Inspection Report

SUMMARY REPORT ON QUEEN MARGARET'S SCHOOL BY THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS' INSPECTORATE MAY 2005

1.0 MAIN FINDINGS

Overall Summary

1.1 Queen Margaret's School is very well managed and provides a strong academic and rounded education in what is primarily a boarding school environment. Every individual is valued and respected and pastoral care is very good. The loyalty of the pupils to the school, their very good and often excellent behaviour, and their obvious enjoyment of all aspects of school life result from the care and dedication of a committed and hard working staff. Areas for development are library usage and the provision and use of information and communication technology (ICT).

What the School Does Well

1.2 The school has many strengths, the main ones being:

·The governance and management are excellent.

·The quality of teaching is very good. The teaching and non-teaching staff form a united and committed team, to the benefit of all pupils.

·Pupils experience excellent standards of pastoral care and sensitive nurturing of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

·Pupils demonstrate very high standards of openness, courtesy and co-operation.

·The premises and accommodation are very good.

·The range and quality of extra-curricular activities are excellent.

What the School Should Do Better

1.3 The school has no major weaknesses, but the following areas could be improved:

·The library is underused as a resource area.

·Pupils' information and communications technology (ICT) provision and usage across the curriculum is uneven.

Standards of Attainment and Progress in Subjects

1.4 Attainment is good throughout the school. Pupils of all abilities and at all ages, make good progress and achieve equally well in relation to their abilities.

1.5 Results in the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinations over the last three years have been well above the national average for all maintained schools. Hence pupils' attainment in GCSE is good in relation to their abilities. The subjects in which the school has had particular success at this level are chemistry, English literature, home economics, mathematics, modern foreign languages, physical education (PE) and physics.

1.6 Results in the General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (A level) examinations taken by Year 13 (QM UVI) over the last three years have been well above the national average for all maintained schools, so pupils' attainment by the end of Year 13 (QM UVI) continues to be good in relation to their abilities. This is true for all subjects in the curriculum at this stage.

The Quality of Pupils' Learning, Attitudes and their Behaviour

1.7 The quality of pupils' learning, attitudes and behaviour is very good. It supports the learning process and is a marked strength of the school. The high standards of openness, courtesy and cooperation of pupils are striking and make a significant contribution to pupils' progress and to the standards achieved.

The Quality of Teaching

1.8 The quality of teaching is very good and meets the needs of all pupils. In nine-tenths of the lessons observed teaching was good or better. In six-tenths of lessons it was very good and in a small number of lessons excellent. There was very little unsatisfactory teaching. Teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge and planning; marking and organisation are largely effective, taking account of the full ability range. A variety of tasks and resources is used to deal appropriately with the ability range, including those requiring help for special learning difficulties.

Other Aspects of the School

Attendance

1.9 Levels of attendance are very good and enable pupils to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by the school. Absences as the result of unnecessary holidays taken during term time are classified by the school as unauthorised. This leads to the proportion of unauthorised absence being recorded as very slightly above zero, but effectively discourages this practice. Day pupils arrive punctually to school and all pupils arrive punctually to lessons and activities. The attendance registers and the admissions register comply with statutory requirements.

Assessment and Recording

1.10 The quality of assessing and recording pupils' achievements, progress and needs is good. The methods used are accurate, sufficiently consistent and effective. The school has a short policy on assessment and recording and each department produces its own detailed policy on these aspects, together with suitable marking guidelines. The school generally makes productive use of formal and informal assessments to assist learning and progress and to influence curriculum development and planning.

Curriculum

1.11 The quality of the curriculum is good. It is sufficiently broad at all levels and generally balanced, providing an education well-suited to the age and ability range within the school. The activities programme significantly enriches the curriculum, particularly in Years 7 - 8 ( QM YI and YII).

Teaching and Non-teaching Staff

1.12 The number, qualifications and experience of the teaching and non-teaching staff are very good. Staffing levels are generous and contribute very well to the quality of education provided and the standards achieved. Boarding house staff provide very good pastoral care for all pupils. All the staff contribute considerably to the success of the school by their commitment, loyalty and hard work. The 49 full-time and 22 part-time teachers have a good range of age and experience, and are well deployed.

Resources for Learning

1.13 The books, equipment, materials and ICT which are needed to support the teaching, learning, study and recreation of the pupils at all levels, are generally good in quality, quantity and organisation and are largely used productively. The computers in one of the ICT rooms however are outdated and due to be upgraded. Departmental budgets are sufficient for the purchase of necessary resources.

Libraries

1.14 Traditional library facilities (such as the stock of books and the ambience and fabric of the room) provide good support for the curriculum. The library, however, as a modern resource centre and, in respect of its current use by pupils, is at present unsatisfactory. It is situated in the main building and is open at all times to pupils and staff. It is a spacious elegant room with comfortable settees as well as tables and chairs for formal study. A full-time qualified librarian is available during the day, Monday to Saturday. The quantity and range of books is good. Non- book resources are minimal.

Premises and Accommodation

1.15 The quality of buildings, accommodation and other facilities is very good and an obvious strength of the school. They are appropriate for the numbers, gender and ages of the pupils and are well used, enabling the curriculum to be taught effectively. Pupils and staff are justifiably proud of, and inspired by, the fine buildings and landscaped grounds in which the school is located. The extensive site and spacious accommodation contribute significantly to the high standards of pupils' learning, welfare and behaviour.

Links with Parents and the Community

1.16 The links with the parents and with the community are good. The quality of information provided for parents was recognised in the very positive responses to the pre-inspection parental questionnaire. This attracted responses from over two-thirds of the families concerned, nine-tenths of whom expressed a large measure of satisfaction with the school. Parents are welcomed at a range of school events such as sports fixtures, plays and concerts. The school has a number of worthwhile links with the local community and more extensive links, particularly through sport, with the wider community, which enrich the pupils' educational experience and are appreciated by pupils and parents alike.

Pupils' Personal Development

1.17 The provision for pupils' personal development is very good. The school provides an extensive range of suitable opportunities for the pupils to develop a system of spiritual beliefs and a moral code, and to mature well, both personally and socially. The respect pupils show each other exemplifies how the school promotes moral principles effectively. The development of cultural awareness is good.

Pastoral Care

1.18 The quality of the school's care for all its pupils' well-being, development and safety through its arrangements for pastoral support, for guidance and for welfare, health and safety is very good. Boarding staff take good care of pupils and ensure a homely and well organised environment in which pupils are increasingly encouraged to take responsibility for boarding life.

Boarding Standards

1.19 No Commission for Social Care Inspection team took part in the inspection.

Governance and Management

1.20 Governance and management are excellent, as is evident from the very high degree of success in meeting the school's aims. They ensure that a suitable quality of education is provided and that efficient planning secures adequate resources for teaching and learning.

Achievement and Quality in Activities

1.21 The quality and levels of achievement in activities are excellent. The programme of activities taking place outside the academic curriculum is wide ranging and forms an integral part of school life, providing opportunities for pupils that greatly enrich their personal development. The level of participation is high and the activities provided are well suited to the ages, aptitudes and abilities of all pupils.

Progress Made by the School since its Last Inspection

1.22 The whole school was last inspected in 1999 by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). No major weaknesses were identified. The minor weaknesses mentioned in the report have all been fully dealt with.

1.23 A Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) took place recently in February 2005, to determine whether the welfare of pupils is adequately safeguarded and promoted while they are accommodated as boarders. The school has already begun to act on the small number of minor recommendations detailed in the report. The timescale for action given in the report requests completion by October 2005. There is every reason to believe the school will meet this deadline.

Compliance with the Regulations for Registration

DfES Standard			Does the school meet the regulatory requirements?
1.	Quality of education:	1.(2) Curriculum	Yes
		1.(3)-(5) Teaching	Yes
2.	Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils		Yes
3.	Welfare, health and safety of pupils		Yes
4.	Suitability of proprietors and staff		Yes
5.	Premises and accommodation		Yes
6.	Provision of information		Yes
7.	Manner in which complaints are to be handled		Yes

Actions Required for Compliance with the Regulatory Requirements

1.24 No action is required.

1.25 The school is asked to address any issues highlighted in What the School Should Do Better. These are set out as recommendations for the school in Section 2 of the report.

1.MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS

2.1 The school has no major weaknesses but has some areas in which it could make improvements. The most significant of these are set out below for ease of reference.

R1 Review the library facilities and use of the library. A larger non-book resource centre, in close proximity to the library if not within it, would offer pupils a more flexible and appropriate area for independent study and research.

R2 Ensure that ICT facilities are kept updated, that progression in ICT skills is maintained and that ICT is used across the curriculum.

-o-

A full report can be seen at www.isinspect org.uk