The Godolphin School

 

The Godolphin School

 

The Godolphin School is a boarding and day school for girls aged from eleven to eighteen. The school aims to be an inclusive, forward-looking community which provides a broad- based, liberal education that will enable each girl to fulfil her potential so that she may live her life to the full, whilst playing a responsible part in society and showing an active concern for other people. Although founded in the tradition of the Church of England, and retaining deeply-rooted Christian values, Godolphin also welcomes girls of other denominations and faiths.

 

 

Founded by the will of Elizabeth Godolphin in 1726, the school is the second oldest girls’ school in England and has played a pioneering role in women’s education. Situated within easy walking distance of Salisbury’s historic centre, Godolphin has occupied its present

sixteen-acre site since 1891. The main building is Victorian and the other buildings represent  a range of 20th -century architectural styles, as the school has developed, the most recent

additions being a performing arts centre, an indoor swimming pool and fitness centre, a new boarding house and a sixth-form study centre.

The school aims to educate girls in an environment of excellence in academic endeavour, sport, the arts and personal development, celebrating diversity of community and thought, and respect for all. Every girl is encouraged to find her own unique talents and abilities, develop her own perspective, and realise her full potential so that she can meet the opportunities and challenges ahead.

 

 

At the time of the inspection, there were 437 pupils, of whom 158 were boarders and 137 were in the sixth form. Entry to the school is selective. Girls are admitted at the ages of eleven, twelve or thirteen following either the Common Entrance or scholarship examination. Entrance to the sixth form is dependent on an interview and written papers, usually a general paper and papers in two of the subjects that the candidate proposes to study for A level. Candidates must also have a satisfactory report from their school and an expectation that they will gain at least five GCSE passes at grade C or above, with grade B or above in the subjects that they intend to study. Entry at other ages is occasionally possible if places are available.

 

 

Since the previous inspection, the range of qualifications in the sixth form has been extended and a sixth form study centre has been created. The site is shared by the senior school and the prep school which incorporates the Early Years Foundation Stage. Boarding accommodation is provided in three houses; one for preparatory pupils and those aged 11-12, one for senior pupils (aged 13-16) and one for sixth form pupils.

Scores in standardised tests taken by girls entering the school in Year 7 indicate that the average ability of the pupils in the school is well above the national average. Where pupils are performing in line with their abilities their examination results are expected to be well above the average achieved nationally in all maintained schools, but below those achieved in maintained selective schools.

Pupils come from a range of professional backgrounds from a wide catchment area around Salisbury as well as other parts of the country. Approximately one-tenth of pupils are from overseas. Nationally standardised test data provided by the school indicate that the ability of the pupils in the prep and the senior schools is above average and the ability profile of pupils in the sixth form is broadly average. The school has identified 57 pupils as having special educational needs and/or disabilities, which include dyslexia and slow processing, most of whom receive additional specialist help. No pupil in the school has an education, health and care plan or a statement of special educational needs. English is an additional language for 50 pupils, some of whom are supported by one-to-one lessons and their classroom teachers. The school runs a scholarship programme which provides a range of additional activities for those identified by as the most able in its population.

 

 

UNDERSTAND THE GODOLPHIN SCHOOL  

 

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Curriculum Overview

 

The curriculum promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, intellectual, social and physical development of our students, preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.

The Godolphin School offer a broad and liberal education which:
– enables each student to fulfil her individual potential in the areas relevant to her personal abilities, skills and interests
– encourages her to grow towards personal maturity as friend, spouse, partner, employee, employer and citizen
– The school expect students to acquire key skills in speaking, listening, literacy and numeracy, making suitable provision for those for whom English is not their first language (See EAL Policy).
– Through the curriculum we actively promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs; we encourage students to respect other people, with particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010.
• The school encourage students to enjoy the learning process, developing lively, imaginative and enquiring minds
• The school encourage students to develop personal and moral values, respect for each person, other cultures, religions and ways of life
• The school equip students to develop study skills necessary to realise their learning potential and equip them to be lifelong learners
• The school enable students to acquire skills and knowledge relevant to adult life and a world of rapid and continuous technological change
• The school ensure that students can make informed choices and are suitably prepared for the next stage of their life and education
• Through our assessment process, we aim to give students a knowledge of their current strengths and weaknesses and encourage them to develop their abilities and talents
• The school aspire to the best possible environment in support of the teaching and learning process
• The school encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning and development
• The school recognise that excellent and inspiring teachers are intrinsic to successful learning
          Students follow a programme of personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCEE – Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship and Economic Education), reflecting the School’s aims and ethos and further stimulating their appreciation of Fundamental British Values. Appropriate and comprehensive careers guidance is provided through the Bright Futures Programme by the Schools’ Careers Advisor (The Head of the Bright Futures Programme) in association with external agencies as appropriate. Both of these elements are delivered in KS3 via the Godolphin Learning Programme which takes place in one 65 minute per period each week. At KS4, they are delivered via PHSCEE lessons and in KS5 it is delivered via the EGA.
The Deputy Head Academic and the Head of the Prep School work together to ensure that the transition from Year Six to the First Year of the Senior School is smooth. There is liaison between departments in the Senior and Prep School, aimed at writing Key Stage 3 schemes of work which build on the work and further develop the skills covered in Years 5 and 6, whilst also ensuring that the schemes of work in Key Stage 2 prepare the girls fully for their transition to secondary school. Girls from the Prep School use the specialist facilities in the Senior School (for example, the Art block, IT suites, Performing Arts Centre, Food Tech Rooms) and some teachers from the Senior School also teach the Prep students. Learning support and EAL lessons cover both schools and are delivered by the same specialist team of support staff.
        Godolphin aims to provide a curriculum programme offering considerable variation and specialisation. Students’ different needs are met by using a variety of methods, materials and assessments. Academic scholars are expected to attend weekly activities on offer through the Scholar’s Enhancement programme, the aim of which is to stretch and challenge the most able students. This stretch and challenge programme is open to all other students in the school who are encouraged to attend activities which interest them.
          For the first three years the curriculum provides a broad-based education in both traditional and contemporary subjects. The First Year (NC Year 7) timetable includes:
English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Science, French, Spanish, German, Latin, Religious Studies, History, Geography, Food and Design Technology, Information and Communication Technology, Art and Design, PHSE, Music, Drama, Physical Education.
Our KS3 curriculum has been reformed from September 2019, During the First Year, all students study French and then pick up Spanish in the Second Year from September 2020. Mandarin is also introduced to students in the summer term of the First Year and there is a Mandarin club for Second Year students and above, which can lead to a GCSE in Mandarin. Almost all students continue to study two languages until the end of the Third Year and almost all must choose at least one modern language for GCSE.
During the first to third years, students are taught in ability groups known as ‘Divisions’ in Mathematics and English (from part-way through the First Year) and additionally in Latin/Classical Civilisation (from the Second Year) and Science (from the Third Year).
During the Third Year, students begin a process of review to reach informed decisions about the precise course of study that each would be best advised to follow for the two years to GCSE. It is our policy to sustain a balanced programme of study to give each individual a sound, broad based education to 16 and to ensure that the widest possible opportunities are available later on. Thus the main GCSE programme at Godolphin consists of between 8 and 10 subjects; certain subjects are not optional but form a core programme followed by all students.
The core subjects are:
i English
ii English Literature iii Mathematics
iv A modern foreign language, either French, or German or Spanish (EAL girls may be
withdrawn to receive specialist English support. They are offered the opportunity to take an
IGCSE in their mother tongue ie Mandarin, Cantonese etc)
v Science – either Single Science, giving one GCSE, Double Award Science, which gives two
GCSE awards, or Physics, Chemistry and Biology as three separate awards.
To the core, three option subjects are added. Within this framework, there is scope for negotiation and the final programme for each individual should reflect her personal strengths and interests. (See GCSE Curriculum handbook for optional subjects which may vary from year to year, depending on staffing or pupil numbers). The most able mathematicians in the top division may also take a Level 2 certificate in Further Maths alongside their GCSE.

 

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THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

 

King Edward VI School is a selective independent day school founded in 1553. Since 1938 it has been on its present site near the centre of Southampton. The school has playing fields on site as well as extensive grounds with playing fields and sports facilities some distance from the school, to which pupils travel by coach or minibus.

Most pupils join the school at the age of eleven in approximately equal numbers from maintained primary or independent preparatory schools. There are additional points of entry at the ages of thirteen and sixteen. Pupils are selected through an interview, a report from the head of the previous school and the results of an entrance examination with GCSE grades used for sixth-form entrants. Some forty pupils leave from Year 11 each year and approximately twenty enter the sixth form from a mixture of maintained and independent schools.

The total number of pupils is currently 974 of whom 737 are in Years 7 to 11 and 237 in the sixth form. Altogether there are 584 boys and 390 girls in the school. The pupils come from as far away as Salisbury, Fareham and the New Forest. Many travel by the school’s own bus service. They are mostly from professional and business families. The range of backgrounds is extended through the school’s bursary scheme. Pupils are predominantly of white British origin, with a small proportion of other cultural backgrounds, mainly from local Asian and Chinese communities.

The school aims to maintain and extend academic excellence, to foster in every pupil a sense of personal worth, to help each achieve his or her potential and to offer an extensive range of extra-curricular activities. It seeks to develop and sustain close links with the community and to encourage all its pupils to become responsible members of society. The school emphasises the importance of contact with parents.

The ability profile of the school is significantly above the national average. Sixty-one pupils have been identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and eighteen of these receive specialist learning support from the school. A further seventeen pupils receive specialist learning support in literacy but have not been formally assessed as having specific learning difficulties. Thirty-six pupils have a first language other than English but only two of these require language support.

National Curriculum (NC) nomenclature is used throughout this report to refer to year groups in the school. The year group nomenclature used by the school and its National Curriculum equivalence are shown in the following table.

 

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THE SUCCESS OF THE SCHOOL

 

The high quality of the education provided for pupils at each stage of their development successfully reflects the school’s aims and philosophy, as was found to be the case at the last inspection. The curriculum is broad and balanced and the girls’ creative development is nurtured through a strong provision of music, art and drama. Extra-curricular provision is good and includes frequent opportunities for trips and foreign visits. The committed staff work hard to foster a supportive and encouraging environment for the benefit of their pupils’ education, and strong mutual respect is evident.

Throughout the school the curriculum enables the development of articulate and numerate pupils who have good linguistic, scientific, social, aesthetic, creative and physical skills. They write, speak and listen intelligently, and they work hard. The curriculum allows for the development of an appropriate range of knowledge, understanding and skills. Creative grouping of subjects in the curriculum for Years 7 and 8 allows for the provision of Latin and three modern languages. Although facilities for the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in lessons are limited by the fact that many lessons are taught in classrooms shared by several departments, provision for use of ICT is generally good, and pupils have ready access to ICT facilities for further research and homework in the library and in the boarding houses. The school has improved its ICT provision since the last inspection.

The excellent personal, religious and social education (PERSIL) programme is wide ranging in Years 7 to 11. After Year 11, however, the curriculum has no structured or timetabled programme of non-examined subjects. Apart from some specially arranged sessions, such as advice on student finance or a sex education talk, the provision of personal development depends on pupils’ choices, such as their A-level and extra-curricular options, the acts of worship and their responsiveness to the general ethos of the school rather than on a prescribed programme within the curriculum. The sixth-form curriculum is the subject of ongoing discussion in the school. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DoE) scheme at bronze, silver and gold levels is very well supported and provides excellent opportunities for girls to undertake community service projects. Participation in the school’s combined cadet force (CCF) is encouraged and offers valuable opportunities for adventurous training and developing leadership skills. A wide range of extra-curricular activities is organized at lunchtimes, in the evening and at weekends, though some have limited support from girls and participation in the programme is variable, so the benefit derived from this provision is uneven. Sport, creative cookery, music, drama and art are popular extra-curricular activities, and house events, such as a recent inter-house music competition, often involve large numbers of girls throughout the school.

Careers education is good. Pupils in Year 12 benefit from work experience arranged in the summer term and those in Year 10 are involved in work shadowing. Regular careers information events are arranged with other local schools. Thorough advice on higher education and university application is given to girls in the sixth form, and a programme organized by the head of sixth form provides well-informed individual support for their applications. External agencies, professional careers advisors and links with local businesses are also utilised as needed. Virtually all pupils proceed to higher education, sometimes following a GAP Year. Designated coordinators advise potential applicants to Oxford or Cambridge universities from Year 11 onwards. Information about GCSE and A level options is disseminated via a well-planned programme in Years 9 and 11 respectively.
The Godolphin School 4

The curriculum is effectively managed and a series of good-quality booklets describe its content for parents. The recently restructured curriculum review group, involving senior heads of department and chaired by the director of studies, has begun to look at current curricular issues in order to keep pace with changes in examination specifications at GCSE and A level. Flexibility in the curriculum allows for response to individual needs, for example, the provision of Greek for talented classicists. Enrichment for gifted and talented pupils is provided through meetings of the seminar society in the sixth form and through the occasional meetings of the ‘Alpinists’ for girls throughout the school. International GCSEs have been introduced in mathematics and science to provide more extensive syllabus content. A good range of links has been developed to support the curriculum and a very well- structured and wide-ranging programme of field trips and visits enhances the educational experience that is provided at all stages. A recent history trip to the First World War battlefields of France and Belgium developed girls’ understanding of the conditions of trench warfare and, last year, a business studies and economics trip to the Czech Republic enabled examination of the glass and car production industries.

The recently appointed further learning coordinator, whose rôle is to oversee the help given to pupils with particular learning needs, ensures that all teachers have relevant updated information concerning girls in their classes who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD), as well as herself providing valuable support for particular individuals. Provision for pupils with LDD is good and enables them to progress and achieve well in relation to their abilities. Support for those girls for whom English is an additional language, for which parents pay separately, is well organized by an external agency, which liaises closely with the school.

 

 

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THE QUALITY OF ACADEMIC AND OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

 

Throughout the school, pupils achieve well in relation to their abilities in both academic study and other activities. They are enthusiastic, well-motivated learners who come into their lessons expecting to work hard and settle in a business-like manner. As at the time of the last inspection, the school can be justifiably proud of its pupils’ attitude to their work and their behaviour.

Pupils are well grounded in their knowledge, skill and understanding in the subjects and activities provided, and they can apply these skills effectively and think and act critically and creatively. In Year 11, discussing racial discrimination in a religious studies lesson, for example, they demonstrated their good knowledge, their ability to reason and their sharp insight as they linked the story of the Good Samaritan to contemporary attitudes towards strangers. Pupils’ work throughout the school reveals high levels of literacy and numeracy. They express themselves fluently both on paper and orally in class, they are excellent listeners, and they are able to develop their own arguments and opinions. Standards of written work are high. They plan and present their work carefully.

Pupils apply mathematics and mathematical skills effectively in other subjects as necessary, including science, geography and economics. Girls in a Year 12 biology lesson confidently plotted graphs to investigate the effect of temperature on the permeability of cell membranes in beetroot, and distance-time calculations involving fractions in a Year 10 physics lesson were performed accurately without a calculator.

ICT skills are well developed, as was seen in a Year 9 class where pupils confidently used a computer-aided design software package to plan their ideal fantasy home and also in the files of Year 13 further mathematicians who had used a graph-drawing package to investigate conic sections. However, the application of ICT skills, apart from word-processing, is evident in books and files in only a few subjects. The school is aware of the need to continue developments in the use of ICT within other subjects to enhance learning.

Pupils achieve well across the whole range of subjects and abilities, including those with LDD and those girls for whom English is an additional language. During the three years to 2007, the latest for which national comparative data was available at the time of the inspection, results at GCSE were far above the average obtained nationally by girls in all maintained schools, and in line with the average achieved in maintained selective schools. Results at GCSE are good in relation to the pupils’ abilities. Standardised measures indicate that pupils who enter the school in Year 7 make progress to GCSE that is well above the national average for pupils of similar ability, but corresponding data is not collected for those who join the school in Year 9.

Over the same three-year period, results at A level were well above the average for all maintained schools, and in line with those achieved in maintained selective schools. Results at A level are also good in relation to the ability of the pupils. The school does not use standardised measurements of progress at A level. GCSE and A-level results achieved in 2008 were consistent with those in the previous three years.

Individuals and groups of pupils have achieved distinction in a wide range of activities. In lacrosse and hockey, several girls have been selected for national squads and have been invited to attend training at the regional centre for excellence. Throughout the school groups of pupils have been involved in highly-acclaimed performances in drama, and chamber music groups have achieved noteworthy success, in particular the vocal ensemble who reached the national selection stage in the BBC 3 ‘Youth Choir of the Year’ competition and the under- 16 brass ensemble, who were national finalists in the Pro Corda schools’ chamber music competition.

An exceptionally large number of pupils achieve DoE awards, including more than 40 gold awards last year. Wide-ranging achievement helps girls grow in confidence and stimulates their enjoyment in working well together, so making a significant contribution to the high levels of personal development which they achieve.

Effective note-taking and organisation of exercise books and files are apparent across all age groups and teaching frequently lays the foundation of these skills. By Year 11 most pupils have acquired the abilities to make their own notes and to organise their study with some independence. Although in a few lessons pupils are insufficiently challenged to undertake independent study, when given the opportunity they show a facility for working independently. In a sixth-form art lesson, for example, the internet was used effectively to research a variety of painting styles and, in a Year 11 food technology lesson, pupils worked purposefully on their coursework projects, seeking guidance from the teacher as they required it.

Pupils cooperate, study and work effectively in groups and teams. They concentrate well on their own learning and are mutually supportive, working sensibly in pairs and groups to complete a required task. Girls in a music lesson in Year 8, divided into small ensembles, cooperated well on a simple jazz piece, devising improvisations and then performing their compositions with verve and enthusiasm. Successful and enjoyable group work was apparent in a drama lesson in Year 13 as the pupils rehearsed their devised pieces and the teacher allowed them to use their imaginative and organisational skills to develop further their own ideas in a collaborative and fruitful session.

Pupils of all ages arrive promptly for lessons, settle to their work quickly and apply themselves with perseverance. Purposeful enjoyment of work and activities can be seen at all levels and in most areas of the school. Their persistence was evident, for instance, in a sixth- form further mathematics lesson in which pupils were determined to find a minor slip in their working to ensure that the demanding expansion that they were deriving was correct. They have an exemplary attitude towards their learning and this, along with a high level of self- discipline and excellent behaviour, contributes to their considerable success as learners.

 

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THE QUALITY OF THE PUPILS’ PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

 

The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is outstanding. The school continues to fulfil its aims to develop confidence, independence, tolerance, responsibility and a sense of belonging, to develop spiritual and social awareness, and to support the Christian values inherent in its foundation, as was so at the time of the last inspection. The school is highly successful in developing in the pupils an awareness of the spiritual and moral dimensions to human life, their responsibilities as members of society, and different cultures and beliefs. High-quality individual pastoral care enables girls to develop self-knowledge and self-confidence. The house system encourages positive relationships and fosters social development and loyalty. At house and school assemblies the sense is of an extended family gathering. In their responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire, parents were overwhelmingly supportive of the attitudes and values promoted by the school.

The recent appointment of a full-time chaplain is an explicit affirmation of the school’s continuing and lively commitment to its Christian tradition. The worship, teaching and values which characterise the life of the school enable girls to achieve appropriate awareness of the spiritual dimension of human beings. The number of confirmation candidates is testimony to the school’s success in enabling pupils to deepen their spiritual understanding and express their commitment. While no timetabled religious studies teaching occurs after Year 9, the pattern of regular worship includes weekly assemblies, regular prayers, services in Salisbury Cathedral, and, during the week of the inspection, well-devised and moving Armistice Day remembrance ceremonies. The Elizabeth Godolphin Commemoration Service in Westminster Abbey during the weekend preceding the inspection had evidently made a deep impression on those who attended.

The creative and performing arts departments provide much rich stimulus and, on frequent occasions, spiritually uplifting experiences. Original writing is generated by, for instance, a creative writing group, the summer holiday writing competition and poetry day. A lively, purposeful rehearsal of The Mikado, involving pupils from all age groups, was observed during the inspection and the vocal ensemble, finalists in a recent national competition, made an outstanding contribution to a morning assembly. High-quality artwork in various media is produced, although opportunities for its display around the school are not widely taken.

Pupils develop a strong moral sense and gain apposite knowledge and understanding of a wide range of moral and social issues. Initially this is achieved through the PERSIL programme provided for all girls in Years 7 to 11, which includes informative introductions to a number of the public institutions and services in England. The demeanour and behaviour of pupils are clear indicators of a community whose members have an excellent and well-developed sense of right and wrong. While the range of sanctions and the boundaries of acceptability are well known, discipline is not a significant issue as far as the day-to-day life of the school is concerned. Self-discipline and consideration for others predominate. Proud of their school and affectionate towards it, the pupils conduct themselves in a courteous and civilised manner. With rules and restrictions kept to a minimum, the sixth-formers’ regime is based on trust and the pupils do not find it necessary to fight against it. The relaxed, friendly atmosphere is a distinctive characteristic of the school’s ethos.

The social development of the pupils is outstanding. Relationships at all levels, between staff and pupils and between the pupils themselves are very positive, reflecting strong mutual respect and regard. Girls benefit from the many opportunities for leadership, teamwork and service, for instance through the prefect system, team captaincy, the school council, the charity committee, ‘godmothering’ new pupils, the DoE award scheme, the CCF and community service. Proportionately to its overall numbers, the school has very many DoE candidates for gold awards. A sense of social responsibility is evident in the charitable ventures organised by the girls, who annually raise substantial sums for good causes in this country and abroad. Social enrichment is provided by the many formal and informal events which bring together diverse groups of staff and pupils during the course of a year. Pupil-led activities are encouraged and senior girls are willing to take the lead, for instance in raising money for charity and the inter-house performing arts weekend.

Pupils have a high level of respect for and appreciation of their own and other cultures. The school amply fulfils its aim of welcoming girls of other faiths and of fostering tolerance and understanding both within and beyond its own community. The religious studies syllabus gives a generous amount of time to world religions other than Christianity. Many overseas trips are arranged, some of which, such as an art trip to Florence or visits to the battlefields of the First World War, are specifically related to an aspect of an academic discipline. Pupils who have been on ventures to India, Israel, Honduras and Tanzania report that their knowledge and understanding have been greatly enhanced by their immersion in unfamiliar cultures.

The school meets the regulatory requirements for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils [Standard 2].

 

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The Quality of Governance 

 

The school is fortunate to have loyal, interested and hard-working governors who continue to provide effective governance in most areas, as was so at the last inspection, and who help to set appropriate aims and values.

The committee structure and arrangements established by the governors are well defined and allow for strong oversight of the finances, building developments, health and safety and child protection procedures. This enables governors to provide valuable support and appropriate advice and challenge to the staff in these areas. The governors’ oversight of educational development is, however, largely dependent on the professional advice of the leadership team at the school, all of whom attend governors’ meetings.

Governors on the development committee are particularly involved in planning and monitoring the future development of the school and the governors have held away days to consider strategic planning. They do not currently include among their number someone with experience of running a secondary school, and this limits their ability to give appropriate advice and challenge to the staff on academic development, an issue they are aware of and are trying to resolve. The governors have established strong and effective systems for safeguarding the school’s financial well-being and the school benefits from good, well-maintained and regularly upgraded buildings and sufficient resources.

Members of the governing body have frequent contact with and are well known to the senior leadership team, giving them good insight into the working of the school. The governors have tried hard to meet and to know other members of the staff through hosting dinners, attending school events and a recently initiated programme of linking to departments and visiting lessons. However, most members of staff still view the governors as being remote and do not understand their role in setting priorities.

Governors are well aware of their responsibilities for the welfare, health and safety of girls. Two governors have been given particular responsibilities to monitor health and safety and child protection procedures, in which capacity they provide valuable support and advice to the school. The governing body is conscientious in reviewing the arrangements for safeguarding children and their effectiveness.

The headmistress and her senior team provide high quality leadership and management, giving clear and positive direction to the school, which is appreciated by all in the school community and which enables the school successfully to fulfil its aims, as was judged to be so at the time of the last inspection.

The leadership group working with the headmistress, comprising the deputy head, the director of studies and the bursar, has been reconstituted with new appointments in all the supporting roles during the last two years. The members of this group are still establishing themselves as an effective team, each with clearly defined roles and responsibilities, but the high quality of the education provided, the excellence of the care of pupils, their outstanding personal development, the very good quality of boarding and the successful fulfilment of the school’s aims, indicate that they are managing the transition well and that continuity of the school’s ethos and expectations has been achieved. They meet weekly to discuss strategy and day-to-day administration and to ensure effective collaboration and unity of purpose.

The school’s management is effective in identifying needs, setting priorities and putting plans into effect, and this has improved since the previous inspection through more detailed and focused departmental and whole-school planning. Clearly identified action points, indicating staff accountability and time scales, in development plans ensure regular review of school needs and priorities and enable progress to be systematically reviewed against defined criteria. The quality of departmental management is generally good, with regular, minuted meetings providing good communication and the means of sharing good practice. Departmental handbooks, including schemes of work, are generally useful working documents which help to set expectations, establish priorities and identify budget proposals, and thus serve as effective instruments for communicating leadership. Efficient management structures are in place to cover all areas of the school and include, on a termly basis, heads of department and council meetings. The council provides an important forum for staff discussion and consultation on a wide range of issues, which enables all members of the staff to make their views known. All committees, including those set up for special projects, are clearly defined in the staff handbook; minutes are kept and made available for staff information.

Clear and appropriate procedures and policies to cover the whole range of school life have been drawn up and implemented. The school publishes a comprehensive staff handbook and list of policies for the use of all parts of the school community, to which parents and pupils can gain access through the website. These are reviewed and updated on a regular basis in the light of their effectiveness.

The recruitment and management of staff are well handled. The school has established a comprehensive centralised recruitment register and all arrangements for the safe recruitment of staff and voluntary helpers are in place. All members of staff are subject to regular and supportive appraisal in relation to their job descriptions. New members of staff joining the school take part in a helpful induction process to secure a sound understanding of the school’s aims and practices. The induction programme for newly-qualified teachers is implemented efficiently, with trained mentors to support the process. Teachers working towards gaining fully qualified status feel well supported. Members of staff, including the non-teaching staff, enjoy a sense of community and work very much as part of a team. Members of the leadership team are regarded as approachable and attentive to the opinions and views of the staff.

The school’s financial resources are well and prudently managed to ensure that the resources and accommodation enjoyed by the community are sufficient to support and enhance the educational aims and meet the needs of the pupils. The school is aware of the need to work towards greater integration and provision of departmental classrooms, offices and storerooms although progress towards this is dependent on funding. The premises and grounds are well kept and reflect the loyalty and dedication of those who care for them. Members of the administrative staff carry out their duties efficiently and with good humour and provide good support in the achievement of the school’s aims.

The school meets the regulatory requirements for the suitability of proprietors and staff and for premises and accommodation [Standards 4 and 5].

The school participates in the national scheme for the induction of newly qualified teachers and meets its requirements.

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Salisbury Cathedral School

 

Salisbury Cathedral School

 

The 900 year history of the school, combined with its incomparable setting beneath the famous spire of Salisbury Cathedral, provides a unique atmosphere of tradition in which to educate our pupils. One of the oldest educational establishments in the world, our school was founded in 1091 by St Osmund, nephew of William the Conqueror and Bishop of Salisbury, to educate the choristers of his Cathedral at Old Sarum, a mile away from our present site.

 

 

After 150 years at Old Sarum, the choristers’ school moved to Salisbury, following the building of the new Cathedral and in 1947 the school finally came to its present home, based in the 13th century buildings and grounds of the Bishop’s Palace.

 

In more recent years, the school added a Pre-Preparatory department and in 1987, the school admitted girls for the first time. Today the school is fully co-educational. 1991 was a memorable year for the school and the Cathedral’s musical tradition with the founding of the first English Cathedral Girls’ choir. This quickly gained a strong reputation and has gone from strength to strength.

In March 2016, Salisbury Cathedral School merged with Leaden Hall School, also based in the Cathedral Close.

 

Today the school makes full use of its historic buildings and extensive grounds and continues to benefit from additional modern facilities.

Salisbury Cathedral School foster an unpressured environment where pupils are encouraged and congratulated every step of the way, celebrating their achievements and promoting a strong sense of self-worth.  The school focus on the individual child means that all staff play a role in discovering strengths and areas that need guidance and support.

Salisbury Cathedral School’s academic results are impressive and consistently out-perform competing schools but, more than this, the children who leave us are confident, self-assured, well-rounded and comfortable in their own skins.

 

 

Music is at the heart of Salisbury Cathedral School and is undoubtedly one of our major strengths. The school educates the boy and girl choristers of Salisbury Cathedral and their expertise and skills enrich the lives of all members of our community. All children are encouraged to play an instrument and the wide range of ensembles, both choral and instrumental, is outstanding.

However, Salisbury Cathedral School offer so much more. Whether it is performing ambitious drama productions, winning regional science competitions and national sporting accolades, writing inspiring poetry or creating beautiful metal-work, pottery and art, we feel we have something to bring out every child’s talents.

 

UNDERSTAND SALISBURY CATHEDRAL SCHOOL

 

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Curriculum Overview

 

  Salisbury Cathedral School broadly follow the revised primary curriculum through Key Stage 2 and combine Key Stage 3 topics with the requirements for Common Entrance and scholarship, following the ISEB syllabus. By the time they leave in Year 8, most children will be well on the way to GCSE standard in academic subjects and many report that, for the first year of their senior school, they go over material they have already been taught.

The School teaches a full range of subjects: English, Drama, Mathematics, Science, French, History, Geography, R.S. Computing, Class Music, PE and Games throughout the Prep school with pupils picking up Latin from Year 5.

Salisbury Cathedral School takes the view that all children have the potential to be gifted or talented in some fields and do not therefore label children as such. In preference, we offer a diverse range of activities both inside and outside the classroom which appeals to children with certain interests or talents. Additionally, there are formal workshops, often at senior schools, for those with particular skills. Sherborne’s ‘Cracking the Code’ day is popular, Godolphin run a number of activities including Classics and Creative Writing. There is the Dauntsey’s Dodecahedron competition and Southampton University’s Science challenge – at which we have an excellent record in winning! Additionally, we participate in a variety of national competitions and offer a broad range of activities, some designed for more able children: Code-breaking, Bridge, and Current Affairs to name but a few.

Children with learning issues are ably supported by our dynamic team in the Learning Centre and there is excellent communication between the Learning Support and teaching staff.

Children are taught in their forms for Years 3 and 4, being set only for Mathematics at this stage. They travel to subject specialists for PE, Games, French, Music, Computing and DT (sometimes Art).  By Year 5, they are gaining independence and are moving to different teachers for most subjects. Years 7 and 8 are taught exclusively by specialists – always the Heads of Department – and are set in the following subjects: Mathematics, Science, English, Latin, French, Computing and Music.

Pupil progress is monitored closely and communication between staff and parents is excellent. Potential scholars are identified early and we have a pleasing track record of scholarships and awards in many disciplines. All pupils have proceeded to their first choice destination school in recent years.

Salisbury Cathedral School Aims:

  1. To provide outstanding teaching where academic, sporting, artistic and musical excellence is sought and celebrated; we want all pupils to be encouraged, excited and challenged through learning.
  2. To be an environment where self-esteem and strong friendships are fostered through outstanding pastoral care, and where open and trusting relationships with parents enable each child to flourish as they discover their individual interests; we want to develop children who better understand themselves, others and the world around them.
  3. To be an outstanding choir school, supporting a cathedral choir of international standing, which inspires and provides wide-ranging musical excellence for the benefit of every child.

 

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THE CHARACTERISTICS OF The Day

 

08:00
Before school care 

08:25
Years 3-5: Junior Choir (Tues), Hymn Practice (Weds)

08:30
Classrooms open

08:40
Registration/Assembly

09:00
Lesson 1 (Assembly – Mondays, Cathedral Assembly – Fridays)

09:40 – 10.40
Lessons

10:40
Break.  Children are given a drink and healthy snack such as homemade flapjack, vegetable dips etc.

11:10 – 12.50
Lessons

12:50
Lessons continue for Years 5-8 (Years 3 & 4 lunch until 13:10)

13:10
Senior Lunch (Years 5-8)

13:50
Years 3 & 4 Lessons

14:10 – 16:10
Lessons

(15.30 – End of school on Wednesdays)

16.15        

 Sign Out in Form Rooms

16.15
End of School.  Children may stay to ‘Little Tea’ (consisting of drinks, toast and fruit).  This is free of charge

16.30 – 17.30
Clubs / Prep for day pupils

 

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THE SUCCESS OF THE SCHOOL

 

Salisbury Cathedral School is a co-educational day and boarding school for pupils aged from 3 to 13. It traces its origins to 1091 and throughout its history has provided education for the boy choristers of Salisbury Cathedral, and for girl choristers since 1991.

The school has a Christian ethos. The Cathedral Chapter, the governing body of the Cathedral, has ultimate responsibility for the appointment of the board of governors for the school. The composition of the board reflects the school’s close association with the Cathedral.

In March 2016 the school merged with the nearby Leaden Hall School, and since September 2016 it has occupied two sites owned by the Cathedral within the Cathedral Close. Currently the Lower School islocated on the old Leaden Hallsite and housesthe Nursery to Year 3 pupils, while Years 4 to 8 are located on the original Cathedral school site in the south-east corner of the Close, with the Bishop’s Palace at its heart.

From September 2017, all pupils will be taught on the Bishop’s Palace site and the small boarding house at Leaden Hall will merge with the other existing boarding house in to form one larger co-educational house. What the school seeks to do. The school aims to provide a rounded and fulfilling educational experience, through which confidence is gained and a love of learning is instilled. It seeks to: promote academic and musical excellence, alongside spiritual awareness; offer wide-ranging creative, physical and leadership opportunities which will enable pupils to develop skills and talents that equip them for life; and, particularly through its boarding community, provide a caring and happy environment and a strong community with Christian values at its core.

 

Support Individual Learning

The school have a team of qualified and experienced teachers who give specialist one to one lessons for Literacy, Numeracy and Study Skills. All the lessons are taught using multi-sensory techniques and they follow a highly structured and cumulative programme.  Staff and pupils contribute to the targets that are set in Individual Education Plans and parents are encouraged to follow their child’s progress on a regular basis either by emails, phone calls or by coming in for a chat.

The school have a thorough screening programme in place and an efficient referral process which ensures that all children are carefully monitored for academic progress from an early age. Year 1 has a thorough catch-up programme which is available, if necessary, to ensure that the acquisition of basic literacy skills is secure. One to one help is available at an early age if pupils are deemed to be at risk of a delay in reading. Maths is also monitored closely and pupils are given the opportunity, at a young age, to work on building their basic understanding and appreciation of the subject. This could be in a small group or on an individual basis.

As children progress through the school we encourage pupils to develop their Study Skills. Memory techniques are taught alongside such skills as note taking, revision methods and mind mapping.

Educational Psychologists visit the school to assess pupils when necessary and access arrangements for exams are organised appropriately.

The pupils in the department have high self-esteem and a positive attitude to learning. Lessons are tailor made for each pupil and take into account an individual’s strengths and weaknesses. All of these approach have led the school to confidence and success.

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THE QUALITY OF ACADEMIC AND OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

 

The quality of pupils’ academic and other achievements is good.

The school successfully meets its aims of providing a rounded and fulfilling educational experience, through which confidence is gained and a love of learning is instilled. It does not take part in National Curriculum tests but the data available from results of standardised tests in English and mathematics, together with evidence from scrutiny of books and lesson observations show attainment to be above national age-related expectations. Pupils achieve very good results in selective senior school entrance examinations, with a significant proportion of them gaining awards and scholarships for academic success, music, art, drama, DT and sport. This level of attainment demonstrates that pupils make good progress from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) onwards. These achievements owe much to teaching which sets high expectations and standards. These qualities are not evident in all teaching, limiting pupils’ progress in some subject areas or age groups, as monitoring is not sufficiently consistent or regular to ensure this. The school has not fully addressed the recommendation of the previous inspection to ensure that the appraisal of staff is regular and is securely linked to individual professional development.

In the EYFS, staff know the children well which ensures that every child is well supported and fulfils their potential, assisted by a well-planned curriculum that ensures that each child’s particular interests and abilities are identified and encouraged. The children’s progress is tracked and suitable interventions are put in place should any gaps in learning be identified, which results in the children making good progress. Children make decisions about which activities to choose, and learn to work harmoniously with their peers. They are happy and enjoy their learning.

Throughout the school, pupils with SEND or EAL achieve at a good level in relation to their starting points as a result of the high quality of support they receive. Pupils of all ages reach their full potential as their individual needs are identified at an early stage and an individual education plan is put in place and implemented. They know the nextstepsrequired to improve their learning, as do parents and staff. One-to-one support and careful planning by class teachers ensures that pupils with particular needs access the curriculum and progress rapidly. Pupils with EAL grow in confidence quickly when using English, enabled by a programme of inclass support. More able pupils respond well when provided additional work that includes heightened challenge, but this is not uniform across all subjects and years. The ethos of the school encourages pupils to experience a broad range of opportunities to discover their particular strengths. Music is a significant strength of many pupils, particularly the choristers, meeting the school’s aim for musical excellence with greatsuccess. The achievements of those in the Cathedral choir are a source of inspiration to everyone.

By the time they leave the school, pupils develop independence and resilience, are comfortable taking risks with their studies and are able to take responsibility for their own learning. This is in response to the school’s great emphasis upon developing pupils’ independence, and encouragement of project work and individual study. In their responses to pre-inspection questionnaire, most pupils agreed that the school provides them the opportunity to learn and make good progress. Inspection evidence supports this view. Review of pupils’ work demonstrated many examples of excellent creative and extended writing and project work in the senior part of the school. These included history essays contrasting effectively the lives and deaths of Becket and Wolsey, and religious studies (RS) projects on Martin Luther King. Opportunities for independent learning for pupils in the middle years are less well developed. In their questionnaire responses, a minority of pupils expressed a view that marking does not help them improve their work. Scrutiny of pupils’ work revealed considerable variation in the quality of marking. Some is very thorough and helpful but much lacks detail to assist the pupils in understanding how they can improve, limiting pupils’ progress. A new assessment and tracking system introduced recently is not yet fully embedded or used, hence the recommendation of the previous inspection to expand and develop more effective tracking of individual and group progress has only been partially met.

Most parents of boarders agreed in their questionnaire responses that the experience of boarding has helped their children’s progress and development. Inspection evidence indicates that boarders make good progress due to the academic support they receive from the house staff, who liaise with academic colleagues regularly so that they fully understand the needs of boarders.

In many subjects such as RS, English, science and physical education, pupils exhibit a strong understanding of appropriate terminology. For example, junior pupils could identify alliteration in a story and used the word appropriately; they understood how regular and irregular verbs change when turning the present tenses into the past. In a senior science lesson, pupils displayed excellent knowledge and understanding of the appropriate terminology when discussing thermal energy. Pupils use their scientific knowledge well to devise investigations, encouraged by the use of open-ended questions in teaching.

Across the age range, pupils are extremely confident and can express their ideas very articulately. Younger children read confidently when sharing pieces prepared for a publicspeaking competition, and older pupils read their poems which were prepared for a competition fluently and with feeling. Pupils’ creative writing is well developed and improves rapidly asthey move through the school. Older pupils used complex sentence structure asthey debated whether the Gunpowder Plot was a ‘sting operation’. Pupils of all ages develop excellent public-speaking skills through the wide range of opportunities provided to participate in speech and language competitions in school. The many examples of pupils’ writing on display confirm their well-developed creativity which is underpinned by competent technical skills, for example in persuasive writing. These high standards are promoted by regular opportunities for extended creative writing.

Pupils display strong number skills and apply them effectively in subjects such as geography and science. In DT, mathematical skills learned in the classroom are extended and applied successfully to design projects such as building rocket-powered cars and measuring for construction purposes. Pupils enjoy their learning, as observed in a middle years lesson where pupils were fully focused upon devising cuboid nets to meet the criteria set at the start of the lesson. The youngest children were able to identify shapes and knew their properties.

Pupils’ ICT skills are well developed by the time they leave the school. Younger children demonstrated good keyboard skills as they used a graphics program to depict the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Older pupils make good use of the tablet computers provided by the school to undertake research projects in some subjects and present their findings in a variety of ways, but these are only available for the top two years in the school. Use of ICT is restricted by limited accommodation. The single ICT room available is used as a passageway by other classes moving around school, which hinders pupils’ focus.

Pupils demonstrate high levels ofskill in the performing arts. Every pupil is encouraged to learn a musical instrument, sing or play in a number of choirs and bands. They do so successfully, for example through performing regular lunchtime concerts to their peers. Pupils respond to the numerous opportunities to perform in a range of disciplines and venues by giving highlevel, extremely confident performances. Pupils take an active role in assemblies; they read in the Cathedral and perform in competitions such as the poetry cup. Artistic skills are well developed throughout the school. The excellent facilities for art and DT, and very good specialist teaching enable pupils to be very creative, resilient and determined, particularly for their age, when tackling projects such as making bookends and clocks.

As they move through the school, pupils develop strong sporting skills whether as part of a team or in individual sports such as swimming, athletics, and cross country. All pupils have the opportunity to represent the school in sports matches. In recent times, school teams have been successful in a number of local competitions and several talented pupils have represented county teams for cricket, rugby and hockey. As a result of the time allocated to sport and high-quality specialist coaching, pupils of all ages develop their physical fitness and skill in a broad range of events. Several pupils have gained sportsscholarshipsto seniorschools over the last few years. Pupils develop very high levels of confidence and self-esteem as a result of participation in the daily programme of clubs and activities, open to both day pupils and boarders. These help to identify pupils’ particular areas of interest or skill such as music, creative subjects and individual sports including judo, golf and sailing.

Pupils’ attitudes to learning are extremely positive. The ethos of the school and high expectations in most teaching create an atmosphere which supports the development of a love of learning. Pupils come enthusiastically to class, want to learn and quickly settle to the task in hand. They are enthusiastic and demonstrate high levels of maturity as they support one another in class and in activities around the school. Pupils enjoy working together to achieve common goals, as demonstrated when junior pupils made fruit salad in a DT lesson. Pupils demonstrate good levels of independence from an early age as they take responsibility for their own personal hygiene.

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THE QUALITY OF THE PUPILS’ PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

 

The pupils come from a range of professional families, who are mostly White British and live within a twenty-mile radius of the school. Nationally standardised test data provided by the school indicate that the ability of the pupils is above average. The school has identified thirtyfive pupils as having special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) which include dyslexia and dyspraxia, all of whom receive additional specialist help. One pupil in the school has an education, health and care plan. English is an additional language (EAL) for eleven pupils, whose needs are supported by their classroom teachers. Data used by the school has identified twenty-nine pupils as the ablest in the school’s population, and the curriculum is modified for them and for twelve other pupils due to their special talents in sport, music, art, design technology (DT) and drama.

The quality of the pupils’ personal development is excellent.

Pupils are self-aware and have high levels of confidence, self-discipline and resilience. They understand that making mistakesis part of their learning, and excellent pastoral care including in the boarding houses ensures that pupils understand how they can learn from their errors and move forward. Most pupils and boarders said in their questionnaire responses that teachers are helpful and supportive. Pupils’ confidence and self-esteem develop well through the well-structured personal, social and health education curriculum, a good assembly programme, and a wide range of opportunities for them to take on responsibilities both within the school community and beyond. Most parents who responded to the questionnaire agreed that the school promotes an environment which successfully supports their children’s personal development, meets their pastoral and welfare needs and helps new boarders to settle easily.

From the earliest age, pupils organise themselves well and learn to make decisions about their daily needs and routines. The youngest children understand the need to wear coats for outdoor play in wetter weather. Pupils of all ages make appropriate decisions, whether it be choosing food options at lunch or about specific academic tasks. They understand that with these choices comes accountability. Pupils take responsibility for their own behaviour and support each other in a way which is mature for their age. Their social skills are extremely well developed, and they work together harmoniously and constructively to achieve common goals. Pupils are effective in managing their relationships with each other and are adept at resolving relationship issues themselves. Older pupils display a keen awareness of their responsibility for younger pupils and are quick to offer advice orsupport asthey take on a wide range of leadership roles around the school. Pupils take an active role in school improvement through the school council, which offers all pupils a forum at which to express their own ideas.

From an early age, pupils develop a very good understanding of the difference between right and wrong. They have a mature appreciation of the need for school rules and the importance of working within them, and as a result their behaviour is excellent. Pupils understand and support the rewards and sanctions system, and appreciate the need for community cohesion. From their own experience at school, pupils appreciate the necessity for rules in the wider national community and demonstrate respect for the rule of law. Pupils are polite, friendly and courteous. They have very positive relationships with staff which engender a sense of mutual respect and common purpose. In their questionnaire responses, almost all parents agreed that the school actively promotes good behaviour, and most pupils indicated that they are encouraged to behave well and that they understand the sanctions for poor behaviour.

Pupils throughout the school appreciate the many opportunities they are provided to take on responsibility, and they exercise these diligently. The younger pupils carry out their roles as class helpers with pride, and older pupilsspeak positively of working with the younger children during wet breaks. Pupils of different ages get to know each other astutor groups are arranged across ages; this enables older pupils to provide role models for the younger pupils, and enhances leadership opportunities for older pupils. Boarders said that their experience of boarding helps to prepare them for the senior school in terms of developing their self-reliance and confidence. Older boarders feel involved in helping younger ones, and stated that they always look out for younger members of the boarding community as they would in a family. Pupils feel that boarding creates a home from home due to the caring and efficient way it is run and managed. This demonstrates successful implementation of the recommendation of the previous boarding welfare inspection to improve self-evaluation.

Pupils have a very strongly developed sense of the non-material and spiritual aspects of life. They appreciate opportunities for reflection within their busy day, such as that offered during a chapel assembly. Pupils enjoy their chapel assemblies and appreciate their beautiful environment in the grounds of the Cathedral. They develop an understanding of a range of non-material aspects of life, as was observed when they listened with respect and appreciation to a lunchtime concert performed by their peers. Junior pupils undertook a study of the Cathedral using Constable’s painting asinspiration, by standing in the precise spot in the water meadows from where it was painted. They appreciated greatly both the beauty of the setting and the skill of the artist.

Pupils of all ages work effectively together, support each other and achieve common goals successfully. In the very successful ‘Junior Entrepreneurs’ scheme, pupils make excellent use of opportunities to devise a scheme to raise funds for their chosen charity, with the winning group judged on the quality of teamwork as well the amount of money raised. Through the many opportunities they have to play together, take part in team-building camps in year groups, solve problems in class, work in groups on specific projects and participate in charitable fundraising events, pupils understand clearly how working together achieves the best results.

Pupils of all ages enjoy undertaking positions of responsibility within the school community. Older pupils take on a range of practical roles in the school, such as organising pupils as they enter assembly and monitoring aspects of lunch. Older boarders also take on responsibilities in the boarding houses. The pupils have an excellent understanding of the needs of those who are less fortunate than themselves, both in the UK and abroad. They choose several charities to support each term. All pupils are involved in events to raise funds for their chosen charity. They support a significant number and range of charities including a school in the Sudan, a local almshouse and numerous well-known national charities. The pupils have very effective links with the local community through such initiatives as the ‘Magna Cantata’ which brought pupils together with 800 junior pupils from other schools for a production in the Cathedral. Pupils also have worked closely with pupils at a school for severely handicapped children to produce an evensong in the Cathedral.

Pupils respect those from other cultures and religions, and accept each other’s differences. As they grow older, they develop an increasing awareness of their own culture and that of other world faiths. Pupils possess a strong awareness of the need to support their friends from different backgrounds, and take pride in helping them to settle into their new environment as well as ensuring that they are confident and happy in the boarding houses. They benefit from a thoughtful RS programme which includes studies of other religions and how those beliefs can apply to their own lives. In a senior class study of the Sikh concept of Sewa, pupils thought perceptively about ways they could perform the services of Man, Tan and Dhan in their own lives for the benefit of others. In their questionnaire responses, almost all parents agreed that the school actively promotes the values of democracy, tolerance and respect for those with different faiths or beliefs.

Pupils have a very strong awareness of what constitutes a healthy and balanced lifestyle. They build an interest in and love for exercise from an early age due to time allocated to physical pursuits across the curriculum and in free time. The youngest children in the EYFS learn how to make healthy choices in their diet and understand the need for personal hygiene. Older pupils deepen their knowledge of what makes for a healthy diet and they understand the benefits that regular exercise has on their health. Pupils confirm that they know how to stay safe online. As they leave the school, pupils are healthy, self-confident and have a balanced view of life which prepares them well for the next stage of their education.

 

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The Quality of Governance 

 

Appropriate leadership and management of boarding ensure that the required policies and records are maintained and effectively monitored. The proprietors have not discharged their responsibilities over time to ensure that the regulatory standards are consistently met for ensuring the welfare, health and safety of the pupils. They have not ensured that all recruitment checks are completed before staff commence employment at the school, nor that the premises of and accommodation at the school are maintained to a suitable standard to ensure pupils’ welfare, health and safety.

Arrangements are made in some areas 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; provision is made for first aid.

Pupils are properly supervised; admission and attendance registers are maintained as required. A disability access plan is in place. 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. Recruitment checks on staff made as part of having regard to Keeping Children Safe in Education are not carried out or recorded consistently, including checks against the barred list and lists of those prohibited from teaching or management. The findings of fire risk assessments have not been followed up with appropriate action to ensure that the school meets the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Although staff sign a self-declaration form regarding their suitability to drive minibuses and a copy of this and their driving licence is kept on file the forms are not reviewed or monitored by the school meaning that in practice, no checks are carried out to confirm that staff are eligible or suitable to drive school minibuses Assessments to identify and mitigate risk have not been carried out in the EYFS to identify aspects of the environment which need to be checked on a regular basis, nor is it clear when and by whom these aspects will be checked and how the risk will be minimised or removed.

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.

 

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Partner With Us

 

PARTNER WITH US

 

As we continue to adjust our approach to an education workforce that meets their needs from both skill and economic perspectives, more and more talented teachers are embracing these changes in the workforce and trying their hands at contracting or take their own entrepreneurial approach.  

 

Starting a new venture like this is exciting, but also comes with its challenges.  Gaining credibility, finding consistent work, maintaining teaching standards, economies of scale, staying current and back students’ needs are just a few of the hurdles that these entrepreneurs of self need to overcome.  Lingual Exchange  enables you to overcome these hurdles and can provide so much more.

At Lingual Exchange, we are changing the industry by focusing on enablement of contingent workforce and small educational body, which results in sustained growth and satisfied, repeat customers.  We empower our partners through our programs  (e.g. teacher exchange programs, teacher referral programs, international classroom program and so on), by establishing a network of our partners allowing access to a deeper and broader bench, by providing compatible trusted platform and financial backing to allow our partners to deliver larger than they can alone, and by finding consistent and interesting opportunities that align with services solutions that our partners find most interesting.

We only leverages known resources or referrals from known resources to insure quality in all that we deliver.  With that, we rely on our partners to help us grow our workforce and our centers of excellence, which in turn, allows our partners to grow and maximize their opportunities.  Together, we will find success in a true working partnership.

 

What We Do

 

WHAT WE DO

 

DOCUMENTATION & PLANNING

Our team of professionals performs a comprehensive review of proposed school or classes to evaluate current teaching scheme, curriculum used, learning resources, recent educational project and learning activities and so on. Through our deliberative evaluation process, we leave no room for guesswork in the planning process. During this process, We handle all the hard work, letting you focus less on documentations and planning and more on your students and teachers.

 

ANALYSIS

Every step of each customized plan is backed by empirical data, guaranteeing success. Substantiated reports are then delivered by the end of each steps , keeping you and your team in the loop on the performance of their planning.

We take the time to assess what necessary improvement is needed to achieve each clients’ goals, guaranteeing that you are 100% ready in every aspects required for the partnership.

Our team of qualified professionals walks you through every option step-by-step, ensuring that you’re satisfied with every decision made in order to form a successful educational partnership.

 

RECOMMENDED SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

We identify potential candidates, working it into your educational partnership solutions for you to review.

Our extensive service plan overview supplies you with all of the details, letting you know exactly what you are able to achieve through the whole process.

Customer satisfaction is our first priority. We take the time to introduce you to the positive impact and potential risks that your tailored educational partnership solution strategy will have on your school or class. We will also introduce you the most reliable and compatible contingency plan should any problem occur before or after the formation of the educational partnership.

 

EXECUTE ALL-IN-ONE SOLUTION

Our experienced team will show you exactly how to prepare and oversee your new educational partnership collaborating team.

We make transitioning to your new waste solutions service plan a breeze with on-site training for your school or class personnel.

We help you to monitor the progress and achievements by providing extensive sustainability reports for your partnership performance.

We continue to work with you and your educational partner to delver constructive and contemporary joint programs for students and teachers for the life of your educational partnership agreement.

 

Why a Partnerships

 

 

WHY YOU SHOULD FORM A PARTNERSHIP

 

The most commonly reported benefit of school partnerships was the contributions made to intercultural understanding within the school community, followed by an increased understanding of one’s own culture and country.

 

Effective sister school partnerships can have profound and positive impact on a range of areas of school education, including:

• Student learning

• Teacher capability

• Curriculum, including language learning and intercultural understanding

• Whole school improvement

• Community engagement

 

For students, benefits include:

• development of intercultural understanding and sensitivity, and an appreciation of different points of view;

• development of 21st century skills to enable critical thinking, cross-cultural collaboration and a positive attitude to diversity;

• greater competency and confidence in language learning and communication skills and renewed enthusiasm for language learning;

• enhanced information communication and technology skills as students interact through wikis, blogs and Skype;

• tangible illustration of the concept of global interconnectedness incorporating authentic collaborative learning activities;

• opportunities for students to locate and explore common ground, bringing a unique intercultural element to collaborative learning;

• development of cross-cultural communication and diplomacy skills and a deeper understanding of international issues;

• development of international friendships and networks;

• increasing awareness of and comfort level with different styles of teaching.

 

For School staff, benefits include:

• opportunities to benchmark practice against other school systems;

• development of intercultural understanding and sensitivity, and an appreciation of different points of view;

• increased awareness of different education systems, including pedagogies and curriculum;

• greater competency and confidence in language learning and communication skills;

• strengthened Information and Communication Technology skills.

 

For the school community, benefits include:

• Development of global networks and perspectives, with the flow-on effect of internationalising the ethos of the whole school community

• Raising the profile of language learning across the school community.

Our Solutions

 

 

OUR SOLUTIONS

 

At Lingual Exchange, We do not rely on a ‘one size fits all’ solution when it comes to our unique clients. We believe a customized and tailored solution—one that can grow as you evolve—will give your business a competitive edge. Therefore,  each of our operation is unique. Our team takes the time to understand your school, identifying the ideal set of   partnership solutions that will fill your needs and exceed your expectations.

Our team of professionals brings a collaborative problem-solving approach to your school. Whether a cross-cultural communication barriers, a technology concern or an organizational initiative, we are active partners in meeting your needs. We strive to understand your unique teaching scheme to provide best-in-class service that fits your needs. Our desire to partner with and integrate into each of our client schools sets us apart.

We provides a variety of access points for our services. In addition to face-to-face meetings and telephonic consultation and counseling, you and your teachers have access to a robust, interactive website portal containing a wealth of resources for both individuals and classroom integration.

Lingual Exchange continually develops high quality, relevant educational programs to meet the needs and interests of our diverse clientele. From dynamic onsite delivery to convenient continuing education webinars and a wealth of online e-learning and skill builders, we create seamless access to meaningful content. With areas of expertise ranging from cross-cultural communication and e-teaching enhancement to reciprocal visit organization, we help you bring out the best in your people.

 

How It Work

 

 

HOW IT WORKS

 

Step 1: Assessing the Need and Plan

 

Before setting out to source a sister school partnership, it is important to think through what you want from a sister school partnership. As with all partnerships, it is important to nurture your sister school partnership and be realistic about what can be achieved in the short term. Before starting a partnership, ensure that you are clear about the time commitment and level of activity involved.

Wether you  want your staff and students to develop cultural knowledge and intercultural understanding; or you want the sister school partnership to enhance the language learning of your students; or you want to provide our students and staff with opportunities to interact with people from other cultures, a careful consideration and planning is fundamental to a successful and sustained sister school partnerships.

 

Step 2: Finding the Right Partner

 

Once we receive your clear instruction and the required information of your school, we will start the process of researching  through our professional networks by auditing each potential candidate and their curriculum to ensure that international content and perspectives are included and embedded.

The research of our professional team and the effectiveness of our communication network will help to resolve the conflict of interests and overcome cross-cultural barriers.

 

Step 3: Establishing Contact

 

After we locate the potential school partner, an introductory letter from the Principal will be sent by our team accompanied by an information package including your school profile.

Once the initial communication is exchanged, you need to agree on the frequency of communication, whether it’s by email, or other online form. Detailed information sharing around ICT capabilities and time tables can also take place here, particularly if you are partnering with a school in a different time zone. Keep to the agreed arrangement and be respectful always. It is important at this trust building stage.

While it is important to keep the momentum going, it is also important to be realistic and considerate about the turn-around time, especially when the term dates, public holidays and exam times are different.

 

Step 4: Formalising the Partnership

 

The signing provides the perfect opportunity to either visit your partner school or host a visit from your partner school. The ceremony has great symbolic value and holds both parties to account.

Some schools choose to arrange a fact finding trip to the partner school before a formal agreement is negotiated, or to negotiate the formal agreement while visiting. Others choose to reach a formal agreement first. Whether you want to start small or big, it is useful to have a written agreement or a MOU.

The written agreement should be simple but specific, with key outcomes and timelines. It is recommended to keep the agreement to a 3-5 year life, to allow revision to accommodate changed needs and expectations.

 

Step 5: Work with Your Partner

 

The rationale and focus for a school partnership is to enhance teaching and learning in both schools. This can be done most effectively through the planning, implementation and sharing of joint curriculum projects.

Sister school partnerships create many opportunities for authentic learning and teaching, and can make your curriculum come alive! By linking sister school partnership with the teaching and learning in your school, your sister school partnership is more likely to be sustained.

Projects can be specifically created for sister school collaboration or classroom curriculum can be integrated into the collaboration. Using a topic that students are already working on and expanding it into a global collaboration with sister school makes the work more engaging and authentic for students. Collaborating on the work with sister school provides the advantage of giving students access to differing points of view. This is a valuable experience and can help to build the intercultural understanding of students. This can be particularly effective when teachers provide scaffolding for students to reflect about their values and opinions and those of others.

The strategic approach includes consideration of links to school policy and goals, setting of priorities and linking the partnership to the school curriculum across year levels and learning domains. It includes a cohesive approach to planning, implementation and review. Many schools start by auditing the curriculum to identify existing content that would build students’ knowledge base and content that would facilitate the development of intercultural understanding of students. Most schools find the auditing and the subsequent adding of relevant content not only streamline the curriculum across the year levels, but also create an authentic opportunity to discuss issues and reach a common understanding of what intercultural understanding is and what sister schools can do to enhance student learning.

Many schools also use sister school partnership as an impetus to review language provision in the school.

Some schools choose to focus on teacher collaboration before venturing into full scale sister school activities. Effective teacher collaboration paves the way for student collaboration.

Classroom observation virtual or actual can be a good starting point for professional dialogues that can lead to in-depth discussion on various aspects of teaching and learning, including

• Curriculum and curriculum planning

• Assessment

• Pedagogy

It is beneficial to involve all year level teachers, or all faculty teachers in a lesson observation, so that common language and understanding can be developed in the post observation discussion. Common language and understanding is critical to ensure the success of curriculum collaboration and collaborative projects.

 

Step 6: Maintaining a Lang-lasting Educational Relationship

 

Regular, effective communication is the lifeblood of a school partnership. Yet this often proves to be the greatest challenge for schools, even more so when there are considerable differences in access to communications technology

Therefore, both partners are responsible for maintaining communication. It should not be the role of one school to initiate communication whenever the partnership wants to move forward.

Some schools prefer to do things quickly and adhere to a strict schedule, while others might be more relaxed about a delay. It is important each school is aware of the other’s concerns and assumptions.

Establishing a web of communication between head teachers, teachers and young people increases sustainability. The more links there are, the more likely the partnership will thrive.

 

Our Core Value

 

 

OUR CORE VALUE

 

How we conduct our business is just as important as what we do. Lingual Exchange’s core value are the principles that guide us daily in helping our clients achieving educational prosperity and peace of mind. at all times, we strive to distinguish prudential as an admired multinational educational services leader and tested brand that is differentiated by top talent and innovative solutions for all stages of life.

Worthy of Trust: We keep our promises and are committed to doing business the right way.

Client Focused: We provide quality products and services that meet our clients’ needs.

Respect for Each Other: We are inclusive and collaborative individuals with diverse backgrounds and talents can contribute and grow.

Winning with integrity: We are passionate about becoming the unrivaled industry leader by achieving superior results for our customers, shareholders, and communities.

 

Work with Us

 

 

WORK WITH US

 

At Lingual Exchange, we believe that the goal of an enduring partnership is for it to become embedded deeply and widely across participating schools.

 

Partnership sustainability is in large part about the active involvement of people within the school, including teachers, teaching assistants, the leadership team and governors, students and their parents. Research suggests that commitment to building relationships and a long-term future are essential for the durability of a healthy partnership.

Vulnerability is increased if the partnership relies on only one or two people; therefore greater security can be provided by setting up partnership committees for both partners, involving at least one school administrator. If every committee member maintains regular communication with their partnership counterpart, a number of connections will be formed to strengthen the relationship. Whenever a new member joins the committee, the partnership is rooted more deeply in the school community. Young people, parents and interested community members bring valuable perspectives to the committee, although some prefer to set up separate student committees. Whatever the structure, it should be established in both schools. The committee can play a valuable role by matching interested teachers with their counterparts and encouraging all teachers to get involved. Good communications, such as noticeboards, presentations in school assemblies or a newsletter, are essential in supporting the whole school approach.

Equipment will be useful in sustaining the partnership, but it can be costly to buy and maintain. Useful items might include:

• a computer with internet access –in a teacher’s home or in the wider community.

• a scanner to send images of students’ work.

• a printer so that the partner

school’s work can be shown to the students and displayed.

• a digital camera.

• a mobile phone or landline which allows schools to get in touch quickly.

 

About Us

 

ABOUT US

Lingual Exchange has a vision where the Education market functions as efficiently as possible, so teachers and students get the most out of every opportunity available to them.

Lingual Exchange understands that our clients deserve more and has been providing more for past years. Our leadership maintains a close eye on education industry trends, and common clients needs, and consistently focus our works on the quality  of our solutions and services.

We have built, and continue to build a network of resources made up of people with both strong professional and technical skills. These resources are passionate about the work that they do and strive to deliver quality every time. We source resources from our network only in order to minimize risk and help insure that we are maximizing the value to our clients.

We understand that it is extremely difficult to be all things to all people in education industry. We strive to be the best, only in the educational solutions and services that we focus on and do not stray from that formula.