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INSPECTION REPORT ON |
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St. Leonards-Mayfield School |
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Full Name of the School |
St. |
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DfES Number |
845/6035 |
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Registered Charity Number |
1047503 |
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Address |
The |
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Telephone Number |
01435 874600 |
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Fax Number |
01435 872627 |
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Email Address |
enquiry@stlm.e-sussex.sch.uk |
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Headmistress |
Mrs. Julia C Dalton |
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Chair of Governors |
Mr. Crispian H V Collins |
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11 – 18 |
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Gender |
Female |
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Inspection Dates |
20th – 23rd March 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 was carried out in conjunction with the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). The CSCI report is available separately (www.csci.org.uk).
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 Leonards-Mayfield
School is a Catholic boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18. The original preparatory school was founded
in 1846 by the venerable Mother Cornelia Connelly, foundress of the religious
congregation for the education of Catholic girls, the Society of the Holy Child
Jesus (SHCJ). The senior school has
occupied its beautiful, historic site in the centre of the small
1.2 Its mission statement reads as follows: “St Leonards-Mayfield School seeks to realise the unique potential of each student within an inclusive community that is rooted in the Catholic tradition of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.”
1.3 The school’s aims are “to educate the student’s mind, soul, heart and body in partnership with parents, so that each individual may develop: inner confidence, an unshakeable framework of spiritual values, strong moral principles, a deep capacity for compassion, and the knowledge, intellectual curiosity and training to continue learning throughout life; the confidence to become what they want to be, but make that self just what our Lord wants it to be.”
1.4
The school has 407 pupils on
roll, of whom 194 are boarders; 306 girls are in Years 7-11 and 101 in Years
12-13. The school’s catchment
area for day girls comprises the whole of
1.5 No girls have a statutory statement of special educational need (SEN), but girls are screened on entry and thirty-eight have been identified as having SEN, which require extra support from the school. Seventy-three girls do not have English as their first language and nearly all receive specialised tuition to improve their command of English in the school’s English as a second or other language (ESOL) department.
1.6 Nationally standardised baseline tests indicate that the girls’ average ability is above that of the national average. If they are performing in line with their ability, their results will be above the average for all maintained secondary schools, but below that for maintained selective schools.
1.7 Since the last inspection, major changes have included the change to a lay head after 128 years of religious order leadership, a radical shake-up of boarding provision, in terms both of staffing and accommodation, and a re-balancing of the school’s aims and ethos, in order that girls’ progress in learning becomes as important as their general welfare and the pastoral care provided.
1.8 National Curriculum nomenclature is used throughout this report to refer to year groups in the school.
The Educational Experience Provided
2.1 The quality of the educational experience provided for the girls is outstanding. The school’s realisation of its major objective, to educate the mind, soul, heart and body of each individual pupil within an inclusive community that is rooted in the Catholic tradition of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, is what makes life at St. Leonards-Mayfield School such a special experience for all its girls. The spiritually enriched and caring atmosphere and high standards commended in the last report have been further improved, not least by ensuring closer monitoring of girls’ learning and their academic progress. The girls develop high expectations and a remarkable inner confidence. Parents responding to the ISI questionnaire were overwhelmingly positive in their appreciation of the quality of the education provided for their children.
2.2 The broad and well-balanced curriculum enables the continuous development of high levels of skill in literacy and numeracy. The school’s insistence on allowing the maximum freedom of choice for girls to pursue their individual talents encourages independent learning and research and enables girls to achieve very high standards in their chosen studies. The presence of worship within the curriculum and the provision of religious studies (RS) lessons for all girls, from Year 7 to Year 13, underline the centrality of spirituality and the education of the soul in the school’s priorities, whilst the stress on the creative and imaginative, as seen in drama, art and ceramics, helps the school to widen girls’ horizons and educate the heart and mind together. With the recent extension in the provision of up-to-date computers, the technological skills of girls and staff are also beginning to be developed to high levels.
2.3
The curriculum is enriched by a
wide range of visits and extra-curricular activities, most of which are
accessible to all and not just to the most talented, as was observed in the
drama club, the senior games programme, the various sports clubs, the range of
musical activities and the modern languages trips to France, Germany and
Spain. The cultural aspects of recent
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award gold expeditions in the Cévennes
and in
2.4 The life skills programme, provided in the curriculum from Year 7 to Year 11, is comprehensive, covering a varied selection of topics, many of which prepare the girls well for their future personal and professional life. However, work experience is not organised by the school, although the girls are encouraged to arrange it for themselves. The preparation of the girls for entry into higher education is excellent.
2.5 The academic curriculum is well planned and accessible to all. This is especially notable in the science department, where the triple science option may be chosen by girls of a wide ability range, not just the high flyers. Schemes of work provide excellent levels of continuity and progression. However, the attempt to include everything in the Year 9 curriculum has its problems. The girls who want to try Greek have to forego their ICT lessons half-way through the year and three of the creative arts have 10 weekly slots, which results in girls taking one option after they have chosen their GCSE options. The provision of a wide range of A level studies ensures commitment from the girls and the learning of productive attitudes to study vital for success in higher education. It is noteworthy that a large number of girls choose to continue with the sciences and mathematics to A level and beyond.
2.6 Excellent provision is made for girls with special educational needs, particularly through the production of appropriate individual education plans. Great care is taken to test and prepare those girls for whom English is a second or other language prior to their first term. In the lower school, they are taken out of English and modern foreign languages lessons to receive outstanding focused English tuition, aimed at returning them to mainstream classes as quickly as possible. The possibility that a girl might need learning support is addressed in many ways, by standardised cognitive testing, by responding to concerns from parents, by staff recommendation and by the extensive support sessions organised by various departments at lunchtime and after school to deal with specific pupils’ needs.
2.7 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the curriculum [Standard 1].
Pupils’ Learning and Achievements
2.8 The school is outstandingly successful in achieving its aim to realise the unique potential of each pupil. Girls develop high levels of intellectual curiosity, creativity and independent learning skills and achieve outstanding standards in public examinations. This is an area which has improved greatly since the last inspection. The girls are extremely well grounded in knowledge, skills and understanding in the subjects and activities provided; they can apply these pertinently and think and act both critically and creatively. Girls concentrate well and listen attentively to their teachers, as well as to their peers, whose opinions they respect and reflect upon.
2.9 Outstanding examples of creative and extended writing and of lively, informed discussion were observed at all levels. Girls’ literacy levels are very high. In class discussions, girls are articulate, answer pertinently, reason and argue cogently and qualify their statements intelligently. They listen attentively, the better to take part actively in discussion and explore all possible aspects of arguments on a given topic. Evidence was seen of selective reading, thorough understanding and good communication skills. Girls concentrate well and show great perseverance, however difficult the topic being taught may be. Just occasionally girls found the pitch and diversity of the concepts too difficult for them to handle without considerable help.
2.10 Underpinning the very high levels of knowledge, skills and understanding displayed is the mutually supportive atmosphere which is evident in all lessons and throughout the school. Girls react well to encouragement, enjoy their work and consequently develop confidently and securely the essential skills and attitudes necessary for success in work and study. They feel at ease in lessons and support each other’s learning most effectively. Much outstanding collaboration was seen in lessons, in role-play, pair-work and group-work, which contributed greatly to the learning process. Girls are also well able to work individually and readily accept the opportunities offered to develop their independent learning skills through extended responses to open-ended tasks and a more sophisticated, in-depth coverage of topics, often helped by their pursuit of research of their own on the internet. They are excellent note-takers, but enjoy going further, thinking for themselves and organising their work independently.
2.11 Girls apply mathematics and mathematical concepts effectively and many show high aptitude in this area. Thinking skills form an integral part of the science programmes of study in Year 7. Effective use of ICT was observed in classroom displays and strong ICT skills were evident in girls’ personal use of the internet for researching topics, but these skills are not yet sufficiently developed across the curriculum.
2.12 The less able girls progress extremely well, helped by teachers’ awareness of their needs and willingness to spend time offering appropriate support for each individual pupil. Girls with SEN make particular use of photocopied sheets to obviate the problems of note-taking and make rapid progress in understanding. The more able achieve very high standards well above expectation, as they accept the challenge of open-ended tasks and delve more deeply into topics both in their own research and in class discussion. Their creative skills are very well developed, as was observed in some outstanding ceramics.
2.13 Girls’ attainment in GCSE and at A level is very high in relation to their abilities. Over the three years 2002-2004, girls’ performance at both levels was above the average for maintained selective schools. In GCSE, they were well above selective school levels in over one-third of all subjects, at A level in over one-fifth. Outstanding results were achieved in art and design, ceramics, drama, German and Spanish at both levels and in the three separate sciences in GCSE. Nationally standardised data show exceptional progress between entry to the school and GCSE and this is maintained and further improved in Years 12-13. In 2005 two girls, one of whom has English as a second language, achieved the highest marks nationally in the AQA Board GCSE English Literature papers. Girls’ A-level results in 2005 improved even further, with over eight out of every ten candidates gaining an A or B grade.
2.14 In addition, girls achieve significant success in national competitions such as the mathematics and physics Olympiads and in the European kangaroo mathematics competition. Last year one girl was awarded a Nuffield Scholarship. Another girl was ranked among the top twenty young British butterfly swimmers and an equestrian specialist won the British Junior Championships and was a member of the British team which came fourth in the European Championships two years running.
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development of Pupils
2.15 The promotion of pupils’ personal development lies unequivocally at the heart of the school’s aims and the high standards achieved are a vivid reflection of the school’s exceptional commitment to educating the soul and heart as well as the mind and body, in order to develop in the girls an unshakeable framework of spiritual values, strong moral principles and a deep capacity for compassion. In this, they are outstandingly successful, even more so than at the time of the last inspection. In the parental questionnaire parents were almost unanimous in applauding the school’s promotion of worthwhile attitudes and values.
2.16 The spiritual awareness of the girls is excellent. The Catholic ethos is the root from which all their spirituality grows, whether it be as a Year 7 girl sharing her personal prayers by entering them into a prayer book in the entrance to the lower school or as a participant in December in the highly moving Live Crib procession through the village and the uplifting service afterwards, attended throughout the week by parents and villagers. As the prospectus stresses, ‘love of God, daily prayer and the teachings of Christ provide the school’s moral and spiritual corner stones’. Girls are exposed to the Catholic liturgy, days of recollection are provided and regular collective worship occurs within the curriculum. The Catholic ethos is introduced to the girls on entry when they learn that a freedom to ‘become what they want to be, but make that self just what our Lord wants it to be’ holds them responsible for their own actions. The new chaplain has realised the aim of making the Catholic ethos more explicit by introducing a chaplaincy team, (CHAPS), two groups of sixth-form girls, who assist her in the running of the chaplaincy and help with the creation of a culture of prayerfulness. The school accords a very high priority to increasing girls’ self-knowledge and self-esteem and instilling in them a sense of wonder. Girls are encouraged and inspired to broaden their spiritual horizons, as a result of which they achieve a high level of creativity and their imagination is successively educated. Following a period of Lenten reflection, for example, girls had created a moving collection of poems of reconciliation in their English lessons.
2.17 The girls’ moral awareness is equally notable. Moral principles permeate the school community and are central to all its activities. The ethos of morality is all-pervading and ensures that girls learn from the outset to distinguish right from wrong. The foundress’ ‘love full of action’, stressing that Christian faith is useless unless it is put into practice, underlies the successful inculcation of moral principles. In this respect, the staff and older girls are exemplary role models for the younger ones. The girls’ social conscience and sense of responsibility are actively promoted, fostered and encouraged, which results in a mutually supportive and caring community. There is a waiting list to be involved in the chaplaincy team and sixth-form girls have expressed the wish to be more involved with the younger ones, even though they already organise all the competitions between the school houses. The ‘Action not Words’ project in Year 12 epitomises the morally aware enthusiasm and involvement of the girls. They talk proudly about their sponsored thirty-hours fast, which resulted in a large donation to Friends of the Earth. The girls in the St. Vincent de Paul group are continuing their good works after their successful drama production performed by children from the local primary school.
2.18 The girls are polite and helpful. A warm relationship exists between most girls and staff which is based on mutual respect and trust. The girls’ social skills are effectively developed through a wide range of opportunities to take on responsibilities and to develop cooperative team-building skills. The mutual trust and support are palpable in lessons and in the daily life of the community. Girls take the initiative in proposing contributions to community life, whether it be drama pupils electing to tackle a play with greater depth and subtlety than last year or younger girls organising a sponsored pink mufti day for charity. The chaplaincy team are exemplary role models in this respect.
2.19
Girls’ cultural awareness is
strongly reinforced in a variety of ways, not least in the study of art from
different cultures. The school promotes
tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions. The school’s successful education of girls’
imagination enables them to understand and appreciate other people’s
perspectives. The ESOL department
encourages the foreign girls to acclaim their cultures through festive meals,
assemblies and wall displays in the corridor.
Girls from a wide range of nationalities are successfully integrated
into school life and their contribution enriches the experience of all. For example, when girls in an English lesson
were discussing a poem which centred on a wedding in
2.20 Girls’ awareness of personal, social and health issues is very well developed by a regular programme of life skills, which takes place once a week in the curriculum from Years 7-11, supplemented by further discussion in extended form time. Preparation for later life is built into the course. Topics include care of oneself and one’s body, relationships, rights and responsibilities, being a responsible citizen, self-esteem and study skills, covering themes such as drugs education, smoking, bullying, personal hygiene, peer pressure, eating disorders, alcohol abuse, first aid, environmental issues, and stress management. In lessons observed, girls’ learning, understanding and inter-personal skills were greatly helped by their active participation in role-play and creative group work and by lively discussion of their attitudes and values. Girls’ awareness and understanding are further developed by a sex education programme, which is in keeping with the teaching of the Catholic Church and the ethos of the school and which complies with government legislation.
2.21 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils [Standard 2].
The Quality of Teaching (Including Assessment)
2.22 The high quality of teaching is a major contributory factor in the school’s realisation of its aim to develop the unique potential of each girl and in the outstanding levels of attainment which girls now achieve in GCSE and at A level. The very good standards of teaching praised in the last report have been maintained and improved further. Teaching is notably effective in promoting girls’ learning and stimulating their creativity and intellectual curiosity. In lessons observed, the quality of teaching was often outstanding and never less than satisfactory. Girls and parents were almost unanimous in their praise of the role the teachers play in helping pupils learn.
2.23
The variety of teaching methods
used generally responds to the needs of all girls and enables those of all
abilities to acquire new knowledge, increase their understanding and develop
their skills, including those with SEN and ESOL. In
lessons, differentiated tasks and the use of specific strategies, such as
employing different coloured pens to highlight points when using the overhead
projector, allow all girls with learning needs to progress at their own pace
and learn more effectively.
2.24 Teachers’ constant guidance allows girls to apply themselves thoroughly during lessons and enhances their interest, as they obtain instant feedback on the progress of their work. Teaching encourages girls to take an active part in lessons. It fosters understanding, stimulates interest and promotes independent thinking, encouraging girls to analyse situations and respond in an articulate manner. Many examples of animated debates and discussions were observed and excellent use was made of role play and cooperative group work in many areas, not least in drama, classics and modern foreign languages.
2.25 Teachers have an excellent knowledge of their subject. Lessons are well planned and structured to allow a rapid pace. Teaching encourages high levels of concentration and very responsible behaviour. The effective use of a variety of teaching strategies retains girls’ attention and generates enjoyment. Appropriate use of interactive whiteboards in science and of overhead projectors in modern foreign languages greatly enhances the learning process. Excellent standards were observed in the focused support lessons provided to improve the English of girls with English as an additional language.
2.26 Teachers have a very good knowledge of the girls in their care, of their needs, aptitudes and prior attainments. Every effort is made to respond to individual girls’ needs and those with SEN are particularly well supported, often with individual education plans. Time for individual attention to be paid to girls with difficulties is planned into most lessons and teachers make themselves available outside curriculum time to provide girls with any help required.
2.27 Teachers mark work regularly and thoroughly. Encouraging comments and formative assessment of work help girls to develop their knowledge and understanding further. The school’s assessment system enables effective tracking of girls’ progress, which is used to plan further lessons and develop the curriculum. Departments contact feeder schools in order to obtain information on syllabi covered and on the profile of girls transferring to the school. GCSE results are kept and used in the sixth form to track girls’ performance and results of this regular monitoring are reported to parents. Girls also complete a thorough self-review, which is monitored by the form tutor.
2.28 Resources are good and effectively used. Resources in ICT have been improved recently and departments are starting to develop their use in lessons.
2.29 In many departments, teachers share best practice with colleagues, in order to vary their strategies and methods to respond as effectively as possible to the needs of all girls. This excellent practice greatly enhances girls’ learning, but it is not universally in evidence.
2.30 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 is outstanding. It contributes greatly to the school’s realisation of its aim to encourage a high quality of girls’ personal development. The school is also successful in ensuring good standards of welfare, health and safety for all its pupils.
3.2 The tutorial system provides excellent and effective support and guidance for all the girls. Tutors are responsible for monitoring the academic and pastoral welfare of their tutees, and are the first point of contact for parents. Their care and commitment, allied to effective management of the tutorial system by heads of year and assisted by a structure, which allows tutors to remain with their groups from Years 7 to 8, 10 to 11 and 12 to 13, ensures that they get to know their tutees well and provide support and stability which benefits girls’ learning and development. Boarding house staff provide excellent pastoral support in the houses and are also involved with supporting academic monitoring. The extensive improvements to the pastoral system since the last report are recognised by both staff and girls.
3.3 Heads of year provide effective management of the tutorial system. Formal monitoring of procedures is being developed.
3.4 The quality of relationships between girls and between girls and staff are outstanding. Most girls speak very highly indeed of their teachers. All have at least a few teachers they could turn to in times of trouble, some have many and a few named all of the teachers. The general view is that ‘you can trust the teachers’. In lessons, girls work well in pairs or small groups. Socially they mix well, and as one girl said, ‘we are a big happy family’.
3.5 Girls behave well and show respect for those of different cultures and religions. Around the school they are polite and courteous and always willing to help a lost inspector. They appreciate the need for school rules and respect the rights of others. The school ethos militates against bullying and in the pupils’ questionnaire, nine out of every ten girls felt the school handled any bullying issues effectively. An anti-bullying policy is in place.
3.6 An excellent child protection policy and effective procedures in line with local inter-agency guidelines are in place and successfully contribute to girls’ welfare. The school child protection officer is suitably trained and has updated her training annually. A nominated governor oversees procedures.
3.7 All necessary measures to reduce risk from fire and other hazards have been taken. The local fire officer visited the school in December and issued a positive report. Almost all of his recommendations have already been implemented. A whole-site risk assessment has been undertaken and is about to be reviewed further. Most departments have prepared good risk assessments and a risk assessments coordinator oversees mandatory procedures and risk assessments to be followed by staff who take girls off site on educational trips and visits. A scheme for collating and monitoring risk assessment centrally has yet to be introduced.
3.8 The school has an excellent governors’ health and safety policy, which has due regard for all health and safety regulations. Procedures are overseen by the school’s health and safety officer and the nominated health and safety governor, but no health and safety committee has yet been convened. Systematic monitoring of all procedures concerning girls’ welfare, health and safety is not yet in place. The school has an appropriate written first-aid policy. The nurses provide good and sympathetic twenty-four hour cover in the well-equipped health centre. The support from the school’s doctor causes some concern.
3.9 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the welfare, health and safety of pupils [Standard 3].
The Quality of Links with Parents and the Community
3.10 Links with parents and with the community are outstanding. The school takes great care to keep parents informed and to develop purposeful links with them and with the wider community. The quality of information provided for parents and their involvement in their daughters’ progress have improved significantly since the last inspection, in line with the school’s avowed aim to work in partnership with parents in educating their daughters. The school has very close links with the local village community.
3.11 A wide range of literature of professional quality is sent out to parents throughout the year, including a six-times yearly information sheet, a termly newsletter, a termly calendar and the school’s outstanding magazine, ‘The Cornelian’, which provides an annual record of school events. It is packed with girls’ poems, articles and art work, and contains innumerable photographs, many in colour, of girls participating in a very wide range of trips and activities. The girls themselves produce an excellent publication, The Mayfield Student Magazine. The importance which the school attaches to liaison with parents is shown by the appointment of a nominated member of staff with responsibility for links with parents.
3.12 Information sent out to parents about their children’s work and progress is very comprehensive. Full summative and formative written reports are provided three times a year, supplemented each term by grade sheets. A range of informative booklets is also issued, which give details of each section of the school and ease girls’ entry to the school and their transition from one stage of their education to the next. These are particularly useful when girls are deciding upon their choices for GCSE and A levels. Formal parents’ evenings to discuss children’s work and progress occur once or twice a year for each year group.
3.13 Parents’ responses to a questionnaire which they completed before the inspection were overwhelmingly positive, expressing their satisfaction with the education and pastoral support which the school provides. Almost total satisfaction was shown for the school’s promotion of worthwhile attitudes and values and for the quality of teaching. Parents also commended highly the information given them concerning their child’s progress and the opportunities provided to discuss this with teachers. As one parent put it: ‘I am continually amazed by the approachability of the staff.’
3.14 Parents are also specifically invited in writing to all events which involve their daughter, thus encouraging their full involvement. They support plays, concerts, major chapel services, charity and sports events and help with work experience placements and careers guidance, although this latter area is not yet well developed.
3.15 The school handles parents’ concerns with great care and is also prompt in informing parents of developing problems, thus providing an early opportunity for their swift resolution. A comprehensive complaints procedure, which complies with statutory regulations, is in place.
3.16
The
3.17 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].
The Quality of Boarding Education
3.18 The quality of boarding education is outstanding, a prime example of the creation of a supportive environment, which fosters exemplary standards in girls’ personal development. Since the last inspection, the role of boarding within the school community has been completely restructured and a major, welcome programme of investment in improving facilities has already led to the provision, with the opening of Leeds House, the new lower school house, of modern accommodation of the highest quality. Improvements in accommodation have gone a considerable way towards alleviating previous concerns, but shortcomings still exist, particularly in some sleeping facilities, of which governors and management are fully aware. The considerable progress made since the last inspection shows the extent of their commitment to raising standards to the highest levels.
3.19 The major beneficial change of recent years has been the move to integrate the boarding and day sections of the school into one caring and supportive community. The result has been to halt the decline in boarding numbers and to raise the profile of boarding within the school. The introduction of flexi-boarding has been particularly successful in helping foster mutual understanding between day and boarding girls. Day girls are now to be found involved in boarders’ weekend visits and on-campus activities alongside their boarding friends.
3.20 The quality of the pastoral care provided and of the relationships between girls and between girls and staff in the boarding houses is outstanding. Girls feel safe and confident in articulating problems, knowing they will be dealt with quickly, fairly and empathetically. This is an excellent reflection on the attitudes and approach of all boarding staff and, in particular, of the housemistresses. The leadership of the boarding houses is exceptional and fosters the highest standards of pastoral care. The boarding staff enjoy excellent support from senior management. Girls from a large range of cultures are fully integrated into the life of the boarding community and this extensive cultural mix makes an invaluable contribution to the personal awareness and social development of all the girls. Such mutually supportive understanding is paramount in the creation of the outstandingly inclusive ethos of care and concern which permeates girls’ boarding experience.
3.21 Most boarding staff are now involved in teaching and teaching staff are taking an increasingly active role in supporting boarding activities, appreciating the importance of such contributions to the well-being of the girls and of the whole school community. This welcome trend has been aided by the high number of new staff appointments since the last inspection. Boarding staff appreciate greatly the growing commitment of their colleagues, but on occasions, above all at weekends, they are stretched to the limit in their efforts to provide a stimulating experience for their charges.
3.22 Activities for the boarders are extensive. During the week, they mix with day girls in a wide range of clubs, activities and visits, whilst at the weekend, a full range of campus activities are open to them, including, for example, access to the tennis and netball courts and supervised access to the swimming pool and to the art rooms. A weekend activities sheet is issued termly. Relaxing external visits have recently included Crazy Golf, the Sealife Centre, Laser Quest and the Bluewater Shopping Centre.
3.23 Boarding accommodation is undergoing major long-term revision. At its best, as in the new Leeds House, it is outstanding. The quality of the environment in the other houses has been fundamentally improved since the last inspection, particularly in Connelly House and in St. Dunstans House, where the newly furbished social area and rearrangement of offices and bedrooms have gone a considerable way towards alleviating previous concerns. However, the sleeping facilities in Connelly House fall below present-day standards and sleeping areas in St. Dunstans House are not being maintained to a satisfactory standard.
4. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
4.1 The governors are deeply committed to the good of the school and to its development. Their aim is to promote and facilitate the provision of an excellent all-round education within an inclusive community rooted in the Catholic tradition of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus. In this they have been notably successful. Since the last inspection they have shown both courage and foresight in presiding over a period of beneficial change for the school, including the move to a first lay headmistress.
4.2 Governors give a significant amount of time and energy to the school, reflecting their commitment. The structure of sub-committees, covering finance, education and governance, ensures that areas of responsibility are clearly defined, and this is properly reflected in the Articles of Governance and Committee Terms of Reference. A good range of expertise is to be found within the governing body. Regular meetings between the chairman of governors and the headmistress ensure that the chairman is aware of what is happening within the school. The chairman of the finance and management committee meets regularly with the bursar. These structures and management arrangements support effective oversight of the school.
4.3 Outcomes clearly indicate that this oversight has been instrumental in helping management realise the school’s aims since the last inspection. Governors have presided over a period of beneficial change, involving improvements to facilities, to pastoral care and to girls’ learning, whilst maintaining the supportive ethos so fundamental to the school’s mission. They have a clear vision for the future and are fully engaged and dedicated to the continuing development of the school. The governing body is aware of the need for proper consultation and discussion with the headmistress and senior management team, in order to work constructively together, displaying mutual respect and appreciation, so that the school’s aims can be even more effectively realised and the current success of the school positively built upon.
4.4 Governors demonstrate proper financial oversight and appropriate and effective application of resources. Courageous governance is evident in the governors’ addressing the need to improve facilities with an ambitious development plan. They have shown appropriate financial responsibility in imposing budgetary constraints and requiring cost-effective planning.
4.5 The governing body has appointed governors with a specific responsibility for child protection and health and safety, but monitoring of all policies and procedures concerning girls’ welfare, health and safety is not yet in place. An excellent governors’ policy stipulates procedures to be followed to ensure girls’ health and safety, in line with statutory requirements, but governors are aware that it would also be good practice to create a representative health and safety committee to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities in this area. A developing system of linking governors to specific departments and areas of the school is encouraging more effective communication and positive relationships between the governing body and members of staff.
The Quality of Leadership and Management
4.6
Leadership and management are highly successful in enabling the
comprehensive realisation of the school’s aims to provide a high quality of
education for all girls, rooted in an ethos which promotes and is consistent
with Catholic values. The headmistress
and her senior management team provide exceptional leadership and this is
reflected in the outstanding quality of education provided, in the very high
standards of pastoral care and in the beneficial changes in structure and
ethos, which have been introduced since the last inspection.
4.7 The headmistress and senior managers have built wisely and well upon the vision of the school’s foundress. Measures have been effectively introduced to strengthen the Catholic ethos of the school and to ensure that its spiritual heart remains central to its policies and practices. As well as maintaining a caring, supportive community, management’s fostering of positive communication, effective relationships and a shared commitment to improving standards has successfully brought about much beneficial change. The day and boarding life of the school is now effectively integrated and the focus on girls’ progress has contributed significantly to the dramatic improvement in girls’ standards of attainment. The quality of pastoral care has been strengthened and a broad and well-balanced curriculum has been created, which effectively supports girls’ spiritual and creative development and is enriched by a wide variety of extra-curricular activities.
4.8 The current recently redeveloped management structure ensures that generally effective monitoring and regular evaluation of policies and procedures takes place. Senior management has developed a comprehensive set of policies, including those necessary to fulfil statutory and legal requirements, and has established clear lines of responsibility for their implementation. However, systematic monitoring of the procedures established to implement the excellent health and safety policy and of the completion and collation of comprehensive risk assessments has yet to be fully established. Appropriate induction procedures for newly qualified teachers, which comply with statutory requirements, and for qualified staff new to the school, are in place, but the monitoring by senior management of heads of department and the induction of new heads of department has been inconsistent.
4.9 The headmistress and her senior management team adopt a consultative approach to the management of change. Regular meetings, including the twice-weekly staff briefings, ensure that open channels of communication are in place. Outcomes clearly show that senior management has been highly effective in putting decisions taken into practice.
4.10 Successful development planning has helped the school to clarify its priorities and to plan effectively for the future. Senior managers recognise the importance of ensuring that staff morale is healthy and professional development is accorded a high priority. The recruitment of high-quality staff is seen as central to the successful fulfilment of the school’s plans and the school benefits from high calibre staff in key positions throughout the school.
4.11 The school’s finances are well managed to secure appropriate resources in support of its educational aims and to meet the needs of the girls. The arrival of the new bursar has given the school the opportunity to evaluate and tighten up financial controls and procedures.
4.12 All members of staff, teaching and support, are committed to the care and welfare of the girls. The support staff are efficient and dedicated, making a fundamental and much-valued contribution to the smooth and efficient running of the school community.
4.13 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the suitability of proprietors and staff and for premises and accommodation [Standards 4 and 5].
4.14 The school participates in the national scheme for the induction of newly qualified teachers and meets its requirements.
5.1 The school’s distinctive creative fidelity to its foundress’ spirit and vision, best exemplified by its belief that love full of action must permeate everything they do for young people, has created a unique, inclusive, mutually supportive community in which girls develop an inner confidence and a deep capacity for compassion. The school’s success in meeting its aims and aspirations to educate the mind, heart, soul and body of its pupils is most palpably represented by the outstanding quality of relationships seen at all levels of the school. Girls acquire firm spiritual values and strong moral principles, best seen in the sense of service and duty to others which is evident in so many of the things they do. Academic excellence is successfully promoted, with girls achieving very high levels of attainment in relation to their abilities, but the most striking academic progress of all observed during the inspection was that made by girls with English as an additional language, a telling example of the caring approach which is intrinsic to the whole community. The curriculum fosters intellectual curiosity but is most distinctive in its promotion of spirituality, with worship having an integral place in it, and in its stress on creativity and the education of the imagination. Governors and management are aware of and are already addressing areas of concern in the provision of boarding and sporting facilities, the monitoring of health and safety procedures and the relationships between governors and management and between governors and staff. The school is an exemplary model of the dynamic effects which can be achieved by an education based on faith and love.
5.2 Since the last inspection, a culture has been developed, whereby promotion of girls’ learning and progress takes its place alongside pastoral care as central to girls’ welfare, leading to a dramatic rise in the standards of attainment achieved by girls. A radical review of boarding has led to the full integration of day and boarding girls into one whole-school community, increasing further the already strong mutually supportive ethos. Effective management structures and procedures, with full job descriptions and clear lines of responsibility, are now in place, allowing for good communications and greater cohesion and thus enabling decisions taken to be swiftly implemented. Curricular planning is now excellent and kept under review. The change to a lay head necessitated the appointment of a chaplain, whose work has strengthened further the distinctive Catholic ethos of the school. Recent investment in ICT has greatly improved provision, but this has yet to spread across the whole curriculum. Statutory requirements for registering attendance are now fully complied with.
5.3 The school meets all the regulatory requirements.
5.4 The school has no major weaknesses. To improve still further the quality of its educational provision, it should take the following action:
1. continue, as finances allow, its planned programme of improvements to boarding and sporting facilities;
2.