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INSPECTION REPORT ON |
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Gateways School |
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Full Name of the School |
Gateways School |
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DfES Number |
383/6007 |
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Registered Charity Number |
529206 |
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Address |
Harewood,
Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS17 9LE |
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Telephone Number |
0113
288 6345 |
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Fax Number |
0113
288 6148 |
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Email Address |
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Headteacher |
Mrs.
Denise Davidson |
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Chair of Governors |
Mr.
Martin Shaw |
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Age Range |
3
to 18 |
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Gender |
Girls |
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Inspection Dates |
6th
to 9th February 2006 |
This inspection report follows the framework laid down by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). The inspection was carried out under the arrangements of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) Associations for the maintenance and improvement of the quality of their membership. It was also carried out under Section 162A(1)(b) of the Education Act 2002, as amended by the Education Act 2005, under the provisions of which the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has accredited ISI as the body approved for the purpose of inspecting schools belonging to ISC Associations and reporting on compliance with the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003.
The inspection does not examine the financial viability of the school or investigate its accounting procedures. The inspectors check the school’s health and safety procedures and comment on any significant hazards they encounter: they do not carry out an exhaustive health and safety examination. Their inspection of the premises is from an educational perspective and does not include in-depth examination of the structural condition of the school, its services or other physical features.
1.1 Gateways School is a school for pupils aged 3-18 years. It takes boys in its nursery and reception classes, but is a single sex girls’ school from the age of seven. It has 516 pupils on roll, of whom 201 are in the Preparatory (Prep) School and 315 in the High School.
1.2 The school began as a small preparatory school in Leeds in the early 1940s. It moved to its current site in 1947 and began to develop its secondary provision in the 1960s. The school is situated in the village of Harewood, between Leeds and Harrogate. It is a pleasant site, with buildings ranging from the eighteenth to the twenty-first centuries. The eighteenth century building, originally a private home, has been adapted well to meet current teaching and administrative needs, whilst retaining an idiosyncratic charm. Conversions of other buildings have been done very well, notably the library, while new buildings are of a high standard and in keeping with the older buildings on the site. The result has been to create harmonious accommodation that is well suited to its educational purposes.
1.3 The school is popular and has grown in size substantially over the last ten years. The school has over 90 more pupils than at the time of the last inspection and the age distribution is significantly different. There are now fewer pupils in the Prep School, but the High School now has over 120 more pupils. The decline in Prep School numbers very much reflects the demographic trends in the area rather than any indication of declining popularity of the school.
1.4 Pupils come from a very wide geographical area, but mainly from the general area of Leeds and its environs. Their parents are predominantly in managerial and professional occupations. Pupils come from a range of cultural backgrounds, but few come from homes where English is not the first spoken language. A small number of parents receive some financial support with fees through bursaries and scholarships.
1.5 There are five pupils with statements of special educational needs and the school has identified 35 pupils who require support with specific aspects of their learning.
1.6 There are no academic entry requirements for the Prep School and the school’s intake encompasses a broad academic range, although standardised national tests suggest that the great majority of pupils are in the national average to above average ability range.
1.7 There are entrance tests for the High School, but candidates are also interviewed and judgements are reached in the light of academic criteria and broader personal achievements. The intake into the High School contains a significant minority of pupils whose academic ability, as measured by standardised tests, is about the national average. There are very few who are below this level, but there are also very few pupils whose scores indicate very high levels of academic ability.
1.8 The evidence from both the Prep School and the High School indicates that pupils’ average ability on entry to each part of the school is above the average for all maintained primary and secondary schools. This means that if they perform in line with their abilities, their results will be above the average for all maintained primary and secondary schools up to GCSE.
1.9 The school currently loses a number of pupils at the end of Year 11 and its sixth form becomes less selective than lower down the school. Pupils’ average ability is now broadly in line with the national average for sixth forms and so, if pupils are performing in line with their abilities, their results will be broadly in line with all maintained secondary schools.
The Educational Experience Provided
2.1 The educational experience that the school provides is very well suited to the interests, aptitudes and needs of all of its pupils. It is outstandingly successful in pursuing its key aims; meeting the needs of individual pupils in terms of academic success and broader educational achievement, preparing pupils for the future and blending traditional values with forward thinking. The school’s success represents further progress on the strong provision at the time of the last inspection, notably with improved balance to the curriculum in Years 10 and 11 and improved record-keeping in the Prep School.
Prep School
2.2 In the Foundation Stage (Years Nursery and Reception) the curriculum is good. It is planned very carefully to ensure that the Early Learning Goals are at the heart of teaching and learning. The planning process ensures that pupils’ prior achievements are carefully assessed on entry. The content of the curriculum is well matched to the differing and developing learning needs of pupils and activities are highly appropriate, broad ranging, purposeful and stimulating for pupils.
2.3 In Years 1 to 6, the curriculum continues to be effective, broadly following the National Curriculum and pupils take the relevant Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 tests. In Year 3 pupils start to learn French and in Year 6 Latin. The quality of planning is equally as effective as that for the Foundation Stage, ensuring that the curriculum is broad and balanced and contributes very well to pupils’ intellectual, personal, physical, aesthetic and creative development.
2.4 The school provides an impressive range of extra-curricular activities, giving pupils excellent opportunities to take part in a wide range of sporting, musical, dramatic, creative, intellectual and community based activities. Virtually all pupils take opportunities to participate; physical education activities are particularly popular and teams compete successfully in local competitions. The broad range is a particular strength, and includes options not commonly associated with primary age pupils, such as Spanish, community links and ‘Yoga-Bugs’.
2.5 Meticulous planning is a strong feature of the Prep School, for example, detailed schemes of work clearly indicate opportunities for assessment and how individual pupils’ needs might be met. Planning is monitored and reviewed regularly by subject coordinators and the head of Prep to ensure continuity in learning throughout the school.
2.6 The quality of learning support is excellent. All teaching staff keep detailed records of pupils with learning needs and ensure that their needs are effectively addressed. This is a significant improvement on record-keeping at the time of the last inspection. Small class sizes and additional classroom support also help to ensure that pupils with learning difficulties make good progress. The use of classroom support is particularly effective in the Nursery.
2.7 Procedures for transition from Prep to High School are well thought out and very successful. Communication and liaison between the schools are strong and pupils are given the opportunity to experience life in the High School prior to their move. Nursery children are also well prepared for the move to the Prep School.
High School
2.8 The High School curriculum is good. It offers breadth and balance, but also responds very effectively to the developing strengths and interests of pupils as they move through the school. Its foreign languages and information and communication technology (ICT) provision are strong features and curricular provision is enhanced by a wide range of subject-focused visits, trips and expeditions, such as theatre trips, foreign exchanges and the expedition to Iceland.
2.9 The curriculum in Years 7 to 9 is planned effectively around the requirements of the National Curriculum, which gives it breadth and balance. It addresses well the needs of individual pupils. It has particular strengths in foreign languages and information and communications technology (ICT).
2.10 In Years 10 and 11 the curriculum continues to be effective, retaining its breadth and including sufficient variety to respond effectively to pupils’ individual strengths and interests. All pupils take General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) courses in English, mathematics, science, a foreign language, a humanities and creative arts subject. This ensures a breadth that was not evident at the time of the last inspection. All pupils also continue with personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) and ICT, in the form of a computer literacy and information technology (CLAIT) level 1 course. Pupils are normally expected to study for nine GCSE courses.
2.11 The sixth form is small, but the school is still able to offer a broad range of General Certificate in Education Advanced Subsidiary (AS) and Advanced Level (A level) courses. All pupils also take a course in public speaking and PSHCE continues.
2.12 The curriculum is greatly enriched by the very varied and extensive extra-curricular programme, which is an integral part of school life. It provides excellent opportunities for educational experience and personal development, and the great majority of pupils take part. There is a wide range of drama, music and sporting activities for all age groups. Various subjects run clubs, such as art, English, history and science. Older pupils take part in Young Enterprise and the Duke of Edinburgh Award, as well as being involved in various community activities, such as running activity days for local schools. All Year 12 pupils take a course in public speaking. The Amnesty International group is very active and popular, increasing awareness of violations of human rights. These opportunities provide a rich range of opportunities for pupils to develop their skills, understanding and knowledge in a broader context.
2.13 The curriculum is very well planned, so that it ensures that it meets the needs of all pupils. There is a continuing dialogue between senior and middle managers with curricular responsibilities about how well the needs of pupils with learning difficulties are being served. As a consequence, this has been a strength of the school for some time.
2.14 More recently the school has also focused on the needs of pupils who are gifted and talented. Subject schemes of work are in the process of identifying strategies to address these pupils’ learning needs, with a particularly good example noted in mathematics, and critical thinking has been introduced at AS level. Pupils have also been nominated for the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth programme at the University of Warwick.
2.15 The school provides excellent preparation for the next stage of education and adult life, with work related learning and careers education firmly established in the curriculum from Year 9 and all pupils involved in Work Experience in Year 11. The PSHCE programme provides comprehensive coverage of issues related to personal development, well-being and health, and citizenship. The guidance and support for pupils applying for courses in higher education is impressive. Across the curriculum, subjects include discussion of relevant moral and social issues as an integral part of teaching and learning.
2.16 The school meets all the regulatory requirements for the curriculum [Standard 1].
Pupils’ Learning and Achievements
2.17 Pupils make impressive progress and achieve an excellent grounding in knowledge and skills across the curriculum in the Prep School and learn how to apply these confidently and competently.
2.18 In the High School pupils continue to make good progress and develop good knowledge and skills in the subjects that they study, which they use confidently and effectively.
2.19 Across both parts of the school the quality of pupils’ learning is a major strength. Learning and achievement are at the heart of the school’s aims and are a very considerable strength of the school.
2.20 In terms of national tests and examination results, the school is achieving results that are broadly similar to those at the time of the last inspection, but with pupils who come from a broader ability range. Learning and achievement in lessons and over longer periods amongst pupils currently in the school has improved.
Prep School
2.21 Attainment in lessons and over time in the Prep School is consistently very good. Pupils gain an excellent grounding in knowledge and skills across the curriculum and learn how to apply them with increasing competence and confidence. They make impressive progress in the core subjects and by the end of Year 6 the great majority read fluently, write well with technical accuracy and imagination, and have a good command of basic mathematical skills and concepts. They develop very good investigative skills in science and understand the basic principles of hypothesis testing. Similarly, they are competent in the use of ICT and various practical skills in practical subjects such as art, technology and physical education.
2.22 A key feature of attainment and progress is consistency across the age and ability ranges. Pupils with specific learning needs benefit greatly from the detailed knowledge that teachers have of them and the high quality of support and guidance that is provided. Similarly, those who are gifted and talented are clearly identified and given work which is appropriately challenging so that they make good progress.
2.23 Results in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 Standardised Assessment Tests (SATs) generally support the judgements about the attainment of current pupils. At Key Stage 1 overall results are far above those for all maintained schools, for the years in which comparative data is available, and very close to far above at Key Stage 2. Given that the pupil intake is judged to be above the national average for all maintained schools, this indicates that pupils in these tests achieved very well overall in relation to their abilities. Attainment is not quite as high in mathematics and results are well above rather than far above those for all maintained schools. Other standardised benchmark data indicate that pupils make good to very good progress while they are in the Prep School.
2.24 The Prep School has achieved considerable success in local and national competitions in the last year. They had two finalists in a national literacy competition and the choir won their class in a local music festival. Many pupils gain good grades in various examinations for musical instruments and there have been numerous successes in local sports activities. Drama is another area where some pupils excel and in a musical version of ‘Macbeth’ performed for a whole-school assembly, pupils demonstrated a confidence and panache beyond their years.
2.25 Pupils are very keen to learn and are enthusiastic in all that they do. They settle quickly to tasks set, listen carefully and ask thoughtful questions. They work very well individually and collaboratively and are willing to persevere at tasks. Pupils also demonstrate an increasing capacity to reason through an argument and consider a variety of viewpoints. The above combine to make pupils’ learning an outstanding strength.
High School
2.26 Attainment in lessons and over time in the High School is consistently good at all levels and there were examples of outstanding achievement observed in lessons and written work across a range of subjects. Pupils gain a good to excellent grounding in knowledge and skills across the curriculum and learn to apply these with increasing confidence and competence. Their levels of achievement are good in relation to their abilities.
2.27 Pupils come into the High School with good language skills, which they develop further in an impressive manner. They learn to write with an increasing sophistication and technical accuracy, demonstrating a capacity to write fluently and, at times, at length in a range of genres, reflecting the curricular requirements of particular subjects.
2.28 By Year 11 pupils demonstrate that they can use evidence to support argument in a cogent and well-reasoned manner across a range of subjects. At the same time they write imaginatively and creatively in a stimulating style. They have a good grasp of number and broader mathematical concepts and apply these effectively, for instance in mathematics, ICT, science and geography. ICT is taught as a separate subject throughout Years 7 to 11 and pupils’ skills are highly developed in this area.
2.29 As in the Prep School, a key feature of attainment and progress in Years 7 to 11 is consistency across age range and ability. Pupils with specific learning needs receive excellent support and guidance, through learning support and from their subject teachers both in and out of lessons. Consequently, they make impressive progress and achieve very good standards in relation to their abilities. The gifted and talented are also clearly identified and usually have work that is appropriately challenging. They are beginning to benefit from the various initiatives that the school is pursuing in relation to the gifted and talented.
2.30 In the sixth form pupils continue to make good progress and build on the wide range of skills that they have already developed, so that they achieve good standards in relation to their abilities.
2.31 Test and examination results indicate that pupils make very good progress and achieve standards that are at least good in relation to their abilities. The Year 9 Key Stage 3 SATs results in English are far above, and in mathematics and science well above, the national average for all maintained schools. By Year 11 GCSE results are far above the national average for all maintained schools.
2.32 Results at A level are broadly in line with the national average for all maintained schools. Examination results indicate a continuing good level of achievement in relation to pupils’ abilities in the sixth form. In terms of the percentage of A and B grades achieved, these are higher than the national average for all maintained schools. However, several of the most able pupils have left in the past to go to other schools at the end of Year 11.
2.33 The school makes use of a range of standardised benchmark data and this supports the other evidence that pupils generally make very good progress up to GCSE level and make generally good progress in the sixth form.
2.34 Pupils also achieve success in a wide range of activities. Considerable numbers achieve good grades in various music and drama examinations, while several have been invited to work with the National Youth Theatre. The choir has also sung with Opera North on several occasions and at various regional and national music festivals. In the sixth form pupils achieve well in an English Speaking Board public speaking examination. There are regular school drama productions that are reviewed well in the local media and the school’s band and orchestra performances are much appreciated by those who hear them. Pupils achieve representative honours in various sporting activities, notably a silver medal in the National Sports Acrobatics Championship.
2.35 In the High School pupils are enthusiastic and develop a wide range of skills that make them well-organised and highly effective learners. They listen very carefully, follow instructions well, settle to work very quickly and ask thoughtful and sometimes probing questions. They work very well individually, independently and collaboratively, and several pupils commented on how they valued homework tasks as an opportunity to work independently.
2.36 Pupils are highly articulate and express their views with confidence and increasing authority as they proceed through the school. They develop an impressive ability to substantiate argument with evidence, and by the sixth form to weigh the evidence for different positions, reach a clearly thought out position and defend it in debate, as indicated in English and history lessons. They organise their work effectively and make notes that are well structured and comprehensive.
2.37 The quality of pupils’ learning is an outstanding feature of work in the High School.
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development of Pupils
2.38 The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its pupils is one of the key aims of the school and it is one of its outstanding features.
2.39 Staff and pupils evince a natural courtesy and civility. Staff provide excellent models for pupils to emulate in the classroom and around the school, in the manner in which they talk to pupils and in the quality of support and guidance that they provide. This emphasises the importance of caring for and about one another. Similarly, there are high expectations of pupils taking personal responsibility for their behaviour within a strong framework of moral values and social responsibility.
2.40 Across the school pupils are imbued with a strong sense of right and wrong, founded on clear principles of legal, moral and social justice. As they move through the school, pupils develop not only an increasing sense of their own personal responsibility, but also a strong sense of moral and social responsibility. Older pupils recognise a responsibility for the care and guidance of younger pupils and are involved in helping to organise activities as a part of this responsibility. As one Year 12 pupil put it, “this school is like a village and we all have a responsibility to take care of each other”. Participation in the School Council in the Prep and High School provides all pupils with an experience of the democratic process in action. The Council is regarded by senior managers in the school as an important conduit for consultation and pupil opinion. Pupils are involved in work for a range of charities from an early age in the Prep School. As they grow older they take an increasingly active role in organising events or suggesting which charities should be supported; for instance, at the behest of a senior pupil the school had a special fund-raising event, a fashion show, for the Pakistan Earthquake victims. There is regular support for those in need in the local community and to support the education of two African children. The flourishing Amnesty International society also raises funds to support victims of human rights abuses.
2.41 The strengths enumerated so far contribute to pupils’ spiritual development through providing them with a strong sense of personal identity and self worth. Their spiritual development is furthered also by a range of other activities. Within the curriculum art, drama, English, religious education and music make a particularly important contribution, as do the various drama productions and concerts that so many pupils take part in. The school poetry competition also raises pupils’ awareness of the spiritual dimension. Assemblies provide good opportunities for moral and spiritual development through the topics discussed, pupils’ own presentations, time for reflection and the communal quality of the hymn singing.
2.42 Similarly, the under-pinning social and moral philosophy of the school makes a very important contribution to the moral and social development of pupils. This development is also furthered in subjects such as English, geography, history and science, through topics that deal with moral and social issues, for example, economic exploitation, human degradation and misfortune and the possible consequences of scientific and technological progress. Personal, social, health and citizenship education and religious education play a particularly important role through the moral principles that permeate both subjects. Increasingly, as pupils mature, these subjects help them to internalise values that provide a moral compass to guide them in their decision-making across all aspects of their lives.
2.43 Cultural development is also a strong feature of the school. Pupils are helped to understand and respect other cultures through what they learn about them in many areas of the curriculum, such as art, music, geography, history, English and foreign languages, modern and ancient. It is a particular feature of religious education where, while Christianity is a major focus, as befits a Church of England Foundation, pupils learn about and celebrate other religious faiths.
2.44 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils [Standard 2].
The Quality of Teaching (Including Assessment)
2.45 The overall quality of teaching is good and has some outstanding features. The relationships between pupils and teachers and the quality of support and guidance given to individual pupils are excellent. Teaching resources vary between good and excellent.
2.46 Teaching contributes strongly to achieving the school’s aims of developing the academic achievement and personal, moral, social and cultural development of its pupils. It is also very effective in addressing pupils’ individual needs.
2.47 Since the last inspection the quality of teaching has improved. The great majority of the teaching in the High School is now done by specialist subject teachers and there are more effective arrangements for professional development. There is a much greater emphasis on investigative and independent learning in the Prep School. The school has more computer hardware and ICT is integrated more effectively into the teaching, with the use of interactive whiteboards enhancing the quality of the teaching. The new accommodation in the High School, and updating of existing accommodation, has improved specialist facilities, such as those for science and modern languages. The new library has a qualified librarian and is an excellent resource for independent learning.
2.48 The teaching benefits from the school’s excellent accommodation, particularly in the Nursery and in the teaching of mathematics, modern foreign languages, science and ICT. The library and facilities for drama and sport are also excellent. A generally good feature of the accommodation, both in classrooms and public areas, is the quality of display, which combines celebrating the best of pupils’ work with interesting material about various aspects of the subject.
Prep School
2.49 In the Prep School teaching is consistently good in all areas and sometimes excellent. It is particularly characterised by the warm and friendly relations between staff and pupils. Teachers are well qualified, secure in their subject knowledge and work well with support staff.
2.50 The pupils are known very well and the teaching makes good provision to meet the learning needs of all pupils. This is particularly so for pupils with specific learning needs and the few pupils for whom English is an additional language, where it is excellent. The detailed and high quality planning, combined with excellent record-keeping, a particular improvement from the time of the last inspection, play an important part in this success. Other important factors include the effectiveness of classroom assistants in supporting the learning of younger pupils, the move to some specialist teaching for older pupils and the increased opportunities for independent learning, again a particular improvement compared with the last inspection.
2.51 Lessons are well planned. The youngest pupils, for example, are given a very good start. Well-planned activities challenge and excite their interest, as when they were asked to describe the irreversible changes which occur when bread is toasted. Their descriptions were augmented with practical activity and they were allowed to eat the outcome with jam added!
2.52 In the great majority of lessons a variety of teaching methods is used effectively to keep children focused, including discussion, ICT, group work and practical or written activities. Questioning is often used very well to test understanding, explore issues and extend learning, but occasionally it is not challenging enough. In nearly all lessons, time was well utilised and the pace of learning was brisk.
2.53 The teaching of younger pupils benefits from the support of well-deployed, effective classroom assistants.
2.54 The school has a well-structured scheme for professional review and development, which is valued by staff and provides helpful opportunities for them to learn how to improve their practice.
2.55 The school’s extensive range of resources is utilised effectively. In particular, computer technology is used confidently and competently by most staff to enrich pupils’ experience. The librarian works with older pupils to equip them with the skills to use the library confidently for independent learning in the future.
2.56 The school now has a comprehensive and well-planned assessment policy, which is beginning to be well used by staff to inform planning. Assessment data is carefully collated and teachers are beginning to build up portfolios of work that will provide an important record of pupils’ progress. External and internal assessment data are effectively analysed and reported to staff who use them to identify goals for improvement.
2.57 Clear guidance is given about the common system for marking, but this is not yet followed by all staff. All work is marked regularly and, in the best examples, pupils’ work is carefully annotated and good guidance given on how to effect improvement. Often, however, only praise or a simple tick is given, which does not help pupils to understand how they can improve their work.
High School
2.58 The teaching is good across all ages and subjects, with several examples of excellent teaching in lessons. A particularly strong feature of the teaching is the quality of relationships between teachers and pupils. Teachers get to know their pupils very well as a result of the small class sizes and the regular subject clinics, through which they provide extra support and guidance for many pupils.
2.59 Teachers are well qualified, very secure in their subject knowledge and have a good understanding of relevant examination board requirements.
2.60 Lessons are well planned, with clear and appropriate learning objectives and activities that pursue these objectives in a sharply focused and well-organised manner. Teachers have high expectations of pupils in terms of their behaviour and achievement. These, together with their excellent relationships, create a classroom ethos that is very conducive to learning. The positive ethos encourages high standards of behaviour and positive attitudes to learning, both strong features of lessons observed.
2.61 The pace of learning in lessons is usually good and sometimes very brisk. Lesson content interests and quite often enthuses pupils, as, for instance, in a GCSE mathematics lesson dealing with percentages and number, where an interactive whiteboard was used to locate examples on the internet, or in a Year 7 biology lesson on habitats.
2.62 Teachers generally adapt their teaching well to meet the learning needs of the particular groups that they teach. Those pupils with specific learning needs are particularly well catered for in lessons and through regular subject clinics. High achieving pupils are generally provided with suitably challenging work. The school’s developing programme for the gifted and talented is providing further learning opportunities for these pupils in lessons and through other activities in ICT, mathematics and science in particular.
2.63 In most lessons teachers set tasks that are well structured and appropriately challenging. These provide good opportunities for pupils to work independently and contribute effectively to pupils’ progress in lessons and through homework. Occasionally tasks are mundane and lack sufficient interest or challenge. Pupils work through them diligently, but progress in learning is only satisfactory where this is so.
2.64 Medium-term planning is thorough. It identifies carefully the content to be taught, skills to be developed and assessment tasks for particular units of work. It does not usually identify clearly enough progress expected in conceptual understanding over longer periods of time.
2.65 Teaching is well resourced. Interactive whiteboards are being used with increasing expertise by teachers, in part as a result of the good quality in-house training and support being provided.
2.66 The school has developed an effective system of identifying and addressing staff development needs. It involves lesson observation and a range of other evidence, including the outcome of discussions with line managers and the headmistress, and consideration of departmental and whole school priorities.
2.67 The school has a clear and precise marking policy, which teachers apply consistently across the school and is well understood by pupils. Pupils’ work is marked regularly and teachers frequently include personally encouraging comments. Diagnostic comments, which identify clearly for pupils what they need to do to improve their work, are less common in Years 7 to 9, but are a regular feature of marking at GCSE and in the sixth form. Where target-setting is used, pupils see it as positive and supportive to their learning.
2.68 At the school level standardised benchmarking data is used well to monitor academic performance across the whole school and in relation to particular subjects. The school has also developed an assessment database that allows the progress of individual pupils to be tracked across all subjects. As yet the potential of this rich source of data is not being exploited fully.
2.69 Test and examination results and inspection evidence clearly indicate that the teaching is generally very successful in helping pupils to acquire new knowledge, increase their understanding and develop their skills across the curriculum.
2.70 The school meets the regulatory requirements for teaching [Standard 1].
3. THE QUALITY OF CARE AND RELATIONSHIPS
The Quality of Pastoral Care, and the Welfare, Health and Safety of Pupils
3.1 The quality of pastoral care and the provision for the welfare, health and safety of pupils in the school are outstanding. They promote the personal and academic development of all pupils very effectively and ensures their welfare is safeguarded fully. The various safety regulations are met in full. The school’s emphasis in its aims on individual care and attention and preparing pupils for the future is met very well and represents a major strength of the school.
3.2 At the time of the last inspection this aspect of the school’s provision was a strong feature and it has been developed further since. Management has been strengthened through a new structure and the quality of care improved through the appointment of full-time nurses and the provision of a professional counsellor. The introduction of computerised registration allows very rapid follow-up of absences and security around the school has been improved.
Prep School
3.3 The role of class teachers is crucial in the effectiveness of the pastoral care. They know their pupils very well and offer effective support in a relaxed and friendly manner. This excellent pastoral care is underpinned by good formal arrangements. Pupils are clearly valued and receive praise and encouragement. There is a strong sense of community and of mutual respect and trust with everyone working together for the benefit of all. Members of staff are clear about their responsibilities and are aware of the correct procedures to be followed if any problems arise.
3.4 Measures to promote good discipline and behaviour, including procedures to guard against bullying, are effective. Pupils told inspectors that bullying does not take place and that even instances of unkindness are rare and dealt with sensitively. The system of house points and merit awards encourages good behaviour as well as hard work and school rules are seen to be reasonable, fair and in everyone’s interest.
High School
3.5 Form tutors are key figures in pastoral care in the High School. They know the pupils they tutor very well and provide excellent support and guidance. This is complemented well by subject teachers, who monitor pupils’ academic performance closely and provide effective guidance about this. More senior staff with responsibility for pastoral care exercise close oversight and intervene where an issue warrants it, or a form tutor wants another opinion. The close working relationships between staff ensure that there is a very effective collaborative network of support and guidance for pupils that they very much appreciate.
3.6 The pastoral handbook lays out clearly the roles and responsibilities of the various members of the pastoral team and these are well understood. In practice, procedures are rigorous, fair and consistent, but are also applied constructively and empathetically.
3.7 Relationships between staff and pupils and amongst pupils are excellent. They very much reflect the courtesy, mutual respect and social cohesion which is a hall-mark of the school. Pupils are mutually supportive and senior pupils are very much aware of their duty of care for younger pupils; one sixth former, for example, talked about sitting on the bus from time to time with a younger pupil, whom she knew had experienced personal difficulties at school, in order to provide support and encouragement.
3.8 The school has a very clear code of conduct, including rewards and sanctions, which are in pupils’ school planners. Pupils understand and support the code of conduct strongly; positive behaviour, including that which displays a strong sense of moral and social responsibility, is acknowledged through house points and commendations, and this is appreciated by pupils of all ages. There is a clear set of progressive sanctions for the occasional misbehaviour that occurs and careful records are kept of any sanctions that are applied.
3.9 The High School has a well thought out anti-bullying policy and a clear set of procedures to address any cases of harassment or bullying. They incorporate well thought out strategies for conflict resolution and pupils reported that, on the odd occasion that incidents took place, they were dealt with very quickly and effectively, so that harmonious relations were speedily restored.
3.10 The school has effective child protection procedures and the necessary checks on all those working with pupils are made. The school buildings are secure and pupils are well supervised at all times of the day, including before and after school. All staff have had training in recognising and addressing child protection issues from a specialist in the field.
3.11 Measures taken to safeguard and promote the health and well-being of all pupils are very good. Welfare, health and safety policies and procedures are thorough and well documented and staff are very aware of them.
3.12 All necessary fire protection measures are in order and fire practices are held regularly. School nurses play a central role in supporting pupils’ welfare and a number of staff are qualified in first aid. Appropriate health and safety precautions are taken in all areas of the school and risk assessments are made covering various aspects of the school’s accommodation as well as school trips.
3.13 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
3.14 The school has an extremely effective partnership with parents and very worthwhile links with the wider community. These very much reflect the aims of the school and were a strength of the school’s provision at the time of the last inspection.
3.15 The parental questionnaires administered for the inspection elicited responses from over 60% of parents. They indicated very high levels of satisfaction with all aspects of the school’s provision. They were particularly supportive of the quality of teaching, the school’s curriculum and extra-curricular activities, the values that the school inculcates and the behaviour of pupils.
3.16 Parents provide good support for the great range of activities in which their children engage. There is a thriving parents’ association, which runs social events and raises money for the school. Parents are kept well informed about school activities and the success of pupils through newsletters and bulletins, as well as the termly school magazine, which can also be viewed on the school’s website.
3.17 Bi-annual progress reviews, an end of year full report and parents’ consultation evenings keep parents generally well informed about their children’s progress and achievements. The reporting process does not yet always identify clearly targets for future improvement. The school is currently working on improving this aspect of the reporting process.
3.18 Parents’ consultation evenings are well attended and there are well organised evenings for parents and pupils to help them decide which subjects they wish to study for GCSE and in the sixth form. Parents attending the meeting for prospective sixth formers during the inspection were very complimentary about the organisation of the evening and the quality of advice and guidance available. The headmistress also speaks to all Year 11 pupils and their parents individually about post-16 options open to them.
3.19 The school handles parental concerns, which are few in number, speedily and efficiently. Responses are provided within 24 hours and parents have opportunities at short notice to talk to all the relevant staff, including the headmistress. Parents expressed high levels of satisfaction with the manner in which the school responded to concerns that they raised.
3.20 The school has extensive links with the wider community. Through the Gateways community link programme sixth form pupils have organised activity days for pupils in local primary schools. Drama and music performances have been given in local hospices and homes for the elderly and contributions have been made to a local family refuge. Speakers come in to the school from the local community and pupils learn about local businesses through their work experience placements.
3.21 Further afield, pupils have raised funds to sponsor the education of two African children, to support the annual Shoebox Appeal for the alleviation of Third World Poverty and appeals sponsored by the Rotary Club. They have raised funds for specific disasters