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INSPECTION
REPORT ON | |||
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The
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Full Name of the
School |
The
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DfES
Number |
724/5462 | ||
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Address |
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Telephone
Number |
01625
583241 | ||
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Fax
Number |
01625
581900 | ||
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E-mail
Address |
headmaster@ryleys.cheshire.sch.uk | ||
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Name of
Headmaster |
Mr P
Barrett | ||
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Chair of
Governors |
Mrs J
Nichols | ||
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3 –
13 |
Gender |
Male |
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Number of
Pupils |
236 |
Boarders |
Nil |
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Inspection
Dates |
14th –
18th November
2005 | ||
This inspection report follows the framework laid down by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). The inspection was carried out under the arrangements of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) Associations for the maintenance and improvement of the quality of their membership. It was also carried out under Section 163(1)(b) of the Education Act 2002, under the provisions of which the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has accredited ISI as the body approved for the purpose of inspecting schools belonging to ISC Associations and reporting on compliance with the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003.
The inspection does not examine the financial viability of the school or investigate its accounting procedures. The inspectors check the school’s health and safety procedures and comment on any significant hazards they encounter: they do not carry out an exhaustive health and safety examination. Their inspection of the premises is from an educational perspective and does not include in-depth examination of the structural condition of the school, its services or other physical features.
1.1 Pupils achieve good standards and make rapid progress in their learning. They reach high standards in their personal development. The school creates many opportunities that inspire boys to discover and cultivate their talents. Pupils develop a positive attitude towards learning and a proper respect for others. The high level of commitment of staff and the very good collaborative working of staff in nurturing the development of individual pupils is a key element in the success of the school. The very few areas in need of further development are around issues to do with assessment and target setting.
1.2 The school has many strengths, the clearest being:
· The high quality of the provision in the Foundation Stage gives pupils a most valuable platform on which their education is built.
· The very good quality of teaching in many subjects supports pupils’ attainment and contributes to their personal development.
· The dedication and generous commitment of staff to the education and well-being of pupils create a school community in which pupils are secure and successful in their learning and achievement.
· Pupils, through their confidence, positive attitudes and courteous behaviour make a significant contribution to the welcoming and happy atmosphere that permeates the school.
· The organisation and the support of the special education needs (SEN) department are of a high quality and help pupils make good progress in their learning as well as helping them grow in confidence.
· The good curriculum on offer is broad and balanced in the experiences it offers all pupils and is enriched by the contributions of art, music and games.
What the School Should Do Better
1.3 The school needs to consider for further development:
· Target setting is not used widely as a way of assisting pupils’ development in their learning so that teachers are losing a valuable instrument in planning for further development.
Standards of Attainment and Progress in Subjects
1.4 Pupils throughout the school achieve high standards and make rapid progress in their learning.
1.5 In the Foundation Stage, pupils achieve high standards in relation to their abilities. Attainment in national tests in English, mathematics and science at age 11 is in line with their abilities. Results in national tests in each of these subjects at age 11 over the three years up to 2004, the last time the examinations were taken, were well above the national average for all maintained primary schools.
1.6 Pupils enjoy significant success in the 11+ examinations and all who sit Common Entrance examinations at age 13+ are successful at gaining entry to major independent schools of their choice. Each year a number of pupils are awarded scholarships to these schools.
1.7 Attainment in lessons throughout the school is high. Pupils who need learning support as well as the more able pupils achieve good levels of attainment.
1.8
Progress both in lessons and over longer
periods throughout the school is rapid.
Pupils with special learning needs and the more
able pupils make rapid progress in their time in the
The Quality of Pupils’ Learning, Attitudes and their Behaviour
1.9 The quality of pupils’ attitudes to learning and of their personal development and behaviour is very good and appropriate for the ages, abilities and aptitudes of the pupils concerned and conducive to the learning process.
1.10 Numeracy skills are used very well across the school. Pupils make good use of their reading skills across a range of subjects. Very good listening and speaking skills are evident in discussions and in lessons where pupils are called on to voice opinions and present arguments. The use of ICT is good with pupils showing considerable confidence in their use of a range of equipment. Pupils develop a good range of learning strategies.
1.11 The excellent relationships between the pupils and their relationships with staff allow pupils to work well together and to be confident in expressing opinions and insights.
1.12
Pupils’ behaviour in the
classrooms and around the school is very good.
1.13 The quality of teaching in each section of the school is very good.
1.14 Teaching across the school meets the needs of all pupils, including those who require learning support. These pupils are given very good support through the work of the learning support staff. In the better lessons, teachers have high expectations of their pupils and set a high level of challenge giving the more able pupils opportunities to work at a level appropriate to their ability.
1.15 The level of attendance is very good and enables pupils to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by the school.
1.16 The good systems and methods used for assessing and recording pupils’ learning needs, achievements and progress are accurate, consistent and effective. They are efficient, thorough and appropriate for the pupils’ ages, needs and stages of development. Assessment and marking are frequent but the use of target setting is inconsistent across subjects.
1.17 The school provides a good curriculum that is broad and balanced and gives a general education suited to all pupils across the full age and ability range. The curriculum is enriched through a good range of extra-curricular activities such as games, music, drama, judo, golf and woodwork club. The high quality support from the learning support department enables all pupils to gain advantage from the curriculum on offer.
Teaching and Non-teaching Staff
1.18 The number, qualifications and experience of teaching and non-teaching staff are good and contribute appropriately to the quality of education and the education standards achieved. The dedication and generous commitment of staff to the education and to the well-being of pupils create a school community in which pupils are secure and successful in their learning and achievement.
1.19 The books, equipment, materials and ICT which are needed to support the teaching, learning, study and recreation of the pupils at all levels, are very good in quantity, quality and organisation and are used very effectively to support pupils’ attainment, progress and the quality of their learning.
1.20
Library facilities offer good
support for the curriculum and are effectively used. The newly refurbished library facilities
in the
1.21 The buildings, accommodation and other facilities are generous for the numbers, abilities, and ages of the pupils. They are very well used and enable the curriculum to be taught very effectively and they make a positive contribution to the pupils’ personal development and welfare.
Links with Parents and the Community
1.22 Links with parents and the community are very good. Pupils benefit from the very good partnership the school has developed with parents and from the many worthwhile links created with the local community. The majority of parents replying to the parental questionnaire sent to all parents as part of the inspection expressed satisfaction with all aspects of the school, particularly with the academic standards and the high level of pastoral care.
1.23 The school makes very good provision for the pupils’ personal development. It is a strength of the school. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to develop a system of spiritual beliefs and a moral code as well as developing socially and culturally. Good programmes of personal social and health education (PSHE) have been established. The school provides a very supportive atmosphere, fostering the pupils’ social development.
1.24 The school’s arrangements for pupils’ well-being, development and safety through its arrangements for pastoral support, for guidance and for welfare, health and safety are very good. It has good systems, formal and informal, for pastoral care, and good procedures for child protection. The school has effective measures to promote health and safety.
1.25 The governance and management of the school are good and ensure that the school’s aims are met, a suitable quality of education is provided and there is sufficient planning to secure adequate resources for teaching and learning. The headteacher, working closely with the governors and senior team members, has created an ethos and sense of purpose in the school which are conducive to effective teaching and learning and which place value on a wide range of pupil achievement - academic, creative and sporting.
Achievement and Quality in Activities
1.26 Achievement and quality in the range of activities provided for pupils are very good, appropriate to their age, aptitudes and abilities and contribute strongly to their personal development.
Progress Made by the School since its Last Inspection
1.27 The school has made good progress since its last inspection in the manner in which it has developed the role of subject leaders and in the way it has begun to tackle the proper use of assessment.
Compliance with the Regulations for Registration
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DfES Standard |
Does the school meet the regulatory requirements? | ||
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1. |
Quality of education: |
1.(2) Curriculum |
Yes |
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1.(3)-(5) Teaching |
Yes |
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2. |
Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils |
Yes | |
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3. |
Welfare, health and safety of pupils |
Yes | |
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4. |
Suitability of proprietors and staff |
Yes | |
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5. |
Premises and accommodation |
Yes | |
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6. |
Provision of information |
Yes | |
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7. |
Manner in which complaints are to be handled |
Yes | |
Actions Required for Compliance with the Regulatory Requirements
1.28 No action is required.
2.1 The school should consider the following recommendations to improve even further the good quality of education on offer:
R1 build target setting into all reports and into marking schemes as a key element in moving forward pupils’ learning.
3.1
The
3.2
The school
caters for boys from the age of 3 and 4 in the Nursery and ages
3.3
The majority of pupils are from
Alderley Edge, Wilmslow and the surrounding areas. The area lies in the middle of the
3.4
There are no pupils with full
statements of special educational needs although 42 pupils have been identified
by the school as requiring some form of learning support in English and
mathematics, and four pupils
require support because English is not their first
language.
3.5 Entry to any section of the school follows an in-school assessment and interview of the pupil, as well as a discussion with parents to ensure that the school can respond appropriately to the educational ability of each applicant. The school is a non-selective school; although a pupil might not be offered a place if it is felt that he would not cope with the academic demands of the school. Standardised national tests may be used as part of the in-school assessment but the results are used to establish a baseline for each pupil against which each pupil’s progress may be measured.
3.6 At age 11 about half of the pupils move to local independent and grammar schools with the others staying on until age 13 when almost all of them are successful at gaining entry to the independent schools of their choice.
3.7 The results of nationally standardised tests carried out by the school each year show that the pupils’ average ability range is well above the national average. While a small number of pupils are below national average the majority of pupils are between average and well above average. Where pupils are performing in line with their abilities, their results are expected to be well above those of all maintained primary schools.
3.8 The school aims “to develop in its pupils a positive attitude towards learning and a proper respect for others through a happy, secure and disciplined environment.” In addition it aims “to develop excellence and quality through a broad, stimulating and well-balanced curriculum”, and “to provide opportunities which inspire boys to discover and cultivate their individual and collective talents.”
3.9 National Curriculum nomenclature is used throughout this report to refer to year groups in the school.
3.10 Externally marked National Curriculum Assessments at age 11 (Key Stage 2):
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Most recent year
2004 |
Average for the last three years up to
2004 | ||
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Subject |
Level 4 or higher (%) |
Level 5 or higher (%) |
Level 4 or higher (%) |
Level 5 or higher (%) |
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English |
100% |
43% |
98% |
24% |
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Mathematics |
92% |
51% |
91% |
52% |
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Science |
97% |
65% |
98% |
61% |
3.11 Attendance for First Half of Summer Term 2005:
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Authorised |
Unauthorised |
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Percentage absence |
4.26% |
0 |
3.12 Exclusions Over the Previous 12 Months
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Temporary
exclusions |
Permanent
exclusions |