INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTORATE
Burgess Hill School for Girls
The junior school was inspected at the same time and a separate report published.
Full Name of School
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Burgess Hill School for Girls
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DfE Number
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938/6201
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Registered Charity Number
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307001
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Address
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Burgess Hill School for Girls Keymer Road
Burgess Hill
West Sussex
RH15 0EG
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Telephone Number
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01444 241050
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Fax Number
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01444 870314
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Email Address
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headmistress@burgesshill-school.com
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Head
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Mrs Kathryn Bell
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Chair of Governors
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Mr Charles Cooper
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Age Range
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11 to 18
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Total Number of Pupils
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308
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Gender of Pupils
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Girls
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Numbers by Age
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11:16 216 16:18
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92
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Number of Day Pupils
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Total: 257
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Number of Boarders
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Total: 51
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Full: 51 Weekly:
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0
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Inspection Dates
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2 to 5 December 2014
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PREFACE
This inspection report follows the ISI schedule, which occupies a period of four continuous days in the school. The previous ISI inspection was in March 2009.
The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) is the body approved by the Secretary of State for the purpose of inspecting schools belonging to the Independent Schools Council (ISC) Associations and reporting on compliance with the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010, as amended. The range of these Regulations, which replace those first introduced on 1 September 2003, can be viewed on the website www.legislation.gov.uk. Additionally, inspections will consider the school's accessibility plan under Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010 and the ban on corporal punishment introduced by the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.
The inspection was also carried out under the arrangements of the ISC Associations for the maintenance and improvement of the quality of their membership.
This inspection contains specific judgements on the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools. 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, personal development and welfare. Until September 2011, Boarding inspections were carried out by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted), Children's Services and Skills.
The inspection of the school is from an educational perspective and provides limited inspection of other aspects, although inspectors comment on any significant hazards or problems they encounter which have an adverse impact on children. The inspection does not include:
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(i) an exhaustive health and safety audit
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(ii) an in-depth examination of the structural condition of the school, its services or other physical features
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(iii) an investigation of the financial viability of the school or its accounting procedures
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(iv) an in-depth investigation of the school's compliance with employment law.
Inspectors may be aware of individual safeguarding concerns, allegations and complaints as part of the inspection process. Such matters will not usually be referred to in the published report but will have been considered by the team in reaching their judgements.
Both Ofsted and ISI inspect and report on the Independent School Standards Regulations. However, they apply different frameworks and have different criteria for judging school quality that are suited to the different types of schools they inspect. Both use a four point scale when making judgements of quality but, whilst the ISI terminology reflects quality judgements that are at least equivalent to those used by Ofsted, they also reflect the differences in approach. ISI reports do not provide a single overarching judgement for the school but instead give a clear judgement on each aspect of the school's work at the beginning of each section. These headline statements must include one of the ISI descriptors ‘excellent', ‘good', ‘sound' or ‘unsatisfactory', and where Achievement is ‘exceptional' that term may be used for the top grade. Elsewhere in the report, inspectors may use a range of different adjectives to make judgements. For EYFS registered provision (for pupils aged under three), reports are required to use the same terminology (‘outstanding', ‘good', ‘requires improvement' and ‘inadequate') as Ofsted reports.
INSPECTION EVIDENCE
The inspectors observed lessons, conducted formal interviews with pupils and examined samples of pupils' work. They held discussions with senior members of staff and with the chair of governors and another governor, observed a sample of the extra-curricular activities that occurred during the inspection period, and attended registration sessions and an assembly. Inspectors visited boarding houses and the facilities for sick or injured pupils. The responses of parents and pupils to pre-inspection questionnaires were analysed, and the inspectors examined regulatory documentation made available by the school.
Inspectors
Mrs Elaine Brook
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Reporting Inspector
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Mrs Alison Bawden
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Team Inspector (Deputy Head, HMC school)
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Mrs Perdita Davidson
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Team Inspector (Deputy Head, GSA school)
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Dr Christopher Enos Mrs Deborah Leonard
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Team Inspector (Director of Studies, GSA school)
Team Inspector (Head, GSA school)
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Mrs Karen Pickles
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Co-ordinating Inspector for Boarding
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CONTENTS
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(a) Main findings
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(b) Action points