INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTORATE

INSPECTION REPORT ON

St Catherine’s Preparatory School

 

Full Name of the School

St Catherine’s Preparatory School

DfES Number

356/6017

Registered Charity Number

517487

Address

Hollins Lane, Marple Bridge, Stockport, Cheshire, SK6 5BB.

Telephone Number

0161 449 8800

Fax Number

0161 449 8181

Email Address

info@stcatherinesprep.stockport.sch.uk

Headteacher

Mrs Ruth Brierley

Chairman of Governors

Mr G. Tootell

Age Range

3 - 11

Gender

Coeducational

Inspection Dates

November 6th – 9th , 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.              INTRODUCTION

Characteristics of the School

1.1            St Catherine’s Preparatory School educates boys and girls from the age of 3 to 11.  It is situated on the fringe of Marple Bridge, which has an attractive, rural, village-like air even though it lies on the outskirts of the large town of Stockport.  Whilst the school experiences some of the physical constraints found in the majority of urban locations, it does enjoy more space than many schools with similar numbers and age-range.  The school owns almost all the major buildings, and rents a hall, a classroom and a play area from the local Roman Catholic diocese.  A sustained programme of development and refurbishment, begun in 1998, has resulted in further space for learning and teaching being recently created.  This, in turn, has enabled the new headteacher, in post only since April 2006, to increase the breadth of curriculum provision.

1.2            The school has a number of clearly stated aims, of which the main are:

·         to retain high academic standards while valuing all children whatever their strengths and weaknesses and encouraging them to fulfil their aspirations and potential;

·         to provide a disciplined and supportive environment in which children can learn to play a responsible role;

·         to foster an atmosphere of mutual respect and compassion for each other, their families, the local community and wider world;

·         to attract boys and girls to a broad-based, appropriate education in which they all strive to do their best and aim for the highest standards in extra-curricular activities.

1.3            At the time of inspection the school consisted of 123 pupils, of whom 54 were boys and 69 girls.  There were 18 full-time and 10 part-time children in the Nursery (Kindergarten) and Reception classes; 33 pupils in Years 1 and 2; and 62 pupils in Years 3 to 6.

1.4            Pupils come from a range of backgrounds, with the majority of parents in business or the professions.  They travel up to 15 miles to school each day, mostly by car, from rural or urban locations.  Almost all pupils speak English as their first language, and support is available for those whose first language is different.  They move on to a variety of senior schools, both independent and maintained.

1.5            Most pupils join the school in the Early Years (Nursery or Reception).  Entry at this stage is essentially non-selective: it depends only upon the availability of places and the shared belief of parents and school that the child will benefit from the nature of the education being offered.  For pupils seeking to join the school in Years 1 to 6, a school visit, including a broad assessment, forms part of the entry process.  The overall range of ability in the school, judged by analysis of standardised tests and external examination results, is above the national average.  No children in the school have statements of special educational need (SEN), but the school has identified 23 pupils (15 boys and 8 girls) who require varying degrees of additional learning support.

1.6            The school does not award scholarships, but a number of families benefit from a reduction in fees for siblings.

1.7            National Curriculum nomenclature is used throughout this report to refer to year groups in the school.

2.              THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The Educational Experience Provided

2.1            The variety of educational experiences offered to the boys and girls is mostly well matched to their interests, aptitudes and needs.  The overall educational experience is consistent with the school’s stated aims and philosophy, which include the encouragement of pupils to fulfil their aspirations and potential in an atmosphere that fosters mutual respect and compassion for each other, the family, the local community and the wider world.

2.2            The curriculum, which is based in the Foundation Stage on the six nationally recognized areas of learning and in later years largely on National Curriculum guidelines, is for the most part broad and well balanced.  In both Nursery and Reception appropriate time and attention are given to all six areas and good foundations are laid for future learning.  Significant efforts have been made recently to broaden the curriculum in Years 1 to 6 by including timetabled French and improving music provision, as well as by greatly increasing the range of club activities; but some areas highlighted in the last inspection report remain under-developed.  Insufficient time and resources are available for thoroughly effective teaching of design and technology (DT); and six years after the last report, although good cross-curricular work is done in dedicated information and communication technology (ICT) lessons, little progress has been made in enabling regular use of ICT within the broader classroom environment to aid learning and challenge individuals.  Staff lack the training and encouragement necessary to incorporate appropriate use of ICT into their planning and practice.  Progress has been made in creating a partial framework for the teaching of personal, social and health education (PSHE); but the school lacks a structured programme for this and for citizenship to guarantee all pupils in all year groups equal access to these areas of the curriculum.

2.3            Throughout the school, numerous opportunities are provided for pupils to practise and develop listening and speaking skills, for example by participating in assemblies and class discussions, as well as numerical and general literacy skills across the curriculum.  A limited amount of pupil-generated creative work features in art and in writing throughout the school, contributing to cultural and aesthetic development.  The learning environment is enhanced by some bright, effective and colourful displays supporting work in a number of curriculum areas.  Independent learning features at times throughout the school but opportunities for independent learning are not systematically provided or planned.

2.4            This academic year has seen a significant increase in the range of extra-curricular activities offered to pupils.  This expansion complements work done in the classroom and encourages the development of personal interests, greatly enhancing the pupils’ education.  The variety of experiences, including a violin based orchestral group, a puzzle club, sports and games clubs, a sewing club, a recorder club, a speech and drama club, ballet and an after-school club for younger children (CATS), broadens pupils’ knowledge, increases self-confidence and provides a platform for future recreational enjoyment.  Many children enjoy the opportunity to pursue individual music lessons.  All year groups benefit from a stimulating range of educational trips that extend learning and bring life to aspects of classroom study.

2.5            Pupils are very effectively prepared for the 11+ tests they need to take for the next stage of their education, and in recent years all have gained entry to the schools chosen for them by their parents after consultation with the headteacher.

2.6            Curriculum planning throughout the school is thorough and detailed, providing a sound platform for the transmission of information and the development of vital, basic learning skills.  Independent work does feature at times throughout the school, witnessed in activities such as coat design work emerging from a Foundation Stage assembly and Year 4 pupils planning a bedroom in mathematics; but often the work is too teacher-directed.  Opportunities for open-ended investigation and research are missed, limiting the chances for all pupils to set themselves challenges and manage aspects of their own learning to promote the development of truly independent and imaginative study skills.

2.7            While providing a satisfactory measure of support for most pupils needing special provision, the curricular needs of some such pupils are not yet fully met.  Special educational needs are recognized as important within the school, and a part-time special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) oversees this area of school provision.  The school is aware of its responsibilities towards pupils with special needs, and is keen to develop appropriate management structures to ensure that these pupils are supported as effectively as possible.  Much of the identification of such needs and the strategies for dealing with them lie with class teachers, who use data such as reading tests to highlight children who may need some degree of support.  Class teachers then liaise with the SENCO over individual children, and six-weekly review meetings take place involving the teacher, the SENCO and the parents of children with specific targets.  Three pupils currently have individual education plans (IEPs), two of which have been written by class teachers and one jointly between the class teacher and the SENCO.

2.8            The school also recognizes the need to provide for gifted and talented children, and has made the first move, via in-service training in 2005, to develop a climate for support.  As yet, however, the school has not formulated a clear policy in order to translate general awareness into effective practice.

2.9            Whilst good work is done to support children, the school lacks a comprehensive, unified structure of initial assessment and subsequent support, administered, monitored and managed by the person trained in special needs, to ensure that all pupils with a broad variety of needs are identified as early as possible and provided for effectively.

2.10         The school meets the regulatory requirements for the curriculum [Standard 1].

Pupils’ Learning and Achievements

2.11         Pupils achieve good standards in the majority of lessons across the taught curriculum and in extra-curricular activities; and they display positive, keen attitudes to learning.  The school fulfils its aim of encouraging its pupils to become capable learners striving to achieve their potential.  In lessons and in written work they demonstrate good grounding in knowledge, skills and understanding, and show some ability to apply these to unfamiliar situations.

2.12         Pupils make a good start in the Nursery.  The school has worked hard to bring together the Nursery and Reception classes into a homogeneous Foundation Stage, and pupils often exceed national expectations at the end of this stage.  By the time pupils transfer to Year 3, they show that they have successfully built upon basic literacy and numeracy skills; and by the time they leave the school, pupils of all abilities and backgrounds are well educated in key skills.  For example, Year 6 pupils are able to write in a range of genres for a variety of audiences, and in mathematics their written work demonstrates an ability to incorporate a range of number operations to solve problems.  Pupils also achieve well across the rest of the taught curriculum, gaining a good understanding of the world in which they live and their place in it.  For example, a Year 2 class was able to compare the quality of life in England today with that experienced by Florence Nightingale and her companions in Scutari, and Year 5 pupils produced some well written and researched project work on a London visit.

2.13         The school does not enter pupils for the national tests at ages 7 and 11.  However, results in 11+ transfer tests suggest good levels of achievement in the key areas being tested, and indicate that there are no significant differences in pupils’ achievements by gender, ethnicity or background.  They do consistently well in the tests and leave the school articulate and confident young people.

2.14         Achievements in the classroom are complemented by similarly good achievements in a broad range of other activities.  Pupils work hard to reach good standards in extra-curricular activities such as speech and drama, musical instrument learning, gym and swimming, with success recently being achieved in reaching the Independent Schools Association (ISA) national finals.  Pupils are therefore enabled to leave the school as well-rounded young people with a range of interests and skills that will provide a sound platform for later learning, enjoyment, socialization and relaxation.

2.15         Pupils are confident and articulate in class.  They enjoy discussion and display an increasing ability to read perceptively and to contribute ideas of their own whenever offered the opportunity to do so.  Some effective pieces of fiction and non-fiction were seen in pupils’ written work.  Sound numeracy skills were evident in written work and seen, for example, in a Year 2 lesson on sets; and on occasion good skills and understanding were displayed, as in a Year 6 geography lesson dealing with scale, where pupils were able to apply mathematical knowledge to an unfamiliar situation.  Sound ICT skills were seen in ICT lessons, but  very little evidence was seen of the use of ICT as a tool in general classroom learning.

2.16         Pupils bring very positive attitudes to their learning.  They are highly motivated, enjoy work and demonstrate good levels of self-discipline.  They settle to work quickly and are able to sustain concentration and persevere with tasks.  They work equally well as individuals or in groups demanding collaboration and empathy with the views of others.  In activities outside the classroom they also display good organizational skills and a sense of community.  For example, pupils have offered their own ideas for supporting charities through activities such as baking cakes and selling them, and have carried the projects through to successful completion.  In all that they do, they show pride in their work and their school.

2.17         For most of the time, pupils show good reasoning skills, and organize their work effectively.  When faced with appropriate tasks they apply their knowledge to unfamiliar problems and reach intelligent conclusions.  In some of the best lessons and work seen, pupils were very actively involved in directing and managing their learning.  Year 4 pupils, for example, responded eagerly to opportunities offered in a music lesson to compose their own musical ‘contours’; and Year 6 pupils relished the opportunity to use creative and critical thinking drawn from their own knowledge and skills base to provide original and imaginative solutions to mathematical problems.  Too often, however, opportunities are missed to develop the creative and critical thinking and writing skills necessary for thoroughly effective personal study in future years.

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development of Pupils

2.18         The pupils throughout the school demonstrate sound spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness.  The ethos and atmosphere that pervade the daily life of the school, together with the range of learning experiences provided, contribute positively to the general spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils.  The aims of the school to value every child whatever their strengths and weaknesses and to foster an atmosphere of mutual respect in which all pupils are encouraged to strive to do their best, are generally well met.

2.19         The spiritual development of pupils throughout the school is sound.  Originally a Roman Catholic foundation, the school is now non-denominational, though it retains a strong Christian ethos.  This commitment provides a basis for the development of a broad spiritual and moral awareness as pupils move through the school.  Religious education (RE), assemblies, house prayers, hymn singing and occasional discussion in class offer some opportunities for the growth of each pupil’s individual sense of spirituality.  An effective assembly actively involved the pupils from Years 3 to 6 in considering the personal and cultural issues surrounding the bible story of the Roman centurion, demonstrating complete faith in Jesus as a teacher, leader and healer.  Having listened to the story, pupils from all years were able, briefly, to discuss together the application of its principles to their own lives.  House prayers are used to reinforce concepts of community and care, exemplified during the visit in stories and discussions about bullying and its effects.  Within these house meetings, limited opportunities are also offered for individuals to explore, through discussion, their own sense of identity and self-worth in relation to the world around them.  Similar opportunities were also seen in the speech and drama club.  Within the taught curriculum, other religions are explored, including major festivals such as Divali, further broadening pupils’ awareness of different faiths and cultures.  Very little evidence was seen, however, of opportunities within lessons for pupils to explore and develop an understanding of their own and others’ spirituality, gaining personal insight and a sense of meaning through, for example, role-play in drama, reading and discussing literature or writing poetry.

2.20         Pupils develop a strong sense of morality.  A clear moral code, emphasizing respect and compassion for people throughout the world, is evident not only in the school’s stated aims, but also in the behaviour of pupils and their relationships with peers and teachers.  Positive reward systems and frequent praise reinforce the school’s commitment to kind and thoughtful behaviour.  Staff have high expectations of the pupils where behaviour is concerned, and the pupils respond positively, demonstrating understanding of and support for the standards set by the school.  They enjoy the clear, child-friendly Golden Rules system and readily subscribe to any initiative that supports the school community.  Monitors in senior years, for example, demonstrate care for peers and younger pupils by taking on a range of responsibilities, such as maintaining the library, tidying the playground, manning doors, ringing bells and filling individual water bottles so that all pupils have ready access to fluid throughout the day.

2.21         The pupils’ general social development is good.  The good relationships between staff and pupils create a general atmosphere, both inside and outside the classroom, that allows the children to develop a range of personal and social skills spontaneously and naturally in a variety of situations.  Even the youngest pupils take turns, wait, listen, answer questions, welcome each other and play co-operatively.  Staff set high standards of politeness, courtesy, care and co-operation, and these encourage pupils to behave likewise.  Within the school’s close-knit community, pupils feel they can flourish regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion or ability.  They show care and consideration, and take a pride in their school.  The recently enhanced programme of extra-curricular activities, much enjoyed by pupils and parents, complements long-established experiences such as performances, trips away and team games, offering great scope for developing social skills, personal confidence and self-knowledge.  In the speech and drama club, for example, pupils were seen to enjoy and develop a range of personal skills with increasing confidence.  Pupils also benefit from personal and social development opportunities arising from involvement in a range of activities embracing the local community: they support various charities, visit a local rest home to sing to residents, participate in a “green” recycling scheme and have links with the local church.

2.22         Pupils show a sound understanding of their own culture and its diversity, as well as an increasing understanding of other traditions.  Visits to sites of historical and cultural interest, such as Chester and Quarry Bank Mill, help pupils understand the influences from home and abroad that have shaped their cultural heritage.  They also show an increasing ability to identify, understand and empathise with other people’s lifestyles and living conditions, whether in history lessons about ancient Egypt or geography lessons about a contemporary Indian village.  Book reviews displayed around the school, and art projects including thoughtful analysis of the works of major artists, demonstrate a good awareness of the cultural importance of literature and art in society.  As a result, pupils are open and accepting of each other and are happy to work together, valuing the contributions of all.

2.23         The school has begun the process of responding to the recommendation from the last inspection that it should develop and implement a comprehensive course in PSHE for pupils throughout the school, in order to ensure equal, formalised access of opportunity for all pupils and to enable the school to monitor the overall development of individuals.  Progress has been made in establishing a broad policy framework, but as yet no consistent, comprehensive, structured programme for PSHE and citizenship is provided throughout the school year.  The effective house prayers meetings observed during the inspection visit offer a good vehicle for the delivery of any part of such a programme suitable to be shared by a range of ages, but other opportunities are lacking for age-appropriate discussion of topics relevant to personal development.

2.24         The school meets the regulatory requirements for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils [Standard 2].

The Quality of Teaching (Including Assessment)

2.25         The quality of teaching throughout the school is sound, and in some cases, good.  It enables pupils to achieve good standards, to develop a broad knowledge base and to acquire key skills by the time they leave.  Good relationships between teachers and pupils help the school to meet its aim of valuing all pupils whatever their strengths and weaknesses.  It has maintained the overall standard found at the time of the last inspection.

2.26         Teaching is generally positive and purposeful, giving pupils of all abilities clear direction and a desire to succeed.  Teachers generally give a good deal of praise and encouragement to pupils, thereby building confidence, enthusiasm and positive attitudes to work.  Teaching is effective in developing pupils’ key skills, providing a high standard of instruction and increasing pupils’ basic knowledge and understanding.  The best teaching is stimulating, captures pupils’ interest and offers them opportunities to develop original and critical thinking skills, such as a Year 1 class investigating and predicting reactions to different, unknown smells, and a Year 5 class being stimulated to produce good, creative observational drawing and to use critical thinking skills in discussing the work of the Impressionists.  Too often, however, pupils’ work is heavily directed, missing or stifling opportunities for them to be excited and challenged by being given responsibility for managing aspects of their own learning and developing individual, creative approaches to study.

2.27         Teachers know pupils very well.  Teaching in the Foundation Stage is particularly sensitive to the needs of these very young pupils and provides a uniformly good platform for future learning.  Throughout the school, teachers respond sympathetically to pupils with specific learning needs.  Differentiated work was seen in classes, but it was often via generic, commercial worksheets rather than specifically planned to meet individual needs.  Effective assistance is, however, given to children via support staff within class as well as to small groups withdrawn from lessons, enabling these pupils to access broadly similar work to others.  In the best lessons, work is also planned to provide individual and personal challenge for more able pupils, but this does not happen consistently or regularly enough.

2.28         Most lessons are thoroughly planned and the majority are efficiently managed in terms of time and amount of work to be covered.  The pace is usually appropriate to the task and activities are generally varied and suited to the learning objectives.  In the best lessons, teachers change both method and pace when required, and make good use of question-and-answer.  In some lessons, however, thinking is too often done for the children by the teacher, who fails to challenge pupils to think for themselves, and on occasion even cuts short attempts by pupils to do so.  Discipline, on the rare occasions that it is needed, is firm but cheerful and, as a result, pupils are responsible and sensible learners.  Support staff are used well to extend the range of activities and assist in daily assessment.

2.29         The vast majority of lessons foster very positive attitudes in pupils and a willingness to work hard: as a result, they settle quickly to their work and concentrate well.  They enjoy the tasks and activities and take pride and pleasure in carrying out teachers’ instructions precisely in order to achieve good standards in formal work.  Teaching is supported by good subject knowledge and by good resources, which are often used well to enhance learning.  Where appropriate, parents are brought into the learning process, for example making costumes for role-play or talking about their own experiences.

2.30         The best marking, as seen, for example with Year 6 creative writing, supports pupils’ learning effectively by giving encouragement and indicating how work might be improved.  Often, however, marking fails to offer real guidance for improvement, and does not follow up instructions to pupils to correct their work.

2.31         The school employs a range of assessment processes at various stages of pupils’ careers.  Assessment in the Foundation Stage is thorough and effective, undertaken by staff on a regular, daily basis and clearly used to guide planning in order to meet the needs of all pupils across the six nationally recognized areas of learning.  They thus move into Year 1 having established a secure base and made good progress.   Arrangements through the rest of the school, whilst producing a range of information related to attainment and progress, are not co-ordinated into a coherent, progressive and unified structure enabling year on year analysis of data to be used effectively to guide planning for individual pupil improvement.  Teachers are unable to support pupils with special needs effectively in the classroom without a continuous structure for measuring and comparing ability with attainment and progress, monitored by the SENCO to ensure that information gained is analysed and used to guide planning.

2.32         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 quality of pastoral care, and of the support and guidance provided for pupils, is outstanding and a strength of the school.  Staff know pupils very well and pupils are at ease with them.  Very good, warm relationships contribute much to the caring atmosphere throughout the school.  The school meets very well its aims of valuing all children whatever their strengths and weaknesses, of providing a disciplined and supportive environment in which children can learn to play a responsible role, and fostering an atmosphere of mutual respect and compassion for each other.  Responses to the parental questionnaire showed overwhelming support for and approval of the school’s ethos of care.

3.2            The school’s system for pastoral care and guidance is simple and secure.  It revolves around class and house teachers, but all staff, including assistants, dinner supervisors, the school secretary and administrative staff, provide a united, high quality support team for pupils.  In discussion and through the pupil questionnaire, the children say they are well cared for and always have someone to whom they can talk.  Pupils of all ages feel very well supported, both in and out of the classroom.  The after school club provides very well for pupils who need to stay at school until their parents can collect them.

3.3            Relationships between adults and children are excellent, and staff provide very good role models.  All members of staff, including the headteacher, know the pupils very well.  The pupils respond well to the expectation that they will care for others, seen in productive house prayers sessions where boys and girls from Reception to Year 6 worked collaboratively in discussion of what constitutes right and wrong in behaviour towards peers.  They also care for their environment, valuing the loyal and hard work of the cleaning and maintenance staff and playing their part in keeping the school neat and tidy.

3.4            The school’s procedures for encouraging good behaviour are very clear and well understood by pupils, who respond very positively to the rewards for good behaviour.  They take pride, for example, in striving to win Head Teacher awards and house colour points, both for work and for the attitudes they display towards the school’s Golden Rules.  Sanctions for less desirable behaviour are felt to be fair.  Parents are kept informed of significant bad behaviour and are more fully involved when necessary.  The anti-bullying policy is clear and pupils feel that measures to deal with any problems that arise are appropriate.

3.5            Procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare, health and safety are generally secure, though updating is required in one or two areas in order to meet all obligations.  Pupils are taught satisfactorily about maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  Most enjoy school lunches, which provide healthy meals, whilst some bring their own packed lunches.  Thursdays are designated as “healthy snack” days.  Medical arrangements ensure that pupils are satisfactorily cared for when in need or unwell, with support staff playing an important role where necessary.  A nominated governor has recently been appointed to oversee the workings of the health and safety committee.  Risk assessments for activities both in and out of school are carried out appropriately.  All teaching staff are trained as first-aiders.

3.6            Procedures for child protection are largely in place and the governing body is aware of its responsibilities.  The headteacher is the appointed person to deal with any child protection issues and is appropriately trained; but the staff as a whole are not currently up to date with training.  The school maintains appropriate links with the local fire authority, whose reports are satisfactory.  The headteacher and governors are aware of the school’s responsibility to ensure fire safety and are currently updating practices.  The school does not currently have an appropriate policy for developing access for disabled pupils to meet its duties under the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act.

3.7            The school meets most of the regulatory requirements for the welfare, health and safety of pupils [Standard 3].  In order to meet all the requirements, the school must:

(a)         ensure that staff training in child protection matters is up to date [Regulation 3.(2)(b)];

(b)         complete the updating of policy and practice to meet current fire safety regulations [Regulation 3.(5)(a)];

(c)         develop an appropriate disability policy (Other Legislation).

The Quality of Links with Parents and the Community

3.8            The partnership between the school and its parents is outstanding, as are its worthwhile and varied links with the community.  These relationships enable the school to fulfil its aims in respect of maximizing the opportunities available to its pupils for broad educational development.  Under the new headteacher, a variety of improvements in communication have resulted in this now being one of the strengths of the school.

3.9            Parents are very pleased with the education and support their children receive.  The majority of parents responded to a questionnaire before the inspection, in which they demonstrated the strongest possible support for the education provided by the school, with an overwhelming majority of positive comments.  The pastoral care at the school was praised particularly.  Parents raised no significant issues except for a desire for greater provision of extra-curricular clubs and activities.  By the time the inspection took place, this provision had been markedly increased, to the obvious delight of parents and pupils.  The inspectors agreed with the positive views of parents.

3.10         Parents are strongly involved with the school and with their children’s education.  Induction into the Foundation Stage is very good, and parents are encouraged to enter into school life whenever their presence is appropriate.  This can range from welcome attendance at assemblies to educational involvement in lessons, as happened during inspection week when a talk about building sites was given to Reception pupils.  It includes invitations to join a parents’ aerobics club run in the school twice each week.  They enter into the educational experiences of their children by, for example, making costumes for a Victorian day.  Throughout the school, parents are very happy with improved communications from the school and feel that the ‘open door’ policy gives them direct access at any time.  The home-school diary also provides excellent links with the class or form teacher.  Twice-yearly written reports provide parents with basic summary information about their children’s performance, progress and general development, but the school has chosen to use face-to-face parents’ meetings as its major means of detailed reporting.  These meetings, arranged twice a year, include the use of a carefully planned, detailed discussion sheet with a section for parental comment as well as school observations.  By doing so, the school seeks to avoid frustrating gaps in time between reports going out at the end of a term and opportunity for parents to discuss their contents.  The system is under annual review as the headteacher seeks continuous improvement in the quality of communication.  In addition to these formal meetings, the school holds an informal evening and an information evening each year.  The school’s philosophy of partnership also encourages parents to arrange meetings at other times if necessary.

3.11         The parents’ association works closely with the school and supports it in many ways.  The interest and enthusiasm of parents is shown by the willing commitment of time and effort to organize functions and raise money to assist the school in the provision of equipment and facilities that would otherwise be beyond the school’s normal budget.  The relationship between the association and the school is a most harmonious one, and staff involvement in the committee and its work is welcomed.

3.12         The school has received no formal complaints, and any concerns are dealt with in a prompt and sympathetic manner.  An appropriate formal complaints procedure exists and is known to parents.

3.13         The school has a wide variety of active links with the local community.  The children have been involved recently in planting bulbs in support of the Marie Curie Foundation and in raising the funds needed to produce a book for blind people.  They also visit residents at a nearby rest home to sing for them.  The school has entered into initiatives with the Stockport authorities to promote recycling, is working with parents to donate old mobile telephones for Children In Need, and maintains links with the local church, inviting ministers to visit the school for assemblies.  Pupils also compete against other schools in physical activities such as high fives, football matches and swimming galas.  Local visits and trips to sites of particular interest also contribute to pupils’ awareness of the history and development of the area.

3.14         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

The Quality of Governance

4.1            The governing body supports the headteacher well in setting and maintaining appropriate aims and values for the school.  Recent structural changes to the composition of the governing body have increased the range of appropriate skills it possesses and it now provides strong leadership and vision as it takes the school forward.  It brings a wide range of relevant experience and expertise, enabling it to offer advice and guidance to the headteacher and the staff as well as overseeing the healthy financial development of the school as a business and an educational charity.

4.2            Governors take all their responsibilities seriously, and are aware of the changing expectations associated with their roles.  A very positive start has already been made to identify particular governor strengths and delegate appropriate roles for support and oversight of specific aspects of school life.  Crucial facets such as health and safety and child protection, carrying significant regulatory responsibilities, have already been allocated to specific governors, and some training has already been undertaken.  Work has begun to produce a comprehensive, realistic development plan, and the governors have formed a clear idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the school.  They are committed to developing their roles to understand and become more actively involved in the daily life of the school.  They are aware of their duty to monitor the standards achieved in all areas in order to judge whether or not the school is meeting its stated aims.

4.3            Governors are now developing strong and supportive links with the headteacher and the staff.  Staff appreciate the time that governors spend at school attending meetings and supporting school events, and they feel that governors are approachable.  As these links grow, supported by appropriate governor training, governors will be well placed to identify priorities, manage both human and physical resources effectively and, with the headteacher, take the school forward.

The Quality of Leadership and Management

4.4            The school is well led and management overall in the school is satisfactory.  The recently appointed headteacher provides the school with strong, committed, forward-thinking leadership and management.  Her previous experience in the school has enabled her to maintain the good ethos and sense of community evident in the last inspection, and parents and pupils alike clearly support and respect her approach to running the school.  She has a very sound understanding of the school’s current position and a clear-sighted vision of the direction in which it should be moving.  Her aim is to maintain the close-knit community in which all pupils are known, valued and cared for, whilst seeking to improve the quality of education they receive.

4.5            At present the school does not have the necessary management structures to support the headteacher in effecting change and improvement.  No senior management team exists to assist her in overseeing and managing development and in monitoring the quality of all major aspects of the school’s provision.

4.6            Management of the curriculum is inadequate at present.  The last inspection report recommended that the roles of subject co-ordinators should be strengthened and developed, but few real advances have been made in the six years since then.  The co-ordinators do not have sufficiently helpful and consistent job descriptions, and they are not given enough management time, training and guidance to manage curriculum areas effectively and monitor standards of learning and teaching in the subject areas for which they are responsible.  At present, no formal appraisal system exists to monitor standards and to help and develop staff.

4.7            Staffing levels at the school are good and staff turnover is low.  Staffing in the Foundation Stage meets current guidelines, and appropriate background checks are carried out on all new staff.  Financial and other resources are managed efficiently and in a manner that helps the school to meet the pupils’ needs.  The commitment and skill of the secretary and other staff help to ensure the smooth administration of the school.

4.8            The school does not participate in the national scheme for the induction of newly qualified teachers, as no newly qualified staff have been employed in recent years.  Any other new staff are welcomed and supported by the headteacher and colleagues.

4.9            The school meets the regulatory requirements for the suitability of proprietors and staff and for premises and accommodation [Standards 4 and 5].

5.              CONCLUSIONS AND NEXT STEPS

Overall Conclusions

5.1            The school generally fulfils its aims well.  Articulate, well-motivated and academically well-grounded pupils enjoy striving to meet their teachers’ high expectations in formal work and behaviour.  They feel secure and cared for as a result of the high standards of pastoral care they receive.  Successful personal development results in thoughtful, confident and friendly individuals who combine increasing self-knowledge with a genuine respect for other people and the world around them.  The ethos and atmosphere that runs throughout the school promotes a sense of community in which pupils, staff and parents are trusted, valued and involved.  The links between the school, its parents and the local community are extremely strong.  The educational experiences offered through the curriculum and the programme of extra-curricular activities, which is popular and stimulating, enable pupils to achieve good standards in many areas and to be well prepared for their next schools.  Teachers encourage pupils’ independent thinking and learning skills effectively in some areas, but too often fail to challenge pupils to think originally, critically and creatively.  Pupils with special needs are generally well supported, but the under-development of the school’s structures for assessment and for supporting pupils with special needs do not allow the needs of all pupils to be successfully met.

5.2            The school has expanded its available teaching areas since the last inspection, enabling it to improve the breadth and balance of its curriculum through the introduction of French and the development of music.  It has also made some progress in improving provision for the teaching of PSHE, but it still lacks a consistent, structured programme.  It has not, however, successfully addressed all the recommendations contained in the last report.  Provision for the effective teaching of DT, and the inclusion of ICT as a feature of general classroom learning, remain areas of weakness; and co-ordinators’ roles are still underdeveloped.  Although the school is strongly led, management structures to assist the headteacher in improving the overall quality of the educational experiences provided, and to monitor standards of teaching and learning, are currently lacking.

5.3            The school complies with almost all the regulatory requirements, but does not at present meet Standard 3 (welfare, health and safety).

Next Steps

5.4            In order to build upon the many good features of education the school already provides, it should seek to:

1.       include more opportunities for pupils to develop the critical and creative thinking and learning skills necessary for future study;

2.       improve its provision for teaching PSHE and DT, and for using ICT throughout the school;

3.       develop its procedures for assessment and for the support of pupils with special needs;

4.       implement a staff appraisal programme and develop the roles of subject co-ordinators;

5.       introduce management structures to assist the headteacher in developing and improving the school.

5.5            In order to meet all the regulatory requirements, the school must:

(1)         ensure that staff training in child protection matters is up to date [Regulation 3.(2)(b)];

(2)         complete the updating of policy and practice to meet current fire safety regulations [Regulation 3.(5)(a)];

(3)         develop an appropriate disability policy (Other Legislation).

6.              summary of inspection evidence

6.1            The inspection was carried out from 6th to 9th November 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 and pupils to pre-inspection questionnaires were analysed, and the inspectors examined a range of documentation made available by the school.

List of Inspectors

Ron Ward

Reporting Inspector

Marilyn Fenn

Headteacher, ISA junior school

Jane Merriman

Headteacher, independent preparatory school