ISI Inspection

PUPILS' ACHIEVEMENTS: 

• These high levels of attainment are supported by teaching which sets clear learning objectives and uses a range of well-produced and varied resources delivered with pace.
• Even from their strong starting points, pupils’ GCSE and A-level results are higher than expected for their ability.
• The development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills across all areas of learning is excellent. Pupils regularly display an ability to work at levels higher than would be expected for pupils of similar ages.
• Pupils’ knowledge and understanding in many subjects is supported and developed by skilful questioning from teachers and consistently high expectations.
• Pupils’ communication skills are advanced for their age. They actively look for opportunities in lessons to argue or discuss and in so doing develop their knowledge and understanding. Pupils are highly articulate when providing explanations and demonstrate an excellent ability to listen attentively; their oral and written communication skills are highly developed.
• Pupils demonstrate excellent numeracy skills across all subject areas and they transfer these skills successfully between subjects.
• Pupils in all year groups demonstrate strong information, communication and technology (ICT) skills in their ease of using information technology to take notes across all subjects; they move between books, tablets and other devices to organise their studies and exhibit a determined independence.
• Pupils show excellent study skills developed through the many opportunities provided.
• Pupils’ academic and other achievements are excellent, in conformation of the school’s aspiration to help each pupil flourish intellectually and personally.
• Pupils’ strong attitudes towards their learning are a key factor in assuring their high levels of achievement. These extremely positive attitudes are central to the aims and values of the school, which are well understood and practised by pupils, and which the school succeeds in meeting. They are strengthened by the value the school places on high achievement and by the pupils’ own desire to attain highly.

PUPILS' PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT:

• Pupils have a highly developed sense of self-understanding. In this way the school successfully achieves its aim to develop pupils’ self-knowledge and self-confidence. Pupils understand themselves and clearly express both the importance of continued learning and their pride in the school. This is because the school’s culture of strong pastoral care, through which pupils’ progress and well-being are carefully monitored, means that pupils are well-known by their teachers and are given time to develop and express themselves. Pupils are extremely self-confident and independent. The school thus fully meets its aim to help each pupil develop self-knowledge and self-confidence.
• Pupils understand that the decisions they make are the determinants for their own success. They are mature and reflective self-starters and need little behavioural correction.
• Pupils have a highly developed spiritual understanding and can give convincing reasons for the values they espouse, responding with enthusiastic arguments in discussion.
• Pupils have high standards of behaviour in class and around the school. They are supportive of the school’s values and appreciate the way in which their teachers deal promptly with any behavioural issues. They understand the importance of rules and laws, accept responsibility for their own behaviour and show a keen sense of fair play in sports.
• Pupils form productive relationships with each other and collaborate well. A strong sense of a proud community allows the pupils to feel secure to discuss moral, social and political issues.
• Pupils … collaborate exceptionally well in lessons and regularly provide encouragement, advice and guidance to each other.
• Pupils have a sophisticated sense of their responsibilities to each other and the local community.
• Pupils show great respect to their peers and value diversity within their school. Inspectors witnessed a tolerant, inclusive, multi-cultural learning community whose pupils demonstrate sensitivity, acceptance and, at the very least, tolerance to all and a willingness to listen to the views of others. Pupils demonstrate excellent levels of empathy.