Inspection Report (1999)

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS COUNCIL (ISC)

INSPECTION OF BOWBROOK HOUSE SCHOOL PEOPLETON, PERSHORE

by the

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTORATE (ISI)

Summary Report

The school was inspected by a team of four inspectors led by Mr R.A. Callender. This document summarises the full inspection report.

If the setting has been inspected previously, an action plan will have been drawn up to tackle issues identified. This inspection, therefore, must also assess what progress has been made in the implementation of this plan.

Overall Main Findings

Bowbrook House School has many good features. The good quality of much of the teaching is a significant factor in the sucess of the school. Concern for the well-being and progress of the pupils runs through the life and work of the school. Pupils are confident, polite and show commitment to their work. The quality of pastoral care is good and pupils are well known to staff. Reports to parents vary in style and quality but, in their current form, they give insufficient information about what pupils' need to do to improve. The resources for learning are sufficient for the present curriculum but the senior library is poor. The quality of the building is adequate although some areas are in need of decoration and refurbishment

Strengths of the school
* The small class sizes which enable pupils to receive personal attention.
* Good quality teaching which is well planned, energetic and knowledgeable about individuals.
* The teachers have experience, expertise and commitment to the pupils and the school.
* The expectations of teachers are high. They make appropriate demands on pupils academically and socially.
* The pastoral care arrangements work very well. Policies and procedures are in place and are known and understood by staff, and where necessary, by pupils.
* The school is a harmonious community in which self-esteem and respect for others is positively promoted.
* The school is successful with pupils who have learning difficulties.

The main weaknesses of the school
* The poor condition of some of the accommodation with decorations and refurbishment a priority.
* The very poor Senior School library provision.
* The lack of established formal procedures in such areas as staff development and appraisal.
* The quality of some subject reports to parents.

Standards in subjects
Pupils reach standards at least commensurate with their age and ability and in many cases exceed them, which reflects the positive attitude of pupils and the unstinting commitment of staff. Public examination results are good considering the ability range of pupils. Pupils work with commendable persistence and respond well to the very high expectations of staff. Their progress and behaviour reflect well upon the quality of teaching and the encouragement and care which the school provides. Pupils are confident and outgoing. The school is particularly sucessful with pupils of average and less than average ability.

The quality of learning and pupils' behaviour
Throughout the Junior School pupils' attitudes to work are positive and make a strong contribution to the classroom ethos. They are well motivated, interested and curious. Their behaviour is usually excellent. In the Middle and Senior Schools the pupils are very competent learners. They are highly motivated and prepared to concentrate and work hard. In all subjects seen they display a good knowledge and sound grasp of key concepts and processes. Verbal communication skills are well develped. Pupils are able to articulate ideas, hypotheses and concepts and refine them in discussion with others.
Pupils are very competent in organising and taking part in practical and research work for example in geography, history and the sciences. They are well able to apply their subject knowledge into investigative situations using departmental reference material and first hand experience. The provision of a good library facility equipped with appropriate reference material including CD-ROM would further improve their capability. Written work is of a good standard. The content and presentation reflect well the positive attitude of pupils and the high expectations of staff. The school has high expectations of its pupils, in all aspects of their development and they respond well. Behaviour in classrooms and elsewhere in corridors is very good and discipline unobtrusive. Pupils are very positive about the life and work of the school. The rapport between staff and pupils is very good.

The quality of teaching
Almost three-quarters of the teaching seen was good or better and promoted high standards. Of the remainder most was satisfactory. Teaching is well planned and well organised, the great majority of the lessons are purposeful and many provide a variety of activites that challenge and engage pupils well. The quality of teaching is a strength of the school. Throughout the school teachers have the expertise for the year groups they teach and a very good grasp of subject knowledge. In the Junior School teaching is of good standard, displaying a variety of styles and approaches which cater for the needs of the individuals as well as the class as a whole.
In the Middle and Senior Schools the quality of teaching is almost always satisfactory or better and in some subjects is very good. Expectations are high in many, but not all, subject areas. Art, English, Geography, History and Science are subjects in which expectations are appropriately high and in which teachers bring a sense of purpose to their classroom practice and make realistic academic demands upon pupils of all abilities. Strategies for support teaching are well-devised and particularly effective in English, Science and Geography where individual needs of pupils had been identified and the work planned accordingly. In some other subjects where common tasks were set irrespective of the ability of the pupils the results were variable and often unsatisfactory. Teachers have a very full knowledge of pupils' strengths and weaknesses and respond accordingly. The warmth of relationships adds an additional important dimension to the teaching.

Other aspects of the School

* Attendance:-
The level of the pupils' attendance is satisfactory and enables them to take full advantage of the opportunites provided by the school. The staff handbook has clear guidance on attendance, absence and the marking of the registers. No unauthorised absences were noted in the recent records and teachers are alert to any potential difficulties. Staff are aware of the school's expectations and monitor their forms and classes consistently and regularly.

* Assessment, recording and reporting:-
In the Junior School pupils' work is marked regularly and good communication between pupils and teachers ensures that pupils know how well they are doing. In the Senior School the quality of the marking of pupils' work is generally good. It is regular, supportive and positive. Some subjects such as Geography and History provide excellent feedback to pupils through detailed comments in exercise and also by spontaneous oral coment during lessons. The Junior School reports to parents are detailed, informative and helpful. The Senior School reports are less so. They lack direct and specific detail, which for example, might indicate progress in mastering the knowledge, skills and understanding of the particular curriculum and also some indication of how pupils might improve their performance.

* Curriculum:-
In the Junior School the curriculum is broad and balanced and gives pupils a good educational foundation and as with that of the Nursery supports pupils' intellectual, physical and personal development well. It is appropriately weighted towards Mathematics and English with appropriate time given to Science, the humanities subjects of Geography and History are taught within a topic approach. In the Middle School the curriculum continues to be broad. All the subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education are included and the curriculum in enhanced appropriately by the addition of French. Although the proportion of time allocated to subjects is generally satisfactory, Science is under-represented at three periods per week. In the Senior School the core curriculum in Years 10 and 11 is English, Mathematics, Biology, French, PE and Religious Education. Individual programmes are completed by a choice of three other subjects chosen form Art or Chemisty, History or PE and Geography or Physics. Practical/creative/aesthetic subjects are under-represented as an experience for all pupils and this creates a weakness in provision. For example Design and Technology are not available and Art is only for a few. Personal and social education is also a significant omission. The school has introduced a pilot programme for the Middle School and this should be developed and extended for the Senior School as soon as possible.

* Teaching and non-teaching staff:-
The teaching staff are suitably qualified and experienced and well matched to the classes and subjects they teach. The pupil teacher ratio is a rather generous 9:1. This is a positive decision to meet the demand of the relatively wide spread of ability within the school. The school does not have a system of staff appraisal in place. Professional development of staff appears to have been driven by personal motivation rather than school policy. The school development plan does however, nevertheless identify areas for future staff training, ICT being an early priority.

* Libraries:-
Overall, the Junior School facilities are sufficient and effectively support pupil's attainment and progress. The provision of library material for the Middle and Senior Schools is inadequate and the location is unsatisfactory. The library has recently been moved to a somewhat inaccessible room which has to be approached throught the art room. Pupils do not see it as a resource and the quantity and quality of books leaves much to be desired. Although the library has in excess of 1,200 books most are old and are more suited to the Middle School. Few reference texts are available and most are out of date and inappropriate.

* Resources for learning:-
The resources for the pupils in the school are adequate. In the Junior School a wide range of equipment is available for use accross the curriculum which is appropriate to the age of the children. Each classroom is equipped with a computer which, although old, is used appropriately and introduces the children to the use of keyboard skills. The Middle and Senior School has fifteen computers for use in the information and communication technology (ICT) room but only one is a modern machine with multi-media facilities. The provision of facilities for books and ICT equipment for the library is poor.

* Premises and accommodation:-
Bowbrook House School is based in a nineteenth century country house set in some 14 acres of grounds primarily laid to lawns. This gives an excellent background setting in which to study. The general condition of the buildings is adequate and they are well used, but are showing signs of many years of their existence as a school. Decoration in general is poor. Some cosmetic work, for example, external painting of the main building has been undertaken but the general fabric of the school shows the need for a considerable amount of investment. However, throughout the school the premises support the provision of the curriculum, although some classrooms, such as that for Mathematics, are too small to allow easy access of teachers and pupils.

* Health and safety:-
The school has a health and safety policy and a health and safety committee, chaired by the deputy head and including the person reponsible for maintenance. Various health and safety matters were brought to the attention of the school.

* Links with parents and the community:-
The school has developed an effective partnership with parents and some worthwhile links with the community. Parents are provided with satisfactory information about the school. The school prospectus, about to be updated, and a school video give a good insight into the life and work of the school. Regular newsletters and a magazine are available in addition to the more formal reporting procedures which occur on a regular basis.

* Personal development:-
Staff relate well with pupils both in and outside the classroom. They are accessible and responsive to pupil's needs. Pupils, for their part, have a general confidence and the ability to cope well with everyday life in the school. All of this contributes to a happy and friendly atmosphere in the school.

* Welfare of pupils:-
Measures are in place to safeguard and promote pupils' welfare. The school recognises the physical and emotional needs of individuals as well as their intellectual development. The staff handbook refers to various aspects of school life including a code of conduct policy, reference to the pastoral framework and an anti-bullying policy. A section dealing with child protection procedures is also provided.

* Pastoral care, support and guidance:-
The pastoral arrangements of the school are most effective in providing support and guidance for pupils many of whom join the school relatively late in their academic career. The system of form tutors is the backbone of a structure which, despite its informality, is clear and cohesive.

* Governance and management:-
The good quality of the teaching, the learning and behaviour, the various routines and procedures of the school and the positive support offered through the academic and pastoral arrangements of the school are indicative of the success of the school in meeting its aims as declared in the school prospectus and elsewhere. Policies, routines and procedures are well described in the staff handbook which is comprehensive and sufficiently detailed. Much of the school's paperwork is of recent origin and represents hard work on the part of many members off staff in codifying what has been custom and practice. The documentation provides a clear insight into the expectations of the school and will give the necessary support for new members of staff.

* Extra-curricular activites:-
The programme of activites is not a wide-ranging one but includes orchestra, choir, various sports, chess and jewellery making. The relatively small size of the school and, therefore, the number of staff inevitably limit the number of activities which can be offered. The geographical location and heavy dependance upon bus and parental transport are also factors though the school does offer a 'prep club' for those pupils who wish to stay behind after school and do homework. Those clubs and activities which were seen in action were sucessful with much enthusiasm and participation.