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INSPECTION REPORT ON |
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Wellesley House School |
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Full Name of the School |
Wellesley House School |
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DfES Number |
886/6001 |
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Registered Charity Number |
307852 |
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Address |
114
Ramsgate Road, Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 2DG. |
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Telephone Number |
01843
862991 |
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Fax Number |
01843
602068 |
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Email Address |
office@wellesleyhouse.org |
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Headmaster |
S.
T. P. O’Malley |
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Chairman of Governors |
Oliver
Wise |
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Age Range |
7
- 13 |
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Gender |
Mixed |
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Inspection Dates |
29th
January – 1st February, 2007 |
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 Wellesley House School was founded in 1869 at Conygham House in Ramsgate as a school for boys and moved in 1898 to Wellesley House which was purpose built as a school. In 1964 the school became a charitable trust and merged with St Peter’s Court School. The school became co-educational in 1977. Extensive building and modernisation has been undertaken.
1.2 The school is predominantly a boarding school which caters for boys and girls aged 7 to 13. A total of 116 pupils attend the school with 101 pupils who board and 15 pupils who attend on a daily basis. The roll is comprised of 69 boys and 47 girls. There are 58 pupils in Years 3 to 6 and 58 in Years 7 and 8. Pupils are drawn mainly from professional families in Kent and London, with an increasing proportion from East Anglia and beyond.
1.3 Christian principles underpin the work of the school. Governors and teachers seek to provide a caring environment which ‘opens up a world of possibilities’ for the pupils. Pupils are valued for themselves, and are given the opportunity of full development, in which all concerned, pupils, staff and governors, strive for excellence. In order to achieve this aim the staff places emphasis on:
· all round development which includes academic success enabling pupils to enter the senior school of their choice;
· ensuring that pupils are busy, happy and proud of their school;
· recognising and nurturing pupils’ individual skills;
· the promotion of a love of learning;
· providing a curriculum that draws on the core requirements of the National Curriculum as a minimum and is broad, relevant, and flexible to take account of individuals’ talents and aptitudes;
· the promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural, physical and aesthetic development;
· the acquisition of skills of independent learning.
1.4 The school takes due note of reports from previous schools and parental assessments. Pupils are not tested on entry unless a need to do so is indicated in the reports or parental assessments. The purpose of the assessments is to ensure pupils have the potential to thrive and flourish in the school’s learning environment.
1.5 Pupils show a wide range of abilities when they enter the school. Overall the average ability is above that of the national average and if pupils are performing in line with their abilities their results in national tests will be above the average for all maintained primary schools. The school provides extra help for thirty-three pupils it has identified as requiring additional support. One pupil has a statement of special educational needs. Approximately seven per cent of the pupils come from a range of ethnic backgrounds. For a few of these pupils English is not their first language and they are still developing their skills in spoken English.
1.6 The headmaster is newly in post, having joined the school in September 2006 on the retirement of his predecessor who had served the school for sixteen years.
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.
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School |
NC name |
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1 |
Year 8 |
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Remove |
Year 8 |
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1A |
Year 8 |
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2 |
Year 7 |
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2A |
Year 7 |
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3 |
Year 6 |
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3A |
Year 6 |
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4 |
Year 5 |
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4A |
Year 5 |
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JB |
Year 4 |
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JH |
Year 3 |
The Educational Experience Provided
2.1 Pupils enjoy a broad, varied and interesting educational experience which meets the school’s aim to ‘open up a world of opportunities’. These opportunities enable pupils to reach the intellectual and physical standards, and make the personal and aesthetic development required for them to enter the senior school of their choice. The curriculum has improved since the last inspection. A little fine-tuning in curriculum planning is needed for further improvement. Parents are supportive of the range of experiences provided for their children.
2.2 The curriculum is effectively planned and has a rationale more clearly linked to the school’s aims than at the last inspection. Improvement has been made to ensure that planning is linked to clear learning goals and that pupils have continuity in their learning as they move through the school. The curriculum is appropriately supported by schemes of work which vary in quality but overall are sound. At their best, as in the handbook for science, detailed guidance is provided. This includes a weekly breakdown of what is to be taught in lessons. Other schemes have sufficient broad information but do not go into such detail.
2.3 The balance of the curriculum across academic, creative and practical experiences has improved since the last inspection. It is now satisfactory, but a degree of re-evaluation is needed to improve the curriculum further. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 have insufficient time for information and communication technology (ICT) but a generous allocation of time for Latin and French. Considerable emphasis is placed on pupils’ aesthetic, creative and physical development. Attention is being paid to involve pupils even more in their learning. Current timetabling arrangements, based on 30 minute lessons, do not always provide sufficient time for teachers to work in this way and at times lessons become rushed towards the end.
2.4 Outstanding provision is made for the development of pupils’ skills in speaking and listening. Pupils are at ease with each other and with their teachers. Conversation is encouraged and forms a central part of school life. Very good attention is paid to developing pupils’ mathematical and ICT skills. However, not enough opportunities are provided for pupils to apply their skills in ICT across the curriculum.
2.5 In line with its aims, the school is inclusive. Considerable attention is paid to ensuring that all pupils have opportunities to participate fully in all the school’s activities. Effective support is provided for pupils whom the school has identified as having learning difficulties, both in lessons and during individual sessions with a specialist teacher. Their progress is monitored regularly. Useful specialist help is provided on an individual basis for the few pupils who are learning spoken English. More able pupils are suitably challenged, especially in Years 7 and 8. Pupils whom the school has identified as being talented have appropriate opportunities to develop their gifts, particularly in sport and music. The provision for any pupil with a statement of special educational needs is sound.
2.6 Preparation for the move to senior schools is of high quality. The planning for individual subjects in Years 7 and 8 pays close attention to the requirements of entrance examinations. Pupils seeking scholarships are taught together in one class. Considerable individual attention is given by the headmaster and staff in pupils’ preparation for entrance examinations, and where necessary, for any presentations they may be required to give.
2.7 Pupils’ education is enriched by a very good range of activities for a school of this size, including: golf, shooting, tap dancing, fencing, squash, sailing, and cooking. The activities are very good in terms of quantity and quality. Drama productions are a special feature. Pupils speak very highly of these activities. Regular visits to places of educational interest, including visits to France enrich the curriculum.
2.8 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the curriculum [Standard 1].
Pupils’ Learning and Achievements
2.9 The school successfully meets its aim to ensure that pupils are well educated. Pupils are well grounded in knowledge, skills and understanding in all subjects and activities and generally learn to apply them effectively. The standards observed in lessons and in pupils’ completed work are good in relation to pupils’ abilities and pupils make good progress. The strengths reported in the last inspection have been maintained.
2.10 By the time they leave for the senior school of their choice, pupils of all abilities, including those with learning difficulties, have achieved well in relation to their abilities across all the areas of the education provided by the school. The number of more able pupils attaining scholarships has been maintained, with more all round awards including art, music and sport. Pupils with a particular talent or gift are encouraged and do well. The few pupils learning to speak English are well supported and these pupils thrive. The standard of singing by the choir is of a particularly high standard. The achievement of boys and girls is broadly similar.
2.11 Learning skills are well developed. Pupils reason and think for themselves. They are highly articulate. In lessons they listen very attentively to their teachers and to each other. In discussions, they competently argue their points; for example in an English lesson where pupils discussed the complexities of imagery found in a Shakespearean sonnet. Throughout the day, at meal times and in all the facets of the boarding aspect of their education, pupils show high skills in conversation, listening to each other carefully and being patient with each other. Across the school pupils read fluently for their ages and abilities, including those with learning difficulties. Pupils write at length, accurately, fluently and neatly, in a suitable range of styles and for a wide range of purposes.
2.12 In numeracy, pupils attain good standards. In Year 6 they accurately apply the ‘four rules’ with decimals and competently expand brackets when using algebra; and in Year 8 they accurately solve simultaneous equations and show a good understanding of ratio. At times pupils apply their mathematical skills in other subjects such as geography and science. However, their use of their mathematical skills across the curriculum is limited, particularly in solving problems in everyday life and in conducting investigations. Pupils develop good skills in ICT but these are not used effectively as pupils are provided with limited opportunities for their use.
2.13 A significant strength of the school, very much in line with its aims, is the outstanding quality of the relationships between pupils and their teachers. These relationships enhance pupils’ learning significantly. Pupils enjoy their learning because, as an older pupil commented, they are ‘always involved and have opportunities to take part’. Pupils settle very quickly in lessons, concentrate well and work hard, even in the small minority of lessons which are somewhat unimaginative.
2.14 Pupils successfully undertake research both in lessons and in their own time. Older pupils have produced detailed and interesting booklets about the Suffragettes and Catherine the Great. Pupils show competent skills in making notes, both in lessons and when undertaking research. Pupils work successfully independently, and co-operatively, when given the opportunity. Team spirit is very evident in the life of the school.
2.15 Pupils show significant achievement in sport. In cricket, the boys have won a national prep schools tournament on five occasions, while the girls were the national under-13 rounders champions in 2005 and the national under-11 champions in 2006. Pupils have also been winners in the Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS) squash championships. Success is not limited to sport; pupils were individual prize winners in 2005 and 2006 in a national writing competition in history.
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development of Pupils
2.16 The ethos of the school ensures that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is well developed. The school’s commitment to achieving these aspects of the pupils’ personal development and to help them to be confident, motivated, and well mannered is well met. The strengths reported in the last inspection have been maintained.
2.17 Pupils’ spiritual development is outstanding, particularly their self-esteem and self-awareness. The school’s Christian ethos is evident and sensitively takes account of the needs of the few pupils from other faith backgrounds. In chapel and religious studies lessons, pupils are encouraged to develop a strong spiritual awareness. Useful opportunities are provided to foster pupils’ spiritual development in art and music. Arrangements such as the headmaster’s ‘thought for the week’ and the effective ethos of living together as a community contribute significantly to pupils’ spiritual awareness. The daily life of the school, the excellent relationships pupils have with each other and with adults contribute significantly to the development of pupils’ character.
2.18 Pupils have a very well developed moral sense. They are very aware of the difference between right and wrong. Whilst the school has rules to ensure pupils’ safety; many are unwritten, as pupils do not need codification: behaving morally and justly is part of the way of life of the school. This is seen in the high levels of courtesy shown to each other and to adults. In conversation, pupils show strong disapproval of those who do not support the school’s unspoken moral code. A wide range of opportunities is provided for pupils to explore moral issues; for example younger pupils discuss Aesop’s Fables in English and older pupils consider the dilemma of global warming in geography.
2.19 Pupils show a high degree of social awareness which is evident throughout the school, very much in line with the school’s aims. One pupil commented that ‘it helps you grow your personality’. Pupils readily accept responsibility for their own behaviour. Courtesy is exemplary. Pupils are gentle, kind and thoughtful. The boarding ethos of the school is evident in the very strong sense of community, with its emphasis on ‘family’ at the heart of school life. For example, older pupils are invited each week to supper with the headmaster and his wife. Pupils respond well to the many opportunities for them to take responsibility, from acting as a buddy for a pupil new to the school and to boarding, to leading teams and acting as head boy or girl. They show initiative and a growing understanding of what it means to be a citizen.
2.20 Pupils respond very well to the rich and varied opportunities provided for their cultural development. Standards of singing are very high and pupils enjoy making music. Involvement in drama productions is an important part of their life at school and is very much enjoyed. Pupils enjoy their work in art and modelling and very much appreciate the accolade of having their handiwork displayed in place of honour in the school entrance hall. Pupils learn about other cultures in lessons such as French, Spanish, Latin and geography. However, their appreciation of other cultures, especially those found in the United Kingdom is more limited.
2.21 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils [Standard 2].
The Quality of Teaching (Including Assessment)
2.22 Good teaching is reflected in pupils’ good levels of achievement and their success in gaining entry to the senior school of their choice, in line with the school’s aims. The quality of teaching has improved considerably since the last report when a significant proportion was judged to be unsatisfactory. The teaching has many good features and no unsatisfactory teaching was seen. Assessment has improved and underpins the good teaching. In their replies to pre-inspection questionnaires, parents indicated their positive support of the teaching their children receive.
2.23 Teaching encourages pupils to make the most of their intellectual, physical and creative talents. Pupils are usually given useful opportunities to think for themselves and to increase their understanding. Where teaching is at its best, infectious enthusiasm with demanding questioning by teachers ensures that pupils are challenged to think hard for themselves and so make very good gains in their learning. Through their excellent relations with the pupils, teachers create an atmosphere of mutual trust, very much part of the school’s aims.
2.24 Teachers know their pupils very well and make the most of the favourable class sizes. Well- planned lessons take due account of pupils’ needs and what they have learnt before. Pupils comment that they find the teaching helpful because the teachers ‘make it fun but it is also serious!’ For example, in an outstanding geography lesson, imaginative use of an interactive whiteboard, together with good humour and very supportive atmosphere enabled pupils to recall and explain complex ideas and use geographical terminology correctly. In the better teaching, teachers make it very clear at the start of lessons what it is that the pupils are to learn and pupils concentrate hard on the focus of the teaching. Teaching is well supported by effective use of a suitable range of resources which are of good quality. Excellent behaviour in lessons and around the school is regarded by pupils and teachers alike as the norm.
2.25 The pace of teaching in most lessons is brisk, and effective use is made of the time available, especially in lessons which are doubled together to provide an hour. For example, in a good science lesson where pupils were learning how to purify substances, very effective use was made of the time available for discussions and practical activities. A major development underway as part of school improvement is to provide even more opportunities for pupils to be involved in their learning. Teachers take time to explain the purpose of lessons, make effective use of pupils’ ideas and misunderstandings, and encourage pupils to comment on what they have learnt. Often the 30 minutes timetabled for a single lesson does not provide sufficient time for the teachers to employ these strategies.
2.26 In a small minority of lessons, where the teaching is lacklustre but satisfactory, the tasks are routine but do not always capture the pupils’ interest as they do in the majority of teaching. An over-reliance on working through textbooks lessens the impact on pupils’ learning. The school is aware of this and improvement in this area is seen as being central to the school’s development. Teachers are hardworking and conscientious. They have a secure command of the subjects they teach. Specialist teaching is used very effectively across the school.
2.27 Comprehensive support is provided for pupils with learning difficulties. In lessons, work set is challenging and teachers take care to ensure that these pupils are given the necessary support to enable them to take a full part in the lesson. A specialist teacher provides well-defined support. Appropriate support is provided for the few pupils who are still developing fluency in spoken English. The classes are ‘streamed’ from Year 5 onwards based on pupils’ abilities. This arrangement enables teachers to ensure that more-able pupils are suitably challenged.
2.28 Teachers regularly and thoroughly assess their pupils’ work using secure procedures. This is an improvement since the last inspection. A suitable range of assessments is used, including widely used standardised tests in English and mathematics to compare pupils’ attainment against national norms. The information from these assessments, together with teachers’ detailed knowledge of their pupils, is used carefully to plan work. The current arrangements are not sufficiently geared to track pupils’ progress and to adapt the curriculum to meet their needs.
2.29 New arrangements have been introduced to mark pupils’ completed work. Where these arrangements are implemented effectively marking is very thorough and provides pupils with excellent guidance as to how they might improve their work. Where less attention is given to the innovations, marking is undertaken conscientiously and thoroughly. However, written comments are limited to praise and encouragement.
2.30 The school meets the regulatory requirements for teaching [Standard 1].
3. THE QUALITY OF CARE AND RELATIONSHIPS
The Quality of Pastoral Care, and the Welfare, Health and Safety of Pupils
3.1 The quality of pastoral care is outstanding and the school is very successful in ensuring the welfare, health and safety of its pupils. The school is particularly successful in its aim to provide a family atmosphere in which pupils live and learn. One pupil commented: ‘it’s a family; not my family but equivalent’. The strengths in the provision reported at the last inspection have been maintained and built on. Parents are very appreciative of the pastoral care provided for their children.
3.2 Staff know the pupils extremely well and provide them with very effective support and guidance. Pupils receive support from their tutors as well as from their house parents. In conversation, pupils commented that there was always someone they could turn to for help and support. Support for pupils new to the school and new to boarding is seen by the pupils as a strength of the school. Inspection evidence supports this view. In conversation with inspectors, pupils spoke well of the school and were proud of it.
3.3 Excellent pastoral arrangements are in place. Careful and detailed record keeping and very effective systems of communication are implemented. These arrangements ensure that pupils’ concerns are given proper attention. Pupils regularly meet with their form tutors. Regular and thorough meetings take place between staff with pastoral responsibility and house parents. Care is taken to ensure that the needs of day pupils are not overlooked. The head of boarding conscientiously and effectively oversees the arrangements.
3.4 Relations amongst pupils and between pupils and adults are remarkable and exemplary. In and out of the classroom pupils relate to each other and to the adults around them in a relaxed but totally appropriate manner. Many staff live on site and provide good role models, as well as providing an ever-present supportive role. The headmaster and his wife give very freely of their time and, through their hard work and dedication, provide an excellent model for the caring and family nature of the school.
3.5 Very much in line with its aims, an atmosphere of mutual trust pervades the work of the school. Staff deal very appropriately with any misdemeanours. Although clear rules are in place to guard pupils’ safety, pupils use an intuitive code of conduct, for example when they leave a locker open and are confident that no one would steal from it. The school provides an atmosphere in which bullying and harassment are rarely found. Pupils are very confident of the school’s response should an isolated incident take place and know the steps they should take.
3.6 Successful arrangements are in place and effectively implemented to safeguard and promote pupils’ health and well-being. Thorough attention is given to keeping pupils safe. For example, attendance registers are now completed correctly, an improvement since the last inspection.
3.7 Conscientious attention is given to child protection. The child protection officer is knowledgeable and has received the necessary training. The policy is up-to-date and is implemented reliably. Criminal Records Bureau checks have been made of adults and are central to the school’s recruitment arrangements. Staff have received the necessary training. A governor is designated to have oversight of all safety measures and visits the school regularly to check on arrangements.
3.8 Emphasis is placed on healthy living. Healthy lifestyles are highlighted in the science and physical education curriculum. Pupils have numerous opportunities to take exercise and are encouraged to do so. In the questionnaires completed prior to the inspection, a minority of parents and pupils expressed concerns about the food provided. The headmaster and his wife have made changes since their arrival in September. Pupils commented that they felt the food had improved as a result. Many commented however, that they wished they could have a greater choice. Inspection evidence judged the quality of the food to be satisfactory and agreed that choice was limited.
3.9 Fire protection is thorough and overseen effectively by the bursar. All appliances and evacuation are tested regularly. Fire risk assessments are up to date. First aid is well provided for. Thorough risk assessments are made for educational visits, including residential visits.
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 very effective partnership with parents and worthwhile links with the wide community. Parents are extremely supportive of the education their children receive. The school has developed productive links with the community to the benefit of the pupils. The strengths reported at the last inspection have been maintained and the information for parents about their children’s progress has improved recently.
3.12 Parents are particularly appreciative of the provision made for boarders, the attitudes and values promoted within the school, the wide range of activities during the day and at weekends, the high standards of behaviour, the progress their children make and the quality of the teaching. This was evident from parents’ response to the pre-inspection questionnaire.
3.13 A small minority who replied to the questionnaire prior to the introduction of new arrangements for school reports, expressed concern about the quality of information they received about their children’s progress. Parents who met inspectors during the inspection commented very favourably on the information provided in the new style reports introduced by the headmaster at the end of the autumn term. Inspection evidence confirms parents’ positive views.
3.14 Useful opportunities are provided for the involvement of parents in the life of this predominantly boarding school. Parents attend chapel services, concerts, sporting activities, plays and social events. Where practical, use is made of parents’ individual skills in the curriculum.
3.15 Improving the quality of information provided for parents has been a focus for improvement by the recently appointed headmaster. Informative newsletters have been introduced. The new format for reports for parents on the children’s performance is an improvement since the last inspection. These reports now include a full range of curriculum subjects as well as form tutor reports. Plans are in hand to provide parents with a handbook and to improve the school’s website. Parents continue to receive magazines, such as the ‘Welleslian’, twice a term; these celebrate pupils’ success and report on school activities. Parents of pupils with learning difficulties are provided with helpful information about the plans that have been drawn up to support their children. Effective communication with parents whose children board is seen by the school as essential and given high priority. For example, during visits to the boarding houses in the evening, inspectors observed parents, pupils and house parents joining in during the same telephone conversation.
3.16 The small number of parental concerns is handled with due care. The vast majority of parents who completed the questionnaire indicated that the school handled any concerns thoroughly. Parents have access to an appropriate complaints procedure. The headmaster has ensured that the school has an atmosphere in which parents are made to feel most welcome.
3.17 The school has a number of links with the wider community which benefit the pupils. These include regular opportunities for the choir to sing at local parish churches. Established links are in place with a local care home. Local and national charities are actively supported, for example the ‘Children in Need’ appeal. Local organisations use the school’s facilities. The headmaster sees improvement in links with the wider community as essential. For example, this year the school is to participate in the local Dickens Festival.
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 quality of the boarding education is outstanding and is a strength of the school. The strengths in the last inspection report have been built on successfully. The matters requiring attention listed in the Commission for Social Care (CSCI) inspection report in 2004 have been carefully attended to. Parents and pupils alike are fulsome in their praise for the quality of the boarding provision.
3.20 Relationships within the boarding provision are extremely positive and the boarders themselves praise without reservation the care that staff provide. Pupils report that they feel very secure and happy. Central to the provision are the arrangements which ensure that adults, to whom pupils relate well, are always on hand. The very warm and positive family ethos that pervades the life of the school is a key part of the boarding provision.
3.21 A wide range of supported activities is provided in the evenings and weekends giving opportunities for many different interests to be explored and stimulated. Many pupils cite this as a reason why they enjoy boarding so much. The programme of activities is managed and implemented effectively.
3.22 The Orchard House provides girls with a home from home. The house is homely, cosy and comfortable. Even though it is full, ample space is provided for personal possessions and photographs of family and pets. The boys' accommodation in the main building is similarly warm and comfortable. The school makes good use of this older accommodation, and is now seeking to make further improvements.
4. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
4.1 Effective governance continues to ensure that pupils are well educated in an environment very much in tune with the school’s aims.
4.2 The structure of the governing body is well defined and enables governors to provide effective oversight of the school. Members of the governing body offer a wide variety of relevant skills and expertise to the school. The governing body is strongly committed to its role and provides useful support for the headmaster and staff. The governors are fully aware of their responsibilities and take them seriously. They conscientiously secure the school’s aims and are very supportive of the school.
4.3 Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas that need further improvement. Detailed and thorough arrangements have been established to check progress against the recommendations made in the last ISI and CSCI reports. Successful arrangements are in place and implemented to ensure that pupils’ safety and well-being are secured.
4.4 Prudent financial planning ensures that the school is on a sound footing. Although governors have a good understanding of where the future development of the school lies, they have not yet expressed this in a succinct school development plan with clear success criteria and specific budget allocations.
4.5 Meetings of the governing body are mainly held in London which restricts the opportunities for some governors to meet staff and visit the school. A number of governors, particularly those who are parents of pupils at the school, are often at the school and see staff informally. In conversations with staff during the inspection, several commented that they would welcome more frequent opportunities to meet governors.
The Quality of Leadership and Management
4.6 The leadership and management by those with management responsibilities ensure that the school’s aims are successfully met. Satisfactory improvement has been made since the last inspection. The newly appointed headmaster has a clear view of what is needed to take the school forward. He is well supported by the senior managers. Current management responsibilities are not defined clearly enough.
4.7 The recently appointed headmaster is providing very good leadership and management and has quickly identified the school’s many strengths and what is needed for further improvement. He has gained the confidence of the staff, and pupils. A common thread in parents’ written comments on their pre-inspection questionnaires was the improvements made since September 2006.
4.8 The senior management team shows effective teamwork and has the school’s aims and ethos at the heart of its work. Its success in promoting these is seen clearly in the outstanding pastoral care and excellent quality of boarding education. Members are working closely with the headmaster to improve the management of the school. The senior management team is relatively large for a school of this size. Its effectiveness is hampered by a lack of sufficient clarity of roles and responsibilities, especially in terms of monitoring and evaluation. Staff in management positions are enthusiastic for improvement. However, reliance is placed on informal arrangements for monitoring that are implicit rather than being clearly defined. At times monitoring and evaluation is based too much on anecdotal evidence rather than secure data.
4.9 A good start has been made in developing the monitoring and evaluation aspects of the role of heads of department through the establishment of departmental audits and action plans for improvement. Effective use of this information is hindered by the lack of a plan for the school’s development that has clear success criteria and timescales. The senior managers are well aware of the need for this and arrangements are in hand to have such a plan in place by the start of the next academic year. The management of support for pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is good. However, the school lacks a written plan for ensuring that pupils with disabilities have access to all that the school offers.
4.10 Staff development has improved since the last inspection. In-service training for the whole staff on important areas such as child protection and more recently on teaching and learning has taken place. The current arrangements for the appraisal of staff have fallen into abeyance. The headmaster deliberately did not institute a new system in his first term and has planned to re-introduce appraisal of staff as part of the school development plan. The current lack of a school development plan and information from appraisal has made it difficult to direct staff development more precisely to the school’s overall improvement and teachers’ individual training needs.
4.11 The prudent management of resources by the governors and bursar ensures that resources are sufficient for the curriculum. The accommodation is in a good state of repair and decoration. Vibrant displays of pupils’ completed work in art add considerably to the learning environment. The playing fields and grounds are very well maintained and add significantly to the education the school provides. The routine administration is very efficient and the school runs smoothly.
4.12 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the suitability of proprietors and staff and for premises and accommodation [Standards 4 and 5].
4.13 The school does not meet the requirements of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA) 2001. In order to meet the requirements, the school must:
(a) draw up a Disability Access Plan.
5.1 The school is successful in its aim to provide an education which seeks ‘to open up a world of possibilities’. Pastoral care is outstanding and the provision for boarding is excellent. The good quality provision made for the pupils’ personal development, together with effective teaching and a stimulating educational experience, provide an environment in which pupils are happy and achieve. Pupils speak very well of their school and are proud of it.
5.2 Pupils are well educated and achieve good standards in relation to their abilities, including those who are more able as well as those with learning difficulties and the few pupils who are learning spoken English. Pupils are successful in the creative aspects of the learning experience provided. Wellesely performs well in sports competitions, including those which include much larger schools.
5.3 The new headmaster provides very good leadership and management. Staff in management positions are enthusiastic for improvement. The roles and responsibilities of the senior management team are not defined clearly enough. Teachers with subject responsibilities undertake audits and prepare action plans for development in these subjects. The effectiveness of these plans is hampered by the lack of an overall plan for the school’s development. The governors fulfil most responsibilities well, especially through working closely with the school’s leadership team to provide an education that meets the school’s aims, but they need to draw up a costed overall development plan to guide future actions and decisions. Parents are very supportive of the school.
5.4 Significant improvement has been made since the last inspection. Teaching is better and the curriculum generally has an improved balance between academic and creative opportunities. Fine-tuning of the planning of the curriculum is needed. Opportunities for pupils to use their skills in ICT are limited. Secure assessment procedures have been introduced. Procedures are in place to monitor and review the work of the school. Staff development is improved.
5.5 The school meets all the regulatory requirements.
5.6