|
INSPECTION REPORT ON |
|
|
Lime House School |
|
|
|
|
|
Full Name of the School |
Lime House School |
|
DfES Number |
909/6001 |
|
Address |
Holm
Hill, Dalston, Carlisle, Cumbria CA5 7BX. |
|
Telephone Number |
01228
710225 |
|
Fax Number |
01228
710508 |
|
Email Address |
headmaster@limehouseschool.co.uk |
|
Headmaster |
N
Rice |
|
Proprietors |
N
Rice, D Rice, J Fisher |
|
Age Range |
4-18 |
|
Gender |
Mixed |
|
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 Lime House School was founded in 1899 and moved to its present site in 1946. It is a proprietorial school, its owners being the headmaster, his wife and the bursar. The school has no governing body. At the time of the last inspection, the junior school and the girls’ boarding houses were on a separate site about a mile and a half from the senior school. In August 2001, these were moved to the senior school site.
1.2 It is a coeducational independent boarding and day school for pupils aged 4 to 18. It has a wide range of abilities but it does not take pupils with complex educational needs. All attend full time. The junior school has 43 pupils on roll (25 girls, 18 boys) and the senior school 219 pupils (139 girls, 80 boys), with 52 (36 girls, 16 boys) of them in the sixth form. This has been a considerable increase in the senior school roll since the last inspection when it was 141 (54 girls, 87 boys), with 42 of them (15 girls, 27 boys) in the sixth form.
1.3 The school is situated about two miles from Dalston, a village on the outskirts of Carlisle. Pupils come from a wide area within Cumbria and are mainly from a professional or business background. The school’s aims are given in the staff handbook. They are “to provide a caring, expanding and successful school that is valued by parents, pupils and staff”. To achieve this, the school has five more specific aims, which are to: “provide teaching and learning of quality; ensure a caring, responsive and healthy environment; provide equality of opportunity for all; develop the potential of all staff; and become an effective and efficient school that is responsive to its external environment”.
1.4 The pupils’ attainment on entry is assessed by baseline testing. These tests show that the full range of ability is represented. If pupils perform in line with their abilities, their results will be broadly in line with the national average for all maintained primary and secondary schools.
1.5 The school currently has 38 pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD), mainly dyslexia and poor literary skills, and 95 pupils for whom English is an additional language (EAL). Most EAL pupils are Cantonese-speaking. A Cantonese speaker visits the school once a week. She speaks to most pupils who ask to consult her as well as meeting year groups. She provides feedback to the school, and her ideas are implemented whenever possible. She also explains the school rules to Cantonese pupils and has helped them with more subject-specific matters.
1.6 The school has adopted the Code of Practice when identifying and assessing LDD. Currently, five pupils have statements, one funded by Lancashire LEA and four by parents. Nine pupils are on School Action and 29 on School Action Plus. The school has not identified any pupil as being gifted or talented, although occasional ad hoc arrangements are made. For example, one pupil in Year 4 was working with Year 5 in mathematics.
1.7 Classes in the junior school are vertically grouped for most subjects: Reception to Year 2, Years 3 and 4, and Years 5 and 6.
1.8 National Curriculum nomenclature is used throughout this report to refer to year groups in the school.
The Educational Experience Provided
2.1 The educational experience the school provides is good in most respects and better than it was in the previous inspection. It is consistent with its aims and philosophy. It contributes effectively to pupils’ linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical, aesthetic and creative development and to their acquisition of the skills of speaking, listening, literacy and numeracy. It enables them to achieve satisfactory standards and prepares them for their next stage of education.
2.2 The junior school curriculum makes a valuable contribution pupils’ development. It enables them to make steady progress towards the early learning goals for those aged five and in literacy and numeracy and in other subjects throughout the junior school. In September 2006, the school employed a standardized test that makes use of the pupils’ results in the Key Stage 3 national curriculum assessments to predict their average GCSE points score. This was then compared with their actual points score to calculate a value-added measure. The results show that of the 23 pupils in the sample, 9 performed as expected and 14 improved their performance.
2.3 The curriculum in both the junior and the senior school is based on the National Curriculum, with the addition in the junior school of German, which begins in Year 3. Personal, social and health education (PSHE) is also taught. The curriculum in both the junior and the senior school is well balanced.
2.4 Well-structured schemes of work, detailed planning and, in most subjects, adequate and suitable resources support good progression in learning. Progression and continuity in the development of skills, knowledge and understanding have been clearly established throughout the school, and liaison between the junior and the senior school is strong. Few pupils are excluded from any part of the curriculum. Some pupils with LDD are temporarily withdrawn from German. If they wish to continue with a language, they are withdrawn from PSHE/citizenship or from religious education (RE), which are non-examined subjects.
2.5 Pupils from overseas are given EAL lessons by the EAL department where they prepare for the full range of the Cambridge examinations. In Years 7, 8 and 9, pupils who pass the Preliminary English Test (PET), as the great majority do, are transferred to mainstream classes and follow the same curriculum as their English-speaking peers, but they can, if desirable, be given two EAL lessons a week as well. In addition to EAL lessons, those in Years 10 and 11 are given support in most of their science lessons by a member of the EAL staff. However, EAL pupils still have too little support in the classroom and some, though fewer than at the time of the last inspection, are admitted to mainstream classes before their English is good enough to benefit fully from the teaching.
2.6 The learning support department gives pupils with LDD constructive support according to their needs. For such pupils, the baseline testing all pupils are now given continues to take place every six months as a way of monitoring their progress. Shortly afterwards, the results are sent to parents with a copy of the individual educational plan (IEP) that sets out the work their children will be set for the next six months. Two assessors from the Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Pupils (CReSTeD) inspected the provision twice in November 2004 and reported favourably on it. The statemented pupil is given effective support and reports on his progress are regularly sent to parents and to his local authority.
2.7 The school has a limited range of extra-curricular activities after school. Boarders have a reasonable choice of activities but day pupils are rarely involved, except for team games. However, most say that they would like to take part but the timing of these activities makes it difficult for those coming to school by car or by coach. Boarders have a games room to themselves and the use of the sports hall during the weekends. All pupils can take part, if they wish, in The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme but, in spite of the problem of the timing, the number taking part is about 60.
2.8 Careers education as such is not formally taught in the school but key skills, such as interview techniques, producing CVs and understanding the work ethic, are covered across the curriculum and studied particularly in business studies, English and PSHE.
2.9 The school has well-established ties with the Connexions service. All pupils in Year 10 and above are given the opportunity to meet Connexions personnel to discuss their plans. Many Lime House pupils stay on to study in Years 12 and 13. Where a pupil is academically less able, has LDD or where a place in the sixth form at Lime House School is not appropriate, the school helps them find placements at specialist colleges where the emphases are on animal husbandry, rural pursuits and vocational careers. Pupils say that these arrangements work well.
2.10 Pupils are given advice on applying for higher education and university places through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Scheme (UCAS) by the sixth form tutors, the careers department and the headmaster. All prospectuses and other relevant literature are available in the careers room. Pupils are encouraged to attend university and college open days before making their choices. Applications are completed electronically and pupils have access to the internet every weekday in order to meet the deadline. The software the school uses records the pupils’ estimated qualifications along with their preferences and interests to draw up a profile that matches each pupil to a possible career. The pupils use the internet to research further career possibilities. These arrangements are very effective in ensuring that those applying have an excellent change of being accepted by the institution of their choice.
2.11 The school cannot offer work experience to a whole year group at one time. Logistically this would be difficult, given its size and rather isolated location. Where a request is made for specialist work experience, the school tries to fulfil it. This year it was able to send two sixth form pupils to placements at Carlisle Infirmary. Many students in Year 11 and above take on holiday work. At the end of the school year, a limited number of places are available for pupils to do odd jobs for the school, and four places are also available in the school kitchens at weekends.
2.12 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the curriculum [Standard 1].
Pupils’ Learning and Achievements
2.13 Pupils achieve satisfactory levels of knowledge, skills and critical and creative understanding in subjects and activities, and they apply them effectively in accordance with the school’s aims. The standards of pupils throughout the junior school in literacy and numeracy are good. Their ability to handle the basic mathematical processes is evident in class and in their written work. They enjoy reading poetry, reading and writing stories, and extending their vocabulary. They enjoy sports and games, and their physical education is developing well. This is a considerable improvement since the last inspection. Pupils with LDD and pupils whose first language is not English achieve good standards. Many of them, especially in Year 10 and above, are producing work in quality and presentation that bears comparison with others in their year group. Most pupils in the senior school listen carefully to their teachers and to one another. They are generally articulate. Most read fluently and expressively, spell correctly, write coherently, cogently and neatly – although a scrutiny of pupils’ work showed that some varied the quality of their presentation of work according to the expectations and demands of their teacher. They make appropriate use of graphs and diagrams. Standards of work have improved since the last inspection.
2.14 Pupils in all year groups display in their work their knowledge, skills and understanding of the subject. The work they do in exercise books and files is generally well thought out and imaginative. Occasionally, worksheets and information sheets are overused, as they are in geography and food technology, but pupils achieve an appropriate balance in most subjects between note-taking and note-making. The quality of pupils’ work is generally appropriate to their abilities, although the tasks set in art are rather too simplistic and prescriptive. The pupils generally understand and can apply mathematical language and concepts effectively, not only in mathematics but in science and other subjects, such as geography. Throughout the school, too little use is made of information and communication technology (ICT) and it was rarely seen in either classwork or homework.
2.15 Achievement in individual and group activities is good. Pupils are keenly motivated, cooperate well with their teachers and in groups, ask and answer questions readily, and do not hesitate to ask for help if they are in difficulties. As they progress through the school, they become more self-reliant and demonstrate initiative and a willingness to take responsibility. They are able to evaluate their own work and to make considered judgements based on evidence, especially in history, geography and science. They cooperate well with one another in lessons and in team sports.
2.16 Pupils take the National Curriculum standard assessments at the age of 7 but these assessments are not externally marked. The standard assessments taken at the age of 11, which were not externally marked in 2006, averaged over the three years from 2003 to 2005, were below the national average for pupils in maintained schools and not therefore high enough for pupils’ abilities. The pupils’ attainment in GCSE is good in relation to their abilities. The three-year GCSE averages showed that the results for most subjects were above the national average for pupils in maintained schools. Unsurprisingly, Chinese did outstandingly well. In addition, French (no longer taught) did very well; standards in German were above the national average as were standards in geography, history, business studies; standards in home economics, art and music were below the national average. Nevertheless, these results were good in relation to the pupils’ abilities. Too few pupils sat A-levels to make meaningful comparisons, although once again Chinese did exceptionally well.
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development of Pupils
2.17 The spiritual, moral and social and cultural development of pupils is good, achieving the school’s aims of being responsive to the environment beyond the school. It is of a higher standard than it was in the previous inspection.
2.18 The school takes this area of work very seriously, and a substantial part of the staff handbook is devoted to it. The handbook begins by defining the essential elements of each of the four areas and explains how they are not separate but interrelated. It outlines the ways in which all four can be developed in the context of a structured curriculum. It emphasizes that this development should be encouraged through the active participation of the pupils themselves so that they can make informed decisions about their role in society as citizens, employers and employees, and in personal and economic relationships. It also outlines the ways in which teaching can encourage them to think about moral and spiritual matters and about living in a multicultural society and how teaching can be reinforced by talks by outside speakers on a variety of topics. Pupils respond well to all these initiatives. Although this part of the handbook is excellent as far as it goes, it discusses only tangentially the role of the curriculum.
2.19 The pupils’ spiritual development is good. The RE syllabus describes the beliefs and practices of all the main world religions so that pupils are able to appreciate most of the spiritual beliefs and practices of people in our multicultural society. Assemblies in both the junior and the senior school reinforce an understanding of the spiritual, moral and social issues that arise through discussions in RE lessons. The pupils take an active part in assemblies, reading and writing their own scripts, as they did in one senior school assembly on the topic of obesity. The history syllabus helps pupils to understand that religions evolve and diversify through time. The art, geography and science syllabuses, for example, encourage pupils to see that spirituality can be found not only in religion but through other ways of looking at the world. These methods and activities have ensured that the pupils have a strong spiritual awareness.
2.20 Pupils also have a well-developed moral awareness. They respect the law and can distinguish right from wrong. This awareness is strongly reinforced through the PSHE and the citizenship syllabuses in particular. Discussions with pupils show that their understanding of their social and moral responsibilities is reinforced by their living in the context of a school that has a large number of pupils from abroad and a significant number of boarders. They appreciate the need to have school rules, which they think are fair, particularly when they relate to bullying and a lack of respect for property; they approve of the sanctions imposed if those rules are broken. The school is a very orderly community.
2.21 Pupils develop socially, accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative and understand how they can contribute to community life. They have a good general knowledge, reinforced through classes in citizenship, of the law and of public institutions before they leave school. The school rules emphasize that pupils should be aware of their obligations as members of the school community. The teaching in RE, PSHE and citizenship emphasizes their obligations as members of both a local and a wider society. For example, older children in the junior school care for younger pupils by introducing them to the school rules, taking them to lunch and sitting with them while they eat. The school council, although it could play a more prominent role in the school than it does, makes a valuable contribution to school life. Pupils are active in fundraising for charity.
2.22 Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and friendly. They are helpful and polite to visitors and they relate well to one another in class. Older pupils adopt leadership roles by, for example, becoming prefects.
2.23 Pupils develop culturally by acquiring an appreciation of, and respect for, their own and other cultures in a way that promotes tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions. A feature of the school is the way in which friendships are beginning to develop between pupils from different ethnic groups. Religious education lessons introduce pupils to faiths other than Christianity. They read in history and geography about the historical and cultural traditions of people in other countries. In music lessons and in assemblies, for example, they sing and play with considerable skill music from Egypt performed on authentic instruments.
2.24 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils [Standard 2].
The Quality of Teaching (Including Assessment)
2.25 The quality of teaching is good and of a higher standard than it was in the previous inspection. It satisfies the school’s aim to provide teaching of quality. Of the lessons observed, some were outstanding, most were good, and the rest were satisfactory. There were no unsatisfactory lessons. Teaching enables pupils of all abilities, including those with LDD and those whose first language is not English, to acquire new knowledge, make progress according to their ability, increase their understanding and develop their skills. It encourages pupils to think for themselves and become more self-reliant.
2.26 The outstanding lessons had many characteristics in common: the objectives were clear; the style of teaching was designed to realize these objectives; and expectations were high but realistic. Classes were well disciplined and relations with pupils were warm and friendly. Teachers knew their subject well and they had a detailed knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of individual pupils and of their previous work and performance. In lessons, they carried out continuous informal assessment to make sure that the pupils fully understood what was being taught. Questioning involved the whole class and was designed to deepen the pupils’ understanding of the subject. Time and resources were used effectively. Pupils and teacher clearly enjoyed the lesson.
2.27 The good lessons had most of these characteristics, but some teachers had too little knowledge and understanding of pupils’ strengths and weaknesses and occasionally set work that did not match their individual needs. The satisfactory lessons had a variety of characteristics that made them less than good, but a common feature was a lack of variety in the tasks set and narrow teaching techniques. Lessons for EAL pupils and those with LDD were particularly well focused and were successful in achieving their objectives, although it is clear that a few EAL pupils are assigned to mainstream classes a little too early.
2.28 Although the school has a marking policy that is clearly set out in the staff handbook, some teachers do not follow it. Some of the work chosen for scrutiny had not been marked for several weeks. In some cases, none of which occurred in the sixth form, the marking was minimal and comments were few and meagre. Little was done to explain where the pupil had made mistakes. Work in English, mathematics, history, geography and psychology in the senior school was particularly well marked, although some comments in history exercise books were illegible. Marking in the junior school was conscientiously done. The consistently poor standard of marking in some subjects in the senior school makes long-term assessment difficult to achieve.
2.29 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 welfare, health and safety of pupils is outstanding, and fulfils the school’s aims. Standards have improved since the previous inspection. No safety issues arise.
3.2 From discussions with pupils in both the junior and the senior school, it was clear that pupils think highly of the arrangements for their pastoral care and welfare. They appreciate the warmth and friendliness of the staff, and they also appreciate the way in which the older pupils help those new to the school to make friends and to become familiar with its rules and ways of working.
3.3 The staff provide excellent support and guidance for all pupils. The quality of relationships between staff and pupils and among pupils themselves is outstanding. The school prospectus and the information booklets for parents and pupils give a clear description of the arrangements the school has adopted to make sure that pupils are well cared for. The headmaster is the child protection officer. The bursar is the fire officer and the health and safety officer. She is also responsible for boarding and for the boarding and care staff, although day-to-day matters are delegated to them. The staff handbook provides staff with clear and detailed information on bullying, child protection, discipline, equal opportunities, fire regulations, health and safety and standards of care.
3.4 Pupils understand many of these policies well. Every one interviewed knew at least one member of staff they could consult and approach confidently if they needed counselling or advice. Measures to promote good discipline and behaviour, including procedures to guard against harassment and bullying, are effective. Pupils say that bullying is rarely a problem but, if it arises, it is dealt with immediately. Other forms of unacceptable behaviour are taken in hand as soon as they occur. Staff have easy access to information about pupils with specific medical conditions and how to deal with them in an emergency. Fifteen members of staff are qualified first aiders and two are trained at the higher level. Fire drills take place every half term and the fire alarm is tested every Tuesday. Risk assessments have been carried out in every part of the school and are regularly updated. The school has due regard for health and safety regulations.
3.5 Pupils are regularly reminded of health and safety issues in lessons. They wear protective clothing in science lessons and in other practical areas when necessary. They are instructed in the correct safety procedures to use in food technology and art and they adopt proper warm-up and warm-down techniques in games lessons.
3.6 The school provides lunch for all pupils, and breakfast and dinner for boarders. The food is of acceptable quality and vegetarians have alternatives to meat dishes. Pupils like the meals on the whole but many think that they can be rather monotonous, especially for boarders. As one commented wryly: “If it’s Wednesday, it must be sausages”.
3.7 Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks on staff and others with regular contact with pupils have been rigorously carried out. Admissions and attendance registers are properly kept.
3.8 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
3.9 The quality of links with parents is satisfactory and is broadly in line with the school’s aims. The standards correspond to those outlined in the previous report.
3.10 The responses to the ISI questionnaire showed that parents are satisfied with the information the school provides about their children’s work and progress but they feel, with some justification, that they ought to be more involved in school activities. They are pleased with the quality of the education and support their children receive and they feel that the school handles their concerns carefully and sympathetically. A few parents said that there were too few clubs and societies and that most clubs were to do with sports. Some also commented, again with some justification, that clubs met at inconvenient times and the timing made it difficult for parents to collect their children, especially if siblings were in different year groups. There was general agreement that the quality of care was of a high standard. The great majority of parents are strongly in favour of the school and of its standards of work and pastoral care.
3.11 Parents are regularly provided with information about the school and about their children’s progress. Parents’ evenings are arranged without the need for an appointment. The school prospectus is comprehensive. Parents also have a very informative guide to the curriculum, marking policy, arrangements for LDD pupils, and other policies in the junior school. Parents of boarders can meet staff at the beginning and end of each term or by appointment. Those who live abroad may visit at any time when they are in this country. They can also communicate by letter, fax or email. Pupils have the use of a telephone so that they can phone home. Reports are sent to them each term but, as was said in the previous report, the content of these reports, particularly for pupils in Year 7 to 9, is much too general and so it is of limited use in helping them to understand their child’s strengths and weaknesses. This is contrary to the policy outlined in the staff handbook, which requires reports to be thorough and include details of work covered in the term and the level of success the pupils attain. The staff handbook also advises teachers not to use phrases such as “does not try” and “lacks effort”. In fact, phrases like “should work harder” were common in reports. Reports on the progress of pupils with LDD, those in the junior school and those in the sixth form are much more detailed. Reports on EAL pupils are sent to parents via overseas agents. This arrangement works well. Parents are now more satisfied than they were about the information they are given about the curriculum and about GCSE and A-level options. The school’s complaints policy is well set out and thorough. Complaints are few and most are handled informally by the headmaster. Parents can make arrangements to see him at any convenient time.
3.12 Parents have several opportunities to be involved in the life and work of the school. Parents help pupils with their work in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 classes and accompany them on educational visits. Since the previous inspection, a parent-teacher association has been established. It has done a great deal for the school in raising funds for sports and other equipment and its members help with sporting activities and some school outings. It also organizes activities that bring parents and teachers together on informal social occasions. The school has more community links than before. Many local organizations use its facilities, such as Cumbria Ladies County Cricket Coaching Centre, the Autheret and Esk Men’s Midweek Cricket League, and Carlisle United Football Club for training in bad weather. Links with the outside world tend to take the form of raising funds for charitable purposes.
3.13 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
3.14 Boarding education is of good quality and has improved considerably since the last inspection. It now fully satisfies one of the school’s aims, namely “to provide a caring... school that is valued by parents, pupils and staff”.
3.15 Relationships between boarders and between boarders and staff are warm and supportive. The arrangements for their welfare and pastoral care are good. Once every half term, a pupil forum meets the matron and other senior staff to discuss any concerns the boarders may have and to suggest improvements. The boarding staff provide a quality of care that is appropriate to the age and maturity of the boarders and makes a valuable contribution to their personal and social development. Members of the care team are on duty every night. One or two sleep overnight, and the matron sleeps overnight for five nights, the other two nights being covered by a relief matron. Six staff are on duty on Saturday and six on Sunday to supervise activities.
3.16 The school offers boarders a good range of activities out of school time and at weekends. All the rooms have television and the boarding houses have a games room. The older boarders have permission to leave school at weekends to go shopping, for example, within specified limits. Some boarders, particularly the girls, say that too many of the weekend activities are sports.
3.17 The accommodation and resources in the boarding houses are of a good standard and are considerably better than they were at the time of the previous inspection when the accommodation was at a different site. The premises are in good condition and the facilities are clean and tidy. The rooms do not offer boarders adequate study facilities. They do not, for example, have a desk or shelves for books. If they wish to study, they have to go to the main school building where some classrooms and the assembly hall are set aside for them. The school has not yet fully complied with the recommendation made by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that boarders above Year 8 should not be sleeping in bunk beds. The number of bunk beds is gradually being reduced but the school does not yet comply with Standard 42.5 of the National Minimum Care Standards. Nevertheless, it has now provided boarders with accommodation that creates more of a family atmosphere than before.
3.18 Boarders have sufficient opportunities to telephone their parents and guardians. Those from overseas are welcome to visit the school and spend time with their children whenever they come to England. Most take the opportunity to do so. They are regularly sent adequate information through the reporting system about how well their children have adapted to living in boarding accommodation. Less formal information, of course, comes from the pupils themselves.
4. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
4.1 The school does not have a governing body. It has three proprietors, one of whom is the headmaster.
4.2 The way in which the proprietors set and secure appropriate aims and values for the school and provide it with effective oversight and guidance is satisfactory. The proprietorial structure is well defined and it provides the school with effective day-to-day supervision and a rational insight into its working. The proprietors are well aware of their responsibilities and about the need to invest in human and material resources but they are less sure about the school’s long-term educational development and they have not planned sufficiently for its growth and improvement.
The Quality of Leadership and Management
4.3 The quality of leadership and management is satisfactory. It has improved in some respects. The headmaster no longer teaches a 60% timetable, the system of negotiating a number of short-term and hourly paid contracts has been abolished, and the honorary governing body has been disbanded. However, the school has not yet reassessed the implications of having a high proportion of LDD and EAL on roll.
4.4 The report on the previous inspection said that the school’s management structure was well defined but that it did not provide a framework for effective management. The management, the report concluded, tended to respond to events as they arose rather than plan for the long term and so the school lacked educational direction. Although the quality of leadership and management is satisfactory, this judgement is still valid. The management structure is much better defined than it was before and the school’s aims are more explicit. Staff now have more security of tenure but very few have job descriptions. However, the long-term plan has now been reduced to one that merely lists the objectives for the current year and says nothing about time, cost or who is responsible for making sure that each item is completed.
4.5 The report also made note of the fact that one sixth of the pupils on roll had some form of LDD and about one fifth had English as an additional language. Although the proportion of pupils with LDD remains about the same, the proportion of EAL pupils has doubled at a time when the senior school roll has risen from 141 to 219. The management has not grasped the long-term implications of this increase. This has not been fully planned for. EAL pupils still have too little support in the classroom and some, though fewer than before, are admitted to mainstream classes before their English is good enough to benefit fully from the teaching.
4.6 Although the leadership and management of the school do provide a good quality of education and outstanding care of pupils, they have not yet identified the school’s aims and, consequently, defined its ethos. Senior management is effective in the day-to-day running of the school but much less so in analyzing the school’s needs, setting priorities, planning to meet these priorities and putting decisions into practice. The staff handbook shows that the school has many procedures and policies that have been very carefully considered but too little has been done to make sure that policies, such as the one on marking, are being applied effectively.
4.7 Management at all levels is effective in securing, supporting, developing and motivating sufficiently high-quality staff. The junior school is particularly well managed by its head but he has too little non-contact time to carry out his duties both as a teacher, head of the junior school and a member of the senior management team. Middle managers are particularly effective in carrying out their functions in departments, the boarding houses and in pastoral care. They are helped by the excellent guidance given in the staff handbook. The junior school staff, in particular, succeed very well in teaching the vertically grouped classes. Newly qualified teachers and those new to the school are given a clear and comprehensive introduction to its ways of working. The amount of in-service training the staff have had has been modest. A course on effective assessment and marking would be beneficial. The appraisal system operates well but no one yet appraises the headmaster. Financial resources are well managed to secure appropriate resources, in support of the pupils’ education and to meet their needs. The administration of the school is generally efficient.
4.8 The school meets the regulatory requirements for the suitability of proprietors and staff and for premises and accommodation [Standards 4 and 5].
4.9 The school participates in the national scheme for the induction of newly qualified teachers and meets its requirements.
5.1 The school fully satisfies its aims as they are set out in the staff handbook. Teaching has improved considerably since the last inspection. It is now of good quality and is occasionally outstanding. Its main strengths are the quality of lesson planning, the careful use of time and resources, a thorough knowledge of the work being taught, and good relationships with the pupils. The pupils are willing to learn and they respond well to their teachers. Their work is generally well presented. The quality of marking is not applied consistently in all subjects. Reports to parents need to be made more informative, especially in Years 7 to 11. Some EAL pupils are transferred to mainstream classes a little too early. The school provides limited opportunities for sports and extra-curricular activities. The pupils have a good spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. The quality of their pastoral care and of their welfare, health and safety is outstanding. They are able to look forward to their next stage of education with confidence. The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory but senior management needs to plan beyond the short term and to consider carefully the implications of the rising proportion of EAL pupils on roll.
5.2 The quality of the accommodation in the junior school and in the boarding houses has much improved. since the last inspection. The school has not yet reassessed the ways in which parents can be encouraged to become more involved in the life of the school, as the previous report recommended.
5.3 The school meets all the regulatory requirements.
5.4 To improve even further the good educational experience and high standards of care the pupils are offered, the school is recommended to
1. make reports to parents more informative, particularly in Years 7 to 11;
2. take steps to encourage parents to be more involved in school life;
3. make sure that the quality of marking seen is more consistently applied across all subjects;
4. plan for the long term and not merely for the next 12 months.
5.5 No action in respect of regulatory requirements is required.
6. summary of inspection evidence
6.1 The inspection was carried out from 29th January to 1st February, 2007. The inspectors examined samples of pupils’ work, observed lessons and conducted formal interviews with pupils. They held discussions with teaching and non-teaching staff, observed a sample of the extra-curricular activities that occurred during the inspection period, and attended registration sessions and assemblies. Inspectors visited boarding houses and the sanatorium. The responses of parents and pupils to pre-inspection questionnaires were analysed, and the inspectors examined a range of documentation made available by the school.
|
Mr Iain Paterson |
Reporting Inspector |
|
Mr Nicholas Baird |
Headmaster, IAPS school |
|
Mr Steven Boyes |
Director, ISA school |
|
Miss Jane Hamilton |
Former headmistress, GSA school |
|
Mr Richard Mannix |
Senior master (curriculum), HMC school |
|
Mrs Eileen Parris |
Former headmistress, ISA school |
|
Mr David Raynor |
Former headmaster, ISA school |