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INSPECTION REPORT ON |
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St. Edward’s Preparatory School |
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Full Name of the School |
St. Edward’s School |
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DfES Number |
870/6005 |
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Registered Charity Number |
309147 |
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Address |
64
Tilehurst Road, Reading, RG30 2JH |
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Telephone Number |
0118
9574342 |
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Fax Number |
0118
9503736 |
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Email Address |
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Headteacher |
Mr.
Paul Keddie |
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Chairman of Governors |
Mrs.
Sally Pellow |
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Age Range |
4
– 13 |
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Gender |
Boys |
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Inspection Dates |
2nd
– 5th May 2006 |
This inspection report follows the framework laid down by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). The inspection was carried out under the arrangements of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) Associations for the maintenance and improvement of the quality of their membership. It was also carried out under Section 162A(1)(b) of the Education Act 2002, as amended by the Education Act 2005, under the provisions of which the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has accredited ISI as the body approved for the purpose of inspecting schools belonging to ISC Associations and reporting on compliance with the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003.
The inspection does not examine the financial viability of the school or investigate its accounting procedures. The inspectors check the school’s health and safety procedures and comment on any significant hazards they encounter: they do not carry out an exhaustive health and safety examination. Their inspection of the premises is from an educational perspective and does not include in-depth examination of the structural condition of the school, its services or other physical features.
1.1 St. Edward’s Preparatory School, a non-selective day school for boys aged four to thirteen, was founded in 1947 by Mr. Peach, whose wife had founded a sister school, ‘The Highlands’, several years before. Both schools became an educational trust in 1969, and are jointly administered by the same board of governors. St. Edward’s places a strong emphasis on pastoral care and the personal development of its pupils, as well as their academic progress.
1.2 The school was initially situated in a Victorian house on the west side of Reading, and this building is still the administrative centre of the school. Over the last twelve years, several buildings have been added within the grounds in order to provide modern and up-to-date facilities. Most subjects have their own specialist teaching rooms, including science, art, information and communication technology (ICT), design and technology (DT) and music, and the pre-preparatory department is housed in a new purpose-built area. The school also benefits from a gymnasium, an artificial playing surface, and playing areas. Because of its location, the school uses several off-site facilities for swimming, cricket and other games.
1.3 Since the last inspection, the school has nearly doubled in size, partly due to a decision to extend the age range of the pupils. In 2000, the school opened its doors to boys aged five to seven, and in 2001 also included a Reception class of four-year-olds. It now has a total of 177 boys, of whom 17 are in the Foundation Stage, 33 are in Years 1 and 2, 97 are in Years 3 to 6, and 30 are in Years 7 and 8. The results of standardised tests across the school indicate that pupils as a whole are of above average ability, although the results in different year groups vary considerably. If pupils perform according to their abilities, their results will be above those for all maintained primary schools.
1.4 Pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds, including skilled, business and professional families. They are accepted for entry to the school based on a judgement of whether they can benefit from the education provided; entry is not dependent only upon the pupils’ academic ability. Approximately twelve per cent of pupils come from ethnic minorities, and two pupils come from families where English is not the principal language. No pupil is at an early stage of learning English. Twelve pupils are identified as needing learning support, with the most usual difficulties being dyslexia or the development of literacy or numeracy skills. No pupil has a statement of special educational need.
1.5 Approximately one-quarter of the pupils leave at the end of Year 6 with most of those joining the local maintained selective secondary schools. The rest stay on at St. Edward’s until they are 13. About two-thirds of these leavers go on to the maintained selective schools at 13+, while the remainder continue their education at local independent day and boarding schools.
1.6 The school aspires to provide a good quality, broad-based education for boys, and, in so doing, aims:
· To develop the whole child intellectually, morally, socially, spiritually and physically;
· To respect each child as an individual and to give each child the confidence and self-esteem to develop his talents to the full;
· To develop an enthusiastic ethos towards learning that enables each pupil to progress and develop in a positive manner;
· To promote a spirit of tolerance and understanding amongst the community;
· To develop an effective three-way partnership between children, parents and school.
1.7 National Curriculum nomenclature is used throughout this report to refer to year groups in the school.
The Educational Experience Provided
2.1 The educational experience provided at St. Edward’s is good and fulfils the school’s overall aim of providing a good quality, broad-based education for boys. Improvement since the last inspection has been good, with a better balance of timetable arrangements than at that time. Drama has been fully integrated into the curriculum and makes an important and valuable contribution to the learning experience. Pupils with special educational needs are generally well catered for in lessons and are given good and relevant individual education plans.
2.2 The educational experience provided throughout the school contributes effectively to pupils’ progress in all areas of learning. Pupils in the Foundation Stage experience a broad and relevant curriculum that covers all the expected areas of learning leading to the Early Learning Goals. Very good use is made of the outside classroom. The curriculum for Years 1 and 2 builds on these good beginnings with a broad range of subjects based on the National Curriculum. French is introduced in Reception, and Latin and study skills are brought in at Year 6. ICT is taught throughout the school as a discrete subject and is also used to support learning in other subject areas. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme is comprehensive and supports the school’s aims. Visiting speakers are brought in from the local community to enrich this curriculum area. The balance of time spent on different subjects is generally good, but the timetabling of English and mathematics is such that a large number of pupils in the preparatory school do not experience these important subjects every day. For example, one class has nine English lessons in total; two on one day, three on another and four on a third day. No English lessons are taught on the other two days. This imbalance across the week does not give pupils a good daily balance of different learning experiences.
2.3 Some specialist subject teaching begins in the earliest years, but it is fully introduced at Year 4, where setting by ability in all subjects is implemented. Good provision is made for the acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills. Grammatical and linguistic skills are well developed, as is handwriting, and pupils are given many opportunities to develop their listening and speaking skills. Science offers many opportunities for investigative work and strong cross-curricular links exist between some subjects, such as science and physical education.
2.4 The provision of extra-curricular activities in the school is good considering the size of the school and its availability of space. Some activities are made possible by the fleet of four minibuses, which not only transport pupils to and from school but also provide access to a wealth of local sporting facilities. The school offers a good range of ‘day-boarding’ activities, which are well attended and range from art, chess, needlecraft and Spanish, to ‘Scary Maths’ and many sporting activities. However, music is poorly represented with no choir, orchestra or music club. Various opportunities for enrichment are provided through an excellent range of visits and outings, including a very popular school ski trip and a residential fun trip for pupils in Year 8 after their common entrance examinations. Pupils say they greatly value these experiences.
2.5 The school prepares pupils well for each stage of their education. The induction arrangements for pupils entering Reception are very effective. New pupils are invited to spend some time with the previous Reception class experiencing a range of activities, while their parents have a meeting about school life and receive a home assessment booklet to fill in with their child. A significant number of pupils join the school in Year 3 and they are invited to an evening for themselves and their parents before they start. All pupils who join the main school come for an assessment day when they are given ‘buddies’ to look after them. Transition to senior school is similarly aided by visiting the senior schools of their parents’ choice; the headmaster is available to offer advice to parents. Staff from local senior schools visit St. Edward’s to get to know their incoming pupils. Within the school, pupils are prepared for each new class by moving up and spending time with their new teacher for half a morning in July. However, the size of the school is such that all staff and pupils know each other very well and this enables pupils to move through the school with confidence.
2.6 Curriculum planning is good and in science, English, mathematics and the Foundation Stage it is very good. All pupils in the school have equal access to the curriculum and benefit from the extensive range of activities provided. No pupil is withdrawn from any lesson.
2.7 Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Identification of pupils requiring extra support is undertaken by staff often in conjunction with parents. Extra help is given by the class or subject teacher as required and relevant individual education plans are drawn up, which are regularly reviewed with parents. All staff are aware of these plans and know the targets within them. Provision for pupils for whom English is an additional language is also good, and they are given extra help with understanding English as necessary. For example, staff continually check that pupils understand the task that they have been set. These processes ensure that these two groups of pupils receive an education which is suited to their needs.
2.8 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the curriculum [Standard 1].
Pupils’ Learning and Achievements
2.9 Pupils’ learning is good; it is effective and results in significant academic achievement. The school successfully fulfils its aim of developing within pupils an enthusiastic learning ethos that enables them to progress and develop in a positive manner. Both the quality of learning and standards of achievement have been maintained since the last inspection.
2.10 Pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding are developed well across the curriculum because of good teaching and work that is generally matched to pupils’ abilities. However, in a small number of lessons pupils were not sufficiently challenged, because tasks were not appropriate for the most able pupils. Pupils’ skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT are strong. Literacy skills are particularly well developed and pupils are able to articulate their understanding extremely confidently. This was observed when Year 7 pupils were critically analysing and discussing Tennyson’s poem The Throstle. Pupils also particularly enjoy, and are successful in the creative and practical opportunities afforded them in some subjects, notably science, art, DT and English.
2.11 No significant differences are apparent in the relative attainment of pupils in different classes or subjects. All pupils are exceptionally willing to apply themselves to the tasks set, regardless of how interesting the work may be.
2.12 The school does not enter pupils for national tests at age 7, nor has it entered pupils at age 11 since 2003. Results in national tests in English, mathematics and science at age 11 over the two years to 2003 were far above the national average for all maintained primary schools, and represented very good achievement.
2.13 The school has an impressive range of academic and other achievements, which are the result of the school’s encouragement and nurturing of talent. Since 2003, pupils have gained a total of nine scholarships to senior schools, including seven academic, one all-rounder and one drama award. All boys who sat common entrance examinations were accepted to the schools of their choice. Boys enjoyed considerable success in drama examinations; all who entered were successful and over half of the candidates gained distinctions. A team of four pupils won first prize in the Salter’s Festival of Chemistry this year, a competition open to all local schools. Last year one pupil gained a bronze medal in the final of the Primary Mathematics Challenge. Three pupils also won a mathematics competition sponsored by a national computer company. Pupils have succeeded in winning awards for prose speaking in a local Eisteddfod. Boys have also enjoyed a wide range of sporting success both at school and at local clubs. Pupils from the school have represented their county in cricket, tennis, hockey and swimming. One boy recently came eighth in the national Under 12 cycling championships.
2.14 Pupils are articulate and listen effectively during lessons. They were consistently lucid, courteous and confident when talking to inspectors. They apply their well-developed speaking and listening skills across the curriculum. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 take part in lunchtime debates to develop these skills further, and some pupils participate in public speaking competitions. They are given many opportunities to read in lessons, and they do so intelligently and fluently. Their writing skills are highly developed, and many examples of extended and creative writing were seen when examining pupils’ work. Numeracy skills are also strong and pupils are able to apply their skills to new situations. For example, in science, pupils in Year 2 were able to measure how far a model car rolls and how this is affected by the incline of the slope. Since the installation of the new ICT equipment last September, pupils have been developing their good ICT skills in several different subjects. For example, pupils in Year 6 were able to download images from the internet and word process their research to enhance their work on mould growth.
2.15 Pupils are able to reason and think for themselves. They can follow instructions and are able to put together well-constructed oral and written arguments. This is encouraged from the earliest years; pupils in Year 1 eagerly developed their powers of reasoning when discussing the history of flying, from the hot-air balloon to space rockets.
2.16 Opportunities for independent investigative work during lessons are particularly notable in science, history, art and religious studies, and pupils are very capable of using their initiative when organizing their work and making their own notes. In other subjects provision for independent learning is more variable. Where such opportunities do exist they are much appreciated by pupils.
2.17 Where they are given the opportunity to collaborate over their work, pupils bring informed and lively discussion to their learning. An example was seen in a Year 7 geography lesson, where pupils were debating in a small group the pros and cons of genetically modified organisms, and did so with maturity and confidence.
2.18 Pupils’ very positive attitude to their work is a strength of the school. They are very attentive at the start of lessons and settle quickly to their task. Their concentration, behaviour and attitudes are all excellent, and their teachers are strong role models in these respects. Pupils are happy at the school and enjoy the learning opportunities offered.
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development of Pupils
2.19 Pupils demonstrate an outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness that is evident in all aspects of school life, and this represents an improvement since the last inspection. Their personal development reflects the school’s aim to develop the whole child intellectually, morally, socially, spiritually and physically. The school provides a very caring, friendly and happy atmosphere with traditional values and it fosters very well its aim of promoting a spirit of tolerance and understanding amongst the community.
2.20 Pupils throughout the school show a strong awareness of spiritual development. They develop self-knowledge and discover the fundamentals of their own and other faiths through assemblies and religious studies (RS) lessons. Spiritual awareness is developed through visits to places of worship such as the local Sikh gurdwara, synagogue, mosque and the Hindu temple at Neasden. The school has strong links with the local church and pupils have also visited Douai Abbey and Winchester Cathedral. The examination of pupils’ books revealed that Year 8 pupils had reflected on a topic about their place in the universe. A comprehensive PSHE programme helps pupils develop self-awareness, self-knowledge and insight into the values of others. During an assembly about service to others, a pupil in Year 5 developed the spiritual awareness of his peers by poignantly retelling the story of the Good Samaritan.
2.21 Pupils’ moral development is very strong. They have an excellent awareness of right and wrong. Staff and pupils rightly feel that moral development is a strength of the school. Pupils feel that any case of bullying is dealt with swiftly, fairly and effectively, although incidents are rare. Again, the PSHE and RS lessons throughout the school enable pupils to deal with moral issues, including an awareness of sex and relationship issues and drugs. Very strong mutual respect is evident between staff and pupils. Pupils have excellent attitudes and show respect for school rules.
2.22 The development of pupils’ social awareness is excellent. Very good social development is taught in the Foundation Stage. Throughout the school, pupils develop self-discipline and respect the needs of others. They know that they can voice their ideas through the School Council. Although still in its infancy, the School Council has already influenced aspects of school lunches, fair access to use of the artificial playing surface at lunchtime and the acquisition of play equipment. Pupils develop a very strong responsibility to the wider community through charitable work. They raise approximately £2000 per annum and they focus on supporting local children through the NSPCC, Barnardo’s, and Children in Need. Sporting matches and inter-school activities foster team spirit and loyalty exceptionally well. All pupils in Year 8 take on responsibility through being house captains and prefects, and pupils from Year 6 upwards develop leadership skills on various residential courses.
2.23 The development of pupils’ cultural awareness is outstanding. Through subjects such as art and RS, pupils have created excellent cultural displays including some superb African masks. They know about other religions and cultures including how people from different backgrounds and countries dress, eat and worship. Diwali, Eid and other festivals are discussed and celebrated. These activities enable pupils to be more aware and tolerant about the lives and cultural background of other people who live alongside them in the community. Their fundraising for a school in Sri Lanka has enabled pupils to be more aware of the circumstances of other communities in the world. School visits are organised to concerts and drama productions including Twelfth Night at Stratford and Wind in the Willows. These opportunities offer an excellent support to pupils’ awareness of their own cultural heritage.
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 Teaching is of a good quality, in line with the aims of developing each pupil intellectually, morally, socially, spiritually and physically, and respecting each pupil by encouraging him to confidently develop his talents to the full. This quality of teaching has been maintained since the last inspection. Several instances of outstanding teaching were seen.
2.26 In all subjects, teaching generally enables pupils of all abilities to make good progress and further develop their knowledge, understanding and skills. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language are taught well. They are given appropriate work and are supported well in class by their teachers, who also offer extra help outside lesson time. They achieve as well as their peers because of this targeted support. Those who receive extra support from a visiting teacher and are withdrawn for lessons also achieve well. Teachers know their pupils very well and on most occasions showed a good understanding of the aptitudes and prior attainment of pupils. However, in a few classes during the inspection, more able pupils were not given the opportunity to achieve as well as they could, because the pace of the lesson was slow or the task set was not challenging enough to move their learning on.
2.27 Lessons are generally very well planned with a good variety of activities which meet the needs of all pupils and promote good learning. For example, in a Reception lesson which developed pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the world, pupils were very well focused and learned effectively because the lesson included the use of subject specific language about growing plants, a game outside about different types of beans, a discussion about the beans in different tins, and then various activities designed to extend numeracy, literacy, social and creative skills. Teachers have a very secure knowledge of the subjects they teach and their enthusiasm is clearly evident in some lessons. Their knowledge enables them to interact very well with pupils through good questioning, which develops pupils’ understanding very well in many different subjects. However, in a few lessons, teaching was less effective because revision and practice questions for common entrance examinations were undertaken in an uninspiring and unimaginative way. In discussions with pupils, they confirmed that some lessons are not as interesting or stimulating as they could be.
2.28 Time is well used, with a brisk pace to many lessons, and resources, including ICT, to support pupils’ learning are good both in quantity and quality in all subjects and are used effectively. Teaching encourages pupils to apply themselves to each task very conscientiously and use their ability to work and think for themselves. However, the teaching in a few lessons does not promote this aspect of learning as much as it could. On several occasions, pupils were seen using the ICT facilities for research and working independently. Teachers encourage very good behaviour, and relationships, both in the classroom and around the school, are excellent, fostering pupils’ interest and application. The programme of visits is very wide-ranging and contributes much to the quality of teaching and the educational experiences of the pupils.
2.29 All staff keep records of pupils’ attainment in lessons and in their written work. Whilst a whole school marking policy is in place, marking both within subjects and across the school is inconsistent. Some marking, for instance in English, French and science, is very helpful and gives pointers to the pupils on ways in which they could improve. In some subjects, teachers extend pupils’ independent learning further by asking more questions at the end of a piece of work, for example in science. However, some marking is cursory with just a tick placed at the end of the work; other comments offer encouragement and praise but no advice for improvement.
2.30 The assessment of pupils in the Foundation Stage is very good and carried out regularly and thoroughly. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are assessed in reading and spelling every term. Throughout the school, pupils’ attainment is assessed regularly, through the use of a range of standardised tests against national criteria, particularly in English, mathematics, science, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, and twice-yearly reading and spelling tests. These results are recorded to look for any unusual emerging pattern of attainment, and to identify pupils who may require extra support. Staff also record grades for attainment and effort every two weeks for all preparatory department pupils, and these are sent home on grade cards. Pupils are then encouraged to set themselves new target grades for the following two weeks. The school recognises that its assessment procedures need to be developed further, as currently they are not able to check accurately enough on each individual pupil’s progress, so they can be sure that each pupil is achieving as well as he can.
2.31 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, welfare, health and safety in the school is outstanding, and this represents an improvement since the last inspection. The school meets its aims of respecting each child as an individual and giving each child the confidence and self-esteem to develop his talents to the full. Parents express great satisfaction with the pastoral care offered whilst noting in particular the school’s achievements in standards of behaviour and the promotion of worthwhile attitudes and values. A distinctly friendly and caring atmosphere exists in the school, which reflects the excellent relationships between the staff and pupils.
3.2 The staff provide very effective support and guidance for all the pupils. Staff know their pupils very well and are always at hand and available to help pupils in times of need. The school day is always busy and challenging, but it is apparent that each individual is uniquely valued and respected. Pupils find all staff members equally approachable if they have the need for support, either academically or pastorally. This has created a very strong atmosphere of trust and respect. Pupils are prepared very well to move on to the next phase of their education.
3.3 A formal structure of tutor groups affords an excellent framework for pastoral care and these arrangements assist staff in providing for their pupils very well. Pupils meet their tutors twice weekly in form lessons and have the chance to discuss their academic progress and raise any issues of concern. Opportunities exist to set goals to improve academic performances and discuss any shortcomings. A school council has recently been created which gives a further channel for pupil concerns to be aired with staff.
3.4 Within the school community and amongst the pupils, excellent relationships exist. Pupils mix extremely well and a very caring spirit is manifest, with older pupils giving support to younger ones. A fine example is that of prefects hearing pre-preparatory pupils read, so fostering a fraternal relationship within the school community. Assemblies are moments when success at individual and at team level, both in school activities and outside, is celebrated, and these are published in newsletters to parents.
3.5 An effective anti-bullying policy is in place; discussions and workshop sessions in PSHE lessons underpin its effectiveness. Similarly discipline and behavioural policies operate in a very positive way. Usually an admonishment is sufficient sanction, though the house point system provides a further formal sanction for any misconduct. Pupils say that incidents of bullying are rare.
3.6 Child protection measures are securely in place. The school’s child protection officer has undertaken relevant training, and appropriate in-service training for all staff has recently been carried out. Most staff are trained in first aid and first aid equipment is provided at strategic places in school, as well as being carried in the fleet of school minibuses. Pupils are very well supervised in and outside school. A healthy eating policy has recently been introduced with a commensurate menu, which has been very enthusiastically received by pupils. Risk assessments are undertaken for all aspects of school life, all fire prevention measures are in order and fire practices are held regularly and recorded.
3.7 A governor has been invested with a specific remit to oversee health and safety, and the excellent procedures within the health and safety policy ensure that pupils are in a safe, healthy and very caring environment.
3.8 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
3.9 Links with parents and the community are strong, and this has been maintained since the last inspection. The school is fulfilling its aim of developing an effective three-way partnership between pupils, parents and school. A large majority of parents are highly satisfied with the opportunities offered to their children, and they are encouraged to have as much contact with the school as possible.
3.10 Parents’ responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire indicate that they are extremely positive about many aspects of the school’s provision. They particularly appreciate the academic opportunities, the high standards of behaviour, the quality of the teaching and the promotion of worthwhile attitudes and values. However, a small minority of parents were not satisfied with the information given or the opportunities for discussing their children’s progress, they were not happy with the uneven amounts of homework given, they did not feel that worthwhile help was given to those pupils with special educational needs, they did not feel involved in the life and work of the school, and they did not feel the school handled their concerns well. The inspection team found that the first two concerns were justified, but the last three were not.
3.11 Most parents are very satisfied with the education and the support provided for their children. Staff know their pupils very well and are always available to discuss concerns with parents. They generally provide very effectively for pupils within the classroom, and offer strong support and guidance to pupils, working in partnership with their parents. Inspectors found that the provision for pupils with special educational needs is effective, and pupils are given helpful extra support, both in the classroom during lessons and when the subject or class teacher gives extra support beyond lesson time.
3.12 Many worthwhile opportunities are given for parents to be involved in activities in the school, although the school has taken the decision not to invite parents in to help directly with the pupils’ education in areas such as hearing readers. However, parents are very welcome to support their children at matches, assemblies, and productions, for example by helping with make-up, and a parents’ choir participates in the annual carol service. Some parents share their expertise with the pupils by visiting to talk about their cultural background or career, for example through the pre-preparatory department topic ‘People who help us’. The Parent Teacher Association is very active and seeks to welcome all parents into the school community by arranging a wide range of social events for both adults and families; for example the very successful summer fete, the Ridgeway Challenge, and the Bollywood Night. On average, they raise about £7000 each year.
3.13 Parents are encouraged to be involved in the work and progress of their children. They are provided with reading record books and target books in the pre-preparatory department, and homework diaries in the preparatory school. These inform parents about their children’s progress and homework and also provide good opportunities for easy contact with form teachers and tutors. However, parents’ concerns about homework are justified; the homework policy is not consistently applied by all staff across the school and results in pupils having uneven amounts of homework.
3.14 A wide range of information is available to parents. The prospectus, website and the parents’ handbook are very helpful and informative. The school arranges useful information meetings for parents prior to their child joining the school in Reception or Year 3. The pre-preparatory department informs parents about their sons’ curriculum at the beginning of the year; however, preparatory school parents indicate that they are not given enough information about the curriculum to be taught in advance so that they can support their sons more at home. Termly calendars and regular newsletters, both from the whole school and the pre-preparatory department, keep parents up-to-date about events and celebrate pupils’ activities and successes.
3.15 Parents of pupils in all years except Reception, Years 3 and 8 are invited once a year to consultation evenings about their child’s progress; in Reception, Years 3 and 8, these opportunities are twice a year. Staff prepare fortnightly grade cards for parents, which give pupils grades for effort and attainment and include a form tutor comment. Twice-yearly full written reports give good information about what progress the pupil has recently made, but not all give sufficient advice about what the pupil needs to learn next. However, the reports and grade cards do include a reply comment slip, so parents do have an opportunity to send comments back to the school about their child’s progress.
3.16 Due care is given to parental concerns and all parents are made aware of the complaints procedure. All issues are responded to quickly, and parents who met with the inspectors during the inspection were very appreciative of the headmaster’s early availability and his view that any concerns of parents are raised with him or the deputy head immediately.
3.17 The school has many links with both the local community and further afield, particularly through sport. For example, various local cricket clubs allow their facilities to be used for school matches, and pupils use excellent local facilities for swimming and other physical activity. The school premises are used by local clubs for regular meetings, and pupils visit local religious places of worship, enabling them to develop a far greater understanding and tolerance for their peers’ backgrounds and culture. Local services, such as the police and fire crew, visit to talk about their work to pupils, and these visits support and enrich the work undertaken in the classroom. Good links exist between the school and other local maintained and independent schools, for example through sports matches and chess tournaments. Pupils’ global horizons are extended through fund-raising for a school in Sri Lanka which was damaged in the Tsunami of 2004.
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].
4. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
4.1 The quality of governance is sound and the governing body helps to secure appropriate aims and values for the school, providing satisfactory oversight and guidance. Governors take suitable care in providing financially for the school and its development. Since the last inspection, the school has extended its age range down to four, and very good accommodation has been provided for these pupils in the pre-preparatory department. However, the governors have not made enough progress in following up a minor recommendation from the last inspection report, namely to have a closer interest in the day-to-day life and work of the school.
4.2 The governing body jointly governs St. Edward’s and its sister school, The Highlands. The governors, several of whom have been parents of the school, have an appropriate range of experience and expertise. A governor from an educational background is in the process of being appointed, after a short gap when the board did not benefit from this experience.
4.3 Governors are aware of their roles and responsibilities. They have made effective provision for the expansion of the school and its accommodation and they ensure that resources are available to supply educational needs. Their structure enables them to keep sound oversight of the school and they operate committees for finance and human resources. A buildings committee operates from time to time as necessary, and one governor oversees health and safety. Meetings are held termly, when the governing body is kept well informed about school issues by the headmaster and bursar, but most governors rely too heavily on the headmaster’s reports and not enough opportunity is taken to find out about the work of the school at first hand. For example, they do not work sufficiently closely with the senior management team or staff to have a really clear idea for themselves about the needs, achievements and challenges which the school faces. This means that their role in development planning is not as strong as it could be, and their vision for the future of the school is not currently incorporated into a formal, prioritised school development plan. The recently appointed chairman is enthusiastic about her role, makes sure that she is well known to staff and parents, and recognises the importance of the governing body being able to support the school more fully. The governors’ relationship with the headmaster is satisfactorily supportive and challenging; close contact is maintained between the chairman and headmaster for the welfare of the school.
The Quality of Leadership and Management
4.4 Leadership and management are successful and fully support the schools’ aims, particularly that of developing the whole child intellectually, morally, socially, spiritually and physically. In response to the last inspection, good progress has been made; the book provision in the main library has improved, and a new pre-preparatory department library and a library for Years 3 and 4 have been set up. All curriculum issues from that time have been resolved, pupils with special educational needs are generally well catered for in lessons and they have individual education plans.
4.5 The headmaster provides very effective leadership and is fully aware of the needs of the school, and this is reflected in the good quality of education and the outstanding care of the pupils. His vision of extending the school down to the Reception class has been very effectively realised, and the consequential increase in numbers of pupils attending the school means that the school is now thriving. He has built a strong staff team over recent years, and the whole school community, staff, parents and pupils, have a deep respect for, and loyalty to, his enthusiastic leadership. The senior management team, consisting of the deputy head, director of studies and head of the pre-preparatory department, support the headmaster well. They communicate effectively by meeting at least weekly, ensuring the school’s aims are met. Clear educational direction is given by the headmaster and the senior team and, as well as weekly staff meetings, much discussion takes place informally. However, the current five-year plan is not constructed as a working document; its aims have not been sufficiently prioritised, the financial implications have not been fully explored, nor is there enough information as to how the school will set about achieving its targets.
4.6 Further academic support is given by the subject heads of departments; they have prepared effective academic policies and the quality of their planning is good. However, middle managers do not monitor their subjects formally across all age groups. All staff are fully involved in the pastoral care of pupils. Appropriate policies have been drawn up covering all aspects of school life, and the school regularly checks and reviews the operation and impact of these procedures, putting in place improvements where appropriate. For example, the record of disciplinary incidents is checked fortnightly to identify any particular patterns in pupils’ behaviour. Overall, management is satisfactory; the senior team is aware of the lack of formal rigour in some of the management procedures. For example, whilst an appraisal process is undertaken on a two-yearly cycle, it is not formally linked to staff professional needs or to curriculum development. Evaluations of teaching and learning through lesson observation have begun, carried out by the headmaster, but these are not yet undertaken with sufficient rigour to have an impact on pupils’ achievement.
4.7 The school’s finances are well managed for the benefit of the pupils. Resources for learning, including provision for ICT, are good, competently managed and meet pupils’ needs. The well-stocked libraries are used by pupils and staff frequently and contribute effectively to pupils’ learning, although the main school library was being refurbished at the time of the inspection and it was not possible for pupils to use it.
4.8 The recruitment of well–qualified staff is successfully managed. Teaching and classroom support staff are deployed well and contribute significantly to pupils’ learning and welfare. Staffing levels are good and enable strong support to be given to pupils, particularly those who have special educational needs or for whom English is an additional language. The required staffing checks are carried out and appropriate records are kept. Induction procedures for staff new to the school, and those new to the profession, support them effectively and follow national requirements. Satisfactory in-service training opportunities are available.
4.9 Arrangements for the day-to-day administration of the school work very well. The administrative and other support staff in all areas provide high quality assistance, upon which the efficient running of the school depends. Communication within the school is very effective, and all are well informed about their responsibilities and tasks. The staff handbook is a detailed and helpful document. Communications with the parents and the community are strong.
4.10 The school is a pleasant and welcoming place, and all available accommodation is used to best advantage. A very secure environment is provided for the pupils. The more recent buildings provide spacious classrooms which are used well. The school’s grounds, which include an impressive artificial playing surface, are well used for a variety of educational and recreational purposes. The use of excellent external sporting facilities contributes very well to the learning opportunities available for pupils. The high quality, bright displays of pupils’ work, particularly in art, create a very effective learning environment.
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 St. Edward’s has many strengths, some of which are outstanding, and a few areas which would benefit from improvement.
5.2 The school’s success in meeting its aims is represented in the outstanding personal qualities of its pupils. A high quality and wide-ranging curriculum is provided with many opportunities for pupils to learn and achieve well. Teaching is generally effective and sometimes outstanding. Pupils are exceptionally well cared for, and they have an excellent attitude towards learning. Relationships between all in the school community are outstanding. Strong links have been developed with parents and the community. The leadership of the headmaster is very effective; however, a few management processes are not undertaken with sufficient rigour; for example, development planning, the monitoring of teaching and learning, the appraisal process and the roles of middle management. Assessment procedures do not yet allow for individual pupils’ progress to be checked sufficiently well, and governors do not have a close enough interest in the day-to-day work and life of the school.
5.3 The school has made good progress in all the major areas identified for improvement at the time of the last inspection: curriculum issues have been resolved and drama is now an important part of pupils’ educational experiences; book provision in the library has improved; and the needs of less able pupils are generally well catered for in class lessons. In addition, the pre-preparatory department has been very successfully set up and the number of pupils on roll has almost doubled since the last inspection.
5.4 The school meets all the regulatory requirements.
5.5 To improve further the quality of education provided, the school should take the following action:
1. The management of the school should be improved, by rigorously formalising:
· development planning, to include prioritising, costing and how targets are to be achieved;
· the monitoring of teaching and learning, so that pupils’ achievement is raised further;
· the appraisal process, so that it is linked to staff professional needs and curriculum development;
· the roles of middle management, so that subjects are monitored across the whole school.
2. Governors should have a closer interest in the day-to-day life and work of the school so that they are able to provide staff with support, advice and an appropriate level of challenge.
3. The assessment procedure should be developed further so that the progress of each individual pupil can be checked more easily, enabling staff to ensure that all pupils are achieving as well as they should.
5.6 No action in respect of regulatory requirements is required.
6. summary of inspection evidence
6.1 The inspection was carried out from 2nd to 5th May 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.
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Elizabeth Coley |
Reporting Inspector and Additional Inspector for Ofsted |
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Kim Duce |