The following is the full summary of our Independent School Inspection Report from February 2005 carried out by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. If you wish, you may also download and print a copy of the entire report by clicking on the link below

• St George's College Independent School Inspection Report [PDF, 357k]

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Overall Summary

St George's College is a rapidly developing and improving school.  Standards achieved at both A level and GCSE are good.  The behaviour and attitudes of the pupils are very good and highly conducive to effective learning.  The quality of pastoral care and the social and moral development of the pupils are very good.  The teaching is good and frequently very good.  The school is committed to providing a broad education, including a good quality extra-curricular programme of games and activities, and to an ethos which promotes Catholic Christian family values. No major aspect of the school is weak, although the provision and use of ICT are insufficient. Parents responding to the pre-inspection questionnaire were very supportive of the school.

What the School Does Well
The school has many areas of strength, among which the following stand out.

• The standards achieved in both General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and General Certificate of Education at Advanced level (A-level) examinations are good and they are improving year by year.
• The behaviour and attitudes of the pupils at all stages of the school are very good and highly conducive to effective learning.
• The quality of pastoral care and the advice and guidance given to pupils are very good.  Pupils are well known by teachers and tutors, and enjoy very good relationships with them, based on mutual respect and trust.   
• The social and moral development of the pupils is very good, resulting in confident, considerate and articulate young people, who are well equipped for adult life.
• Teaching is mainly good, and frequently very good.  Teachers are knowledgeable and hard working and their commitment contributes to the good standards achieved both academically and in extra-curricular games and activities.  
• The governance and management are good and have ensured rapid development and improvement over recent years, whilst preserving the school's commitment to a broad education and to the Josephite ethos, which promotes Catholic Christian family values.

What the School Should Do Better
No major aspect of the school is weak.  The following are areas for the school to consider in the next stage of its development.

• The provision of information and communication technology (ICT) equipment and its use to enhance teaching and learning across the curriculum are unsatisfactory.
• The curriculum is not sufficiently balanced, particularly in Years 9 and 10.
• Strategic planning is insufficiently shared across the school community to allow staff to contribute to the identification of needs and the setting of priorities.

Standards of Attainment and Progress in Subjects
Standards of attainment are good at all stages.  Standards achieved in public examinations overall have improved steadily over recent years and are now good at both GCSE and A level in relation to pupils' abilities.  Over the three years to 2003, A-level results have been in line with those achieved in maintained selective schools nationally but have improved each year, with the best in 2004. The proportion gaining grades A to E is in line with that in maintained selective schools nationally, whilst that gaining A or B grades is above that achieved in the selective schools.

The most recent GCSE results are also good.  The overall A* to C grade pass-rate over the three years to 2003 is in line with that achieved in maintained selective schools nationally and have similarly improved year on year to reach their best level in 2004.  The proportion of candidates achieving A* or A grades in the three years to 2003 has been slightly below that achieved at the selective schools, but has improved markedly in 2004 and is now likely to be in line with those schools.

Attainment in lessons and written work is good at all ages.  Pupils are articulate and confident.  They have good numeracy and literacy skills and they are able to use ICT competently to assist their learning, both for oral and written presentation and for internet research.  Pupils with particular learning needs, the very able and those in need of support, achieve standards at least in line with their ability.  Attainment in some sporting activities, such as hockey, tennis and rowing, in drama and in extra-curricular music is high and in no subject is it less than good.     

Progress is good at all stages of the school.  Nationally standardised tests indicate that all subjects add value to GCSE, with the most significant gains being made by art, design and technology, English and English literature, history and modern languages.  In the sixth form, statistical analysis indicates increasingly good value added overall in each year since 2001, with the most significant gains being in business studies, economics, sports studies and theatre studies.  The progress made by boys and girls is similarly good and results in comparable performance in A-level and GCSE examinations, which is against the national trend.  Virtually all those leaving the sixth form go on to higher education.

The Quality of Pupils' Learning, Attitudes and their Behaviour
The quality of pupils' attitudes to learning and of their personal development and behaviour is very good for their ages, abilities and aptitudes, and highly conducive to the learning process. They are keen to learn and they are highly motivated for success. They support each other well and listen very carefully to their teachers and to each other. Considerable respect is shown for the values, beliefs and ideas of others.  Behaviour about the school is very good and movement within it is orderly and controlled.  Pupils are courteous, open and friendly.

The Quality of Teaching
The overall quality of the teaching is good, and frequently it is very good.  Teaching contributes effectively to pupils' attainment and progress.  Lessons are very well planned and supportive of the needs of pupils across the ability range.  The management of pupils in class is nearly always very good and enables positive and beneficial relationships to develop between teachers and pupils.

Other Aspects of the School
Attendance
Attendance levels are very good.  Pupils' punctuality, both arriving for registration in the morning and to lessons, is good.  Procedures for registering latecomers, and for reconciling attendance registers with the list of expected absences, are very good and enable the school office to identify any unexpected absentees before the mid-morning break.  However, the school's procedure for following up any such absentees does not require tutors to contact parents until the absence has continued for three days, leaving open the possibility of a mishap on the way to school being undiscovered until the end of the day.
 
Assessment and Recording
The procedures for assessment and recording are good.  The methods used for assessing and recording pupils' achievements, progress and needs are accurate, consistent and effective.  The school has a comprehensive and clearly defined assessment policy in place with a clear chain of responsibility and effective implementation.  Regular assessment in departments, thorough testing and careful marking, provide effective monitoring of pupils' attainment and progress.  Statistical information is used in many subject areas to promote pupils' achievement and to inform curriculum planning.

Curriculum
The overall quality of the curriculum is sound.  The curriculum is broad but not always balanced, especially in Years 9 and 10.  It mainly meets the needs of pupils across the age and ability range.  Planning of the curriculum is sound and mostly ensures good continuity and progression.  The management of the curriculum at subject level is good, with clear comprehensive schemes of work which effectively support the lesson planning and teaching of individual teachers.  The programme of activities enriches the curriculum in many areas.

Teaching and Non-teaching Staff
The provision of teaching and non-teaching staff is good.  Teachers are suitably qualified and experienced, and give generously of their time.  They are effectively deployed.  The non-teaching members of staff are dedicated, hard working and helpful.  Collectively, the staff's commitment and loyalty contribute significantly to the pupils' educational experience and to the standards achieved both within and beyond the classroom.  Procedures governing the recruitment of visiting music teachers are insufficiently rigorous.

Resources for Learning
The provision of resources to support teaching, learning and study is good, with the exception of ICT, for which the provision of equipment is unsatisfactory.  In most areas resources are used effectively.  Provision of textbooks, equipment and other subject-specific resources is generally good.  Some of the resources, such as those dedicated to tennis, are excellent.  Departmental budgets are generally sufficient to support the curriculum and extra-curricular activities.  The central ICT facility is well-equipped but, outside the department, provision is unsatisfactory in most subjects and the availability of computers for pupils' use is limited.

Libraries
Library provision is good.  The main school library is a good resource which provides appropriate support for the curriculum.  It is a well-managed and attractive facility for pupils to work and read in, but the rate of book borrowing is low.  

Premises and Accommodation
The buildings, accommodation and other facilities, including the chapel, are generally good and appropriate for the numbers, abilities, ages and gender of the pupils.  However, some of the classrooms are housed in temporary buildings and are only adequate.  The school campus is attractive, clean and well cared for, and contributes positively to the pupils' education, behaviour and welfare, and enables the curriculum to be taught effectively.

Links with Parents and the Community
The quality of links with parents is good.  A good range of information about the school's policies and activities is made available.  Opportunities for parental involvement are numerous and much appreciated.  Links with the community are very good. The use of homework diaries and grade cards enables good regular contact.  The reports to parents are mostly good but limited in scope, lacking sufficient information about personal development and participation in activities.

The overwhelming majority of the 486 parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were very positive about the school.  Aspects attracting more than 9 in 10 positive or very positive responses were the range of extra-curricular activities; the curriculum; the attitudes and values promoted by the school and the standards of attainment, progress and teaching.  The only significant concerns raised were about the speed with which pupils in need of learning support were identified and what some considered the excessive quantity of homework set.  Inspectors found no evidence to support the first of these concerns in current practice, which has improved recently with the introduction of screening for new pupils.  Some evidence was found to support the view that homework is not consistently set, resulting in an uneven load on different nights.  Parents had much praise for the supportive ethos of the school and one in twenty added a comment to the effect that St. George's is an excellent school and that their child is happy and thriving there.

Pupils' Personal Development
The school provides a wide range of very good opportunities through which pupils can develop a system of spiritual beliefs and a sound moral code, as well as grow very well personally, socially and culturally.  Spiritual development is carefully and well provided for in lessons and by voluntary, well-supported group activities.  However, opportunities are missed to promote the spiritual life of the pupils through reflection and collective worship.  Provision for moral education, cultural awareness and the growth of understanding and tolerance is very good, and the exercise of responsibility within the school is well developed among the pupils.

Pastoral Care
The overall quality of pastoral care is very good.  Members of staff work well together as a coherent team to provide very good care, support and guidance for pupils.  Senior pupils play a significant role in overseeing and mentoring younger pupils, to the benefit of all.  The school's arrangements to provide a healthy and safe working environment for its staff and pupils are very good.  The implementation of a series of good policies and procedures ensures the welfare of pupils.

Governance and Management
The governance and management of the school are of good quality.  They have enabled rapid development and improvement to take place since the last inspection, including a successful merger with the neighbouring Catholic girls' school.  They have preserved the school's aim to provide good quality, broad education, with very good pastoral care, within the context of its founding ethos, which promotes Catholic Christian family values.  Planning for the future is, however, insufficiently shared across the school community to ensure that priorities are correctly identified and agreed.  Although resources are generally good, those for ICT are insufficient.  The day-to-day management of the school is good.

Achievement and Quality in Activities
The overall levels of achievement and quality in the activity programme provided are good.  Achievement in some areas is excellent.  The programme is an integral part of school life and provides very good opportunities that contribute greatly to the educational experience and personal development of those who participate.  However, the provision does not meet the needs of all pupils' aptitudes and abilities and the systems for recording and reporting are inadequate.

Progress Made by the School since its Last Inspection
The most recent inspection of the school was an inspection carried out under the auspices of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) in February, 1999.  The report following that inspection made 11 main recommendations for improving the school.  Good progress has been made with nine.  The remaining two concerned the provision of training for staff in the use of ICT to enhance teaching, and reviewing the balance of the curriculum time allotted to various subjects.  More work remains to be done in these two areas, which are the subject of further comment and recommendation in this report.

The school has made rapid progress in many areas since its last inspection.

Headmaster's Response
We are very happy with the Report and I have commended the student body as well as acknowledged the achievements of our boys and girls and their teachers. Not only does this report recognise where we are as a school today but the Inspection's remit to recommend to schools how they can move forward, is timely for the College.

Joseph Peake
Headmaster

Find out more

For more information please contact the College on 01932 839300 or the Junior School on 01932 839400 | contact@st-georges-college.co.uk