The John Lyon School

About the school
The John Lyon School
Middle Road
Harrow
HA2 0HN

Head: Miss K E Haynes

T 020 8515 9400

F 020 8515 9455

E enquiries@johnlyon.org

W www.johnlyon.org

An independent school for boys aged from 11 to 18.

Boarding: No

Local authority: Harrow

Pupils: 600 ; sixth formers: 170

Religion: Non-denominational

Fees: £17,898 - £18,582 pa

ISI Report

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTORATE

The John Lyon School

Full Name of School The John Lyon School

DfE Number 310/6002

Registered Charity Number 310033

Address The John Lyon School/Middle Road/Harrow/Middlesex/HA2 0HN

Telephone Number 020 8872 8400

Fax Number 020 8872 8455

Email Address enquiries@johnlyon.org

Head Miss Katherine Haynes

Chair of Governors Mr John Hayes

Age Range 11 to 18

Total Number of Pupils 560

Gender of Pupils Boys  

Number of Day Pupils Total: 560  

Inspection dates 09 Nov 2010 to 10 Nov 2010 06 Dec 2010 to 08 Dec 2010

PREFACE

This inspection report follows the STANDARD ISI schedule. The inspection consists of two parts: an INITIAL two-day inspection of regulatory requirements followed by a three-day FINAL (team) inspection of the school's broader educational provision. The previous ISI inspection was in November 2004.

The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) is the body approved by the Government 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*. The range of these Regulations is as follows.

  • (a) Quality of education provided (curriculum)

  • (b) Quality of education provided (teaching)

  • (c) Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

  • (d) Welfare, health and safety of pupils

  • (e) Suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors

  • (f) Premises and accommodation

  • (g) Provision of information

  • (h) Manner in which complaints are to be handled

*These Standards Regulations replace those first introduced on 1 September 2003.

Legislation additional to Part 3, Welfare, health and safety of pupils, is as follows.

  • (i) The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA).

  • (ii) Race, gender and sexual discrimination legislation.

  • (iii) Corporal punishment.

The inspection was also carried out under the arrangements of the ISC Associations for the maintenance and improvement of the quality of their membership.

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 law.

CONTENTS

  • 1 THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

  • 2 THE SUCCESS OF THE SCHOOL

  • (a) Main findings

  • (b) Action points

  • (i) Compliance with regulatory requirements
  •  
  • (ii) Recommendations for further improvement
  •  
  • 3 THE QUALITY OF ACADEMIC AND OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

  • (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 The John Lyon School is an independent day school for boys between the ages of eleven and eighteen years. There are currently 560 pupils, of whom 140 are in the sixth form. The school was opened in 1876 by the Harrow Foundation governors on the present site to educate local boys'. It retains close links with Harrow school, but operates as a separate entity. It is overseen by a board of governors who have delegated powers from the foundation. Within an inclusive ethos which has no religious affiliation, the school aims: to provide an excellent all-round education, combining high academic standards with excellence in sport and the arts; to treat every boy as an individual; to provide outstanding pastoral care; and to offer a broad range of opportunities outside the classroom.

  • 1.2 The school occupies a range of buildings which date from the nineteenth century to the 1980s. These are situated in a largely residential area on the south side of Harrow on the Hill, with separate playing fields which are a ten-minute drive away. Since the last inspection, in 2004, the school has developed a new science wing, an additional drama studio and a new fitness suite. The head was appointed in 2009 and the chair of governors in 2008.

  • 1.3 The school is academically selective. The ability profile of the school is above the national average. There is a broader range of abilities in Years 7 to 9, with a significant influx of new pupils at the age of thirteen. Roughly three-quarters of pupils proceed from Year 11 into the sixth form, with leavers proceeding to maintained sixth-form colleges. Most pupils come from the boroughs of Harrow, Hillingdon, Ealing and Brent, drawn from professional households, and represent a wide range of ethnicities and faiths. There are six pupils who have English as an additional language (EAL). No pupil has a statement of special educational needs. There are 60 pupils who have been identified as having learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD).

  • 1.4 National Curriculum nomenclature is used throughout this report to refer to year groups in the school.

2. THE SUCCESS OF THE SCHOOL

2.(a) Main findings

  • 2.1 Pupils of all abilities reach excellent levels of achievement overall. Many pupils achieve excellent standards in sports and the performing arts, and others in individual pieces of work. They make progress which is at least good, enabled by teaching which is good overall and often excellent, and by the highly effective contribution made to their education by the curricular and extra-curricular provision. There is an excellent programme of activities, although monitoring of the pupils' achievements in this area, and of other aspects of individual pupils' personal development, is not wholly consistent. Pupils are highly effective learners. They benefit from encouragement to take responsibility for their learning in many subjects. Teaching is well-planned, meeting the needs of pupils well, although the excellent features which characterise the best teaching are on a few occasions not found in lessons.

  • 2.2 The pupils' personal development is excellent. They show high levels of confidence, responding well to the school's inclusive ethos and its focus on developing the individual. They demonstrate high levels of spiritual, moral and social awareness. Their cultural awareness is excellent, responding highly effectively to the many opportunities for development in this area that the school provides. All pupils are supported by excellent pastoral care which has a positive impact on their personal development. Older pupils develop good relationships with younger ones, and pupils form strong friendships across different ethnicities. Arrangements to ensure the pupils' welfare, health and safety contribute effectively to their care. Those pupils who responded to pre-inspection questionnaires were usually positive about the school.

  • 2.3 Governance is good and supports the school's aims and ethos well, particularly its ambitious vision for the future. Effective overall oversight and good planning, combined with secure financial support, facilitate the pupils' academic and personal development. However, governors' oversight of recruitment procedures in the past has not been sufficiently rigorous. The school has responded successfully to the recommendations of the previous inspection report. Since that time the curriculum has been broadened, teaching styles developed and management structures revised. Leadership is strong and management is good overall. Policy making at all levels is comprehensive, clear, and implemented well, although monitoring in some areas of teaching is not yet fully developed. The school maintains highly effective links with parents, who expressed satisfaction with the education provided by the school in pre-inspection questionnaires. Some expressed concerns regarding their child's progress, the school's promotion of high standards of behaviour, the frequency of its reporting to parents and its handling of their concerns, but inspectors found no evidence to support these.

2.(b) Action points

  • (i) Compliance with regulatory requirements
  •  
  • (The range of the Independent School Standards Regulations is given in the Preface)
  •  
  • 2.4 At the time of the initial visit, the school did not meet all the requirements of the Independent School Standards Regulations 2010, and therefore it was required to: Ensure that written references are obtained for all staff [Part 3, paragraph 7 (b), under Welfare, health and safety].

  • 2.5   The final team visit confirmed that all correct procedures are now being followed, as noted in the text of the report.

  • (ii) Recommendations for further improvement
  •  
  • 2.6   In addition to the above regulatory action point, the school is advised to make the following improvements.

  • 1.  Extend the excellent features evident in much current practice consistently across all teaching, and strengthen monitoring by subject leaders to support this.

  • 2.  Ensure that the very high levels of individual pupils' personal development and participation in activities are consistently monitored, recognised and recorded.

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 pupils' overall achievement is excellent, meeting the school's aim to combine high academic standards with excellence in sport and the arts. Pupils of all abilities, including those with LDD, or EAL, achieve at least well across all subject areas, and often reach excellent standards in class and in workbooks. The achievement of more able pupils, and those with particular talents, is excellent when they are given appropriately challenging tasks. More able sixth-form pupils show strong command of language in extended writing.

  • 3.2 Pupils develop good knowledge, skills and understanding. Many are highly articulate and demonstrate exceptionally well-developed reasoning skills. Sixth-form pupils present analyses of poetry lucidly, expressing their individual viewpoints with clarity. The pupils' scientific knowledge and understanding is consistently good and this is applied well in practical work. Younger pupils applied their understanding of the principles of electrical circuits highly successfully in constructing individual and series circuits. Pupils demonstrate strong mathematical skills, and use information and communications technology (ICT) well to produce computer-generated documents. They manipulate data in graphs effectively, successfully constructing bar charts in geography using software. Pupils of all ages develop good creative skills, assimilating new techniques in subjects such as drama quickly and putting them into practice enthusiastically.

  • 3.3 Pupils of all ages reach the highest levels nationally in a variety of sports, both as individuals and in team competitions. Individual pupils regularly work with youth squads attached to premier league football clubs. A high proportion of pupils who enter achieve gold in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme (D of E), and many attain the highest levels in instrumental examinations. Pupils regularly perform in national orchestral and choral groups, and have achieved individual success in national photography competitions and science and mathematics challenges.

  • 3.4 The following analysis uses the national data for the years 2007 to 2009. These are the most recent three years for which comparative statistics are currently available. Results in GCSE and at A level have been excellent in relation to the national average for maintained schools. They have been far above the national average for boys in maintained schools, and above the average for boys in maintained selective schools. Nearly all pupils achieve grades A* to C at GCSE, with nine tenths achieving A* to B. Results in IGCSE mathematics are higher than international results and in line with the average for the UK. At A level, more than eight tenths of pupils achieved grades A to B. Sixth-form pupils regularly achieve places at their first choice universities, often on demanding courses such as dentistry. The pupils' progress throughout the school, enabled by effective, often excellent teaching, is at least good in relation to pupils of similar ability, as confirmed by nationally standardized measures of progress and as seen in their work.

  • 3.5 Pupils are highly effective and resilient learners, making consistently good progress in lessons, including on those occasions when teaching styles vary in effectiveness. They listen well, to each other and to their teachers, and follow instructions to good effect, enjoying their studies. Notes are generally clear and legible, and files and books are kept methodically.

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

  • 3.6 The school's curricular and extra-curricular provision makes a highly effective contribution overall to the pupils' academic and personal development, successfully achieving its aim to provide an excellent all-round education. The good quality, broad-based programme of study suits all pupils. It is well-planned, although the current short duration of individual lessons can impose restrictions in lesson planning. A current curriculum review is addressing this and other issues, including the development of ICT skills within different subject areas. Departmental schemes of work ensure continuity and progress.

  • 3.7 In Years 7 to 9, pupils study a good range of subjects, including both French and Spanish in Year 7, with Latin added in Year 8. They study ICT as a discrete subject only in Year 7. Further development of these skills depends on opportunities within curriculum subjects where ample evidence was seen, such as in art and design and the humanities. Creative subjects are very well catered for and there are excellent opportunities for physical development. An imaginative programme of activities within the curriculum, including survival techniques and photography, is offered on Friday afternoons to pupils in Years 7 and 8.

  • 3.8 A good range of subjects is offered at GCSE, with most pupils following courses in individual sciences, and all expected to study a language besides English. Provision at A level is excellent, including government and politics and psychology. There is a reasonable level of flexibility in meeting individual pupils' needs and choices.

  • 3.9 An effective and comprehensive personal, social, citizenship and health education (PSCHE) programme is co-ordinated well with religious studies and philosophy (RSP) lessons and is taught by form tutors. Formal monitoring of individual pupils' progress in this area is limited. The Union' programme for sixth-formers, which they find stimulating, offers enrichment in a good range of areas such as politics and life skills.

  • 3.10 An excellent system identifies and caters for those pupils with LDD and/or EAL. Tests in Year 7 identify the pupils' needs, which are clarified with staff, and appropriate learning plans are constructed. Regular meetings about, and additional reports for, these pupils ensure good communication. Individual support sessions are provided where necessary, and some sixth-form pupils provide additional help for younger pupils.

  • 3.11 In Years 7 to 9 all learning, except mathematics, occurs in mixed-ability groups. This requires appropriate levels of challenge for all pupils, especially the more able and those with particular talents, to be provided. This happens in most teaching. Departmental handbooks identify such pupils, and clubs, including creative writing and philosophy, provide good additional opportunities.

  • 3.12 An excellent range of extra-curricular activities includes a wide variety of sports, music, drama, often supported by house-based competitions, and a wealth of societies such as the green club and the weird nature' club. All are well supported, but there is no formal system to monitor, recognise and record individual pupils' involvement and achievement. A large number of pupils participate in the D of E scheme.

  • 3.13 Considerable progress in the provision of careers advice has been made since the previous inspection, meeting well the recommendation of that report. Regular careers conventions for pupils in Years 9 to 13 are supported by aptitude tests and external advice. An extensive programme guiding pupils in university application begins early in the sixth form and is considered helpful by them.

  • 3.14 The school has good links with the community. The service element of the D of E scheme enables pupils to work in charity shops or local hospitals, or to visit older members of the community, but this experience is not provided for all pupils. Each year pupils vote for a charity which becomes the focus of a large part of their fundraising. Children from local primary schools regularly attend lunchtime concerts in school. Pupils have regular opportunities to travel abroad, recently to Vietnam and South Africa. Pupils make regular visits to galleries, the opera, theatres and places of historical interest in and around London.

3.(c) The contribution of teaching

  • 3.15 The overall quality of teaching throughout the school is good and frequently it is excellent. Teachers know their pupils well. High levels of achievement and secure understanding are strongly promoted by well-structured teaching which focuses on the needs and opportunities of individual pupils, meeting this aspect of the school's aims highly effectively. The provision for those with LDD and/or EAL is excellent and focused on individual need. More able pupils and those with particular talents frequently thrive on work which offers additional challenge, showing curiosity, flair and imagination. Some younger pupils demonstrated perceptive understanding when asked to prioritise different human rights, making subtle distinctions rapidly.

  • 3.16 Teaching demonstrates high levels of subject expertise. An emphasis on active involvement for pupils in most teaching enables them to develop as independent learners. In the very best lessons, teachers use well-directed questions to extract information and knowledge, encouraging pupils to go well beyond the confines of the syllabus. Sixth-form writing in French demonstrated sophisticated ideas about the European Union. Teaching is planned carefully and uses a variety of resources and activities to make learning more interesting. In most lessons time is managed well. The progress of all pupils is limited in those few lessons where there is a lack of variety in teaching strategies and limited challenge in the activities provided.

  • 3.17 The library is well stocked and is an excellent learning resource, meeting the requirement of the previous inspection report well. The provision of ICT suites throughout the school is effective in supporting exciting and varied approaches to teaching. The use in teaching of a range of ICT resources, including interactive whiteboards, helps to make lessons more stimulating. In sciences, pupils are encouraged to use apparatus and equipment to enhance their investigative skills and become adept in doing so. Pupils in GCSE biology showed advanced practical skills in extracting DNA from kiwi fruit.

  • 3.18 The quality of assessment is good and teachers are well informed about the pupils' progress following whole-school initiatives to develop assessment. Pupils remark that teachers know them well and that they are given sound advice to enable future progress. Teaching makes effective use of standardised tests as benchmarks of progress, although currently only GCSE scores are used as a baseline indicator of the pupils' potential in the sixth form rather than tests which show their innate ability. Regular internal assessment helps to monitor the pupils' progress further. Excellent use of ongoing assessment in psychology made a positive impact on the pupils' learning and achievement in a revision session. In many subjects pupils are set clear long-term targets for improvement but this is not fully developed in all areas. In some subjects such as art and the sciences, pupils assess each other's work to good effect. Younger pupils in English successfully evaluated their own work as a starting point for discussion of war poetry, extending their understanding. Written work is marked regularly overall, providing helpful comments to pupils, but there is inconsistency in practice within departments. Pupils respond enthusiastically and make rapid progress when work is marked frequently and contains targets for improvement.

4. THE QUALITY OF THE PUPILS' PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

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

  • 4.1 The quality of the pupils' personal development is excellent, in response to the school's aim to treat every pupil as an individual. The success of this aim is reflected in the very high levels of confidence and articulacy nurtured throughout the school. These indicators of the pupils' excellent spiritual development are developed particularly effectively through participation in the performing arts and sport at high levels by pupils of all ages. It is further evident in respect for the faiths and views of others, manifested in strong friendships which transcend cultural differences, encouraged by the ethos of inclusivity promoted by the school. Pupils develop an effective understanding of various faiths through RSP and PSCHE lessons, form periods and assemblies.

  • 4.2 Pupils develop a strong moral understanding. Sixth-formers write with sophistication about ethical issues such as natural law. In activities, they discuss topics such as cloning and stem-cell research with sensitivity, and are open to differing opinions. Others debate ethical dilemmas enthusiastically with one another, espousing contrasting philosophical standpoints. Younger pupils show an enthusiasm for supporting ecological causes both in PSCHE work and in practice through the green committee, promoting recycling within the school. In class they discuss the morality of war with evident integrity.

  • 4.3 The pupils' excellent social development is demonstrated in a willingness to take responsibilities as representatives on the school council, leaders of house activities and within instrumental ensembles and sports teams. Pupils work together highly effectively. Their behaviour is good, strengthened by recent revisions of the school's approach to promoting high standards in this area. They respond well to the opportunities offered in the curriculum for them to learn about civic institutions and responsibilities. Younger pupils show a good understanding, relative to their age, of the workings of Parliament and older pupils develop mature attitudes to issues such as university tuition fees. Pupils show strong support for charitable causes, suggesting groups for consideration as the school's annual charity and responding promptly to disasters across the world, promoting sponsored events to raise money for aid.

  • 4.4 Pupils show excellent cultural awareness, participating in a wide range of activities related to their own and other cultures. Sixth-formers commented on the strong impact made by a sporting tour of South Africa which enabled them to meet others from very different cultural and social backgrounds. In music, younger pupils study a wide range of cultures, from Pachelbel to Brazilian samba, and develop effective personal responses. In performance, they move easily from rhythm and blues to traditional Western classical genres. In art, younger pupils show a good understanding of the key features of individual artists' work and express their subjective reactions in a mature way for their age. They participate enthusiastically in visits to opera and theatre and look forward eagerly to the school's annual music theatre production.

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

  • 4.5 The contribution to pupils' personal development of the school's arrangements for welfare, health and safety is overall good. Pupils receive excellent pastoral care within a well-organised support structure. The guidance they receive is highly effective in promoting their wellbeing. Pupils feel valued, listened to and cared for and they develop as confident, articulate, happy individuals, proud of their achievements. Systems for pastoral support and guidance make a positive and effective contribution to the personal development of the pupils; new posts of responsibility for pastoral care have been created as part of recent revision of management structures in recognition of its importance. The school meets its aim to treat every pupil as an individual and to provide outstanding pastoral care with resounding success.

  • 4.6 There are excellent relationships between staff and pupils and amongst pupils themselves, including mentoring of younger pupils by sixth-formers. The school community has a family feel and form tutors give high levels of support. Teaching and non-teaching staff are clear about their responsibilities in fostering the academic and pastoral development of pupils in their care and they provide outstanding support and guidance. They are alert to and prioritise the needs of the pupils. These are discussed regularly at the weekly meeting of pastoral staff and action is taken immediately should it be necessary. The work of the pastoral team is supported effectively by counselling staff who are involved in the weekly team meetings.

  • 4.7 The arrangements to ensure the welfare, health and safety of pupils are good. The school now has robust arrangements to safeguard pupils but in past years the pursuit of references prior to the appointment of staff has not been consistent with the guidance given in Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education. Regular and effective training in child protection is given to all staff, including those with specific responsibilities, and procedures are understood clearly. It has good measures to guard against bullying. Pupils are confident that any such issues are dealt with swiftly and effectively. Planning for access for those with physical or learning needs is appropriate, and the school's practice in this area is strong. Registration of pupils is methodical and absence is followed up quickly. The school maintains an appropriate admission register. Good arrangements exist for pupils who feel unwell and are operated in conjunction with an effective first aid policy. Measures to prevent risks of fire and other hazards are excellent, and arrangements for health and safety on educational visits are good.

  • 4.8 The school promotes a healthy lifestyle well, through its excellent provision for the pupils' physical development and helpful advice on healthy eating in the PSCHE programme. A good range of nutritious food is provided at lunchtime, although the school's dining arrangements are cramped.

5. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNANCE, LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

5.(a) The quality of governance

  • 5.1 Good governance is effective in supporting the school's aims. Recent revision to governance structures to give greater independence to the John Lyon governing body while strengthening supportive links with the Harrow Foundation have resulted in an energetic approach to oversight of the school. This is evident in the work of a well-structured series of committees overseeing areas such as finance and the school estate. These have ensured successful attention to those areas of the premises where recommendations were made in the previous inspection report. Some parts of the premises, such as the catering areas, are in need of modernisation, but well-advanced plans are in place for this work to be completed.

  • 5.2 Governors support the school's planning well in terms of strategy and ensuring good levels of staffing and resources. They share the ambitious vision of the school's senior leaders for its future, particularly in maintaining and raising further its strong academic standards and its promotion of high standards of behaviour. They attend school events and review safeguarding and health and safety arrangements through regular scrutiny at meetings. This is strengthened by the nomination of individual governors to liaise with the school in these areas, as well a governor to develop links with different groupings in the school community. The reports received and visits made enable appropriate oversight of those areas where governors have legal responsibilities to be maintained. However, government guidance on recruitment checks for new staff has not been consistently applied in the past.

5.(b) The quality of leadership and management

  • 5.3 Leadership is strong and management is good overall, ensuring that the school's aims are met successfully. Senior leaders identify the needs of the school well. Appointments at senior level and revised management structures since the previous inspection have resulted in effective, ongoing review of the school's provision. The head has a strong vision for the future. The school's inclusive ethos is promoted strongly, resulting in the pupils' excellent personal development. Well-focused educational direction contributes much to the pupils' high levels of achievement. Comprehensive and clear policies are introduced at all levels of management, implemented successfully, and monitored generally well, although oversight of marking and the use of imaginative teaching styles lacks rigour in some areas.

  • 5.4 Development planning reflects ambitious yet realistic aims for the future. It includes clearly identified criteria for success and the financial implications are carefully assessed. Careful budgeting ensures that pastoral and academic areas of school life receive good resources to support the pupils' development.

  • 5.5 The school secures highly-qualified staff who fully support the school's ethos. They are deployed effectively. A regular system of staff review is operated well. Staff understand their roles, although precise job descriptions do not currently exist for senior management roles created recently. Staff are encouraged to develop their skills and interests through training which meets their needs and those of the school. Checking procedures to ensure staff suitability to work with children are now fully robust and the central register is maintained effectively, although there have been shortcomings in the checking of references in the past. Staff are trained for their roles in safeguarding pupils, and in the provision for their welfare, health and safety. Secretarial, administrative and other non-teaching staff are fully integrated into the life of the school and they play active roles in supporting pupils, some pastorally and others through dedicated maintenance of school facilities.

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

  • 5.6 The quality of the school's links with parents, carers and guardians is excellent and is a significant element in its successful provision of an excellent all-round education. The parents' responses to pre-inspection questionnaires show overall satisfaction with the school's provision and confidence in the school's academic work and the pastoral support their children receive. Some expressed concerns about the progress made by their children and standards of behaviour, but inspectors did not find any evidence to support these views.

  • 5.7 Parents have very good opportunities to be involved in the work and progress of their children. They regularly support teams and attend plays, concerts, art exhibitions, house activities and whole-school events such as cross-country and other sports days. The Friends and Parents Association is active and stimulates interest in and support for the school, while promoting popular, informal social events that help to engender a community spirit.

  • 5.8 Parents of pupils and prospective pupils receive all the required information about the school. They are further informed through curriculum and trip information evenings, induction meetings and target-setting sessions. Regular newsletters and a well-designed website provide useful up-to-date information on all aspects of school life. The school has recently developed this area of its work through initiatives such as electronic communication, and a parent area on the website which provides them with immediate access to timetable, attendance, assessment and much achievement information for their children.

  • 5.9 Some parents expressed a desire for more frequent reports on their child's progress. Inspectors judge that current reporting, providing two academic parents' evenings and one written report per year, provides a good insight into the pupils' achievements and development. Reports are of good quality; however, there is no formal procedure for recording individual pupils' achievements in extra-curricular activities, although some form tutors' comments record successes outside the classroom.

  • 5.10 Parental concerns are handled well. Some parents expressed disquiet with this area of the school's provision. Inspection evidence does not support this view. Records of concerns expressed by parents show that they are dealt with within a satisfactory timescale, recorded appropriately, and addressed effectively. The school has a good complaints policy in place but this has not needed to be implemented recently.

What the school should do to improve is given at the beginning of the report in section 2.

INSPECTION EVIDENCE

The inspectors observed lessons, conducted formal interviews with pupils and examined samples of the pupils' work. They held discussions with senior members of staff and with the chair of governors, observed a sample of the extra-curricular activities that occurred during the inspection period, and attended registration sessions. 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 regulatory documentation made available by the school.

Inspectors

Mr Martin Bussey Mrs Lynda Corry Mr Peter Sutton

Reporting Inspector

Head, ISA School

Former Deputy Head, HMC School

Mr Julian Thould

Head, HMC School

Mr Alun Watkins

Head, HMC School

 

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