More House School

MORE HOUSE SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 6 th – 8 th November 2001

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MORE HOUSE SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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MORE HOUSE SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. More House School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Moons Hill Frensham Farnham Surrey Postcode: GU10 3AP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Gard'ner Memorial Ltd

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Peter Simkins

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 28 th May 1997 More House School - 2

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Team members

2971 Kathy Hooper Registered inspector 9420 David Martin Lay inspector 18498 Denise Morris Team inspector 26514 Amanda Tapsfield Team inspector

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Team members

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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Team members

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE More House School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 8

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

More House School caters for 183 boys aged 9-18 who have a wide range of specific learning difficulties associated with the development of their language processing. The school is larger than the average for similar schools. There are 15 pupils who are from minor ethnic groups. Just over one third of the pupils board at the school. About a third of pupils are funded by their local education authority and 22 local authorities are involved. The other pupils are privately funded. Eighty-eight pupils have statements of special educational needs. The school has a Catholic foundation based on values of love, truth and freedom. The nature of pupils' special educational needs means that their achievement on entry is lower by up to four years than that expected of the average pupil of similar age. Pupils come to the school with a history of failure in previous educational settings. The school aims to encourage pupils' self-

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

esteem, whilst providing specialist help for their specific needs. The school is housed in a group of adapted and purpose-built buildings set in pleasant countryside.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school meets the academic, social and emotional needs of pupils very effectively. The school is very well led and managed. Pupils' achievement in external examinations is very much higher than that of similar schools nationally. Pupils benefit from good teaching. The school gives very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Develops pupils' language and communication skills very well. • The very good development of pupils' personal and social skills, including very good provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, helps pupils to achieve very well. • Significant strengths in teaching ensure that very good learning takes place in lessons. • The considerable care and concern for the safety and wellbeing of residential and day-pupils ensures that they enjoy school and become confident learners. • The headteacher gives very clear educational direction to the school; very effective management leads to a calm, orderly but stimulating environment within which pupils can flourish. • Parents support the school very well.

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What could be improved

• More rigorous monitoring of teaching to share good practice and to improve the planning of lessons and on-going assessments of pupils. • The use of information and communication technology across the school to support the development of pupils' problem-solving skills and to help them overcome their particular learning difficulties. • Teaching and learning of numeracy across the curriculum. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the action plan prepared by the appropriate authority.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in 1997. Since then, there has been good improvement. The curriculum has been developed to ensure that pupils make good progress. The quality of teaching continues to improve. Pupils' academic progress is now assessed each half term. Pupils' individual education plans and the system for the Annual Review of pupils' progress have been improved. Steps have been taken to improve pupils' multi-cultural awareness. More House School - 5

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STANDARDS

The table summarises inspectors’ judgements about how well pupils achieve in relation to their individual targets by the time they leave the school.

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11 16 19

speaking and listening A A A very good A

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11 16 19

mathematics B B B unsatisfactory D personal, social and health education A A A poor E other personal targets set at annual reviews or in IEPs* A A A

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11 16 19

Pupils achieve very well. There are particular strengths in speaking, listening and reading, physical education, drama, all aspects of art and business studies. Pupils also succeed well in science and design and technology. Pupils develop their personal and social skills very well. They have good levels of awareness of the impact of religion on everyday life. Although mathematics is good, there is room for improved standards of numeracy across the curriculum. Music is under-developed. Achievement in information and communication technology lessons is very good but there is insufficient use and reinforcement across the curriculum. By the time they leave school, pupils have achieved very well. In the General Certificate of Secondary Education, a quarter of pupils achieved five or more A*- C and three quarters achieved five or more passes at A*-G. Sixty per cent achieved 7 or 8 passes and

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11 16 19

every pupil achieved at least one pass. This is well above average for similar schools. Of the six sixth- form students who were entered for the advanced subsidiary examination in art, one achieved a B grade, one E and four were ungraded. This was lower than expected due to the increased emphasis on critical studies in art which the pupils found difficult. One student gained a C pass at advanced level.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils enjoy the school and persevere very well in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils are very respectful and well-mannered.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils become mature and responsible and have very good relationships with their peers and with adults.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils have very positive attitudes to their work and are anxious to improve and succeed. Pupils become confident learners as a result of the school's very effective support, for example, through speech and language therapy and study skills. They are socially adept and helpful to others, including visitors. Pupils treat each other and adults with respect and consideration. They enjoy coming to school. More House School - 6

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Teaching of pupils: aged 5-11 aged 11-16 aged over 16

Lessons seen overall good good good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: aged 5-11 aged 11-16 aged over 16

Of the 58 lessons observed, all were at least satisfactory. Three quarters were at least good, a third were at least very good or they were excellent.

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Teaching of pupils: aged 5-11 aged 11-16 aged over 16

Teaching in English and personal and social education was very good. That in mathematics and science was good overall. Teachers have a very good understanding of the pupils' individual needs. There are respectful and warm relationships between adults and pupils and between pupils that help to develop pupils' confidence and self-esteem. Teachers effectively reinforce pupils' learning. They use a good range of activities to meet the preferred learning styles of pupils. In the majority of lessons, pupils find activities relevant and enjoyable.

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Teaching of pupils: aged 5-11 aged 11-16 aged over 16

Teachers' planning is not always clearly focused to identify outcomes for the range of abilities in a class. As a result, the pace of some of the lessons is not so brisk as in others. Teachers do not always make the best use of on-going assessments of pupils' progress to amend and modify their planning. As a result, pupils' learning is less effective.

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Teaching of pupils: aged 5-11 aged 11-16 aged over 16

Communication skills and literacy are very well taught. The school meets the specific learning difficulties of pupils very well. The teaching of numeracy across the curriculum is satisfactory. Information and communication technology is well taught in specialist lessons but not sufficiently well reinforced across the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The school provides a good range of experiences and these are enhanced by a wide range of extra-curricular activities.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. All aspects are reinforced well across the curriculum through the lessons, the informal aspects of the school day and the boarding experiences.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very well. All staff know the pupils very well, they understand their individual needs and provide a safe and secure environment for them.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils are provided with a good range of experiences and these are augmented by extensive extra- curricular activities. There are particular strengths in English, personal and social development, special needs, and physical development. There is good provision for speech and language development, personal development, for therapies and other approaches to support pupils' special needs. Boarding provision extends the curriculum and supports pupils' personal and social development very well. There are good opportunities to enable pupils to learn a second language.

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Aspect Comment

Although pupils have information and communication technology lessons, there are insufficient opportunities planned for its use in other lessons to reinforce and extend understanding across the curriculum. Pupils do not always have daily opportunities to develop their mathematical understanding. Numeracy is not reinforced consistently across the curriculum. More House School - 7

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher has a very clear vision of the school that is shared with all staff. He and his deputy work effectively as a team and they are well supported by the senior management team. How well the appropriate authority fulfils its responsibilities Good. The governors are effective and well focused in holding the school to account for its standards.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. The current monitoring system has been effective and is being augmented by a more formal and rigorous system to develop teaching. The strategic use of resources Very good. The school has very efficient systems that ensure that resources are effectively deployed.

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Aspect Comment

Very good leadership and management by the headteacher and his deputy, supported well by the governing body, ensures a strong ethos and high achievement for pupils. The headteacher and his deputy have a very good understanding of teachers' skills and pupils' progress. However, the school is at an early stage of implementing a formal system of monitoring teaching and learning across the school. There are very good systems for managing finance that ensure resources are efficiently managed. There is a policy of continuous site improvement to meet the changing needs of the school. Principles of best value are applied.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The quality of education and its impact on their children's self-esteem. • The way the school is led and managed. • The school is easy to approach and very helpful. • The school has high expectations for their children. • Children make good progress, particularly in personal and social development. • Teaching is good. • Children are helped to become mature and responsible. • There is a good range of interesting activities provided by the school. A minority of parents were concerned about:

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The parents are extremely grateful for the quality of education provided by the school and its impact on their sons' progress and self-esteem. They have productive relationships with the school. They believe that the leadership and management in the school are very good. They believe that the school provides a very good range of extra-curricular activities and is preparing their children well for growing up. The inspection team support their views. Inspectors found the parents' concerns about behaviour and homework were not justified. More House School - 8

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Develops pupils' language and communication skills very well.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. The school develops pupils’ language and communication skills very well. High quality specialist provision is in place to ensure that pupils make the best possible progress. For example, pupils are offered a range of different therapies and approaches that encourage them to interact with adults and peers on a regular basis. Pupils make very good progress in their speech and language development through work in small groups and individually. They make very good progress due to the high level of expertise of staff.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. Other specialist approaches were observed in lessons across the curriculum in which pupils consistently achieved very good standards. They learn to listen carefully, copy and repeat sounds, and visualise the words. In English lessons, pupils’ language skills are consistently improved through a structured approach to individual needs. The many multi-sensory activities that are used regularly ensure that pupils make good gains in learning and that their communication skills are systematically extended. Some pupils find work with the animals, birds and reptiles help them to be able to communicate. The school provides a wide range of social and extra-curricular activities to help to improve pupils’ confidence. For example, there are sports, art, gardening, Duke of Edinburgh's Awards and computer clubs. Some older pupils took a play to the Edinburgh Festival this year. During the inspection, pupils talked maturely to adults, initiated conversation during

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

lunchtime and offered freely to show adults around the school.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Very effective development of pupils' personal and social skills helps them to achieve well.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. Pupils arrive at the school with a history of failure because they have been unable to achieve in other settings. The high standards achieved by pupils in external examinations is a testament to significant improvements in pupils' personal and social skills. The school's high quality of provision for their personal and social development enables pupils to become very confident learners. They often achieve standards that they and their parents would not have anticipated. The curriculum for personal and social education is very good and is a real strength. It includes many activities that are relevant to the needs of these particular pupils. They are taught to negotiate, explain their feelings and beliefs, for example, in life-skills. They are taught study skills, for example, making notes using connected meanings. In one lesson, pupils were observed in a 'brain-gym' activity in which they were

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

taught to visualise words. They learn to speak in public and frame effective questions. In lessons such as religious education, pupils are expected to give reasons for their opinions. The teachers’ very good knowledge and understanding of how pupils with specific learning difficulties achieve was a major strength in their success with the tasks.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4. Many opportunities are created in which pupils across the school work and share their activities and resources. For example, in an English lesson, a pupil with significant speech and language difficulties gave a long talk to the rest of the class about life in another country. He spoke confidently to his peers, had organised his presentation very well with the support of a computer presentation and made good use of humour. Pupils are taught to care for others and were observed helping younger pupils and those less able than themselves. They benefit from the very good role models that the staff provide and the very good relationships that abound within the school. Pupils of all ages are taught to look after their own belongings. They help to prepare and clear up in lessons and are taught responsibility in relation to their own work and behaviour.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5. There is very good provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are encouraged to consider their own feelings and emotions through religious education, art and English lessons. The school is very effective in encouraging in pupils a sense of self-worth and an ability to question. The ethos of the school encourages pupils' moral, social and cultural development through consistent relationships that value individuals. More House School - 9 6. The very good relationships and high levels of interaction between staff and boys are a key factor in promoting pupils’ self-esteem. Teachers’ enthusiasm and good humour challenges and inspires boys so that they learn to believe that they can successfully tackle tasks. Very good communication between teaching and support staff, both day and boarding, leads to a coherent and consistent approach that meets pupils’ needs very effectively. Boarding provision is very effective in

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

extending the curriculum in ways that support the pupils' personal development. For example, pupils are well supported to continue learning in lessons through 'prep' sessions and a very wide range of extra-curricular activities are provided for both day and boarding pupils. Day pupils have opportunities to take advantage of boarding experiences, too.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Significant strengths in teaching ensure that very good learning takes place in lessons.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

7. Teaching is good overall and often very good. All staff are very skilful in helping their pupils to learn and feel positive about their achievements. The heavy emphasis on speech and language permeates all lessons and is very well supported by speech and language therapists. In-depth interviews, before pupils are accepted by the school, provide a good insight into individual learning difficulties. Teachers use a wide selection of teaching methods that acknowledge the ways their pupils learn.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

8. Teachers have good levels of subject knowledge and, in the best lessons, their planning is sharply focused on learning outcomes for pupils with different abilities. There was a better pace in those lessons where the teacher had clearly focused planning. In very good lessons, for example, information and communication technology, teachers built well on pupils' previous learning and pupils expected to make progress in their understanding. Some teachers are very skilful at guiding and structuring the learning to help pupils to reach conclusions, for example, in science and mathematics. They have a flexible approach, based on detailed understanding of the individual needs of pupils. For example, in a drama lesson, the teacher made sure that pupils really understood and were confident about their talk before moving on. In a science lesson, the teacher used the question posed by a pupil as the context for the next stage of the lesson. Teachers

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

generally manage pupils very well because of their very good relationships with pupils.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

9. Pupils' knowledge and understanding is regularly reinforced at the beginning, during and at the end of lessons. This helps pupils to understand what they know. Skills are taught very thoroughly. Not only are subject-specific skills taught, for example, those used in working on metal in design and technology, but pupils are taught how to learn, too. Teachers ensure that pupils have a clear understanding of what they need to do in order to improve. They give individual verbal feedback in lessons and through comment on homework in pupils' books. As a result, pupils are able to evaluate and acknowledge their own success against their individual targets. Activities that have a real purpose, for example, working with real architects' plans in mathematics, looking at the structure of the school buildings in geography, help to engage pupils and make the learning relevant.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

10. The lessons on study skills and opportunities for pupils to reflect on their own strengths and weaknesses, coupled with the school's positive ethos of unconditional regard for individual differences, creates a rich and stimulating environment within which pupils develop an ability to learn.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

11. The 'can do' ethos in the school makes a huge contribution to raising pupils’ self-esteem and their belief in themselves which in turn leads to very good progress against their individual ‘starting point’ on entry to the school. For example, one pupil explained, "I'm not very good at art, but I do it as I see it". Pupils want to overcome their difficulties and respond very well to an environment that understands them and helps them in practical ways to address their specific difficulties.

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The considerable care and concern for the safety and wellbeing of residential and day-pupils

ensures that pupils enjoy school and become confident learners.

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The considerable care and concern for the safety and wellbeing of residential and day-pupils

12. The level of care and concern for pupils is very good and ensures that they learn to enjoy school and to think positively about themselves and their achievements. Teachers know individual pupils very well and are fully aware of their learning and emotional needs. The school has effective systems to identify how well pupils are making progress in language and their social and emotional More House School - 10 development. Half-termly checks on pupils' attitudes and progress in all lessons mean that individuals are not over-looked. The school's effective systems for monitoring behaviour ensure an orderly environment and that exclusions are kept to the minimum. 13. A broad range of curricular experiences supports pupils very well. For example, the curriculum for personal, social and health education is enhanced with further structured guidance on ‘Life Skills’. Circle Times, tutor times and drama sessions all contribute, giving pupils opportunities to address

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The considerable care and concern for the safety and wellbeing of residential and day-pupils

their achievements, difficulties and frustrations within a supportive environment that respects individuals. The use of short periods of 'time out' for pupils with the physical education staff when they find the learning environment particularly stressful is a valuable feature. Staff set excellent examples of patience and care for pupils. As a result, pupils learn to be tolerant and to give each other very high levels of encouragement. It was moving to observe a drama group where the physical and spoken language difficulties of one member did not detract from him being fully involved in all aspects of the performance.

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The considerable care and concern for the safety and wellbeing of residential and day-pupils

14. Provision for pupils who board is very good and the school actively seeks to give pupils a very good quality of provision in which adults work 'in loco parentis'. The communication between day and boarding staff is very good and ensures that pupils receive very effective support and guidance. The provision for pupils health and safety is very good. However, some statutory health and safety procedures are not adequately monitored. For example, registers are not always accurate and portable appliances are not always checked within the required timescale. Nevertheless, the depth of compassion fundamental to all aspects of school life is a significant feature of the success More House has with its pupils.

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Outstanding leadership and very effective management leads to a calm, orderly but

stimulating environment within which pupils can flourish.

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Outstanding leadership and very effective management leads to a calm, orderly but

15. The headteacher provides outstanding leadership which clearly reflects the school's values. He and his deputy manage the school very effectively and are highly regarded by all staff. This is acknowledged by parents who are fulsome in their praise for the headteacher and the impact of the school on the development of their sons. The governors are clear about the school's strengths and weaknesses. They are rigorous in holding the school to account for its standards and they oversee the finances of the school very well. Long term planning and the policy of holding back sufficient finance for the development of the site ensures that the school continues to meet the changing school population. The school development plan identifies appropriate priorities and is effective in moving the school forward.

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Outstanding leadership and very effective management leads to a calm, orderly but

16. There is a common purpose in the school and the relationships within it generate a strongly positive ethos. Staff share their successes as well as difficulties freely with one another and none are afraid to ask for ideas and support. The co-operation within and between teams of staff ensure that pupils make very good progress, not only in their academic work, but also in their personal development. There is no sense of complacency and all the staff, both teaching and non-teaching, are totally committed to the highest possible achievements for pupils. Staff reflect critically on their work and are anxious to improve. The high turnover of staff includes teachers who have left and returned. There has, therefore, been no adverse impact on standards.

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Outstanding leadership and very effective management leads to a calm, orderly but

17. The headteacher and his deputy have a high profile in the school and are aware of its strengths and weaknesses. There are sophisticated strategies for overseeing the progress of pupils. However, all the available data is not sufficiently well used by all staff to inform their teaching. The school has been involved in a number of research projects and is at the forefront of developments in its particular field.

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Outstanding leadership and very effective management leads to a calm, orderly but

18. The head of the boarding provision has effective strategies for ensuring the continuous improvement of provision and the development of staff. The speech and language therapists work rigorously to support the development of the pupils' speech and language. Outside agencies, for example the educational psychologist, work very productively with the school.

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Outstanding leadership and very effective management leads to a calm, orderly but

Parents support the school very well. More House School - 11 19. The majority of parents responded very positively and seriously to the inspection questionnaire. They identified the extensive efforts made by the school to understand the particular learning needs of their children and how best to meet them. Many were overwhelmingly grateful to the school for the considerable progress made by their sons whilst in the school. Some could identify the changes clearly after as little as three weeks. All but one or two were extremely positive about the considerable growth in self-esteem of their sons.

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Outstanding leadership and very effective management leads to a calm, orderly but

20. Parents were extremely grateful for the prompt action taken to resolve problems discreetly and efficiently. They hold the headteacher, staff and whole school in very high regard, particularly because their sons have grown so impressively in confidence. The quality of information that they receive is felt to be entirely appropriate. They work productively with the school for their sons' benefit.

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More rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning to share good practice and to improve the

planning of lessons and on-going assessment of pupils.

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More rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning to share good practice and to improve the

21. The headteacher and his deputy are well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They have a high profile around the school and frequently visit lessons on an informal basis. Although the deputy has recently begun a system for the formal monitoring of classrooms, opportunities are currently restricted for giving feedback to staff and for extending their considerable expertise. For example, teachers do not always make best use of the substantial amount of data available on pupils to inform their planning.

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More rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning to share good practice and to improve the

22. Some teachers plan well, identifying the knowledge, skills and understanding they anticipate pupils of differing abilities will achieve. This is used to evaluate pupils' learning at the end of the lesson. Although all teachers know their pupils well, the planning of some is too general to be used to measure pupils' short-term progress accurately. Assessments of pupils' learning are kept separately and do not link closely with day-to-day planning. The lack of monitoring of pupils' progress across different subjects leads to marked inconsistencies in the identification of pupils' levels of achievement and a less sharp focus for teaching. For example, not all teachers make specific provision for pupils who are under-achieving and plans for development are primarily concerned with the improved resources and new courses unrelated to raising the achievement of pupils.

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development of pupils' problem-solving skills and to help them overcome their particular

23. Too little use is made of information and communication technology in all aspects of school life. The school is aware of this weakness and is beginning to implement improvements. In information and communication technology lessons, pupils achieve well. They learn the skills required to effectively operate computers and they make good progress. They benefit from the good new computer suite and good quality teaching and support. However, computers and other forms of communication technology are too rarely used in other contexts, both in the school and the residential home. There are many lost opportunities for pupils to increase their knowledge of the world around them and prepare themselves for life after school through the use of information and communication technology. Written work and finding information in books for many pupils is a struggle and there are too few examples of pupils using laptops, solving problems, or presenting work on the computer,

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development of pupils' problem-solving skills and to help them overcome their particular

such as graphs in mathematics and science.

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development of pupils' problem-solving skills and to help them overcome their particular

24. The school has recently opened a fully equipped information and communication technology suite. Pupils make good progress in their specialist lessons. However, the accommodation makes networking difficult and expensive. Furthermore, the availability of computers within classrooms is limited both in number and by their age, and some are very slow. Pupils' use of computers in other lessons is, therefore, restricted. Although boarders have very good access to the information and communication technology suite during homework sessions, relatively few make effective use of the More House School - 12 facilities.

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development of pupils' problem-solving skills and to help them overcome their particular

25. Although teachers are aware of how the use of computers might be promoted through their subjects, not all schemes of work contain details of when they will be used or for what purpose. There is no whole school plan yet in place to ensure that pupils' knowledge, skills and understanding are progressively developed and assessed either in specialist lessons or across the school. Teaching and learning of mathematics and numeracy to support learning in other subjects.

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development of pupils' problem-solving skills and to help them overcome their particular

26. Pupils make good progress in mathematics but it is not so good as in English. The teaching of the subject has been affected by the difficulties in recruiting suitable staff. There is now a new head of department and a clear plan for developing the subject.

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development of pupils' problem-solving skills and to help them overcome their particular

27. However, the timetable does not allow all pupils to have daily lessons to reinforce their learning. There is no clear strategy for the reinforcement of numeracy across the curriculum. As a result, opportunities are missed to reinforce and extend pupils' understanding in a range of different situations. Pupils' progress in mathematics is not as carefully monitored as it is in English.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

28. To improve the provision, the governors, headteacher and senior management team should address the following issues:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) Establish a more rigorous system of monitoring of teaching and learning to share the considerable strengths among the staff and to improve the planning and continuous assessment of pupils (Paragraphs 21 and 22);

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

b) Extend the use of information and communication technology across the school to support the development of pupils' problem-solving skills and to help them overcome their particular learning difficulties (Paragraphs 23-25); and

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

c) Develop the teaching and learning of mathematics and numeracy to support pupils' learning in other subjects (Paragraphs 26 and 27). More House School - 13

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 15

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one [two, three, etc] percentage point[s].

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll 183

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals N/A

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 19

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 12

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Both authorised and unauthorised absence is more favourable than in similar schools.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 1 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 2 Black – African heritage 1 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 9 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and classes: Y5 – Y13

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 33.2 Financial year 2000/1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 7

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y5 – Y13 Total expenditure 1608549

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 14 Expenditure per pupil 9572

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 321.3 Balance brought forward from previous year 566985

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance carried forward to next year 685876

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 20.2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 20.5

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1.2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0 More House School - 15 Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 1.2

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. More House School - 16

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Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 40 52 6 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 20 61 15 1 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 32 51 13 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 48 39 7 0 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 74 23 2 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 58 38 2 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 51 38 4 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 70 26 2 1 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 59 34 2 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 61 30 4 0 5

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Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

The parents were extremely grateful for the quality of education provided by the school and its impact on their sons' progress and self-esteem. They have productive relationships with the school. They believe that the leadership and management are very good. They believe that the school provides a very good range of extra-curricular activities and is preparing their children well for growing up.

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Other issues raised by parents

A few parents were concerned about the amount of homework set for the youngest children. More House School - 17

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