King's College

About the school
King's College (Taunton)
South Road
Taunton
Somerset
TA1 3LA

Head: Richard R Biggs MA BSc

T 01823 328204

F 01823 328202

E admissions@kings-taunton.co.uk

W www.kings-taunton.co.uk

An independent school for boys and girls aged from 13 to 18.

Boarding: Yes

Local authority: Somerset

Pupils: 470; sixth formers: 180

Religion: Church of England

Fees: Day £22,380; Boarding £33,165 pa

ISI Report

Independent Schools Inspectorate

FOCUSED COMPLIANCE AND EDUCATIONAL QUALITY INSPECTION REPORTS FOR SCHOOLS WITH RESIDENTIAL PROVISION

KING'S COLLEGE, TAUNTON

MARCH 2018

SCHOOL'S DETAILS

School

King's College, Taunton

DfE number

933/6023

Registered charity number

1103346

Address

South Road

Taunton Somerset

TA4 2SF

Telephone number

01823 328 210

Email address

reception@kings-taunton.co.uk

Headmaster

Mr Richard Biggs

Chair of governors

Mrs Linda Nash

Age range

13 to 18

Number of pupils on roll

455

Boys

280

Girls

175

Day pupils

189

Boarders

266

Seniors

281

Sixth Form

174

Inspection dates

13 to 15 March 2018

1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

About the school

  • 1.1   King's College is a co-educational boarding and day school for pupils aged between thirteen and eighteen years. The school founded by Nathaniel Woodard in 1880 as a boys' school and became fully co-educational in 1991. It is a member of the Woodard School group, is a registered charity and is governed by the school council. The school is situated in extensive grounds in the town of Taunton, occupying the original buildings and a wide range of modern facilities including a new science block and extensions to the art facilities. Boarders live in seven houses on the site; four for boys and three for girls. All day pupils belong to boarding houses.

What the school seeks to do

  • 1.2   The school aims to provide an education rooted in the Woodard Christian ethos, whilst welcoming pupils of other faiths. It seeks to ensure that pupils are happy and fulfilled, with a desire for excellence, and that they develop independent, searching minds in a tolerant and supportive environment. All are challenged to develop wide interests in every area of school life, to achieve high standards and to realise the importance of contributing to the community inside and beyond school.

About the pupils

  • 1.3   Pupils come from professional, business and service families living in the west of England or further afield, including abroad. Nationally standardised tests indicate that the ability profile of the senior school is above average for those who study GCSE and that the ability profile of the sixth form is broadly average for those who study A level. A total of 86 pupils have been identified by the school as having special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), mainly dyslexia, and of these 51 receive additional support. Also, 77 pupils have English as an additional language (EAL); 56 receive additional support. The most able, including pupils who have been awarded scholarships and exhibitions, receive specific challenges in the classroom and also become members of two societies which provide stimulating activities.

2. REGULATORY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION

Preface

The registration authority for independent schools is the Department for Education (DfE), which directs inspection according to a specified frequency or at any time where the DfE has particular concerns about a school. The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) is the body approved by the Secretary of State for the purpose of inspecting schools which are, or whose heads are, in membership of the associations which form the Independent Schools Council (ISC) and reporting on the extent to which they meet the Independent School Standards (‘the standards') in the Schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014. Accordingly, inspection records whether the school meets each of these standards, which are arranged in eight Parts, each of which is divided into separate paragraphs. Additionally, the inspection reports on the school's accessibility plan under Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010 and the ban on corporal punishment under section 548 of the Education Act 1996. It comments on the progress made by the school in meeting the compliance action points set out in the school's most recent statutory inspection.

This inspection also contains specific judgements on the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools (‘boarding NMS'). It also comments on the progress made by the school in meeting the compliance action points set out in the most recent statutory boarding inspection and it judges the extent to which the school currently meets the boarding NMS. It identifies any standards which the school does not meet and requires action to meet them. Findings are distributed across sections relating to the eight Parts of the standards.

All association independent schools will have an inspection within three years from April 2016, in accordance with the Framework and DfE requirements. The inspection may be of COMPLIANCE ONLY or a combined inspection of EDUCATIONAL QUALITY AND COMPLIANCE depending on a number of factors, including findings from their most recent inspection. Schools judged not to meet the standards, including the boarding NMS, may also be subject to a progress monitoring visit before their next routine inspection. The progress monitoring visit will judge whether the school has taken the necessary action to meet any un-met standards identified at their previous inspection.

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 is a FOCUSED COMPLIANCE INSPECTION which was combined with an inspection of EDUCATIONAL QUALITY, the report of which appears later in this document. The COMPLIANCE inspection reports only on the school's compliance with the standards, including the boarding NMS. The standards represent minimum requirements and judgements are given either as met or as not met. All schools are required to meet all the standards applicable to them. Where the minimum requirements are not met, this is clearly indicated in the relevant section of the report and the school is required to take the actions specified. In this focused compliance inspection, key regulations and standards have been inspected in detail. These are the regulations on safeguarding; measures to guard against bullying; arrangements for pupils' health and safety, arrangements to check the suitability of staff; the provision of information to parents; the handling of parents' complaints; and other related aspects of leadership and management, together with the NMS covering the same areas. The remaining standards and requirements are deemed to continue to be met unless evidence to the contrary has been found.

Inspections do not include matters that are outside of the regulatory framework described above, such as: an exhaustive health and safety audit; compliance with data protection requirements; an in-depth examination of the structural condition of the school, its services or other physical features; contractual arrangements with parents; an investigation of the financial viability of the school or its accounting procedures.

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 specifically in published reports in this document but will have been considered by the team in reaching its judgements.

Links to the full regulations and requirements can be found here: The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014, National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools.

Key findings

  • 2.1 The school meets the standards in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014, the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools 2015 and associated requirements, and no further action is required as a result of this inspection.

PART 1 - Quality of education provided

  • 2.2 At GCSE in the years 2014 to 2016 performance has been above the national average for maintained schools.

  • 2.3   In the sixth form, A-level results in the years 2014 to 2016 have been in line with the national average for sixth formers in maintained schools.

  • 2.4 The curriculum is documented, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work for the pupils and covers the required breadth of material. The teaching enables pupils to make good progress, encompasses effective behaviour management and is supported by suitable resources. A suitable framework for the assessment of pupils' performance is in place.

  • 2.5   The standards relating to the quality of education [paragraphs 1-4] are met.

PART 2 - Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

  • 2.6   Principles and values are actively promoted which facilitate the personal development of pupils as responsible, tolerant, law-abiding citizens. Boarders' views are actively encouraged and their opinions and concerns are appropriately considered by staff. Any prefect system operating in the school is suitably managed.

  • 2.7   The standard relating to spiritual, moral, social and cultural development [paragraph 5] and NMS 17 and 19 are is met.

PART 3 - Welfare, health and safety of pupils

  • 2.8   Arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils by means that pay due regard to current statutory guidance; good behaviour is promoted; bullying is prevented so far as reasonably practicable; health and safety requirements are met, including those relating to fire safety; provision is made for first aid. Pupils are properly supervised; admission and attendance registers are maintained, as required, and there is a strategic approach to risk assessment. A disability access plan is in place.

  • 2.9   An appropriate induction process for pupils new to boarding is implemented, and suitable provision is made for boarders' medical and health care, their food and drink and for managing boarders' laundry and possessions. Boarders have suitable contact with friends and family and access to a programme of activities. Boarding staff are appropriately trained and deployed.

  • 2.10 The standards relating to welfare, health and safety [paragraphs 6-16], the requirement of Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010, and the ban on corporal punishment under section 548 of the Education Act 1996, and NMS 2-4, 6-12, 15 and 16 are met.

PART 4 - Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

  • 2.11 The school makes appropriate checks to ensure the suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors and a register is kept as required. Visitors to boarding accommodation are appropriately supervised and the school's arrangements for guardianship are suitably managed.

  • 2.12  The standards relating to the suitability of those in contact with pupils at the school [paragraphs 17-21] and NMS 14 are met.

PART 5 - Premises of and accommodation at schools

  • 2.13  Suitable toilet, changing and showering facilities for pupils and appropriate accommodation for their medical and therapy needs are provided. The premises are maintained to a standard commensurate with health and safety; acoustics and lighting are appropriate; water provision is adequate. Suitable outdoor space is provided for physical education and outdoor play. Boarding accommodation is adequate for the needs of all boarders, and safeguards and promotes their welfare.

  • 2.14 The standards relating to the premises and accommodation [paragraphs 22-31] and NMS 5 are met.

PART 6 - Provision of information

  • 2.15  A range of information is variously published, provided or made available to parents, inspectors and the Department for Education. These include details about the proprietor, the ethos of the school and the curriculum, and of the school's arrangements for admission, behaviour and exclusions, bullying, health and safety, first aid, details of the complaints procedure, and the number of complaints registered under the formal procedure during the preceding school year, and the provision for those with education, health and care plans or English as an additional language. They also include particulars of the school's academic performance during the preceding school year, and its results in public examinations, inspection reports and (for parents only) a report at least annually of their own child's progress. The safeguarding policy is posted on the school's website. A suitable statement of boarding principles and practice is published by the school.

  • 2.16  The standard relating to the provision of information [paragraph 32] and statement of boarding principles [NMS 1] are met.

PART 7 - Manner in which complaints are handled

  • 2.17  Parental complaints, if any, are handled effectively through a three-stage process, (informal, formal and a hearing before a panel of three, one of whom is independent of the school). Each stage has clear time scales, and at the third stage the panel can make findings and recommendations which are communicated to the complainant. Records are kept appropriately, including of any action taken, whether or not a complaint is successful, and identifying those relating to the boarding provision.

  • 2.18  The standard relating to the handling of complaints [paragraph 33] and NMS 18 are met.

PART 8 - Quality of leadership in and management of schools

  • 2.19  The proprietor ensures that the leadership and management demonstrate good skills and knowledge, and fulfil their responsibilities effectively, so that the other standards are consistently met and they actively promote the well-being of the pupils. Appropriate leadership and management of boarding ensure that the required policies and records are maintained and effectively monitored.

  • 2.20 The standard relating to leadership and management of the school [paragraph 34] and NMS 13 are met.

3. EDUCATIONAL QUALITY INSPECTION

Preface

The EDUCATIONAL QUALITY inspection reports on the quality of the school's work. It focuses on the two key outcomes:

  • -   The achievement of the pupils, including their academic development, and

  • -   The personal development of the pupils.

Since the school was last inspected, the framework for inspection has changed. The current inspection framework uses different criteria and arrangements for grading from those used in previous inspection frameworks. The judgements made on this inspection are, therefore, not directly comparable to judgements made on previous inspections.

All independent schools are required to meet the requirements of the Independent School Standards. However, different inspectorates apply different frameworks that are suited to the different types of schools they inspect. The ISI terminology reflects quality judgements that are at least equivalent to those used by the national inspectorate, Ofsted. ISI reports do not provide a single overarching judgement for the school but instead give a clear judgement about key outcomes for pupils and information on the quality of the school's work.

The headline judgements must include one of the ISI descriptors ‘excellent', ‘good', ‘sound' or ‘unsatisfactory'.

Where necessary, National Curriculum nomenclature is used to refer to year groups in the school. here the school's own names differ from those used nationally, the details are given in the table below:

School name

National Curriculum name

Third Form

Year 9

Fourth Form

Year 10

Fifth Form

Year 11

Lower Sixth

Year 12

Upper Sixth

Year 13

Key findings

  • 3.1   The quality of the pupils' academic and other achievements is excellent.

  • •   Pupils make excellent progress across their academic work and a wide range of other achievements.

  • •   Pupils are knowledgeable about their own progress and how to improve, and increasingly take responsibility for their learning, as a result of tutorial system which they highly value.

  • •   Pupils successfully extend their learning and interests through their participation in a very wide range of activities.

  • •   Pupils are successful in gaining places to highly competitive universities and courses.

  • 3.2   The quality of the pupils' personal development is excellent.

  • •   Pupils are highly self-confident and self-disciplined, and they develop resilience and resourcefulness.

  • •   Pupils show a high degree of spiritual awareness.

  • •   Pupils are tolerant, mutually supportive and inclusive of those of all faiths and backgrounds.

Recommendation

  • 3.3   In the context of the excellent outcomes, the school might wish to consider:

  • •   Developing the use of ICT for both teaching and learning across all departments to encourage consistently rapid learning and progress.

The quality of pupils' academic and other achievements

  • 3.4   The quality of pupils' academic and other achievements is excellent.

  • 3.5   Pupils develop substantial knowledge, skills and understanding across the curriculum and through their involvement in a wide range of academic and extra-curricular opportunities. They are effective learners. Pupils regularly and confidently transfer skills and knowledge between subject areas. They are skilled at asking questions; this was observed in a Year 12 religious education lesson where pupils shared knowledge and opinions, and their questioning resulted in discussion and development of ideas rather than just answers. Pupils develop a love of learning which is rooted in both the expert subject knowledge and lesson planning of teachers, and in the breadth of the curriculum. Pupils said that they are supported by detailed marking and feedback from staff and given encouragement to respond in order to improve their work. They value the pace of lessons and skilled questioning from staff which challenges them to explore issues around the main themes. The school has an ethos of excellence which pupils relish, and results in pride in their work as seen in the excellent organisation of their files. In interview, pupils said that they are very well supported by their tutors and the focus in tutorial time on helping them understand strategies for individual improvement; Year 9 pupils in their tutorial time were observed working hard at reviewing their own progress and target setting. Data supplied by the school indicate that these pupils are making significant progress during their first year. Pupils have high levels of aesthetic appreciation and creativity, and use these in a number of areas including in art, photography, and textiles to produce excellent outcomes, both in the context of their own abilities and the standards of exam boards. Outstanding art work and examples of pupils' work in design technology (DT) are on display throughout the school. In their responses to the preinspection questionnaire, parents were highly supportive of the work of the school in all areas, and almost all indicated that they think their children are making good progress and developing skills for the future. The pupils also took a positive view of their school life and the vast majority agreed that they can be involved in a good range of activities, and that teachers are supportive and helpful if they have any problems with their work. In discussions, pupils of all ages said how important the lunchtime and evening subject clinics are in helping them when they have difficulties with their work.

  • 3.6   Pupils have excellent communication skills and are highly articulate speakers in a range of contexts. They value the numerous opportunities they have for speaking in public, in lessons, in the academic and scholars' societies where they present papers, and in the range of competitions on offer including poetry recitation . Many pupils are actively involved in the life of the chapel, including speaking in front of the whole school. Pupils become effective writers and are expected to use their research skills in a wide range of contexts. In a Year 12 physical education lesson, pupils used a number of sources, including their own research and results, to draw conclusions about the design of a programme and how it would benefit performance. Pupils working on the half-termly school magazine meet weekly and write successfully in a variety of modes for publication. Pupils with EAL spoke very positively about the support they receive for their English, which results in them being able to use the language effectively within a short time of joining the school. These pupils also said that this helps not just in lessons but across life in school, and some spoke proudly of being now able to aspire to challenging career paths in, for example, medicine.

  • 3.7   Pupils develop a high level of competency, knowledge and ability in mathematics. Teachers have high expectations of pupils from Year 9 onwards and these younger pupils are already working successfully on concepts at the higher level of GCSE. Essays prepared for a Cambridge competition by Year 13 pupils demonstrated an outstanding understanding of mathematics concepts and ability to manipulate both data and ideas. Some departments have worked together to create a co-ordinated approach to their teaching and use of mathematics in order to support pupils' learning, resulting in pupils using their skills more confidently than before in their work in other subjects. In discussions pupils in Year 11 said they now apply maths seamlessly in both physics and geography.

  • 3.8   Pupils are confident users of information and communication technology (ICT), using their own devices following the recent introduction of the Bring Your Own Device programme. As yet the use of ICT has not been fully incorporated into planning, by all departments. Pupils were seen to be learning rapidly in subjects that have introduced specific applications to support and develop learning, for example in modern foreign languages. There is very positive use by pupils with SEND, both in specialist materials for learning and in using their computers to support learning in class in many other subjects. These pupils are now working on an equal basis with the other pupils. There is excellent use of ICT in both A-level DT and photography, with pupils skilfully manipulating images for work in their final projects, supported by excellent resources and facilities. Pupils greatly appreciate the development of the school intranet where lesson materials and homework are constantly available.

  • 3.9   Pupils have excellent study skills. From Year 9 onwards they develop a very high level of ability to analyse and to compare; the younger pupils are taught these skills through the use of mind maps and flash cards, and they said that they quickly develop the ability to use these techniques. Teaching for all ages is planned to integrate these skills. The most able pupils enjoy many opportunities to develop higher order skills both in and outside the classroom. Younger members of the Pelican Society felt it broadens their horizons and, in particular, enables them to be inspired by the work of older pupils.

  • 3.10  Pupils make good progress and are successful at both GCSE and A level. Analysis of pupils' external examination results is based on the three-year period 2014 to 2016, the most recent three years for which comparative statistics are available. Results at GCSE have been above the national average and represent good progress. At A level, results have been in line with the national average and pupils are performing in line with their abilities and making appropriate progress. Data held by the school indicate that results in 2017 were broadly in line with these previous results. Standardised data used by the school to analyse GCSE and A-level results over the same period show that pupils with EAL make good progress compared to their peers, that those with SEND achieve in line with their abilities and that the most able make good progress.

  • 3.11  Many individual pupils and many teams are highly successful in achieving both academic honours and successes in sports, the arts, in competitions and in performances. Pupils are successful in gaining places at highly competitive universities and for challenging courses. Pupils show scholarship outside the confines of the examination curriculum. In 2016/2017 individual pupils won gold medals in the Biology Olympiad and two pupils won an award in a Cambridge University chemistry essay competition. Two further pupils won awards in Oxford University essay competitions, one in law and one in philosophy. Others have won essay prizes in a range of subjects including mathematics, history and English. There have been regular successes in the Intermediate Maths Challenge. The CCF contingent won a major trophy in 2016. There have been significant sporting successes by individuals and teams ranging up to county and national representation across a very wide range of sports, including an equestrian team. Many pupils play or sing in the many music and choral ensembles, and reach very high standards in their performances. Pupils with particular talents in sport, including sports scholars, balance well their academic and athletic commitment, benefiting from the focused tutorial support provided to them. The life of the school is enhanced by the life of the houses where taking part in the various house events gives every pupil the opportunity to experience similar challenges. In discussion, pupils said this first experience had led them to take part in a wide range of activities at whole-school or higher levels during their time at the school.

  • 3.12 Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning; they give very positive responses to teacher feedback, become skilled collaborative learners and in addition relish the opportunities they are given to work independently. In interview, pupils said that they enjoy learning and are interested in and take responsibility for their own progress and are learning how to improve through their grading and target setting work with their tutors. This was observed in a Year 9 end-of-term tutorial where pupils reviewed their recent and previous grades, reflecting on how well they had met their previous targets and evaluating their development. They were proud of the progress they had made and set demanding targets for next term.

The quality of the pupils' personal development

  • 3.13 The quality of the pupils' personal development is excellent.

  • 3.14 Pupils display a high level of self-confidence and self-understanding without being overbearing. Year 9 and 10 pupils identified that they learn resilience through sporting activities and the challenges of outdoor activities such as the CCF and the Ten Tors event. Both day pupils and boarders said that they are very well-supported by staff in the academic environment and in their houses. Pupils expressed that working with their tutors is helping them to improve their own learning and to prepare for the next stage of their lives, whether that is planning GCSE options or preparing to go on to university. They felt that they are well informed about these choices through the full programme of personal, social and health education (PSHE) and careers information. Pupils said that from the time they join the school they are expected to be independent in making their own choices. Year 9 pupils explained that they place a high value on the freedom they are given to make their own decisions about their use of time.

  • 3.15 Pupils have a strong sense of the spiritual and they understand that they have rich opportunities to reflect on their place in life and on important moral or philosophical issues. They demonstrate this in lessons, for example Year 12 pupils were able to confidently present their work on the strengths and weaknesses of natural law based on the theory proposed by Aristotle. They worked extremely maturely as a group when discussing the ethics of abortion using primary and secondary precepts as a measure for their opinions. Pupils were heard expressing their own views about the non-material aspects of life, encouraged by the open-minded approach in this Christian school. This free reflection is open to all whatever their faith or beliefs, and all express their views and experiences. The chapel is deeply valued; pupils spoke of the importance of the atmosphere of quiet respect and thoughtfulness which always pervades the Eucharist service, saying that they walk to lessons happy. Pupils said that music has an important place in the chapel services; one girl spoke of her delight in taking part as a member of the choir, bringing together the school community. Others spoke of the confidence they had gained through speaking in chapel services or in taking part. Pupils said that taking part in the mindfulness and meditation activities is helpful as a way of managing very busy lives, and many of the older pupils expressed how much they value the privacy and quiet space of their individual rooms. Pupils' sense of the non-material aspects of life is strengthened by the wide range of work they do to support charities, giving to people or communities less fortunate then themselves.

  • 3.16 Pupils have a well-developed moral compass, they instinctively distinguish right from wrong and show their respect for rules and laws by valuing and supporting the school rules. They accept responsibility for their own behaviour and their behaviour towards others. Pupils display politeness and good manners in very calm and purposeful behaviour in all areas of the school, mirroring the example set by staff and the high expectations in school and in the houses.

  • 3.17 Pupils are very socially aware and they learn to work as member of a team through their experiences inside and outside of the classroom. They solve problems in a wide range of contexts, not least in their collaborative work in the classroom and in working together in lessons such as drama and art. Pupils also collaborate successfully in their free time activities. A Year 10 drama scholar explained that the scholars of all ages were working together in their free time on an improvised play which they would later perform to their peers. Pupils explained that they develop a strong sense of team work, mutual support and loyalty in their houses where many live, all work and take part in social activities, out of school clubs and competitions. Pupils take great pride in using their leadership skills and ability to work with others and have many successes in the competitive house events they organise and take part in. They value the involvement and example of the many staff involved in the houses, most of whom are also part of their daily lives in school.

  • 3.18  Pupils take every opportunity to contribute to the lives of others and they spoke with great enthusiasm about their work and experiences. They said that the mixed-age-group houses mean that they see the work of the older pupils and understand how much they can do for themselves in planning and carrying out events for fundraising, as every house holds at least one charity fundraising event each year. Recent examples include a silent disco, Valentine's event, barn dance, Holi festival and Three Peaks Challenge. Pupils talked of the value they place on experiences as diverse as visits to a care home, work in a charity shop, helping in a Nursery and participating in a wider community service on Mondays. Older pupils take their responsibilities as prefects very seriously, valuing their prefect training; they see themselves as role models who get involved in everything with the result that younger pupils aspire to become prefects. Many pupils spoke enthusiastically about the work they enjoy in local junior schools where they undertake a teaching task or run coaching sessions. They understand the value they give to the local community and to communities further afield. The links between the school and schools abroad are supported by fundraising and by visits by pupils to work in the schools they are supporting.

  • 3.19  The pupils' personal development is very strong, they respect the diversity within the school community and appreciate the various cultures within it. In their questionnaire responses a very high proportion of both parents and pupils indicated that the school actively promotes values of democracy, and respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs. Day pupils and boarders spoke very positively about their experiences within their houses, saying that the houses have a family feel to them. They are also happy to talk about their own lives, faiths, experiences and cultures. Pupils enjoy learning about and celebrating different ways of life, clothes and food, and they appreciate the various national days and national menus they experience. All pupils said that the culture of the school is welcoming and that pupils of many national backgrounds are integrated positively into the school environment. The international forum gives overseas pupils a special voice within the school to raise ideas and issues. Pupils felt that it is important to have pupils of other cultures in the school and that they made lifelong friends from other countries. Pupils' personal development is fully supported by the governing council; members make regular visits to the school and meet pupils to understand the needs of the school and its pupils. The support given by the governing council to the progression of the tutorial system has strengthened the development of pupils' personal development.

  • 3.20  Pupils are very aware of how to stay safe and how to be physically and mentally healthy. They understand the importance of a healthy diet, regular exercise and a balanced lifestyle. This awareness is fully supported by a carefully planned PSHE programme, which is prepared with any issues raised by pupils included. Almost all pupils said that they feel safe at school and virtually all agreed that they know how to keep safe online. All these areas are supported by careful security, by thorough and extensive e-safety measures and teaching, and by the vigilance of staff. Pupils have every opportunity to take exercise and to lead a healthy lifestyle.

4. INSPECTION EVIDENCE

4.1 The inspectors observed lessons, conducted formal interviews with pupils and examined samples of pupils' work. They held discussions with members of staff and with chair of governors, observed a sample of the extra-curricular activities that occurred during the inspection period, and attended tutor meetings and chapel. Inspectors visited boarding houses and educational resource areas and met the learning support coordinator. The responses of parents and pupils to pre-inspection questionnaires were analysed, and the inspectors examined curriculum and other documentation made available by the school.

Inspectors

Mrs Gwen Caddock

Reporting inspector

Mrs Mary Bailey

Compliance team inspector (Deputy head pastoral, HMC school)

Mrs Wendy Martin

Team inspector for boarding (Deputy head, HMC school)

Mr William Norton

Team inspector for boarding (Director of sport, HMC school)

Mr John Watson

Team inspector (Headmaster, HMC school)

© Independent Schools Inspectorate 2018

King's College Taunton- March 2018

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