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INSPECTION REPORT ON |
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Westbourne House School |
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Full Name of the School |
Westbourne House School |
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DfES Number |
938/6007 |
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Registered Charity Number |
307034 |
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Address |
Coach
Road, Chichester, West Sussex, PO20 2BH. |
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Telephone Number |
01243
782739 |
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Fax Number |
01243
770759 |
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Email Address |
whouseoffice@rmplc.co.uk |
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Headmaster |
Brendan
Law |
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Chairman of Governors |
Colin
Sharman |
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Age Range |
3
– 13 years |
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Gender |
Mixed |
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Inspection Dates |
6th
– 9th November, 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 not carried out in conjunction with the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and the report does not contain specific judgements on the National Minimum Boarding Standards. It comments on the progress made by the school in meeting the recommendations set out in the most recent statutory boarding inspection and evaluates the quality of the boarding experience and its contribution to pupils’ education and development in general. The full CSCI report can be found at 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 Westbourne House School is a co-educational boarding and day school which caters for 374 pupils between the ages of three and thirteen. Founded in 1907 as a boys’ preparatory school in Folkestone, the school moved to its present 60-acre site at Shopwyke Park, a mile to the east of Chichester, in 1947, following evacuation to Devon during the war. It became co-educational in 1992.
1.2 The school operates as a single entity, though for day-to-day management it divides itself into three sections. The pre-preparatory department caters for 108 pupils between the ages of three and seven, the junior department for 94 pupils aged seven and eight, and the preparatory school for 172 pupils aged between nine and thirteen. The junior department and the preparatory school share the main school buildings, whilst the pre-preparatory department is housed in separate buildings in its own distinct area of the campus. Three of the boarding houses are sited within the grounds; the fourth occupies first floor accommodation in the original Georgian house.
1.3 While rooted in the Anglican tradition, the school welcomes pupils of all denominations and faiths. It seeks to maximise pupils’ potential in mind, body and spirit through providing:
· equal opportunities in all aspects of school;
· a broad, deep and balanced curriculum which sets high expectations and develops pupils’ social and cultural education;
· a wide range of activities which enable pupils to develop skills, organise themselves and their work, accept responsibility, and develop moral and spiritual values;
· a caring, challenging and disciplined environment.
1.4 The school is owned and governed by an educational trust through a board of governors. The current headmaster has been in post since 2003.
1.5 The school was last inspected in November 2000. Since then, the school has continued an extended building programme to add a new hall, which combines a 300-seat theatre with music teaching and practice rooms, a classroom block, dining room and library to its facilities. During this time, the school has grown in numbers; at the time of this inspection, the preparatory school and junior department operates three forms in each year group.
1.6 Most pupils come from the immediate surrounding area. The majority of pupils join the school in the Nursery, though a significant minority enters the Reception and Year 3 classes, and pupils may be admitted to any year where there are vacancies. Boarding pupils, some of whom are part-time, account for nearly one-quarter of the pupils in the years in which boarding is made available. The school offers full boarding, but at the time of the inspection, all boarders went home at the end of Saturday school.
1.7 It is the school’s policy to educate pupils with a broad range of ability. Whilst, from Year 1, the school assesses pupils in English and mathematics prior to entry, selection is based on the ability of the school to give them a suitable education, not on candidates’ prior academic achievement or potential. This policy results in a very wide range of ability within the school. Nationally recognised tests confirm that the range of ability is very wide, but that the average ability of the pupils is above the national average. Whilst the school uses the national tests at the ages of seven and eleven for its own internal monitoring purposes, it does not submit these for external audit and marking.
1.8 Almost all pupils speak English as their first language, and the very few that do not are fluent in English. One pupil has a statement of special educational need (SEN), and the school identifies that 62 need special support for their learning.
1.9 National Curriculum nomenclature is used throughout this report to refer to year groups in the school.
The Educational Experience Provided
2.1 The school achieves its aim of stimulating pupils and encouraging them to maximise their potential in mind, body and spirit. It provides a well-rounded curriculum which is consistent with its aims and philosophy, and gives pupils rich experience in a wide range of activities, which contribute well to their linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, aesthetic, creative and spiritual development. It also provides well for all pupils, regardless of ability, to acquire skills in numeracy and literacy. Since the last inspection, the school has reviewed and revised its curriculum and how this is implemented. It has introduced timetabled drama and personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons, revised its arrangements to ensure that pupils do not habitually miss the same lessons to attend instrumental lessons, instigated a drive to improve spelling, punctuation and grammar, and strengthened management of the curriculum through the appointment of curriculum managers.
2.2 Throughout their time at the school, pupils experience a broad and varied curriculum. From the Nursery, the school makes good provision for the development of skills in speaking, listening, reading, writing and numeracy. French is introduced in Year 3, and Latin in Year 6; Greek is offered as a club activity. Art, design and technology (DT), music, drama and sport form important parts of the curriculum, and are taught to a very high standard.
2.3 In the pre-preparatory and junior departments, where the form teacher teaches most of the curriculum, the grouping of pupils within lessons, individual education plans (IEPs), and the close personal knowledge of the form teacher, means that pupils are challenged at appropriate levels. From Year 5, the school makes use of flexible arrangements for setting and streaming to take account of individual needs. All sections of the school make good use of assessment data to understand the abilities and needs of the pupils.
2.4 Pupils’ experiences are enriched by a wide, varied and imaginative programme of extra-curricular activities, including many team and individual sports, music groups, creative activities such as sewing, and activities designed to promote both problem-solving and team-building skills. One such activity is the developing Westbourne Award, modelled on The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. The activities programme fulfils the schools aim to provide equal access for all pupils, and makes a significant contribution to their lives and education. Pupils also experience and benefit from educational visits, including residential ones such as those to the Eden Project and a combined humanities and language week in France.
2.5 Pupils engage in charity fundraising, supporting three different charities each year. One of these is the ongoing partnership with Westbourne House School in Zambia. Another is the Winston’s Wish project, with which the school has forged a close connection. Such projects heighten the awareness the pupils have of the needs of others and of their ability to help them.
2.6 Regular meetings between the heads of the three sections of the school ensure smooth transition from one stage to the next. Pupils are well-prepared academically and socially for transfer to senior schools at 13+; staff lay great emphasis on matching senior schools to pupils to ensure that they thrive there. The flexible boarding arrangements, and particularly the encouragement given to pupils aiming for boarding secondary schools to board in their final two years, also add to the preparation pupils are given for transfer to their new schools.
2.7 The curriculum is effectively planned and provides equality of access and opportunity for all pupils. Curriculum planning is detailed and thorough; every department has an appropriate scheme of work. Heads of department are developing their roles as managers of their subjects; devolved budgets enable them to plan more effectively for resourcing subject development. The four curriculum managers work co-operatively and effectively to monitor the quality and balance of the curriculum. They co-ordinate arrangements for assessment and its use as an aid to planning.
2.8 The school provides well for learners with difficulties and disabilities (LDD). Form and subject teachers alert the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) to pupils with such needs early in their school career. Following detailed assessments, input from all staff involved and parents, IEPs, which contain very helpful, specific advice on how to support such pupils, are prepared and disseminated. Regular reviews ensure that changing needs are speedily addressed. Learners with difficulties or disabilities receive individual tuition by specialist staff. In specific cases, support staff are specially trained and deployed to provide full-time, in-class support for pupils. The support for the pupil with a statement of special educational need fully complies with statutory requirements. Gap students provide effective support for individual or small groups of pupils within lessons.
2.9 A policy for gifted and talented pupils, which not only incorporates provision for academic, musical, sporting and aesthetic challenge, but also for thinking and problem-solving skills, is being imaginatively developed by a specifically designated co-ordinator. A very good example of this is the Baby Westbourne Project, which was modelled on a commercial product. A group of pupils was given the open-ended task of producing a child’s DVD. The group carried out the design, filming, editing, packaging and post-production work independently. This project provided gifted and talented pupils with the opportunity to work creatively and to develop lateral-thinking and organisational skills. In the pre-preparatory and junior departments, the provision of tasks well-matched to pupils’ abilities meets the needs of the able and talented. However, teachers of academic subjects in Years 5 to 8 do not regularly provide a similar level of challenge for able and talented pupils in the classroom. Here, such pupils are frequently required to complete identical tasks to other pupils before moving on to extension work.
2.10 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the curriculum [Standard 1].
Pupils’ Learning and Achievements
2.11 Pupils’ achieve good standards in all areas of the curriculum, so that at the age of thirteen they are well prepared to embark on a senior school education. In 2006, all pupils gained places in schools appropriate to their needs and abilities. Sixteen pupils were awarded scholarships, and, in line with the schools’ aims to provide a broad educational experience, these included academic, music, art and technology, sport and all-round awards. Pupils’ learning skills develop well. They make the most of their learning opportunities. They make better progress than at the time of the last inspection.
2.12 Pupils are well grounded in knowledge across a wide curriculum. Schemes of work, and the lessons that draw on them, lay a suitable emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge. Pupils learn effectively, and develop skills and understanding important in the subjects that they study. They develop their critical faculties in subjects such as English and science, and their creative talents in subjects such as art, music and drama.
2.13 Through attention to individual needs and the use of flexible streaming and setting arrangements, the school largely fulfils its aim that all pupils reach their potential. No significant differences in achievement exist between groups of pupils of varying ages and abilities across the curriculum. Pupils of all abilities make good progress. Those with learning difficulties and disabilities benefit from the caring and focused help given by all staff and full access to the curriculum so that they too make good progress. However, whilst the school has put in place well-devised strategies to enrich the educational experiences of gifted and talented pupils, these activities take place mostly outside lesson time. Within lessons in Years 5 to 8, these pupils are largely expected to complete the same tasks as other pupils before moving on to extension activities. This diminishes the rate of progress that they make.
2.14 The school does not submit the national tests at the ages of seven and eleven for external audit or marking, but data from other tests which afford comparisons to national norms confirm that pupils make good progress and that they achieve good standards in relation to their ability. The school has maintained good standards over the last three years.
2.15 Standards of individual and group achievement, particularly in sport and music, are excellent. The school competes very successfully against other schools in the area and nationally. In 2006, the girls’ under-13 netball team were regional champions having twice previously been National Champions. In the last year individuals have represented Great Britain at sailing and Biathlon, England at rounders, and the county in football, netball, hockey, tennis, cricket and athletics. Boys’ teams have won the Jersey 7-a-side rugby and 6-a-side football tournaments. In line with the schools policy on inclusivity, all pupils in Years 4 to 8 have opportunities to represent the school in at least two fixtures termly. Further opportunities to participate are provided by a variety of inter-patrol (house) competitions. Pupils show very good performance skills in both drama and music. Musicians have won places in the IAPS and National Youth Orchestra. Regular concerts, both formal and informal, allow pupils of all abilities to perform singly or in ensembles.
2.16 Pupils of all ages listen well and pay close attention to their teachers. They are articulate; they argue and discuss issues with confidence. Year 2 pupils successfully voiced their interpretations of a painting by Liz Wright. In a Year 5 and 6 PSHE lesson, pupils discussed issues related to friendship and then acted out some of the issues. Pupils at all stages read intelligently; they write coherently and with imagination.
2.17 Pupils apply mathematical knowledge effectively. In the Nursery, children investigated the frequency with which additional teachers entered their classroom. Each time a teacher entered a photograph was taken and these were used to produce a bar chart. Pupils in Year 8 successfully applied their knowledge of factors to factorise quadratic equations. A group of pupils in Year 8 with learning difficulties produced accurate interpretations of line and block graphs tracing changes in micro-climates in the grounds.
2.18 Pupils use information and communication technology (ICT) widely and effectively across the curriculum. Teachers use the interactive white boards present in some classrooms to good effect to enrich pupils’ learning. Pupils and teachers use laptop computers routinely in the classroom in many subjects. For example, in several Year 7 mathematics lessons, they were used to good effect to help pupils understand the order of computations. In geography, pupils in Year 4 used ICT to produce work related to the River Arun; they applied their ICT skills to insert photographs and annotate them.
2.19 In every year of the school, pupils are encouraged to reason and discuss matters arising in lessons. Pupils feel confident enough to express their opinions and do so in a cogent way. During the inspection, pupils in Year 6 discussed issues related to life and death, and pupils in Year 4 argued that there was no need for extra-curricular clubs as there was already plenty to do in the school day! Pupils in a Year 7 and 8 tutor group, having used the internet, engaged in a well-informed discussion about the results of the American elections.
2.20 Pupils concentrate on their work and persevere with it. They are keen to complete their tasks to the best of their ability. The school provides some opportunities for pupils to study independently; for example boarders who are members of the Twenty Minute Club have the opportunity to use the library, unsupervised, to research topics of interest to them, or catch up with work missed. However, teachers miss some opportunities to foster independent study, for example by dictating notes or publishing them to be copied.
2.21 Pupils cooperate well when working in small or large groups. Pupils in Year 5 produced good work in drama when they collaborated in mime to depict the elements of earth, water, fire and air. Pupils in Year 8 worked in groups to produce some very good music in the style of Debussy.
2.22 Pupils generally arrive at lessons on time, and settle quickly and quietly. They focus well on their tasks, are enthusiastic, have enquiring minds and enjoy learning in a caring and stimulating environment where teachers have high expectations and each pupil is valued.
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development of Pupils
2.23 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. The school fulfils its mission to encourage pupils to maximise their potential in mind, body and spirit very well. Moreover, it is extremely successful in creating a happy, caring, family atmosphere within a clear Christian ethos. The school has strengthened this aspect of its provision since its last inspection.
2.24 Pupils’ sense of self-worth, self-confidence and appreciation of the spiritual dimension of life are all very well developed. Since the last inspection, the school has reviewed its policy on attendance at assemblies, so that other commitments do not preclude pupils from benefiting from the experience of communal worship. Regular assemblies and chapel services, in which pupils participate by delivering readings and leading prayers, provide apt opportunities for them to explore and reflect on the spiritual aspects of life. In a preparatory school assembly during the inspection, pupils thought about how little things, like yeast in bread dough, make a big difference. Pupils’ self-esteem is of importance to the school. It is regularly raised in a myriad of ways, such as the praise pupils receive from their teachers, the public recognition they enjoy when they are presented with awards in assemblies, and through the display of their art throughout the school.
2.25 The curriculum makes a valuable contribution to spiritual development. Topics studied in religious education (RE) and PSHE lessons help pupils to understand themselves and their emotions. They develop good insights into the beliefs and practices of other faiths through learning, for example, about Divali and Chinese New Year celebrations.
2.26 Pupils appreciate the world around them, and especially the beautiful school grounds. Reception children adopt a tree in the grounds each year; they observe it and photograph its seasonal changes. The spirits of pre-preparatory pupils were uplifted at the sight of a double rainbow.
2.27 Pupils have a highly developed sense of right and wrong. Themes in assemblies often dwell on moral issues, and tutor group meetings and circle times provide regular opportunities for open discussion of right courses of action. From an early age, pupils know the difference between right and wrong, and appreciate that, if people are to live in harmony with one another, there must be rules. Pupils are well aware of ‘The Westbourne Way’, the school’s code of conduct, which they helped to compile. The curriculum makes a valuable contribution to the development of pupils’ understanding of moral issues. Consideration of complex issues, such as crime and punishment, prejudice and discrimination forms part of the RE syllabus for Common Entrance, and moral choices are explored fruitfully through English and the humanities. Pupils demonstrate their concern for others through their extensive charity work, support for victims of the tsunami and the large quantity of used school uniform sent to their namesake school in Zambia being but two examples.
2.28 Pupils’ social development is a very strong feature of the school. The school makes much of its family ethos, and relationships between staff and pupils and between individual pupils are warm and friendly. From their earliest days in the pre-preparatory department, pupils are made aware of being part of the school family, and learn how to share toys and equipment and wait their turn to speak during discussions. Boarding pupils benefit greatly from living in close family units in their boarding houses. Staff, and form captains elected for their exemplary behaviour, act as very good role models. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and friendly, because they respect and trust each other.
2.29 Pupils learn well how to live with each other. Social education forms a central part of the PSHE programme. Social cohesion is fostered by yearly changes of form groupings, the use of a two-year tutor group system in Years 5 to 8, and the house system. A strong sense of team spirit is fostered through widespread participation in school sports teams, musical groups, and drama productions. Residential visits give day pupils experience in living together, and both field work and projects help pupils develop positive working relationships.
2.30 Pupils accept and discharge responsibilities reliably and willingly from their first days at the school. In the Foundation Stage, they act as register monitors and serve each other with biscuits at snack times. In Years 3 to 8, form captains serve on the newly constituted school council. By Year 8, responsibilities are numerous: pupils act as patrol leaders for their houses, prefects and head of school. Pupils with very well-developed interpersonal skills are trained to act as ‘Friends’, serving as a listening post for pupils who are finding it difficult to sort out their own problems.
2.31 Knowledge about public services is inculcated early. Pupils in the pre-preparatory department learn about the work of the police and fire service. In the preparatory school, pupils learn how a democracy works, and mount their own ‘general elections’, canvassing along party lines, and following national systems of balloting, counting votes and announcing results.
2.32 Pupils develop a very strong sense of their own culture and sensitivity towards other cultures through an imaginative range of study and activities. In the Nursery, children gain cultural experience through learning traditional nursery rhymes. Throughout the school, the curriculum provides many opportunities to study the diversity of culture, especially through the study of art, music, English, history, geography, French and Latin. Widespread participation in drama productions, music concerts, and arts weeks gives pupils first-hand experience of the impact of culture on people’s lives. Parents share their cultural backgrounds and experiences with pupils through talks, which have recently included talks on India, Africa and the United States of America. Themed days, and themed suppers in the boarding houses, bring other cultures to life. Sports trips to South Africa, European ski trips, history trips to the ancient Mediterranean and the annual residential visit to France for pupils in Year 7 give pupils first-hand experience of what it is like to live in other ways.
2.33 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils [Standard 2].
The Quality of Teaching (including Assessment)
2.34 The quality of teaching is good. It has a positive effect on pupils’ learning and promotes the schools’ aims by enabling pupils of all abilities to make progress in the acquisition of knowledge, skills and understanding. The minor incidence of unsatisfactory teaching has been eradicated since the last inspection.
2.35 The school makes effective, flexible use of streaming and setting arrangements. At the end of Year 4, data obtained from nationally recognised tests and teachers’ assessments form the basis for decisions about groupings on entry to Year 5. These arrangements narrow the ability range within groups, and enable teachers to focus lesson objectives more sharply on the needs of the pupils, though not always on the needs of the gifted and talented. Movement between groups is regularly discussed at staff meetings, and facilitated whenever it is in a pupils’ interest.
2.36 The school has high expectations of pupils of all abilities. Teachers use a range of strategies to meet the needs of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities. They pay good heed to IEPs when planning lessons and deploy learning assistants effectively. The provision of full-time support, when necessary, makes a significant contribution to access to the curriculum for these pupils, and to their full involvement in the life of the school. Gap year students also provide good support. The school identifies gifted and talented pupils, and organises an enrichment programme for them outside lessons. However, teachers do not always challenge them sufficiently within lessons. They plan appropriately for such pupils in the pre-preparatory and junior departments, but only provide extension activities in Years 5 to 8 to be completed after other work is finished.
2.37 Good teaching encourages pupils to think, to be creative, and to learn for themselves. Creative writing and art are strong across the school, for example. Work of high quality results from the stimulus given to creativity and imagination in a Year 8 pop art topic. Year 8 pupils produced an imaginative i-movie centred on the London Olympics: they wrote the script, did the voice-over, animated plasticene models and provided a backing track.
2.38 Teaching inspires effort from pupils. During the inspection, a considerable amount of physical effort was expended on football pitches, netball courts and in the swimming pool by well-coached pupils of a wide range of abilities in fixtures against another independent school.
2.39 Lessons are well planned; time is used effectively and most lessons are conducted at a brisk pace. The involvement of pupils in a good range of activities, including discussion, theory and practical work, stimulates effective progress. For example, a group lesson on sequencing for pupils with learning difficulties in Year 2, which began with physical activity, continued with individual use of visual aids, and interspersed discussion throughout, resulted in excellent progress in pupils’ understanding of sequencing as applied to the days of the week and the alphabet.
2.40 Good communication between the various sections of the school, departments and individual teachers ensures that staff are aware of the prior attainment of their pupils and largely plan accordingly. Teachers are informed of pupils with IEPs, and successfully incorporate the helpful advice these give into their lesson plans. Teachers know their pupils and judge their potential well.
2.41 Most teachers have real enthusiasm for their subjects or areas of expertise and good subject knowledge. For example, in a Year 8 English lesson on analysing the techniques of poetry writing, teaching showed knowledge and familiarity with a wide variety of poems, and stimulated good work from the pupils.
2.42 Extensive resources and books support teaching very well. Resources for music, art, technology and sport are especially good. Class sets of laptop computers are widely used, and classes make use of the computer suites outside information and communication technology (ICT) lessons, for the study of other subjects.
2.43 Good teaching is often characterised by calm confident delivery from staff, which encourages good behaviour amongst pupils. Appropriate behaviour is reinforced by positive comments from teachers. Good relationships between pupils and teachers abound; they enable pupils to learn in a friendly atmosphere. Pupils feel confident to express their ideas and opinions, knowing that they will be listened to, by both their teachers and their peers.
2.44 Teachers mark books regularly, generally make positive comments and, when appropriate, give suggestions for improvement. They, and the pupils, make good use of the traffic light system to indicate when work is thoroughly understood, partially understood, or in need of revision, which enables teachers and pupils to set targets for improvement. In the pre-preparatory and junior departments, progress books track pupils’ progress through termly samples of work in literacy, numeracy and science. Teachers make effective use of their prior assessment of pupils’ work.
2.45 The school makes use of various nationally recognised tests to measure pupils’ ability against national norms, to look for any under-achievement, and to give early indication of pupils who may have learning difficulties. It also uses internal examinations and end of topic tests to assess pupils’ long-term attainment and progress. Data from assessments is used to place pupils in appropriate classes and sets.
2.46 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 high quality of the school’s provision reflects its aim to care for the individual. Pupils are at the centre of all the school’s policies and arrangements. They are given a voice within the school and all aspects of their development are carefully nurtured and monitored. The school has continued to build on the good standards of pastoral care noted in its last inspection.
3.2 Pupils benefit greatly from the staff’s commitment to providing for their well-being and development, and from their effective support and guidance. The well-established traffic light and target systems, and the open dialogue between teachers and pupils, provide well for guidance on academic matters. Weekly discussions about pupils who might be experiencing difficulties with their work are given priority at staff meetings, and solutions to their problems are followed up very carefully. The high quality of the arrangements for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities gives them the level of support they need to flourish. Personal guidance for all pupils is woven into all aspects of school life.
3.3 Pastoral arrangements are very largely effective. In the pre-preparatory and junior departments, the form teacher provides strong pastoral care which encourages positive personal development. In Years 5 to 8, well designed, revised tutorial arrangements have recently been introduced which place tutors in charge of pupils in two year groups, Years 5 and 6, or 7 and 8. At the time of the inspection, this initiative was in its infancy, and was being implemented somewhat inconsistently. A small minority of parents raised concerns that the system was not working effectively. The school is aware of the need to provide tutors with written job descriptions, and to ensure that they are sufficiently trained to carry out their new pastoral roles.
3.4 A caring atmosphere pervades the school. Staff know their pupils exceedingly well, and form excellent relationships with them. The headmaster and his wife, the SENCO and the matron play important roles in offering pupils support outside their form or tutor groups. As a result, pupils are happy and feel that they are well cared for; they are comfortable in the knowledge that they can turn to any member of staff in time of need. They understand the school’s established arrangements and procedures, and know what to do, and who to go to if they have any concerns.
3.5 The school’s procedures for promoting good behaviour are very clear and are respected by the pupils. Pupils and staff work together to uphold the ethos of the school. The ‘Westbourne Way’ places a strong emphasis on the positive. The school creates numerous opportunities for individual and group achievements to be recognised and celebrated. In the pre-preparatory department, teachers reward good work, behaviour and thoughtfulness with stickers, and choose a pupil each week whose name is entered in ‘The Special Book’. Pupils respond well to this positive reinforcement. In the junior department and preparatory school, teaching and non-teaching staff alike make use of a gold card system to reward good behaviour, and teachers use credits to recognise good work. Credits count towards certificates, and ultimately to the award of the Patrol Points Trophy at the end of term. These systems are very effective in motivating pupils as individuals, and as members of their houses, to work hard and behave well. They make the school a relaxed, civilised place in which to live and work. On the rare occasion when behaviour falls short of what is expected, well established disciplinary procedures provide suitable sanctions.
3.6 The school implements an effective anti-bullying policy. Pupils report that on the rare occasions when bullying occurs, it is dealt with effectively. They are suitably protected from harassment of all kinds.
3.7 Overall, the school’s arrangements to ensure health and safety are effective. It has due regard for health and safety regulations, undergoes an annual audit from a professional advisor, and follows up the advice it is given. It produces detailed risk assessments for all areas of the site and for all visits off site. It has taken all necessary measures to reduce the risk from fire. The bursar keeps accurate records of evacuation practices. The effective deployment of staff ensures that pupils are well supervised at play times and during delivery and collection of pupils in the pre-preparatory department. Sufficient staff are deployed at playtimes to supervise pupils over the extensive area used by pupils in the junior department and preparatory school, and the school is implementing plans to separate areas where traffic moves from those where pupils play.
3.8 The school makes effective arrangements for pupils’ welfare. Qualified staff ensure that the best possible medical care is offered to pupils when they are ill or have suffered an accident. Medical staff work to very clear guidelines. They keep very detailed records, inform teachers about pupils’ medical conditions, dispense medicines safely and undertake regular professional development. The presence of the head matron at weekly staff meetings ensures that pupils’ needs are considered holistically. The school is provided with ramps to many of its buildings, and has devised a suitable accessibility plan to show how it will improve accessibility over time. Food is of good quality, quantity and variety. The dining room provides a friendly, informal and civilised setting where pupils display good manners, and enjoy eating and socialising.
3.9 The school has put suitable child protection measures in place. Staff are appropriately trained, and governors accept their responsibility for this aspect of the school’s provision. Pupils feel safe and comfortable in school.
3.10 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
3.11 The school’s strong and effective links with parents contribute well to the fulfilment of its aim to foster a sense of community. Its growing links with the local and wider community help to fulfil the school’s aim to develop pupils’ social education, and their understanding of what it means to live and work within a community. The school has maintained the strong relationship that existed with its parents at the time of the last inspection, and extended its links with other schools and local organisations.
3.12 The large majority of parents is very satisfied with the education and support provided for their children. They are particularly pleased with the breadth of the curriculum, the progress that their children make, the attitudes and values promoted by the school, and the range of extra-curricular activities. Small minorities of parents expressed concerns over provision for boarders, the handling of their concerns, and opportunities to discuss their children’s work and progress. This inspection found that provision for boarders, except in the case of accommodation for girls, is good; that the school handled parental concerns with care; and that the school provided ample opportunities to discuss pupils’ work and progress.
3.13 Parents have many varied opportunities to be involved in the life of the school. For example, they are actively involved in assisting at pre-preparatory department swimming, making costumes and scenery for plays, and choreographing dances. The termly meetings between class parent representatives and the headmaster provide a good forum for parents to air their views and to hear about the life of the school. Levels of support from parents at matches, concerts, plays and services are good. Educational evenings furnish parents with good opportunities to hear about issues which may affect the work and progress of their children. In furtherance of the school’s aims, recent speakers gave very valuable information to parents about ‘Maximising your child’s potential’ and ‘Getting the best out of your child’.
3.14 The school provides very useful information for parents. The prospectus gives a comprehensive introduction to the school, and sets out clearly its mission statement and aims. The new website, which the school plans to develop further, is user friendly, provides a show case for activities, and keeps parents up-to-date. Both the pre-preparatory department and preparatory school provide informative handbooks for parents which provide ready references to such matters as daily routines, teaching staff, the timing of parents’ meetings, medical matters, extra curricular activities, and uniform. A termly calendar card gives details of concerts, meetings, visiting speakers, matches, and keeps parents well informed about future events.
3.15 Parents have frequent opportunities to discuss their children’s progress. Parents of Nursery children are invited to two meetings early in the school year, the first for information and the second to learn how their children are settling in. As pupils move through the school, further information evenings keep parents fully informed about changes to their children’s education, and provide good opportunities for staff and parents to socialise. Annual parents' evenings for pupils in Years 3 to 8, and twice-yearly meetings for parents with children in the pre-preparatory department, provide parents with good opportunities to discuss their children’s progress. Parents are fully consulted about IEPs and are invited to share in target setting and in reviews for their child.
3.16 Parents receive regular, clear and constructive written reports about their children’s progress. Parents of pupils in the pre-preparatory department receive one full and one summary report each year. In the junior department and preparatory school, detailed written reports are sent home at the end of each term for Years 5 to 8, and at the end of the Christmas and summer terms for Years 3 and 4. Parents receive informative effort and attainment marks each half term. Most reports contain effective targets for the pupils to achieve. They record examination marks and the range of these within the year group, where appropriate. Written comments, including those from the headmaster, reveal a very good understanding of the pupils.
3.17 The large majority of parents is happy with the way in which the school addresses their concerns. The school publishes a suitable formal complaints policy, but this has not been invoked.
3.18 The school promotes many positive links with the local and wider community. Amongst these, local groups make use of the sports facilities, art rooms, the Millennium Hall and music building. The regular fixture list of sporting matches and tournaments and participation in musical events brings the school into friendly contact with others. Good links are being forged with schools in the maintained sector through sharing facilities and sports events.
3.19 Wider links are established through involvement in charity work. The school raised £20,000 in 2005 for local, national and international charities. Pre-preparatory pupils designed Christmas cards for a respite home and are establishing pen pals abroad. The school has provided support for a Sri Lankan School, and sent used school uniform to Zambia. In addition to the connections made with other schools through its numerous sporting fixtures, the school mounts art and orchestral trips to other independent schools, and pupils from a French school come to stay.
3.20 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
3.21 Boarding creates good social cohesion between the pupils and staff. The boarding tradition successfully emphasises the whole family atmosphere of the school, and contributes well to the fulfilment of the school’s aims to foster a strong sense of community, and to encourage pupils to use their free time wisely. It remains a strength of Westbourne House, as it was at the time of the last inspection.
3.22 Boarders are effectively included in the family life of their house parents, and relationships between boarders and house staff are excellent. Flexible arrangements for boarding suit both pupils’ and parents’ needs, and the rule that boarders must board for a minimum of two consecutive nights maintains cohesion. The school especially encourages pupils in Years 7 and 8 to sample boarding life to prepare them for transfer to senior boarding schools.
3.23 Each house produces detailed handbooks for boarders and their parents, which are very useful in providing the answers to the most frequently asked questions. A small minority of parents considered that boarders were disadvantaged because no single member of staff was aware of their children’s total educational experience. This inspection found that boarding staff have a very good understanding of the pupils in their care. Nevertheless, the school is aware of parents’ concern, and is taking steps to address it through giving the headmaster’s wife a more central role in pastoral care.
3.24 A further minority of parents considered that the school arranged too few activities for boarders. However this inspection judges that the school offers boarders a very good range of activities out of lesson time, that there is a good balance of organised activities and free time, and that the school fulfils its aims to enable pupils to organise themselves and their work and to accept responsibility. Various exciting activities are on offer for the boarders. Charades, parachute building, ballet, orienteering, karaoke, football, squash and badminton tournaments encourage social interaction and provide opportunities for co-operation with others. The programme, which also includes fencing, judo, Koolkatz Dance, squash, golf, tennis, netball and board games, broadens the educational and social opportunities available to the pupils.
3.25 The school operates a system of weekly boarding but arranges occasional closed weekends for boarders when a wide range of activities is provided. During these times, and during the boarding programme each week, boarders benefit from engaging in the Westbourne House Award, a recently developed scheme, which is similar in some ways to The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, to challenge pupils and develop their skills in orienteering and outdoor life.
3.26 Boarders also have important time to devise their own entertainment, by means of activities such as board games, table tennis and air hockey; this gives them the chance to learn how to manage their own time. Some boarders use their free time very productively to catch up with work in the library; unlike prep, this is not directly supervised and so gives boarders valuable experience in organising their own work.
3.27 Boarders occupy four houses, one in the main house and three in the grounds. The boys’ boarding accommodation is bright, well furnished and comfortable; these houses maintain an excellent, relaxed atmosphere, and all the boys questioned were happy. The girls’ accommodation in the main house is not so attractive. The rooms are dark and lack the homely feel which is such a feature of the boys’ houses. The school is aware of this and has plans to remedy the situation. Resources in the boarding houses are adequate and suitable.
4. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
4.1 Westbourne House School is well governed. The committed and well-informed guidance of the chairman and the board ensures that the school maintains its distinctive ethos and makes effective strategic plans to meet its objectives. The chairman plays a clear role in the leadership of the school, and works closely with the headmaster, the heads of the pre-preparatory and junior departments and the bursar to ensure that resources are available to implement plans for school improvement. As at the time of the last inspection, the governing body gives positive leadership, and focuses well on priorities.
4.2 The structure of governance is well defined and provides for effective oversight of the school. Governors bring a wide and appropriate range of expertise to their roles, so that they can support the school well in all aspects of its work, direct its strategic development with insight, and monitor its work effectively. The education and finance committees provide the board with the information and support it needs to take informed decisions.
4.3 Governors are aware of their responsibilities. They monitor health and safety, and satisfy themselves that the school’s arrangements fulfil the law, yet maintain the ethos of the school, where freedoms are prized. They fulfil their obligations under child protection legislation, and ensure that all staff are appropriately trained. They review the school’s educational development plan, and make sound financial plans, so that the school is well staffed, resourced, maintained, and in a position to embark on major capital developments when these are considered appropriate. Over recent years, the school’s prudent financial management has enabled it to complete several major building programmes.
4.4 Governors maintain good relationships with staff through frequent informal contact, for example through attendance at matches and membership of school choirs, and through observation of lessons and following pupils through a day at school. This degree of involvement maintains commitment and motivation amongst staff. The board has a clear insight into the workings of the school through the regular reports prepared by the headmaster and the head of the pre-preparatory department. Many governors have personal connections with the school. They are well aware of parental views and concerns. This close relationship between governors and the school embodies the community ethos that the school espouses, and ensures that governors have an intimate knowledge of the challenges and opportunities the school faces.
The Quality of Leadership and Management
4.5 Westbourne House School benefits from the clear educational direction to the school given by the headmaster and the senior management team (SMT). Under the energetic and cl