We have recently been the subject of an Indedpendent Schools Inspection and we are delighted to provide parts of the report below. For the full report, please click on the grey star on the right.
The quality of the pupils’ personal development
"Pupils’ personal development is excellent, and a strength of the school. The spiritual, social and moral aspects of the pupils’ development are particularly strong and in line with the aims of the school."
"Pupils are confident and articulate and have a tremendous sense of pride in their own and others’ achievements. They learn to value and respect themselves and others. Their spiritual development is outstanding and nurtured most successfully in the creative arts, lessons and assemblies which offer time for celebration of school and individual success and collective worship. Pupils’ moral development is extremely strong and permeates the daily life at school; pupils have a strong sense of right and wrong and know that fairness is important. Behaviour within and outside the classroom is of a consistently high standard. Charity events have raised a considerable sum of money and the pupils have a real understanding that there are many others in the world who are considerably less fortunate."
"Pupils demonstrate excellent social awareness and feel that they are a valued part of a caring school. Older pupils show consideration for younger ones."
"The quality of the pastoral care and the attention given to the welfare, health and safety of pupils is excellent throughout the school. The pupils have a strong sense of what is acceptable or unacceptable behaviour; issues or conflicts rarely occur and bullying in any form is not tolerated."
"Both junior and senior lunchtimes are pleasant, social occasions. With the encouragement of the catering staff and food council, and through the programme of PSHE on healthy eating and regular exercise, the school provides a choice of locally
sourced, freshly cooked and balanced nutritious meals, which the pupils really appreciate."
"The quality of the boarding experience is excellent and fully supports the aims of the school, making a strong contribution to pupils’ achievements and personal development."
The quality of the pupils’ achievements & their learning,
attitudes & basic skills
"The pupils’ educational experiences enable them to achieve well academically in
relation to their abilities, and meet the school’s aim of educating pupils at their own
level. Literacy standards are excellent. They read confidently, and write fluently,
both creatively and factually. Mathematical understanding is of a high quality.
Pupils’ information and communication technology (ICT) skills are developing well
and their use in cross-curricular activities is increasingly integrated into the wider
curriculum. Overall standards are high. Staff are committed to their school and
share the aim to provide value-added education that gives pupils a sense of
enjoyment and personal and collective achievement."
"The school encourages and nurtures pupils’ talents outside lessons and through individual and group activities in all the creative arts, sport and academic pursuits; they achieve high levels of success locally and nationally in drama and swimming; for example, the choir won first prize at two local music festivals."
The effectiveness of governance, leadership and management
“Governance is excellent. Governors discharge their statutory responsibilities, and take a full part in the overall strategic and financial planning, educational
development and overall management of the school, providing critical support for the headmistress as necessary."
"Leadership and management are excellent. Through the senior leadership, the
curriculum and assessment procedures have been strengthened. All staff members at various levels are well informed and have a good grasp of their roles in management. Their understanding of what is required in terms of monitoring,
assessment, planning, peer mentoring and appraisals is very strong. Senior leaders work extremely well together and involve all staff in discussions which lead to overall ownership of decisions reached and policies set."
"Links with parents, carers and guardians are excellent and they make valuable
contributions to the pupils’ learning and personal development."
EARLY YEARS
The overall effectiveness of the early years provision – how well the school meets the needs of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage
"The effectiveness of the Early Years provision is outstanding overall. Excellent teamwork between staff, together with warm relationships with children and their parents, significantly contribute to a secure, happy environment in which children make rapid progress. Effective arrangements are in place to safeguard children and to ensure their individual needs are met. Accident records have been improved since the previous inspection and further areas for development, identified through regular self-evaluation, reflect the setting’s strong capacity for continuous improvement."
The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage
"Leadership and management are good, with outstanding aspects. Policies and procedures, including staff checks, are implemented efficiently to safeguard children and ensure that each has an equal chance to succeed. Good quality resources include a wide variety of books which are used very well to develop children’s knowledge, understanding and literacy skills. The well-qualified staff work together extremely well to ensure children’s seamless transition between EYFS classes and into Year 1."
"Parents are very positive about all aspects of the provision: they appreciate the friendly atmosphere, caring staff and the secure start to their children’s education."
The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage
"Overall the quality of provision is outstanding. Much of its success is due to the individual attention staff give children and their excellent relationships with them. They guide children extremely well, promoting good health and safety practices through well-established routines and clear expectations. Children benefit from interesting, varied activities, supported by detailed planning. Staff employ excellent strategies to involve all children and make learning enjoyable."