learn how effectively they are working and to check on the suitability of the methods the school employs in implementing them. In addition, their informal visits to school to attend functions and meet with staff and parents enable them to know something of their views.
The Quality of Leadership and Management
4.4 The school has made positive strides in leadership and management since the last inspection, when there were gaps in school policies and procedures and there was little management structure to ensure that pupils received an effective education. Leadership is now good, the management system appropriate.
4.5 The headmaster, new at the time of the last inspection, has provided the effective leadership that the school requires and has overseen significant developments in the management structure. Through his consultative style of leadership he has led the way in the creation of a strong ethos based on ‘Consideration always’ across the school. He is well supported by his two deputies and staff, who feel that the school has greatly benefited from his arrival.
4.6 In the junior school the deputy head works hard and with success to lead the committed body of teachers. Unusually, oversight of teaching and learning in the various subjects has not been delegated to particular teachers and the deputy head has retained much of the responsibility. Consequently, it is difficult to provide the subject specific oversight from teachers with the particular subject expertise that could provide appropriate help and guidance to other teachers.
4.7 A suitable staffing structure has been created in the senior school. The introduction of an effective pastoral system ensures pupils are very well cared for. The appointment of a director of studies and the creation of faculties provide an academic structure much improved since the last inspection. These are well supported by appropriate consultative groups such as the curriculum review group and the senior school advisory group. More has still to be done to ensure that faculty leaders and heads of department work together to avoid inconsistencies in practice. Approaches to assessment, particularly marking, vary, and the more detailed information being obtained from the standardised testing is not being used sufficiently to plan teaching and learning.
4.8 The system of staff review has a much more defined structure than at the time of the last inspection. In the junior school the deputy head and senior teacher review the work of all the other teachers setting some school and some individual teacher targets. In the senior school a peer review system operates within and across faculties. The amount of evidence collected about teaching and learning in both systems is limited and is not used sufficiently to ensure that the continuous professional development needs of teachers are being met. The system lacks the rigour required for setting teachers challenging targets.
4.9 The classroom environment is clean, light and appropriately furnished, and the well-equipped ICT provision offers a good resource. Medical accommodation is good. The school makes good use of the local leisure centre to supplement its own outside sports facilities.
4.10 The school runs smoothly. The administrative staff are efficient and effective. They are polite and contribute well to the school’s mission. The bursar oversees an appropriate range of responsibilities well, ensuring that health and safety, financial and administrative issues are organised to provide well for pupils’ education. Appropriate arrangements for the induction of newly qualified teachers are in place.
4.11 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the suitability of proprietors and staff and for premises and accommodation [Standards 4 and 5].
4.12 The school participates in the national scheme for the induction of newly qualified teachers and meets its requirements.
5.1 The school provides a good quality education in an environment of deep care and concern for pupils and staff. It has made much progress towards fulfilling its mission statement ‘Consideration always’ since the last inspection. Pupils are well behaved and considerate, teachers are highly committed, and support staff ensure that administrative arrangements are efficient and effective. The school runs smoothly and as one pupil said, ‘it is a nice place to be’.
5.2 The headmaster, staff and governors have worked hard to achieve the positive ethos of mutual support among staff and pupils that pervades the school. The provision of opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural provision and pupils’ response to them are outstanding. Another very strong feature of the school is the provision for the creative and performing arts and sport. Pupils enjoy participating and do so to a high standard.
5.3 Pupils are prepared well for public examinations and achieve well above the average for all maintained schools in GCSE examinations. They achieve well at A level. This reflects the good standards they were seen to achieve in work observed by inspectors.
5.4 The school has made significant progress since the last inspection in creating a suitable management structure and introducing a programme of staff review. Some, but more limited, progress has been made towards implementing the recommendations to create closer links between the junior and senior schools, have a planned programme of professional development, and review procedures for monitoring and evaluating pupils’ progress; but more has still to be done. The appraisal system is not yet rigorous enough, inconsistencies in the implementation of the assessment policy and the limited analysis of pupils’ performance in standardised tests mean that findings are not used to best effect across the school, and the faculty structure is not yet working to its full potential.
5.5 Parents support the school well and welcome the commitment of teachers to their children’s welfare and learning. They recognise that the positive ethos they meet in nursery and reception continues through the school. The range of curricula and extra-curricular activities, which continues to be attractive in the junior school and has broadened in the senior school since the last inspection, does much to help the school meet its aim of preparing pupils to contribute to a society based on Christian values.
5.6 The school meets all the regulatory requirements.
5.7 To continue the improvement the school has made since the last inspection, the school should do the following:<