INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTORATE

INSPECTION REPORT ON

Westminster School

 

Full Name of the School

Westminster School

DfES Number

213/6047

Registered Charity Number

312728

Address

17 Dean’s Yard, London SW1P 3PB

Telephone Number

020 7963 1000

Fax Number

020 7963 1006

Email Address

headmaster@westminster.org.uk

Headmaster

Dr. M. S. Spurr

Chairman of Governors

The Dean of Westminster, the Very Revd. John Hall

Age Range

13 – 18

Gender

Boys only (Years 9 – 11), co-educational (Years 12 and 13)

Inspection Dates

20th – 23rd 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 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.              INTRODUCTION

Characteristics of the School

1.1            Westminster School is a selective day and boarding school for boys aged 13 - 18 and girls aged 16 - 18.  It is an ancient school whose origins can be dated back to 1179.  Its continuous existence is certain from the early fourteenth century.  Henry VIII personally ensured the school’s survival by statute and Elizabeth I, who confirmed royal patronage in 1560, is celebrated as the school’s foundress.  Westminster is rare amongst long-established schools in remaining on its original site in the centre of London.  Its proximity to Parliament and Westminster Abbey, and the use of the Abbey for its chapel together with the stimulating diversity of the South Bank and West End, account in part for its special atmosphere and outlook.

1.2            The school aims to be one of the foremost centres of academic excellence in the country.  Central to its ethos is the dialogue between teachers and their pupils, whether in the classroom or in tutorials, inspiring enjoyment of intellectual enquiry, debate and search for explanation and the development of skills of rational, independent thought.  The desired environment is happy, busy and purposeful; the pupils being intellectually, socially, ethically and politically engaged with plenty of opportunities to develop initiatives and to articulate and defend their views, in line with the enduring values of the liberal tradition reflected in the school’s Charter.  The tradition is fully committed also to the nurture of each pupil’s spiritual, moral, emotional and physical development and well-being - with a particular emphasis on drawing out individual talent, wherever it lies - and to the preparation of young people for fulfilled private and public lives beyond school.

1.3            Most of the 738 pupils in the school, of whom 623 are boys and 115 girls, come from the Greater London area.  Boys are admitted at age 13; approaching half are admitted from Westminster Under School and the remainder from London or country preparatory schools.  Boys and girls are admitted into Year 12 from a range of boarding and day schools.  The school contains 174 boarders of whom 31 are girls.  Only a very small number board at the weekend.  Boarding arrangements are flexible.

1.4            The school has identified 60 pupils as having learning difficulties, of whom 30 need and receive regular individual learning support.  No pupil needs or receives support for English as a second language.

1.5            Standardised tests show that pupils’ average ability is far above the national average and above that for maintained selective schools.  If pupils are performing in line with their abilities, their results in GCSE and at A level will be above the average for all maintained selective secondary schools.

1.6            The headmaster and the bursar have been in post for a year.  Major changes since the last inspection include the creation of a senior management team to replace the previous flat hierarchy and a substantial increase in the facilities and accommodation for teaching, theatre, music and library.

1.7            National Curriculum nomenclature is used throughout this report to refer to year groups in the school.  The year group nomenclature used by the school and its National Curriculum (NC) equivalence are shown in the following table.  The school refers to Years 9 – 11 as the Lower School and to Years 12 and 13 as the Upper School.  To distinguish the senior school from its associated preparatory school, Westminster Under School, it is referred to internally as the Great School.

 

 

School

NC name

Fifth Form

Year 9

Lower Shell

Year 10

Upper Shell

Year 11

Sixth Form

Year 12

Remove

Year 13

2.              THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The Educational Experience Provided

2.1            Westminster School’s educational provision is outstanding.  It successfully fulfils the school’s aim to provide a broad and challenging curriculum that inspires pupils to think for themselves, to question and to argue things out, thus enabling the school to live up to its claim to be an academic school in the liberal tradition.  The Challenge Committee regularly reviews educational provision, in order that it remains cutting-edge.  Since the last inspection, provision for religious studies (RS) and information and communication technology (ICT) has been extended into Years 10 and 11 and a cultural perspectives course has been introduced in Year 12.  Drama has been introduced in Years 9 – 11 and theatre studies in Years 12 – 13.

2.2            The curriculum gives pupils experience in, and contributes extensively to, linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative development.  It enables the acquisition of high-level skills in speaking, listening, literacy and numeracy.  The broad and balanced Year 9 curriculum, which includes Latin and Greek as well as all the National Curriculum subjects, successfully expands pupils’ horizons.  In Years 10 and 11, curricular provision is strong in modern foreign languages, four of which are offered at this level and in science, with all three separate sciences forming part of pupils’ core entitlement.  Pupils must take at least two of the sciences and the very great majority take all three.  Options include the classical languages, three humanities and a range of creative and technological subjects.  All GCSE subjects can be taken to A level and the range is extended to include economics, critical thinking and history of art.  Year 12 pupils are committed to following, for at least two periods each week, an imaginative programme of options, which greatly enriches the Upper School curriculum.  In addition to the extra A/S and A2 courses, for example in critical thinking, they include a range of minority languages, challenging scientific extension work and subjects as diverse as the history of cinema, law in action and first aid.  The cultural perspectives course and the timetabled, weekly John Locke Society, which features talks by and discussion with notable speakers from public life make significant contributions to pupils’ learning and personal development.

2.3            An outstanding range of high quality extra-curricular activities enhance the academic curriculum.  Participation rates are high, ensuring that this programme contributes enormously to pupils’ learning and personal development.  Music, drama and sport are particularly strong; this term’s calendar alone includes 15 recitals and concerts and the same number of drama productions, including plays directed and acted by pupils.  Despite the lack of a sports hall and pressure on facilities, the school provides a very wide range of sporting activities.  Eleven major sports and ten minor ones allow pupils to pursue their own interests and talents and to participate regularly.  Lower School pupils are expected to participate in two activities each week, from a list of nearly forty, which range from fives and Mandarin to carpentry and bookbinding.  Upper School pupils may choose to spend one of their two weekly sports afternoons doing work in the local community and a programme of work experience is also available.  Almost all members of staff are involved in organising and supervising this extensive programme of high quality activities, which, along with the challenging curriculum, constitutes one of the major strengths of the school.

2.4            Pupils are very well supported and encouraged in their preparation for higher education.  The careers and higher education department provides excellent advice about subject options and choices for higher education.  Personal, social and health education (PSHE) is taught as part of the Year 9 curriculum and components of PSHE are covered in assemblies, in tutor periods and, at sixth-form level, by visiting speakers and pastoral staff.  Health issues form part of science schemes of work.  A Continuing Education Committee of teachers and parents, including the headmaster, the school counsellor, the senior tutor and the head of PSHE, offers a forum for reflection on educational matters of shared concern, such as child development.  Pupils are thus well prepared for the challenges they will face as teenagers and in their subsequent adult lives.

2.5            The overall curriculum, which embraces academic courses, tutorials, PSHE, assemblies and collective worship, all extra-curricular opportunities, sport, outdoor activities and expeditions, succeeds in its aim to form a coherent educational vision, offering excellent continuity and progression of learning throughout.  Curricular planning and organisation ensure that the needs and interests of all pupils are met.  An equal opportunities policy is in place.  The rationale, content and balance of this overall curriculum are kept under constant review.  As national examination syllabuses reduce in content and complexity, Westminster supplements and enriches them with its own material to enhance pupils’ learning.  Since the full-time members of the teaching staff are all involved in this overall curriculum, the dialogue with the pupil, which lies at the heart of a Westminster education, is developed well beyond the classroom.

2.6            Since the last inspection the school has appointed a study skills coordinator to ensure that pupils with learning difficulties are well supported.  Through an effective screening process early in Year 9 combined with continuing discussions with housemasters and parents, the level of support which pupils need is assessed and kept under review.  Teaching staff are made aware of those pupils who require assistance and incorporate such support into their lesson preparation and teaching strategies.  The provision of laptops, the use of extra time in examinations and effective teaching strategies help these pupils to make excellent progress.

2.7            Teaching which goes way beyond syllabus requirements provides innumerable opportunities for gifted and talented pupils to extend their knowledge and understanding.  The persistent challenging of their teachers with pertinent questions is actively encouraged.  The respect for academic ability and achievement which pervades the pupil community and the empowering relationship between teachers and their pupils are major enabling factors in this pursuit of scholarship.  The school successfully provides a wide range of educational opportunities tailored to meet the interests, aptitudes and needs of all its pupils.

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

Pupils’ Learning and Achievements

2.9            The school achieves its aim to be a centre of academic excellence.  The quality of pupils’ learning is unashamedly central to the ethos and aims of the school, with its stress on instilling a love of learning and intellectual adventure and on promoting pupils’ ability to think for themselves, to question and to argue cogently.  As a result, standards of learning are exceptional.  Outcomes, as measured by examination results, have been consistently amongst the very best in the country in recent years.  Indeed, pupils are stimulated to seek out academic challenges beyond the requirements of public examinations and relish the excitement of following up interesting avenues for further study and research.  The strong academic momentum of the school has been maintained since the last inspection and in several respects improved, for example through the work of tutors and housemasters on behalf of those pupils with atypical learning styles supported by the study skills co-ordinator.

2.10         Pupils exhibit extremely high levels of subject knowledge, skills and understanding in lessons and also in written work.  Creativity, imagination, cooperative working and the taking up of independent learning opportunities are all significant features of their learning.  Critical thinking, extended writing and scholarly project work are much in evidence, together with informed, persuasive and articulate debate and discussion.  An ethos of cooperation and respect is strongly evident, a definite improvement since the last inspection.  Very many outstanding examples of individual work were noted, such as essays by Year 13 pupils in philosophy and theology of which many undergraduates would be proud, published research work in chemistry and remarkable art work done to support a project on Henry Moore.  A definite passion for scholarship is fuelled by the vital dialogue which exists between staff and pupils within and beyond the classroom.  High achievers embrace enrichment and extension work with great alacrity and happily accept the challenge of moving on to more advanced work.  In exceptional cases, their standards of learning benefit from individual tuition, guided independent study or the chance to work with older classes.  The attainment of the less able is also strong in all subjects.  Some remarkable work was seen by pupils receiving special attention for their atypical learning styles, for example two outstanding essays on The Tempest and A Passage to India.  No significant differences were observed in the rate of progress being made by pupils of different ability or gender.

2.11         Attainment in public examinations is exceptional and very high in relation to pupils’ abilities.  Over the three years 2003 – 2005, pupils’ performance in GCSE was significantly well above the national average for boys in maintained selective schools.  Nationally standardised measures, comparing pupils’ progress with their ability on entry to the school, show their attainment to be above and often well above expectation for boys of their ability.  Results have continued to improve over the last three years, with well over nine out of ten subject entries gaining an A* or A grade in 2006.  Over the same three years, boys’ and girls’ results at A level were well above the national average for maintained selective schools.  Since the last inspection, results at A level of both boys and girls have been consistently amongst the very best in the country.  Pupils’ combined average of 97% A and B grades over the last four years is outstanding.  Each year over 100 pupils have taken A-level mathematics, with half of them also taking further mathematics in 2006.  Half of all Year 13 leavers gain places at the universities of Oxford or Cambridge each year.

2.12         Pupils achieve an outstanding number of individual and group successes within and beyond the academic curriculum.  Last year, three pupils represented the United Kingdom in International Olympiads, one in physics in Salamanca, gaining a bronze medal, and two in biology in Beijing, winning silver and bronze medals.  Considerable numbers of pupils win medals in national mathematics competitions.  Westminster School pupils have won the national Schools’ Challenge for the past two years, whilst the school debating team represented England in the World Schools Debating Competition last year.  Of the two plays performed by pupils at the 2005 Edinburgh Festival fringe, both of which received four- and five-star reviews, one was also written by Westminster pupils.  Currently the school holds the Public Schools fencing title, which they have won for the past five years.  The school clearly fulfils its aim to expand both the pupils’ expectations and their horizons, encouraging individuality and developing talent, wherever it may be found.

2.13         Pupils are highly articulate, listen effectively, read intelligently and write fluently, with conviction.  They are inspired to do so by lessons which capture their imagination.  They apply mathematics and mathematical concepts extremely effectively.  Learning is significantly enhanced by ready access to and very effective use of ICT.  The excellent school intranet provides a superb resource for learning, as does the outstanding library.  Pupils value and avidly exploit the ability to communicate directly with staff by email, as well as engaging in productive and sometimes provocative discussion with them.  They reason and argue cogently, and enjoy thinking for themselves.  Year 12 pupils were observed making imaginative links between circular flow models in macroeconomic theory and their studies in other disciplines.  Pupils of all ages take notes assiduously and organise their work independently.  They study and work effectively both on their own and cooperatively with others and in teams.  They settle quickly in class and apply themselves eagerly, persevering in and enjoying their work and activities.

2.14         In short, the pupils are thoroughly immersed in an ethos where it is cool to work and to support and encourage the work of others.  As a result, pupils of all abilities apply themselves assiduously and make excellent progress in their learning.

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.  The last inspection report found weaknesses in the development of pupils’ spiritual awareness, leading to a lack of care and compassion in the school community.  The commitment of staff and senior management to strengthen this area of the school’s work has led to outstanding standards of spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness being achieved, which find their expression in a kinder, more caring community, where respect and tolerance have become second nature.  The school now achieves its aims of nurturing pupils’ all-round development.  The vast majority of parents appreciate its promotion of worthwhile attitudes.

2.16         Pupils develop excellent spiritual awareness.  The presence of the Abbey leaves an indelible mark on the lives of all the pupils.  The rich history and spirit of the place result in an “axis of spirituality” around which revolves the intellectual, pastoral, individual and corporate life of the school.  Patterns of worship integrate this into school life by providing a focus for the promulgation of spiritual and moral values.  The twice-weekly Abbey services inspire a deeper knowledge and insight into values and beliefs.  For example, an imaginative sermon during inspection week challenged pupils to confront their prejudices and values.  Numbers attending school communions have doubled, and initiatives such as the ‘chaplain’s breakfast’ offer the pupils excellent opportunities to discuss and explore their own faith and beliefs and those of others.  Religious studies lessons generate avid, articulate discussion of highly complex ideas, along with perceptive, sensitive insights.  Music, art and literature add their own spiritual dimension.  Peace and calm lie at the heart of the school, fed by mutual respect, deep-seated tolerance, academic integrity, healthy cynicism, hatred of dogma, honesty and trust.  Relations between staff and pupils are non-patronising; irreverence runs through the school as if through a stick of rock.  This encourages self-searching, self-examination and self-confidence, as well as healthy self-questioning.  Pupils’ increased spiritual awareness has succeeded in bringing about a welcome shift of emphasis in their attitudes and in their dealings one with another.

2.17         Irreverence and intellectual curiosity combine to fuel pupils’ exploration of moral values.  A cynical distrust of absolutes leads to impassioned debate.  Natural Thomists, Westminster pupils need a reason for everything.  They will not accept ‘bad law’.  Pupils’ moral values are reinforced by the excellent pastoral care, by teachers’ expectations of pupils’ conduct and by formal teaching.  The Year 9 PSHE programme introduces moral dilemmas in its coverage of relationships.  Ethics forms an integral part of the RS syllabus.  Topics studied across the curriculum entail consideration of their moral and social implications.  Intellectually challenging stimuli for moral awareness are provided by the Year 12 cultural perspectives programme, which includes study of cultural relativism and political philosophy.  Pupils’ moral awareness and integrity lead many to resort to action to try and right perceived wrongs, as for example in the Amnesty group’s heartfelt pleading of the cause of victims of domestic violence in our country today.  Pupils are showing increasing interest in community service and ways to help those less privileged than themselves.  An article in The Elizabethan opined accurately that “altruism is alive and kicking at Westminster”.

2.18         Individuality is rightly prized, but an ethos of cooperation and tolerance promotes a right balance between freedom and respect.  Pupils live together in harmony and develop positive relationships.  Subtle shifts of emphasis have ensured that the school’s academic objectives no longer hinder but actually help to increase pupils’ spiritual, moral and social awareness.  Opportunities abound for cooperative working in lessons, activities and expeditions, in debating, orchestras and ensembles, in drama, writing, directing and acting, in magazine editing, in charity and community work, in sports teams and in house activities.  Lower School participation in activities is mandatory and includes two outdoor pursuits expeditions each year.  Voluntary adventure camps and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme are available for older pupils.  Invaluable social integration is promoted by stays in School House in Cumbria for Year 9 groups from each house.  The result is a much kinder place than before, with no tolerance of bullying and a total acceptance of non-conformity.  Their weakness, if weakness it is, lies in an intolerance of conformity.  Suspicion of dogmatism and a rightful training in Socratic questioning can render pupils disdainful of those who choose to conform.  Opportunities abound for pupils to take up responsibility for their peers, as school monitors, members of the school council, peer supporters, team captains or play directors.  Pupils are keen to take initiatives, such as starting an Amnesty International group, and to promote charities.  Living near the political heart of the country, pupils have every opportunity to enrich their extensive knowledge of public institutions with first-hand experience, as they visit State Openings of Parliament or discuss the press with the editor of a national tabloid newspaper.

2.19         The school is an ethnically and culturally diverse community and pupils show a real desire to learn about others, stemming both from a spirit of intellectual enquiry and from respect for the individual.  Tolerance is an axiomatic part of ‘being a Westminster’.  The school takes full advantage of its site to indulge in cultural stimulation, at art galleries, theatres and concert halls.  The great variety of trips abroad for all age groups successfully broadens pupils’ cultural horizons.  From an early age, they can study a foreign language such as Mandarin, Arabic, Japanese or Modern Greek and insights into other cultures are provided by many subjects across the curriculum.  However, in the last resort, it is mainly from each other that pupils gain their extensive cultural awareness.

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

The Quality of Teaching (Including Assessment)

2.21         The very high standards of teaching fully support the aim of the school to become a centre of academic excellence.  Much of the teaching is outstanding and inspirational, a major factor in pupils’ exceptional standards of learning and their excellent performance in GCSE and at A level.  Little teaching observed was less than good.  The scrutiny of pupils’ work and interviews with pupils, as well as the excellence of their achievements, confirmed these high standards.  Teaching has developed further in quality since the last inspection.  The school claims that the dialogue between teacher and pupil is the major factor in its achieving its aims and the inspectors agree.  As one parent put it: “I wish my university teachers had been half as good”.

2.22         The extremely knowledgeable and cultured staff have a real passion and enthusiasm for their subjects and a desire to transmit this passion to their pupils.  They apply their excellent knowledge of their subject, extending pupils’ understanding by exploring more challenging aspects of the subject or consolidating it with different examples and material, if this is needed.  They encourage pupils to apply themselves to the task in hand, but also to think beyond the present confines of their work, with comments such as: “just think about it intuitively; does it make sense?”  Teachers know their individual pupils’ academic strengths and weaknesses, and teaching is adjusted to suit their needs and develop their varying talents.  This trusting collaboration encourages a scholarly approach from the pupils.  The teachers’ total commitment captures their interest and instils in them a desire for intellectual adventure, which will nurture their individual talents to the full.

2.23         Teachers freely offer individual support, either in class or beyond the school day.  Pupils with learning difficulties receive help and this is assimilated into classroom practice without undue fuss or bother.  The expectations for such students are the same as for others.  Support offered outside lessons may take the form of extra help or it may explore in greater depth a pupil’s area of interest, for example, by offering an erudite follow-up to an idea which a pupil had picked up at a university open day lecture and wanted to pursue further.  Opportunities are found for pupils with particular skills and talents to be taught beyond and sometimes outside the curriculum, for example through science research projects or by allowing able linguists to take a subject early.  Occasionally, arrangements are made for particularly gifted pupils to work with older age groups in certain subjects, whilst top set Year 11 mathematicians are encouraged to work well beyond and outside the GCSE syllabus, enjoying the opportunity to study various mathematical concepts in depth and taking some A/S papers.

2.24         The best lessons are well planned and move at a fast pace.  Teachers have excellent resources at their disposal and use them to best effect.  Interactive whiteboards are used very effectively, for instance to enrich and enhance pupils’ learning of the calculus, but in most cases teaching takes the form of an enabling dialogue.  This is characterised by clear explanations, very good question-and-answer sessions and lively debate, followed by structured tasks appropriate to the ability of the class including challenging extension work for the most able.  However, very occasionally, a long teacher-led exposition allows for little involvement of the pupils.

2.25         Teaching encourages pupils to behave responsibly, taking control of their own learning, organising their own notes and behaving well in lessons.  This ethos of respect for study, which the teaching promotes, is further fostered by the celebration of academic excellence, for example through the system of prize essays.

2.26         Departments have the freedom to devise and monitor appropriate systems of assessment.  Homework, tests and longer assignments are marked regularly and thoroughly; constructive, supportive comments enable pupils to make further progress.  Pupils feel confident that they understand these systems.  The school uses its comprehensive data base, which records every aspect of a pupil’s academic performance, to evaluate pupils’ progress and indicate where a programme of specific support is needed.  Formal staff meetings and informal exchanges of information between staff also help the school to track pupils’ progress.  However, little use is made of external data, including baseline indications of ability, national measures of progress and comparisons with national norms, to enable more systematic tracking of groups of pupils within the school, to provide more effective evaluation of pupils’ individual performance and to improve even further the school’s curricular planning.

2.27         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.  The school is also successful in meeting its aim to ensure good standards of welfare, health and safety for all its pupils.  The high standards of support and guidance provided contribute greatly to pupils’ personal development.  The extensive improvements to the pastoral system since the last report are recognised by staff, pupils and parents alike.

3.2            The house system provides excellent support and guidance for the pupils.  All pupils, whether boarding or day, belong to a house and gain greatly in personal terms from the warm, friendly atmosphere of a small, cohesive community.  Housemasters, both day and boarding, are pivotal figures in the management and life of the school.  They are responsible for the provision of pastoral care and for the academic, emotional and cultural development of their pupils, with a duty to nurture and guide each one of them.  They are dedicated, hardworking and have a close knowledge of the pupils in their care.  Their supportive relationship with pupils is the major factor in helping pupils to settle in and gain the confidence to trust their teachers and thus benefit from the stimulating academic dialogue which is central to life at Westminster.  Housemasters communicate with pupils and staff on a daily basis.  The high quality of their work is much appreciated by parents, as is the ease of contact with them by email.

3.3            Each housemaster is supported by a team of tutors, who meet weekly with each of their pupils.  Additional guidance of a high standard for those pupils who require it is available from the study skills co-ordinator, from the chaplain, and also from the well-established school counsellor who deals confidentially with pupils who refer themselves to him.  The under master (deputy head) has overall responsibility for the school’s provision of pastoral care.  Form masters, heads of year, and the head of sixth-form studies offer academic support and monitor individuals’ day-to-day academic progress.  Arrangements for the induction of new pupils are efficiently organised, with those in Years 9 and 12 also benefiting from an organised induction programme in their houses.  A pastoral planning committee audits the pastoral care and welfare provision for pupils.  This all-encompassing structure helps housemasters provide care of the highest standard.

3.4            Relationships between staff and pupils are exemplary.  Pupils are trusted and respected by staff, but not patronised.  The innate questioning and scepticism of Westminster pupils is treated sympathetically by the teaching staff, who clearly enjoy the bracing classroom atmosphere.  Pupils are good listeners and respect each other’s opinions.  Their relationships with each other are very good.  This is best shown in the popular peer support scheme in which specially trained senior pupils offer appropriate assistance to younger pupils.

3.5            The school successfully employs a clear hierarchy of rewards for achievement and effort, as well as of sanctions to deal with poor behaviour.  The school has an effective anti-bullying policy available to parents on the intranet.  Issues surrounding bullying are treated in PSHE lessons in Year 9 as well as in gatherings organised by the school counsellor.  These measures are successful in reducing the incidence of bullying.

3.6            The school’s arrangements for child protection fully comply with statutory guidance.  The excellent policy and effective procedures are in line with local inter-agency guidelines and successfully contribute to pupils’ welfare.  The school’s child protection officer is suitably trained.  A designated governor oversees procedures.  Guidance is given to pupils on avoiding danger whilst travelling to and from school and on safety outside school, and guidance is also given as to how to challenge strangers on site.

3.7            The school has a comprehensive health and safety policy, which has due regard for statutory obligations and is regularly updated.  It is endorsed by the governors, one of whom has specific responsibility for matters of health and safety.  Issues of healthy living are covered in PSHE and science lessons.  Thorough and detailed risk assessments exist for all areas of school activity, including for educational trips and visits off-site.  The health and safety committee meets twice each term.  Procedures are regularly monitored, but formal, comprehensive monitoring of all procedures is not yet fully in place and no ‘competent person’ has been trained to take on this responsibility.  All necessary measures to reduce risk from fire and other hazards have been taken.  The recent inspection of the school’s boarding houses by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority found that arrangements for fire precautions and management were good.  Fire appliances are tested regularly and drills are logged.

3.8            The provision for medical care is good.  Each boarding house has its own matron, two of whom are qualified nurses.  Together they run the school’s well-equipped medical centre and look after the day pupils’ medical needs whilst they are on site during the day.  The school doctor visits three times per week.  All medication given to pupils is recorded but, where responsibility for taking medication is delegated to the pupil, checks are insufficiently rigorous.  All new members of staff receive first aid training and a written first aid policy is in place.  Since the last inspection, the ‘family dining’ in houses has given way to cafeteria provision, with better quality and choice, although some miss the half-hour gathering of the house community around the lunch table.  The quality and range of food provided for breakfast and lunch is entirely satisfactory, but the variety of food provided at boarders’ supper is often limited.

3.9            The school meets the regulatory requirements for the welfare, health and safety of pupils [Standard 3].

The Quality of Links with Parents and the Community

3.10         The school successfully puts into practice its belief that “a constructive, continuing dialogue and relationship with parents is crucially important.”  The quality of links with parents is outstanding; it has been greatly improved since the last inspection.  Great care is taken to keep parents informed about their sons’ and daughters’ progress and activities, and to develop close, purposeful links with them.  Parents greatly appreciate this change of approach.  Links with the community are also good.

3.11         Parents receive very comprehensive information about their children’s work and about school life.  The quality and depth of full reports, which are sent out each term, are excellent.  These are complemented by internal half-termly order sheets, which are made available to parents on-line.  Parents’ meetings are regular and informative.  A section of the school intranet is dedicated for parental use, allowing parents access to all data concerning their child, as well as to all school policies and much other useful information.  A handbook for new parents is issued each year.  An excellent school magazine, The Elizabethan, is produced annually, which gives a comprehensive flavour of the school and offers a record of school and house events.  A number of houses also produce regular publications.

3.12         Parents’ responses to a questionnaire which they completed before the inspection expressed their satisfaction with the education and pastoral support which the school provides.  Almost total satisfaction was shown for the quality of teaching and of the curriculum, closely followed by support for the school’s promotion of worthwhile attitudes and for the extensive provision of extra-curricular activities.  The great majority of parents feel confident that their concerns will be dealt with quickly and efficiently and the inspectors agree.

3.13         The school handles parental concerns with great care.  The excellent procedure, whereby parents are encouraged to contact their child’s housemaster by email if they have any concerns, allows them easy access and permits timely discussion and a rapid resolution to any incipient problems.  A comprehensive complaints procedure is in place, but parents have rarely found reason to resort to it.  Parents’ concerns are listened to; for example, their perception that little incentive was being provided for the less-advanced but enthusiastic musical pupils to develop their talents has led the school to start a second, training orchestra.

3.14         The involvement of parents in school life has increased greatly in recent years.  The school recently surveyed parents to ascertain their views before instituting major changes in school rules and regulations, a valuable example of the school’s emphasis on cooperation and communication.  Parents are also involved in the Continuing Education Committee, a meeting of parents and teachers, including the headmaster, school counsellor, senior tutor and head of PSHE, which considers educational matters of shared concern and important issues relevant to the teenage years.  The Parents’ Committee organises many social and cultural activities, including receptions for parents of pupils in each school year, timed to coincide with parents’ meetings.

3.15         Involvement in the local and wider community is integral to Westminster’s purpose.  The school looks beyond its confines.  For the last 30 years, it has run an annual residential course for physically handicapped and able-bodied members of the community, PHAB, with Upper School pupils acting as carers as well as working in art, music, drama and film workshops with the guests.  The community service programme ranges from visiting the elderly to involvement with the Inner City Young People’s Project, from work with the disadvantaged to conservation work on Hampstead Heath.  More than 30 Upper School pupils assist in local primary schools.  This programme is extremely well coordinated, but at present it is only offered to Upper School pupils as an alternative to a sporting commitment.  Links with the local Grey Coat Hospital School allow its pupils to attend Year 13 lessons to extend their studies in subjects such as mathematics, classics and art.

3.16         Links, both local and world-wide, help add a significant dimension to school life.  An inspired and inspiring series of expeditions in this country and abroad expand pupils’ horizons.  Eminent speakers give lectures at the weekly John Locke Society and the school avails itself of university facilities to allow pupils to conduct research.  The most beneficial of all the schools’ links is its strong cultural and spiritual link with the Abbey community.

3.17         Pupils’ awareness of the need to help others has led to the formation of a charities committee which organises fundraising events for charity.  Pupils working with a community action group Envision have raised funds to reduce local homelessness.  Following bike collection day, 44 bicycles have been shipped to Africa.

3.18         The school meets the regulatory requirements for the provision of information and the manner in which complaints are to be handled [Standards 6 and 7].

The Quality of Boarding Education

3.19         The exceptional quality of the boarding education contributes enormously to the school’s realisation of its commitment to the nurture of each pupil’s spiritual, moral, emotional and physical development and well-being.  The boarding community provides a pastoral, spiritual and corporate heart to the school.  The overall quality of boarding education has improved since the last inspection, not least in the welcome refurbishments which have taken place and reduced the institutional feel of the houses.

3.20         The quality of pastoral care provided and of the relationships between pupils and between pupils and staff in the boarding houses is exemplary.  House staff run their houses like extended families, promoting a real sense of belonging and creating a positive and supportive environment, which provides the best possible safeguard against bullying.  Pupils feel safe and secure and can pursue their interests and develop their talents without fear or favour.  The school is fortunate in the outstanding quality of leadership in its boarding houses.  In each house, the atmosphere is friendly, relaxed, happy and civilized.  A healthy variation of ethos exists between the houses and this adds to the richness of the education provided.  Houses are well run on a day-to-day basis, with the frequent monitoring and recording systems working effectively.  The high standards noted in the last report have been maintained, and in places improved.

3.21         Activities for boarders are extensive.  During the week, they mix with day pupils in the enormous range of clubs, activities and trips provided and being on site longer, manage to fit more in during the day.  In the evening, school facilities, such as the library and the computer room, are open to boarders; the library becomes the social and intellectual heart of the school.  In addition, older pupils are able to access local facilities with permission from the senior housemaster.  All houses organise activities, putting on concerts and plays, for example, but the pupils in boarding houses benefit most, extending their talents, sometimes in areas they would not have expected.  The vast majority of boarders go home at weekends, but those few left behind avail themselves of the excellent facilities available, as well as taking a relaxing break from the hectic pace of life at Westminster.

3.22         Despite being constrained by their listed status, the homely, idiosyncratic houses provide boarding accommodation and resources totally fit for their purpose.  In general, facilities for study are of a high standard; all study bedrooms are now networked.

4.              THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

The Quality of Governance

4.1            The overall quality of governance is outstanding.  Governors are deeply committed to the good of the school and to its continuing development.  Their overall aim is to promote and facilitate the provision of an outstanding academic education which embodies the enduring values of the liberal tradition reflected in the school’s Charter.  In this they have been remarkably successful.  They are now seeking to introduce structures to perpetuate such excellence.  Since the last inspection, they have invested heavily in improving facilities for teaching and learning.

4.2            The structure of the governing body is clearly defined, with two main sub-committees, Finance and Executive, which report to all full meetings.  The governors themselves have a wide range of expertise to support the school.  Both sub-committees have good access to the information they need to make considered recommendations to the full board.  The headmaster has recently introduced an annual academic report by the director of studies to the board, so that governors have an even clearer oversight of how the school is performing.

4.3            The school’s aims and policies are approved by the board, and a comprehensive development plan, drawn up after wide-spread consultation, will be submitted for approval in 2007.  Strategic targets have been agreed and the direction for the school is clearly set.  The governors intend that the school should remain one of the foremost centres of academic excellence in the country.  With this in mind, they have successfully encouraged the recruitment and retention of a staff of the highest quality and through prudent financial management, they have invested heavily in improving facilities for teaching and learning.  These have brought major improvements to the school since the last inspection.  Significant among many developments have been the science laboratories, the library and the music centre, all of outstanding quality.

4.4            The governors are well aware of their legal responsibilities and have recently appointed governors with specific responsibility for child protection and for health and safety.  They cultivate and enjoy a close working relationship with the headmaster, which enables them to maintain an excellent insight into the working of the school, to understand its needs and to set appropriately challenging goals.  The recent initiative of having one academic department reporting to each full board meeting will enable governors to get to know the staff better and has enhanced their awareness of their work.  In addition, a small number of local governors are regularly in the school and in social contact with members of staff.  The governors’ strong support for the recent initiatives proposed by the new headmaster has been instrumental in enabling him to successfully further the school’s fulfilment of its agreed aims.

The Quality of Leadership and Management

4.5            Since the arrival of the new headmaster, significant improvements have been made in the quality of management, in the pastoral system and in the fostering of a greater spiritual awareness among the pupils.  At the same time an ethos conducive to academic excellence has been maintained, which has allowed the high standards of pupils’ learning to go on improving.