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INSPECTION REPORT ON |
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St Aubyns School |
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Full Name of the School |
St |
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DfES Number |
846/6001 |
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Registered Charity Number |
307368 |
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Address |
76
High Street, Rottingdean, East Sussex, BN2 7JN. |
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Telephone Number |
01273
302170 |
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Fax Number |
01273
309314 |
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Email Address |
office@staubyns-school.org.uk |
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Headmaster |
Adrian
Gobat |
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Chairman of Governors |
Timothy
Prideaux |
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3
to 13 years |
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Gender |
Mixed |
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Inspection Dates |
23rd
to |
This inspection report follows the framework laid down by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). The inspection was carried out under the arrangements of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) Associations for the maintenance and improvement of the quality of their membership. It was also carried out under Section 162A(1)(b) of the Education Act 2002, as amended by the Education Act 2005, under the provisions of which the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has accredited ISI as the body approved for the purpose of inspecting schools belonging to ISC Associations and reporting on compliance with the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003.
The inspection was not carried out in conjunction with the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and the report does not contain specific judgements on the National Minimum Boarding Standards. It comments on the progress made by the school in meeting the recommendations set out in the most recent statutory boarding inspection and evaluates the quality of the boarding experience and its contribution to pupils’ education and development in general. The full CSCI report can be found at www.csci.org.uk.
The inspection does not examine the financial viability of the school or investigate its accounting procedures. The inspectors check the school’s health and safety procedures and comment on any significant hazards they encounter: they do not carry out an exhaustive health and safety examination. Their inspection of the premises is from an educational perspective and does not include in-depth examination of the structural condition of the school, its services or other physical features.
1.1 St Aubyns is a co-educational school for day pupils and weekly and occasional boarders. It caters for 205 pupils between the ages of three and thirteen. The school was founded in 1895 in the old Rottingdean Manor House, which had originally been used as an annex to the local church school founded in the eighteenth century. For its first century, St Aubyns operated as a boys’ boarding preparatory school, but went through a period of significant change in the last decade of the twentieth century, when it established a pre-preparatory department, became co-educational, and opened its doors to day pupils and to those whose parents wanted flexible boarding arrangements. St Aubyns is a non-profit-making educational trust administered by a board of governors. The headmaster was appointed in 1998.
1.2 The school operates as a single entity, though for day-to-day management, it divides itself into a pre-preparatory department (known as Mulberry Corner), which has 70 pupils between the ages of three and seven, and a preparatory department which serves 135 pupils, aged between seven and thirteen. At the time of the inspection, five pupils were regular weekly boarders, and a further ten took advantage of the school’s flexible boarding arrangements. The school runs single forms in each year group from Nursery to Year 2, and two forms in each year group in Years 3 to 8. In Year 8, it organises separate teaching groups for Common Entrance and scholarship candidates in all academic subjects.
1.3 The school’s vision centres on the individual. It emphasises pupils’ needs to feel happy, secure and valued, and focuses on intellectual, cultural, spiritual, social and physical development. Its philosophy is to celebrate pupils’ unique natures, and to develop their full potential. Its major aims are to:
· create a caring, stimulating, honest and tolerant atmosphere;
· emphasise the importance of courtesy, good manners and consideration for others;
· develop adaptable, perceptive and confident children who can grasp a range of ideas and absorb information;
· facilitate the growth of knowledge in all aspects of the curriculum according to individuals’ levels of ability, ages and stages of development;
· develop the Christian values of compassion, forgiveness and humility, and to value and respect other religions.
1.4 The pre-preparatory department publishes a further set of aims, which reflect the school’s over-arching aims, but have specific relevance to younger pupils.
1.5 The school was last inspected in 2001. Since then, the school has grown in size, established a nursery and a mother and toddlers’ group, opened new information and communication technology (ICT), library, drama and dance facilities, and developed the pre-preparatory classrooms. It has re-defined roles within the senior management team, set up an academic steering committee, and promoted flexible boarding arrangements. The scope and ambition of its curriculum has been widened by the introduction of new subjects, expanding the influence of ICT, instituting a co-ordinated cultural development programme, and revising curricular provision for some subjects and for prep. The school has promoted the growth of learning support, embarked on a programme of individual learning for all pupils, increased the level of in-class support, extended the use made of setting, and made changes to its assessment programme.
1.6
Most pupils come from the
1.7 It is the school’s policy to educate pupils with a broad range of ability. Assessment for entry comprises a ‘taster day’ and an interview with the Learning Plus co-ordinator in the pre-preparatory department, or with the head of Learning Plus in the preparatory department. The school considers suitability for entry against five criteria, which are used to ensure that any additional support required can be provided effectively. This policy results in a very broad spread of ability within the school. Nationally recognised tests confirm that the spread of ability is very wide, but that the pupils’ average ability is that of the national average. The school does not enter pupils for the national tests at the ages of seven and eleven.
1.8 A small minority of pupils do not speak English as their first language; of these, seven receive support for their English in school. No pupils have statements of special educational need, but the school identifies 77 who require special support for their learning.
1.9 National Curriculum nomenclature is used throughout this report to refer to year groups in the school. The school uses these names, except for Year 3, which it calls ‘Transition.’
The Educational Experience Provided
2.1 St Aubyns provides its pupils with a stimulating education which fulfils all its declared aims. Significant progress has been made since the last inspection in broadening pupils’ educational experience and focusing more explicitly on individual needs and learning.
2.2 The education pupils receive at St Aubyns is fully consistent with its aims and philosophy. They experience a caring, stimulating and tolerant atmosphere, in which they learn well, become well-mannered, courteous, considerate, perceptive and confident, and develop Christian values whilst valuing and respecting other religions.
2.3 The curriculum is broad and balanced, and contributes well to pupils’ linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human, social, physical, aesthetic and creative development, and to the acquisition of the skills of speaking, listening, literacy and numeracy. Since the last inspection, the school has achieved a better balance of subjects in Years 1 and 2 without sacrificing its central attention to literacy and numeracy, and the timetable anomalies identified in Years 3 to 8 have been addressed, though further anomalies have arisen, especially in Year 3. Additional coverage of drama, through the adoption of a national scheme of drama teaching, and the inclusion of dance and outdoor education have broadened the curriculum to good effect. The introduction of a programme, developed for pupils in Years 7 and 8, called ‘Global Eye’, which covers current, civic and environmental affairs and world religions, gives pupils a good perspective on the world, and helps them to develop their own opinions and views.
2.4
The extensive and stimulating
extra-curricular programme also adds breadth to the pupils’ education. The weekly activities meet a wide range of
interests and enable pupils to explore their interests alongside pupils from
different age groups. The last
inspection found that the activities programme caused an unduly late end to the
school day, however this inspection finds the value of the programme fully justifies
the additional time spent in school.
Educational trips, which include residential weeks in
2.5 Preparation for the next stage of education is thoughtful and effective. Parents are invited to a meeting about their children’s move from Reception into Form 1. Pupils are well prepared for their transition from the pre-preparatory to the preparatory department; pupils in Year 2 join those in Year 3 for such activities as outdoor education prior to this move. In preparation for transfer to senior schools, the school schedules a meeting for Year 7 pupils and their parents called ‘Changing Gear’ every autumn term which includes a talk given by the head of a local senior school. The headmaster’s good contacts with senior schools and close relationships with parents achieve appropriate matches between pupils and schools, so that, at the end of Year 8, the large majority of pupils move on to senior schools of their first choice. Year 8 pupils follow an imaginative and valuable leavers’ programme. This, together with the programme of personal, social and health education (PSHE) and the ‘Global Eye’ programme prepares pupils well for adult life.
2.6 Curriculum planning ensures equality of access and opportunity for all pupils, and promotes participation in a wide range of experiences. The academic steering committee evaluates curriculum planning effectively, and monitors its implementation through work scrutiny and lesson observation, to ensure that it meets the schools’ aims and addresses pupils’ needs. The school has updated its policy for able and talented pupils and publishes lists of pupils who require special challenge. The previous inspection report judged that consideration should be given to employing a form teacher structure to Year 4 as well as Year 3, and that setting and streaming arrangements might usefully be extended. The school has usefully widened its use of setting and streaming, and Year 4 pupils no longer appear disadvantaged by being taught by a wide range of teachers.
2.7 The school’s focus on personalised learning is a key element in the school’s mission to meet individual needs, and is an area of outstanding practice. Very useful individual learning plans (ILPs), which the school plans to complete for all pupils by September 2008, the provision for individual tuition from well-qualified specialist staff, and the presence of Learning Plus assistants in classrooms, working with individuals or small groups of pupils, make a significant impact on pupils’ learning and well-being. They enable all pupils, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD), and those for whom English is an additional language (EAL), and to a large extent those who are very able, to experience an appropriate curriculum. In some instances, the school arranges for pupils to work out of age group, or on core subjects and skills only, if appropriate.
2.8 Heads of department have re-evaluated and adapted their curriculum planning so that it is suitable for pupils requiring special provision. The curriculum has been developed to afford more challenge for the most able pupils, for example by extending setting and scholarship-preparation classes, entering pupils for national competitions, and through detailed lesson planning. Whilst the excellent planning to meet individual needs is not consistently implemented in all subjects and age groups, the school has made very good progress in this respect.
2.9 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the curriculum [Standard 1].
Pupils’ Learning and Achievements
2.10
Good
teaching and a suitably planned curriculum enable pupils to learn
effectively. They acquire a good range
of skills, develop their understanding of subject concepts, and apply these
effectively in relation to their ages and abilities. The school has built successfully on the good
standards noted by the last inspection.
The school meets its aims to develop adaptable, perceptive, confident
pupils who can grasp a range of ideas and absorb information, and facilitate
the growth of knowledge in all aspects of the curriculum according to
individuals’ levels of ability, ages and stages of development.
2.11
Pupils
absorb and retain knowledge well. The
little revision work needed at the start of lessons before embarking on new
learning speeds progress. Pupils
generally develop the various skills appropriate to the subjects in the
curriculum at a good rate, and apply these thoughtfully to the tasks they are
given. However, the development of
writing in Year 2 has been limited by the over-use of worksheets. Pupils think critically, for example in
Latin, when decoding text. The discovery
that such thinking results in correct answers brings real delight, as, for
example, in a Year 1 mathematics lesson, when pupils discovered that they could
reverse number operations. Their
creative impulses develop well in such subjects as English, art, dance, drama
and music.
2.12
The
very positive impact of the Learning Plus department promotes the progress of
all pupils through its promulgation of a range of effective learning
strategies. As a result of this, and the
effective use of assessment data, very little difference occurs in pupils’
achievement in different subjects, between boys and girls, and between pupils
who do not speak English as their first language and those who do.
2.13
The
school does not enter pupils for national assessments and tests at the ages of
7 and 11, but other nationally recognised tests show that pupils perform well
in relation to their aptitudes and abilities.
Recently introduced tests will provide the school with information about
trends over time. The school is proud of
pupils’ successes in senior school entrance examinations and has a good record
of awards to the senior schools of their choice.
2.14
Pupils
gain considerable success in a broad range of activities; achievement in drama,
art and sport especially is outstanding for a school of its size. Individual successes have been achieved in
national competitions, such as the Junior Language Challenge, and in local
competitions, such as the Brighton Springboard Festival. A high proportion of musicians gain merits
and distinctions in examinations. Groups
of pupils have had their poetry published, their art exhibited at the Albert
Hall, their drama acclaimed in a Shakespeare Festival, and won the Windlesham
Maths Challenge. In sport, the school
has produced county champions in athletics and fencing, and pupils have
represented their county in tennis and cricket.
Prior to 2006, the school had won six national and ten county titles at
athletics, won numerous rugby sevens competitions and the Lancing football
tournament.
2.15
Throughout
the school, pupils are articulate and listen effectively. Many read with intelligence and have the
insight to read between the lines, deduce character traits and predict
developments in the plot of a story. The
majority write fluently, particularly in English in Years 6 to 8, and in French. However, independent writing is less well
developed in Year 2, where an over-heavy reliance on worksheets has depressed
pupils’ competence to write for themselves.
2.16
Pupils
apply mathematical knowledge efficiently and use their skills to reason cogently. Mental mathematical games are often deployed
at the beginning and sometimes at the end of lessons to gear the pupils up for
work and, coincidently, provide enormous fun.
2.17
Overall,
pupils make effective use of ICT, and are well-versed in such applications as
word-processing, spreadsheets, databases and graphics. Some departments, such as French and science,
use the ICT laboratory regularly for research and subject-specific software,
but the use of ICT across the curriculum is inconsistent. The school is aware of this, and has
published plans to spread the use of ICT more widely.
2.18
Pupils
reason effectively, discuss matters cogently, and exhibit independence of
thought. For example, in a Year 6 science
lesson, pupils reasoned why the water cycle studied in geography had links to
the work they had done on distillation in science, and a Year 8 group
considered when and when not it was sensible to switch off appliances to save
energy, and the merits of re-cycling.
Pupils use their problem solving skills, for example, in science
investigations such as a project on global warming, and in “Global Eye” when
they considered the two sides of the argument on banning the veil in schools.
2.19
Most
pupils study and organise themselves well.
For example, in the pre-preparatory department, they work at tasks
conscientiously in small groups, whether the teacher is sitting with their
group or not. In drama, they take
themselves off to different areas of the studio and get on by themselves with
the task that they have been set. In
Latin, pupils of varying abilities pursue different exercises diligently.
2.20
Pupils
relish opportunities for collaborative work and demonstrate tolerance and
patience when working with one another.
They enjoy working together in sport, music and drama, and are
productive when they collaborate in the classroom. Paired-work is used effectively in many
subjects. Pupils work equally well on
their own. At such times, they enjoy
making their own decisions and thinking for themselves.
2.21
Pupils
settle quickly to their lessons. They concentrate well, persevere and show
great enthusiasm and enjoyment for their work and activities.
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development of Pupils
2.22 The school promotes the pupils’ personal development well. It fulfils its aims to develop adaptable, perceptive and confident children who have an understanding of Christian values and tolerance towards the beliefs and practices of all faiths. The good standards found at the time of the last inspection have been maintained, and the senior pupils now have more opportunities to take responsibility. All pupils in Years 7 and 8 are given duties, including being leaders or sub-leaders of their section (house), captain or vice captain of the school or captain of a school team.
2.23
Pupils’ spiritual development
is good. On four days each week,
preparatory department pupils have an assembly in the school’s memorial
chapel. The calm atmosphere provides an
excellent opportunity for quiet reflection at the start of the day and a
genuine spiritual experience for all who attend. The restriction of school business to one day
in the week helps to make chapel a special time. Pupils make individual visits to chapel when
they want to reflect on something, and some take up the opportunity to leave
short prayers on a simple cross made from beach driftwood. Poems on happiness, inspired by Comic Relief
and written by pupils in Year 5, reveal a deep feeling for some of the
important non-material aspects of life. Grace is said at lunch times, and
in the pre-preparatory department, which runs its own assemblies, prayers are
said at the beginning and end of each day.
Confirmation classes are run every other summer for pupils in Years 7
and 8. Within the activities programme,
the
2.24 Pupils’ self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence develop well. The school has strong Christian values and beliefs; but pupils are also introduced to the major world religions, first in the pre-preparatory department, and then particularly in Years 7 and 8 as part of the newly introduced and very interesting ‘Global Eye’ programme. Pupils’ achievements and successes are celebrated publicly, which enhances their self-esteem. Pupils become increasingly self-confident, and are friendly and helpful to visitors.
2.25 Pupils develop a good moral sense. They distinguish clearly between right and wrong, and are able to make moral judgements about issues such as the protection of the environment and the depletion of the earth’s resources. Respect for the law is fostered both in PSHE lessons and by visits from a police liaison officer and drug awareness lectures within the leavers’ programme.
2.26 Pupils’ social development is good. They accept responsibility for their own behaviour. Pupils mostly relate and behave well together around the school, though occasionally the younger pupils in the preparatory department are over-exuberant at playtimes when not under close supervision. Pupils settle quickly and without fuss when asked to work in pairs or small groups in lessons; they work effectively and positively together. They enjoy social occasions, such as the traditional monthly birthday breakfast for pupils and staff, through which the school introduces pupils to social conventions and encourages good manners. The school’s programme of educational and residential visits enables day pupils as well as boarders to benefit from the experience of living and working together. Pupils take the various opportunities they are given to undertake small duties with pride; in Year 1, for example, a pupil is appointed deputy for the day. They represent their peers on the food committee, and a school council is planned.
2.27
Pupils grow in their
understanding of the wider community, and learn about public institutions, both
in
2.28
Pupils develop well
culturally. The curriculum affords
cultural experiences through such subjects as art, English, music and
drama. The ‘Arts Express’ programme
makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ cultural education through drawing
art, drama, dance and music together around agreed themes once a term. An annual soiree fosters spoken French and an
understanding of life in
2.29
Pupils develop respect and
tolerance for their own and other cultures through the curriculum and through
their charity work. Amongst the many
charities the school supports, pupils sponsor a boy in
2.30 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils [Standard 2].
The Quality of Teaching (Including Assessment)
2.31 The quality of teaching is good across all age ranges and subjects. During the inspection, several examples of outstanding practice were seen. Teaching fulfils the school’s aim to help pupils to increase their knowledge in all aspects of the curriculum according to individuals’ levels of ability, ages and stages of development. The previous inspection raised concerns about the pace of lessons, and the need for higher expectations of all pupils and adequate challenge for the most able. The structured and methodical approach to teaching, promoted through the school’s monitoring of teaching, appraisal and continuing professional development activities, and the sharing of best practice have strengthened standards of teaching across the school, though consistency has still not been achieved.
2.32 Teaching enables pupils of all abilities, including those with LDD and EAL, to acquire new knowledge, increase their understanding and develop their skills. Good foundations for literacy and numeracy are built in the pre-preparatory department. Well-constructed schemes of work guide teachers to achieve a good balance between knowledge and skills. The careful assessment and useful and practical advice given to teachers about the capabilities, learning strengths and weaknesses of pupils with learning difficulties enables them, too, to learn effectively. However, teaching does not always fully challenge the more able pupils as part of regular classroom practice.
2.33 Teaching fosters pupils’ ability to apply themselves, generates interest in their work and, in the best lessons, teaches them to think and learn for themselves. Supportive teaching and the judicious use of the reward system encourages pupils to apply themselves well. The provision of subject specialist teachers and primary enthusiasts generates pupils’ interest in the subjects that they study. Teachers encourage pupils to think for themselves. For example, in the humanities, teachers sometimes ask pupils to conduct their own research; in drama, pupils are frequently challenged to explore themes; and in the ‘Global Eye’ programme in Years 7 and 8, pupils learn to develop their own ideas and views about world affairs.
2.34 Teaching encourages pupils to behave responsibly and promotes courteous behaviour between pupils, and between pupils and adults. Visitors are made very welcome, and assistance is volunteered without prompting. Pupils are co-operative, generous, tolerant and supportive towards each other.
2.35 Teaching is largely well planned; it employs effective teaching methods, suitable activities and wise management of class time. Teachers use a variety of methods, appropriate to the subject being taught, and the ages, abilities and stages of development of the pupils. In Year 2, recent changes to planning now allow for a better focus on the development of writing skills. In the preparatory department, art lessons are planned with a view to pupils selecting their own resources, mathematics lessons mix lively pupil interaction with the necessary time for the individual practice of skills, and French lessons include regular sessions in the ICT suite for work with interactive software. The pace of lessons is generally appropriate to the abilities of the pupils. For example, a very fast pace was set in a French lesson which included the finalist in a national language competition. However, in some lessons, the pace remains rather slow, and too few opportunities for collaborative learning are afforded.
2.36 The staff’s close knowledge of their pupils, the significant work on assessment completed since the last inspection and the excellent information provided by the Learning Plus department give teachers a good understanding of the aptitude, needs and prior attainments of the pupils. This understanding is used to good effect in much teaching, however some teaching fails to implement the school’s policy on setting work that matches the needs and abilities of the pupils, so that, in a minority of lessons, able pupils find the work they are required to do fails to offer sufficient challenge.
2.37 The appropriate use of well-qualified subject and primary specialist teachers in the various sections of the school ensures that teaching demonstrates appropriate knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and age groups being taught. The high level of commitment shown by the teaching staff allied to their professional knowledge is of great benefit to all the pupils.
2.38 The level of resources has increased since the last inspection. In some areas, such as the Foundation Stage and sport, resources are very good. Heads of subjects ensure that resources are updated regularly. Some departments, such as French and science, are beginning to make regular and helpful use of ICT to support their teaching.
2.39 The school has greatly strengthened its policy and procedures for assessment since the last inspection, so that teaching now includes the regular and thorough assessment of pupils’ work and generally uses this information effectively to plan teaching so that pupils can progress.
2.40 The use of nationally recognised tests gives teachers a very clear picture of pupils’ abilities, and enables the school to evaluate pupils’ performance with reference to national norms. The new tests recently adopted by the school afford good opportunities to identify trends over time. The extensive assessment carried out by the Learning Plus department further refines the information available to teachers, in respect both of pupils with learning difficulties and those who are very able. The school is working, through the academic steering committee and the Learning Plus department to develop consistency in teachers’ understanding and use of assessment information.
2.41 The standard of marking is good. Teachers’ detailed comments clearly identify areas for improvement as well as offering pupils encouragement for their efforts. The use of target-setting gives pupils a very clear idea of what they need to concentrate upon to make good progress.
2.42 The school meets regulatory requirements [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 high standard of
pastoral care at the time of the last inspection has been further improved by
the introduction of supportive new measures, such as the weekly care diary meeting for all preparatory
department staff, and the pupil-review afternoon. The school meets its aim of creating a caring
and tolerant atmosphere in which pupils feel happy and secure. Parents who responded to the questionnaire
overwhelmingly agree that they are happy with the help and guidance their chi
3.2 The staff know the pupils very well and provide them with very effective support and guidance. Form tutors exercise their responsibility for the pupils in their forms with commitment, and all staff contribute conscientiously to pupils’ pastoral care. Pupils confirm that teachers are always ready to offer support. The introduction of the care diary, and the weekly staff meeting to discuss any issues or problems it highlights, are excellent initiatives to further strengthen pastoral care for pupils in Years 3 to 8. Staff discuss pupils’ problems sensitively and with genuine concern, and the action points which emerge from meetings are carefully minuted, so that follow-up is monitored effectively. Half-termly pupil review afternoons enable the staff to discuss all the pupils during the course of a year. In the pre-preparatory department, concerns over pupils take precedence over procedural matters in the weekly staff meetings. Here, the teachers and assistants work with their forms for almost the whole of the curriculum, and provide guidance on a daily basis.
3.3
A simple structure of pastoral
arrangements, managed by the deputy
3.4 The quality of relationships between staff and pupils is excellent; relationships are friendly and relaxed. Pupils are understanding and tolerant of each other. Those of differing ages sit together with staff at lunchtime, enjoy each other’s company during activity sessions, and work together in mixed age groups on ‘Arts Express’ days. Such arrangements enhance the family atmosphere in the school, and provide pupils with the confidence to relate to those outside their age group.
3.5
Comprehensive
anti-bullying and behaviour policies, published separately for the
pre-preparatory and preparatory departments, promote good discipline and
behaviour effectively; they work well to fulfil the school’s aim to create a
caring, and tolerant atmosphere. Pupils
are aware of what is expected of them, exhibit good behaviour and are polite
and courteous to both adults and their peers.
They look out for each other at play times, and behave well in their
lessons, so that very little time is wasted on disciplinary issues. They benefit from the positive system of
behaviour management and understand the system of sanctions.
3.6
Child
protection measures are in place and are successful. The headmaster is appropriately trained as
the child protection officer, and all staff receive the basic training. Appropriate checks to safeguard pupils’
welfare are made when recruiting new staff, though all the information thus
obtained is not collated on a single form.
3.7
All
necessary measures to reduce risk from fire have been taken. The school has updated its risk assessment in
regard to fire safety this year, ho
3.8
Arrangements
to ensure health and safety are largely effective and the school has due regard
for health and safety regulations. The
health and safety committee, chaired by the bursar, draws appropriate
representation from the staff, and is attended by a member of the board of
governors. The committee meets
frequently, both formally and informally, reports to the board, and engages
outside agencies, when necessary, to undertake inspections and give
professional advice. The school acts on
the professional advice it receives.
However, there is some delay between identifying health and safety
hazards and dealing with them, which exposes staff and pupils to some
risk. A small number of minor
outstanding risks were reported to the school at the time of the inspection.
3.9
First-aid
provision is good. Four fully qualified
first-aiders, thirteen members of staff with basic first-aid qualifications,
and sports staff whose first-aid qualifications are integral to their
professional qualification ensure that appropriate first aid help is always
readily available. The two rooms where
the sick and needy are treated and recover are fully adequate. The kitchens are maintained in a hygienic
condition, and the standard of food is also adequate.
3.10 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the welfare, health and safety of pupils [Standard 3].
The Quality of Links with Parents and the Community
3.11
The
school has a strong and effective partnership with parents and meaningful links
with the wider community, both of which make valuable contributions to
achieving the school’s aims. The
positive features identified in the previous inspection have been strengthened,
and additional features such as the weekly newsletter, new website and improved
information to parents about how they can readily contact specific members of staff
have improved this aspect of the school’s provision. Overall, the parents are very satisfied with
the school.
3.12
A
very high proportion of the parents who returned the pre-inspection
questionnaire indicated great satisfaction with the school in areas such as
teaching, pupils’ progress and extra curricular activities. They are also very pleased with the academic
provision and the school’s promotion of worthwhile attitudes and values. This inspection finds these views fully
justified. A very small number of
parents raised concern about the way in which concerns are handled, but the
inspection found that parents’ concerns are dealt with promptly and with
sensitivity. The school affords parents
a broad range of opportunities to discuss issues with staff, and has robust
systems for dealing with these. It
publishes a suitable formal complaints procedure, but matters are invariably
sorted out before this stage is reached.
The headmaster’s practice of chairing meetings between parents and
teachers when concerns arise is particularly helpful in ensuring a good
resolution.
3.13
Parents
are given many worthwhile opportunities to be involved in activities in the
school and in the work and progress of their chi
3.14
Parents
are given a broad range of formal and informal opportunities to talk to
staff. Parents of pupils in the
pre-preparatory department have opportunities for short conversations at the
beginning and end of each day, which allow for the brief exchange of
information. Parents of preparatory
department children also have opportunities to meet individual members of staff
at the start of the day. Teaching staff
may be contacted by telephone, fax and email, or be seen by appointment, and
formal parents’ evenings are held twice a year for each year group. In addition to the useful meetings about
transfer within the school and to senior schools, the school has instituted
seminars on reading.
3.15
Parents
receive valuable, regular written information about their chi
3.16
Parents
receive information of good quality about the school in a helpful variety of
ways. The prospectus, website and
parents’ handbooks are well presented and very informative. ‘The Bugle’, a weekly newsletter, is posted
on the school’s website and circulated to all parents. Parents of pupils in Year 3 are invited to a
tea party on the first day of the autumn term to welcome them into the
preparatory department. A central area
within the school, which parents are encouraged to visit, is kept updated with
interesting information about the school’s doings. Parents have their own notice board on the
school’s website. The school magazine
records the highlights of the school year from all sections of the school
community, and acknowledges and celebrates pupils’ achievements and successes.
3.17
The
school has developed strong links with the local and wider community, which
contribute well to the high quality of pupils’ personal development. Pupils take part in many local events, such
as the annual Rottingdean in Bloom competition and the Brighton Festival’s Chi
3.18
The
school shares its facilities widely with other organisations. It runs music, singing, art, drama, dance and
technology workshops for local primary schools.
It leases one of its rooms to a mother and toddlers’ group, and local
brownies, guides and a summer school make regular use of the school premises.
3.19
The
school’s support for local, national and international charities broadens
pupils’ horizons and their understanding and compassion for those less
fortunate than themselves. Pupils
develop a wider appreciation of the world through the school’s links with a
French school and with the
3.20
The
school meets the regulatory requirements for the provision of information and
the manner in which complaints are to be handled [Standards 6 and 7].
The Quality of Boarding Education
3.21 Boarding provides a useful service for parents who want flexible boarding arrangements. It contributes satisfactorily towards meeting the school’s aims to create a tolerant atmosphere and to emphasise consideration for others. The school’s provision of improved protocols and the better supervision of activities have ensured that almost all the recommendations made by previous Commission for Social Care Inspection and Independent Schools Inspectorate inspections have been carried out.
3.22 The school provides a valuable service for pupils who are moving on to senior boarding schools and take advantage of the school’s provision to spend at least their final year as boarders. However, the low numbers currently boarding fail to attract others, and the parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were generally dissatisfied with boarding provision, though their concerns were not generally made specific.
3.23 This inspection fo