Elizabeth College

The Grange

St. Peter Port

Guernsey

GY1 2PY

Head: George Hartley

T 01481 726544

F 01481 714176

E office@elizabethcollege.gg

W www.elizabethcollege.gg

An independent school for boys aged from 3 to 18.

Boarding: No

Local authority: Guernsey

Pupils: 800

Religion: Not Applicable

Fees: £3,125 to £3,585 per term

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTORATE

Elizabeth College

Full Name of College Address	Elizabeth College The Grange St Peter Port Guernsey Channel Islands GY1 2PY
Telephone Number Fax Number	01481 726544 01481 714839
Email Address	office@elizabethcollege.gg
Principal Head of Junior School	Mr George Hartley Mr Jim Walton
Acting Chair of Governors Age Range Total Number of Pupils Gender of Pupils Numbers by Age	Deputy Allister Langlois 2+ to 18 867 Co-ed junior school; boys only 11-16; co-ed sixth form 2+3:        39    5-11:    235 3-5:         89    11-18: 504
Number of Day Pupils Inspection dates	Total: 867 12 Oct 2015 to 15 Oct 2015

PREFACE

This inspection report follows the ISI Schedule for the inspection of British schools overseas. The inspection consists of two parts: a preliminary two-day visit followed by a four-day (team) inspection. The previous ISI inspection was in March 2009.

The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) is a body approved by the British Government for the purpose of inspecting schools in England and overseas. As such, ISI reports to the English Department for Education (DfE) on the extent to which schools meet the relevant Standards for British Schools Overseas and the ISI Framework requirements. ISI is also the agency responsible for the inspection of schools in membership of the Associations of the Independent Schools Council (ISC). Accordingly, ISI inspections of British schools overseas are required to: help schools to improve the quality and effectiveness of pupils' education and of the care for their welfare; provide objective and reliable inspection reports which help schools to recognise and build on their strengths and to identify and remedy any weaknesses; inform parents and the wider public of the quality of British schools overseas by placing reports in the public domain; report to the DfE the extent to which schools comply with the published Standards for British Schools Overseas; where applicable, assure ISC Associations that their member schools maintain the quality of provision expected.

ISI inspection is for the benefit of the pupils in the schools and through public reporting makes the information available to parents, governments and the wider community.

Inspections for British schools overseas follow closely the framework and guidance for independent school inspection in England. The major difference is that schools in England must comply with the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010, which do not apply with legal validity to schools outside the United Kingdom. However, the inspection of overseas schools takes account where possible of compliance with any local requirements and it judges the extent to which the schools comply with the British Government's Standards for British Schools Overseas. The range of these Standards is as follows.

• 1.  The quality of education provided by the school (Curriculum, Teaching and Assessment).

• 2.  The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils.

• 3.  The welfare, health and safety of the pupils.

• 4.   The suitability of the proprietor and staff.

• 5.  The premises and accommodation.

• 6.  The provision of information for parents, carers and others.

• 7.  The school's procedures for handling complaints.

• 8.  The quality of provision for boarding.

• 9.  Leadership and management of the school.

The inspection of the school is from an educational perspective and provides limited inspection of other aspects, though inspectors will comment on any significant hazards or problems they encounter which have an adverse impact on children. The inspection does not include:

• (i)  an exhaustive health and safety audit

• (ii) an in-depth examination of the structural condition of the school, its services or other physical features

• (iii) an investigation of the financial viability of the school or its accounting procedures

• (iv) an in-depth investigation of the school's compliance with employment or company law.

CONTENTS

• 2. THE SUCCESS OF THE SCHOOL

• (a) Main findings

• (b) Action points

• (i) Compliance with Standards requirements

• (ii) Recommendations for further improvement

• 3. THE QUALITY OF ACADEMIC AND OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS 4

• (a) The quality of the pupils' achievements and their learning, attitudes and skills 4

• (b) The contribution of curricular and extra-curricular provision (including community links of benefit to pupils)

• (c) The contribution of teaching

• 4. THE QUALITY OF THE PUPILS' PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

• (a) The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils

• (b) The contribution of arrangements for welfare, health and safety

• 5. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNANCE, LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

• (a) The quality of governance

• (b) The quality of leadership and management

• (c) The quality of links with parents, carers and guardians

• INSPECTION EVIDENCE

1. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

• 1.1 Elizabeth College, Guernsey was founded in 1563 by the royal command of Queen Elizabeth I and has provided education continuously ever since. It aims to instil traditional Christian values, manners and a strong sense of service, to engender a love of learning so that pupils achieve or exceed their academic potential, and to provide broad opportunities, encouraging pupils' involvement, broadening their horizons, finding their niche and developing future leaders. Elizabeth College Junior School (ECJS), founded in 1949, originally for boys, summarises the college aims by encouraging its pupils to aim high, be kind, be brave. A board of directors, each of whom serves for six years, governs all the college activities through a range of committees. This includes a finance and general planning committee and a committee to identify new directors. A separate committee deals with matters specific to the junior school.

• 1.2 In 1826 the school was re-chartered and a new building commissioned in central St Peter Port. This now accommodates the central classrooms and offices. Other blocks have been added; ECJS has separate buildings a short walk away. Playing fields lie alongside the junior school; those dedicated to senior pupils involve a slightly longer journey.

• 1.3 The college is a selective day school. Younger pupils, up to age eleven, are educated co-educationally. Within ECJS the pre-school and preparatory departments educate boys and girls from the age of two and a half years to seven and from seven to eleven respectively. Between the ages of eleven and sixteen, boys only are educated in the upper school. Sixth-form provision reverts to coeducation, being delivered in partnership with the nearby girls' school.

• 1.4 Since the previous inspection, a new principal and a new head of the junior school have been appointed, senior management has been restructured and the central aims redefined. Fund-raising, including that associated with the 450th anniversary celebrations in 2013, has allowed a refectory, learning support centre, new classrooms and performing arts studio to be built through the generosity of alumni and wider community.

• 1.5 There are 504 pupils, between the ages of 11 and 18, are enrolled in the upper school, including 123 in the sixth form. In ECJS there are 235 pupils, of whom 40 are girls, between the ages of 5 and 11. In the pre-school section there are 128 pupils, between the ages of 2 and 5, of whom 95 are boys and 33 girls. Junior school pupils are admitted without a formal test whereas all must pass a test to gain upper school admittance. The ability profile of the college is above the national average of the UK mainland. All pupils live on Guernsey and represent the island's full range of economic and ethnic backgrounds. None have statements of special educational needs. Eighty-three pupils have been identified as having special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) at the upper school and 23 at the junior school, 39 of whom receive specialist learning support from the college. Two pupils have English as an additional language (EAL) but do not receive specialist provision.

• 1.6 English National Curriculum nomenclature is used throughout this report to refer to year groups in the school. Throughout the report the term college' refers to the entire school.

2. THE SUCCESS OF THE SCHOOL

2.(a) Main findings

• 2.1 Pupils' achievements across the college are excellent. In both the junior and upper schools, including the early years, pupils are well educated, in clear confirmation of the college's aims. In many academic and extra-curricular activities pupils demonstrate high levels of knowledge and understanding as well as being both highly literate and articulate. Pupils, from the very youngest and of all abilities, have excellent attitudes to learning. Considerable success is enjoyed across the college in public examinations, especially in Years 11 and 13, and in regional and national creative, performing and sporting events. Pupils' academic achievements are supported by an excellent curriculum, carefully planned and sufficiently adaptable to meet well the needs of individual pupils. Extra-curricular provision is excellent providing an extensive range of opportunities. The curriculum is delivered by good teaching throughout. This makes strong provision for those with SEND. Teaching does not consistently challenge those with particular abilities and strengths. As a result, although the college has made good progress in addressing the needs of pupils with SEND, in response to the recommendation of the previous report, it has made less progress in its provision for gifted and talented pupils. The college does not make full use of the standardised attainment data that it has.

• 2.2 Personal development is excellent across the college. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is of high quality. The college makes exceptional efforts to ensure that all pupils, including those in early years, benefit from broad cultural experiences being fully aware of the island's limited ethnic diversity. This strong personal development is supported by excellent arrangements for welfare, health and safety, and excellent pastoral care. In all respects, pupils' safety is paramount. Relationships between staff and pupils, and amongst pupils themselves, are particularly harmonious. Pupils much enjoy their time at the college and consider it well run. A minority expressed concern that not all staff were consistent in their treatment of pupils and that homework was not always well focused. Inspection evidence indicated that staff varied their approach to pupils to take into account the needs of individuals and that some weaker pupils had taken longer to complete their homework.

• 2.3 Governance is excellent, with recent changes ensuring that all directors are trained to current UK mainland standards. Directors and senior leaders are scrupulous in their attention to their responsibilities for safeguarding and the safe recruitment of staff. All necessary checks are carried out and accurately recorded. Leadership and management is good. Senior leaders set a clear educational direction. Many improvements have taken place since the previous inspection, including strengthening the staff professional development programme as recommended previously, although the standard of management and monitoring across departments is inconsistent. Links with parents and the community are excellent. Parents' responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire were highly positive. They were especially pleased with the college's academic provision, pastoral care and breadth of all-round opportunity. Some expressed concern over the level of support provided for pupils with SEND. Inspection evidence showed that such pupils were strongly supported.

2.(b) Action points

• (i) Compliance with the Standards for British Schools Overseas
•  
• (The range of the Standards for British Schools Overseas is given in the Preface)
•  

• 2.4 The school meets all the requirements of the Standards for British Schools Overseas.

• (ii) Recommendations for further improvement
•  

• 2.5 The school is advised to make the following improvements.

• 1. Ensure that teaching always provides appropriate challenge and focus for the pupils.

• 2. Ensure that systems for monitoring and supporting teaching and learning are consistently effective across the college.

• 3. Extend the use of standardised attainment data in order to track pupils' performance more accurately, particularly in the junior school.

3. THE QUALITY OF ACADEMIC AND OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

3.(a) The quality of the pupils' achievements and their learning, attitudes and skills

• 3.1 The quality of the pupils' achievements and learning in the college is excellent.

• 3.2 In the junior school, the education pupils receive fulfils the school's aim for its pupils to aim high, be kind, be brave' well. In the upper school, the pupils are well educated in line with the college's overarching aims to instil Christian values, achieve academic expectations and to develop future leaders. In the pre-inspection questionnaire pupils and parents expressed great satisfaction with the level of pupils' achievements.

• 3.3 College pupils of all ages achieve highly. In many academic subjects and extracurricular activities pupils demonstrate excellent levels of subject knowledge and understanding. They are highly literate, some junior school pupils writing stories of exceptional quality, and all are articulate, expressing their ideas clearly. Pupils' linguistic skills in modern foreign languages are good. Strong numeracy skills are displayed, and older pupils manipulate equations and algebra well. Pupils in the early years show excellent independence and investigative skills. Older pupils demonstrate clear understanding and have strong practical skills, in science, for example. Their creativity in other areas, such as art and design, is backed by the technical competence to transfer their concepts into reality. Their physical skills are strong, in a wide variety of sports. Pupils are highly competent in information and communication technology (ICT), which is used to good effect to support independent work and research. Pupils with SEND achieve well in lessons, and in public examinations. Although opportunities are not always provided in lessons for able pupils to achieve of their best, such pupils responded very strongly in interviews, being highly articulate, able to think quickly, and demonstrate intellectual prowess. Leavers from Year 13 successfully gain entry to universities of their choice in the UK and elsewhere.

• 3.4 Across the college, pupils achieve success in regional and national mathematics, science and classics competitions and also in the local speech, music, art and creative writing Eisteddfod. Pupils have enjoyed an extensive list of sporting success in island, regional and national competitions including in sailing, hockey, rugby, cricket and athletics. The fencing team has been the public schools' champions for the last eight years. The cadet rifle shooting team has been the highest placed small school at the Bisley shooting competition for the last six years. Most pupils in Year 10 achieve a Duke of Edinburgh's Bronze Award, and in 2014, eight pupils achieved a Gold Award. Many pupils achieve distinctions and merits in their instrumental music examinations.

• 3.5 In the junior school, pupils' attainment cannot be measured in relation to average performance in national tests. However, evidence from nationally standardised progress data, together with lesson observations, work scrutiny and interviews with pupils during the inspection, means that attainment is judged to be above national age-related expectations. This attainment, together with the levels achieved in lessons observed during the inspection, indicate that progress of all pupils in the junior school, including those with SEND, is above that for all pupils of similar ability.

• 3.6 In the upper school, the following analysis uses the national data for the years 2012 to 2014. These are the most recent three years for which comparable statistics are available. Here, GCSE performance has been above the UK average for boys in maintained schools, and similar to the UK average for boys in maintained selective schools. IGCSE results in history and maths have been higher than, and in ICT in line with, worldwide norms. Over this period around half of the grades achieved were A* and A grades. A level results have been above the UK average for boys in maintained schools, and similar to the UK average for boys in maintained selective schools. Over this period, just under three-quarters of the grades were in the range A* to B.

• 3.7 The level of attainment at GCSE and A level, and the nationally standardised progress data that is available, indicate that pupils make progress that is good overall in relation to the average for pupils of similar ability. The tracking of pupils with SEND, and inspection evidence, indicates that they achieve above expectations, and sometimes far above expectation, in their public examinations. Across the college, pupils with particularly high abilities make good progress as shown both by the data and inspectors' observations.

• 3.8 Pupils, of all ages, have excellent attitudes to learning. They are attentive listeners, work quickly and maintain a clear focus; they work well with their peers, and listen to each other's views with respect. Pupils are inquisitive independent learners, with the determination to seek out an answer and to reason through an argument. Although some marking, especially in the upper school, gives inconsistent support to pupils' achievements, pupils value highly the personal, directed, feedback provided by their teachers. Pupils very much enjoy the school's programme of activities and are keen to be involved. Pupils' excellent attitudes to their studies and their commitment to high standards in lessons and activities contribute strongly to the high standard of their achievements.

3.(b) The contribution of curricular and extra-curricular provision (including community links of benefit to pupils)

• 3.9 The contribution of curricular and extra-curricular provision (including community links of benefit to pupils) is excellent.

• 3.10 The junior school has a broad and stimulating curriculum, which strongly fulfils its aim of educating the whole child and providing a rich, diverse and exciting experience. In the early years, the curriculum is based on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, and is well supported by a wide range of excellent indoor and outstanding outdoor experiences. Further up the junior school, the core curriculum, which includes English, mathematics and science, is enhanced by specialist lessons, such as design and technology, ICT, physical education (PE) and music. French is timetabled for one period per week, which limits the opportunities for the development of skills.

• 3.11 Curriculum planning in the junior school is excellent, providing detailed resourcing for each lesson. Both schemes of work and lesson plans provide well for the able, gifted and talented and for pupils with SEND. A good range of lunchtime and afterschool activities supplements the curriculum by providing extension work, for example, through opportunities to participate in national award schemes and external competitions. Library provision is good and a recent review of the senior pupils' timetable has given more time for a specific focus on reading.

• 3.12 The upper school has a particularly well-defined and thoughtfully planned curriculum. It provides an excellent range of subject options, especially for Years 10 to 13. Since the previous inspection, curriculum reviews have resulted in a greater balance of subjects and more option choices, with extended provision for modern foreign languages and more time for separate sciences. This supports the school's aim of providing a more personalised approach to learning well. Concurrently, a flexible pattern of pupil grouping has been adopted, so that the specific needs of subjects are more strongly met, as, for example, with setting in English, mathematics and science in Years 10 and 11. In Years 12 and 13, an established arrangement with a local girls school in a partnership that extends A-level provision, offers collaborative, co-educational teaching. The breadth of the curriculum is a significant strength of the upper school.

• 3.13 Good planning in the upper school meets pupils' specific needs, with effective planning for, and provision of learning support for, pupils identified with SEND. An established learning support centre enhances this provision, alongside effective policies and helpful procedures so that pupils receive dedicated and timetabled learning support. Since the last inspection, the curriculum has been strengthened to provide more opportunities for the able, gifted and talented within and beyond the school day. This is being embedded in departmental planning.

• 3.14 The upper school curriculum is enhanced by a defined programme of personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE), through a mix of timetabled provision in Years 7 to 8 and specialist themed days further up the school. Careers guidance is good, particularly for older pupils, for example in the Year 12 work experience programme. The college offers an attractive enrichment programme fulfilling the school's aims of encouraging pupils' participation and developing the whole child strongly.

• 3.15 At lunchtime, during and after the school day, within the college estate and elsewhere on the island, a particularly wide variety of opportunity is offered. This stretched from music for choirs, orchestras and ensembles to many sports and creative arts as well as gardening and cooking.

• 3.16 In the upper school, activities also include opportunities for community service and others which extend pupils' vision beyond Guernsey. All of this has been supported, since the previous inspection, by greater co-ordination and increased staffing which has ensured, for example, the full use of arts facilities such as the Gatehouse Gallery and of new technology, including ICT.

• 3.17 The college has a long-standing commitment to charitable giving, in accordance with its aims. Significant sums have been raised annually for student-selected charities; in the upper school this is coordinated by the sixth-form charities committee.

• 3.18 Pupils' enjoyment of and involvement in activities is well supported by the rewards system. Pupils' and parents' responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire show particularly strong support for the extensive extra-activities programme. Effective collaboration and the sharing of good practice with other local schools supports the college in its aim to function as a local centre of excellence.

• 3.19 Throughout the college, the curriculum's careful design and the breadth of extracurricular activities strongly supports all pupils' ability to make progress and to achieve high standards.

3.(c) The contribution of teaching

• 3.20 Teaching makes a good contribution to the academic success of the pupils across the entire college.

• 3.21 Teaching in both junior and upper schools strongly supports the college's aims. Significant improvements have been achieved since the previous inspection. Particular examples include improving provision for those with SEND and the use of new technologies. At its most successful, teaching is dynamic, engaging and challenging. It strongly develops pupils' knowledge and understanding, thinking skills and independent learning. This is achieved by careful planning, good use of resources, and an excellent knowledge and understanding of pupils' needs. Many examples of this excellent practice were seen. In the pre-inspection questionnaires and at interview, a very large majority of pupils said that their teachers helped them to learn.

• 3.22 Teachers are well qualified, with strong subject knowledge and considerable enthusiasm for their subject. The most effective lessons combine these qualities with highly structured and effective lesson planning that includes strategies to develop all abilities. Occasionally, when staff teach outside their specialist areas, they are less confident; as a result, pupils' learning is less rapid. All teachers, however, know their pupils very well which helps them target support in lessons; those with SEND benefit particularly well. Their individual needs are well understood, and suitable tasks are incorporated into lessons.

• 3.23 In the majority of lessons, teaching has pace, enjoyment, effective challenge and high expectations. These are supplemented by well-chosen and imaginative resources, intelligent planning and creative use of the school environment, interactive whiteboards and digital technologies. Careful questioning elicits thoughtful responses from pupils, which are used to consolidate learning and develop understanding. Well-monitored pair and group work develops pupils' creative initiative and independence of mind, analysis of information and appreciation of collaborative learning. In these lessons clear outcomes are identified and time managed effectively. The excellent rapport between pupils and teachers ensures a conducive learning environment.

• 3.24 In both junior and upper schools, less successful teaching lacks pace, challenge and interest, and an appropriate selection of tasks for pupils of differing abilities. In these lessons a reluctance to take risks, embrace a variety of teaching strategies, use questioning techniques to the full, or employ new technologies leads to overdominance by the teacher. As a result, pupils' independent learning and progress are held back, particularly for the more able, by the lack of high expectations or appropriate challenge.

• 3.25 Since the previous inspection, the learning support department has been successful, not only in teaching individual pupils, but in disseminating teaching and learning strategies widely to staff. These strategies are normally used effectively in lessons. Lesson plans also provide strategies for the more able or talented, but these are not implemented consistently, so that the pupils' specific needs are not always addressed effectively.

• 3.26 ICT is employed widely in lessons, with interactive whiteboards used for presentations and video. In the best lessons, pupils are fully involved in using these, such as for sorting games. Teachers are embracing the recent initiative in new technology throughout the college, and many are especially pro-active, embedding this in lesson planning, schemes of work and in everyday interactions with pupils. This reflects strongly the culture of sharing good practice within departments and across the college.

• 3.27 Pupils' responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire showed a small minority of pupils were concerned about their workload and the relevance of homework. Inspectors did not find evidence to support this, other than that some weaker pupils have tended to spend longer completing their homework. Recently, significant investment in new technology has greatly enhanced the availability of online resources. These can be accessed at school and at home by pupils, parents and staff. As a result, managers are monitoring more closely the volume and timing of homework. The move has been widely appreciated by pupils and staff.

• 3.28 Marking is regular, prompt and thorough, so that much of the pupils' written work is of a high standard. The best marking includes comments on how to improve, but in the upper school this is not done consistently; however, pupils said they value feedback in lessons.

• 3.29 In the junior school, standardised data which is available to monitor pupils' attainment and track their progress is not fully utilised. In the upper school, pupils' performance is monitored regularly, and teachers are well-informed as to their pupils' expected attainment.

4. THE QUALITY OF THE PUPILS' PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

4.(a) The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils

• 4.1 The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils throughout the college is excellent.

• 4.2 The college fulfils its aims to instil traditional Christian values, manners and a strong sense of service to others. Junior school pupils' spiritual development is excellent. They show great confidence and self-awareness. They appreciate the non-material aspects of life; both assemblies and the four major church services each year enable them to develop their spirituality strongly. Upper school pupils' spiritual development is equally strong. As well as showing great confidence and self-belief, they appreciate fully the non-material aspects of life. In art lessons, for example, they focus on spiritual education through artists' work. Senior pupils have a well-developed sense of self-belief, demonstrating clearly the success of the wellbeing programme. Pupils' strong understanding and appreciation of spiritual matters is well supported by assemblies and a variety of lessons in both parts of the college.

• 4.3 Pupils' moral development in both junior and upper schools is excellent. They know right from wrong, understand the norms for good conduct and the need for rules, and have strong respect for each other. Junior pupils benefit from circle time in personal, social and health education, where they learn, for example, to appreciate the concept of taking turns and allowing their fellows the chance to speak. A display board highlights examples of pupils winning Fuzzy Bug' awards for showing particular kindness to others, so fulfilling an important aim of the school, to be kind. Upper school pupils, in addition, have great respect for moral and ethical values. They understand the need to do the right thing' without checking to see if anyone is looking. Pupils, in both schools, well understand the privileges they enjoy, in part through the wide variety of charitable giving and events the pupils and school organise.

• 4.4 Pupils' social development is excellent. Junior school pupils are very comfortable and at ease both with each other and in the company of adults. They accept responsibility readily, and the oldest pupils benefit strongly from and relish leadership opportunities such as becoming school prefects. Others contribute strongly as members of the school council. Throughout the junior school, pupils have a real appreciation of, and sense of duty for, the need to help those less fortunate than themselves; for example, through one or more of the many fundraising initiatives. In the upper school, pupils demonstrate caring relationships and interactions daily, both in lessons and outside the classroom, and are pleased with the opportunities they have to take responsibility. Additionally, they demonstrate a strong sense of service. Older pupils, for example, mentor younger ones, the combined cadet force forms a ceremonial guard of honour at formal island events, and community service may involve visiting the elderly and working in charity shops. Throughout the college pupils understand the school's rewards, rules and sanctions and judge them to be fair.

• 4.5 Pupils' cultural awareness is good in the junior school. Here they benefit from various aspects of the curriculum, as appropriate to their age and maturity, beginning to understand well issues of cultural diversity such as the differences between Spanish and African music, the celebrations of Divali and Chinese New Year and, in religious education lessons, some of the nuances of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. They also begin to appreciate Guernsey's own customs and culture in addition to receiving visitors from other cultures. In the upper school, pupils' cultural development is excellent. The island location makes exploring different cultures challenging but the school works hard to ensure that the pupils benefit strongly from as wide range of cultural experiences as it can. Pupils' corporate and individual cultural understanding has been significantly strengthened through overseas trips to Kenya, Thailand, Morocco and Malaysia, as well as excellent sporting and cultural trips to the UK and Europe. Pupils' understand issues on sexuality and gender clearly, their awareness raised through events such as assemblies presented by Guernsey's youth advice and guidance service.

4.(b) The contribution of arrangements for welfare, health and safety

• 4.6 Arrangements for welfare, health and safety are excellent.

• 4.7 The policies and procedures relating to the safeguarding of pupils, their welfare, health and safety, including safer recruitment, fully meet the standards for British Schools Overseas, and these are implemented effectively throughout the college. When safeguarding concerns about pupils' welfare have arisen, records show that the college has closely followed the required procedures and maintained appropriate contact with external agencies. The college is especially mindful of its obligation and duty to safeguard pupils and promote their well-being.

• 4.8 Staff have attended regular safeguarding training and new staff are fully inducted into this aspect of the college's life. Amongst other matters, staff are made particularly aware of the arrangements for minimising risks. For example, the planning and execution of practical lessons, and of residential and day visits, is meticulous, being supported by detailed risk assessment. These actions indicate that pupils' safety is the college's primary consideration.

• 4.9 Across the college, all necessary measures are taken to reduce the risk of fire and other hazards. The college complies with local regulations for health and safety on each site, including sports fields, and often goes beyond what is required. Medical facilities with appropriate supervision are available on each site and many members of staff have first aid training. The school nurse, an island provision, can access other support services as and when required. All accidents are fully recorded and reported to parents and other authorities as appropriate. Pupils have access to staff who act as listeners and supporters, when they feel vulnerable. Across the college, pupils are made aware of the importance of choosing a healthy diet; the food served is nutritious and appetising.

• 4.10 Pastoral care is excellent. Teachers provide high-quality support and guidance for the pupils in accordance with the school aims, this being reinforced by the excellent relationships which exist between teachers and pupils and amongst the pupils themselves. The upper school wellbeing programme, house and tutoring systems focus strongly on the development of the individual within a caring community, and give pupils the opportunity to explore areas of personal development, relationships and communication in a safe supportive environment. The college has effective procedures for promoting good behaviour, guarding against harassment and bullying and dealing constructively with unacceptable behaviour. A comprehensive and detailed log is maintained.

• 4.11 Pupils, as a result, recognise that they are well cared for and, particularly the seniors, become willing to care for others, for example, by mentoring younger pupils. Pupils' responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire indicated that the great majority of pupils felt that teachers show concern for them as a person. A minority of pupils felt that teachers did not always treat all pupils equally. Inspection evidence showed that teachers did sometimes vary sanctions and workloads but did this fairly and in a way that supported pupils' different needs.

• 4.12 Throughout the college, clear policies and procedures promote excellent standards of behaviour and manners and guard against anti-social behaviour within the college community. The outstanding conduct of pupils of all ages, abilities and needs, reflects the effectiveness of these procedures particularly strongly. A very large majority of pupils say they like being at the school. The admission and attendance registers are properly maintained.

• 4.13 Excellent pastoral leadership and management oversee the comprehensive care and support and, as a result, pupils develop into confident and well-rounded members of the community.

5. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNANCE, LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

5.(a) The quality of governance

• 5.1 Governance is excellent.

• 5.2 Governance for the whole college is delivered extremely well by a board of nine who, with the exception of the chairman, by current statute the Dean of Guernsey, each serve for a six-year term. A committee, with a different chairman, has immediate responsibility for ECJS. Other committees, including those for finance and general purposes, foundation and marketing, property, and nominations deal efficiently and effectively with the areas of the directors' responsibilities at a more executive level. A Three Colleges' Group' and a Sixth Form' Partnership group help to ensure unity amongst the island's grant-aided colleges.

• 5.3 The directors are all closely associated with the college and have a range of individual skills, qualifications and experience corporately balanced to provide strong support and advice. Directors are particularly diligent and effective in ensuring the college holds firm to its historic principles and aims. They discharge, with equal diligence, their responsibilities for financial planning and maintaining and developing the college's buildings and estate. This has enabled them, over the years, to ensure the college's leaders can employ suitable numbers of high-quality staff and that the departments and other areas are well resourced and maintained.

• 5.4 Historically, directors have supported the college's senior leaders well, whilst leaving educational matters in their hands. In more recent years, however, and in line with evolutions in the responsibilities incumbent on governors of mainland schools, directors have moved to take a wider role. Whilst, for some years, they have maintained a full and proper supervision and understanding of safeguarding, new directors are now given a comprehensive induction into the scope and responsibilities of the task. They undertake full and proper training from appropriate outside agencies and are made well-aware of the whole college's policies and procedures. Arrangements to scrutinise and review all policies regularly are in hand so that directors are fully effective in monitoring and evaluating all aspects of the college's work and performance. In consequence, and in discharge of these responsibilities, they are much more able than in previous years to provide strong support and high-quality professional stimulus for the college's growth, evolution and improvement.

• 5.5 All safeguarding matters receive scrupulous attention; they are, in addition, monitored by those with legal experience. These matters include the safe recruitment of staff and all necessary checks and records. Directors take full cognisance of the rigorous safeguarding standards applicable in the UK and aim to achieve these in addition to meeting the slightly different safeguarding legislation appertaining in Guernsey. Directors ensure that welfare, health and safety matters across the college's sites are addressed with efficiency and are maintained at the highest of standards.

5.(b) The quality of leadership and management

• 5.6 The quality of leadership and management throughout the college is good.

• 5.7 Leaders and managers discharge their duties effectively in line with the aims of the college. Management structures within the two schools have been re-organised since the previous inspection and now have a clearer focus on raising standards. Appropriate progress has been made since 2009 in developing more effective systems for staff professional development and sharing good practice.

• 5.8 The upper school senior management team of seven includes representation from the junior school. The academic and pastoral boards, together with the work of heads of department and heads of year provide strong stimulus for refining educational and pastoral practices in the upper school. The junior school has tasked leaders for key subjects and specific year groups to fulfil a similar responsibility. Other groups and regular contacts ensure that ideas and issues are shared and exchanged frequently and helpfully between the two sections of the college. However, some issues, for example, the use of quantitative data for tracking progress are, as yet, less developed in the junior school. The senior leadership of both schools has been highly effective in implementing a range of academic and pastoral policies and procedures, and some, such as the effective safeguarding policy, are common to the whole college.

• 5.9 Senior leaders articulate strongly a clear vision for both parts of the college and a clear educational vision is widely evident throughout. The strongly pupil-centred college ethos, together with a confident corporate sense of purpose, enables pupils of all ages to achieve high academic standards and develop excellent personal qualities.

• 5.10 Many significant improvements since the previous inspection have come about through the commitment of senior staff to reflect on the college's practice, evaluate its effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. This commitment to selfevaluation and improvement is gradually developing further but is more systematic and consistent in some areas of the college than others. The recent introduction of the think tanks' in the upper school have enabled staff to evaluate classroom practice. The overall college development plan is carefully constructed and identifies eight broad priority areas, each of which contains specific manageable tasks for implementation. Little mention is made in this document of junior school matters as this section of the school has developed its own embryonic plan. The junior school has developed its own embryonic development plan. This identifies a number of broad priorities but does not indicate what needs to be achieved or how it will be carried out; nor does it promote any congruence with the overall school plan.

• 5.11 Teaching and non-teaching staff are well deployed at all levels in the college and are sufficient in number and expertise. The appraisal system is working well and is currently undergoing further improvement. It enables staff to set personal targets and develop and enhance their professional skills. The island location limits external training opportunities and, in consequence, the college has invested significantly in allowing staff to attend relevant courses on the UK mainland. It has also concentrated on the sharing of teaching strategies and effective classroom practice within its staff group. Monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning through lesson observation takes place, although it is not consistently embedded nor always fully effective in all subject areas and year groups. Data obtained from these lesson observations is not systematically used to identify areas for development. As a result, some aspects of less successful teaching in some areas of the college have yet to be identified sharply.

• 5.12 All directors, teaching and non-teaching staff have undergone the required criminal records checks and other pre-appointment processes meet local requirements well. They are trained in their roles in safeguarding, welfare, health and safety. Preappointment checks are recorded clearly on a central register and in staff files. The school quickly remedied minor historic omissions once this was pointed out.

5.(c) The quality of links with parents, carers and guardians

• 5.13 The quality of links with parents, carers and guardians is excellent.

• 5.14 The relationships between the college and its parental body are highly positive and this ensures the close co-operation needed to meet the college's educational aims. Since the previous inspection, a number of initiatives have further improved the flow of information and supported the sense of Elizabeth College as one institution. Digital signage across the upper school and in some of the junior school's buildings is highly effective in promoting events, achievements, news and items of interest and relevance to the college's community.

• 5.15 In their responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire, parents expressed a particularly high level of satisfaction with the education provided. They are especially pleased with the pastoral care and guidance their children receive, the range of subjects on offer, the range of extra-curricular activities and the breadth and diversity of school trips.

• 5.16 Communications with parents are excellent; telephone calls and emails receive a prompt response. The recently improved website provides ready access to up-to-date information such as the calendar, sports fixtures, trips and news items. Parents have many opportunities to be involved in college life, to participate in and contribute to their children's education. A parent portal provides on line access to information including reports, gradings and other correspondence. Parents also have remote access to see what homework has been set.

• 5.17 In the early years, progress is documented through pupils' learning journey books. In addition to the daily, informal and much appreciated contact with staff available to all parents of the younger age-groups, the learning journeys are shared regularly with parents and ultimately passed on to take home. In the junior school, regular, formal parents' meetings with staff give excellent opportunities to discuss their child's progress face to face, in addition to written reports. In the upper school parents receive a report in two terms and have a direct meeting with staff in the other.

• 5.18 Parents and prospective parents receive a wealth of information about the college. Details about the college, its history and educational provision are available on the website. Parents also receive a detailed handbook. The college' policies are readily available on the website or on request.

• 5.19 Parents and families are welcome at plays, concerts and special assemblies. Some support the school through helping with, for example, reading for the younger pupils and providing additional supervision and expertise for extra-curricular activities. The College Friends' committee is highly active involving parents in fundraising, sports fixtures and other events.

• 5.20 The college handles all concerns and complaints meticulously in line with published procedures. In the pre-inspection questionnaire parents report that the college handles concerns especially well. When asked, parents said that they felt listened to and welcome in both the junior and upper schools.

INSPECTION EVIDENCE

The inspectors observed lessons, conducted formal interviews with pupils and staff and examined samples of pupils' work. They held discussions with senior members of staff and with the acting chair of directors and other directors, observed a sample of the extracurricular activities that occurred during the inspection period, and attended registration sessions and assemblies. Inspectors visited the facilities for sick or injured pupils. The responses of parents and pupils to pre-inspection questionnaires were analysed, and the inspectors examined documentation made available by the school.

Inspectors

Reporting Inspector

Assistant Reporting Inspector (Former Head, HMC school UK) Senior Team Inspector (Senior Master, HMC school UK) Senior Team Inspector

(Former Director of Studies, HMC school UK)

Senior Team Inspector (Head, COBIS school, Egypt) Junior Team Inspector (Former Head, IAPS school) Junior Team Inspector (Former Head, IAPS school)