ISI Inspection 2004

What follows below is the summary report. The full report can be found on the ISI web site.

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INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTORATE

INSPECTION REPORT ON

St Mary’s School, Cambridge

Full Name of the School	St Mary’s School, Cambridge
DfES Number	87360001
Address	Bateman Street, Cambridge, CB2 1LY
Telephone Number	01223 353253
Fax Number	01223 357451
E–mail Address	headmistress@ followed by stmaryscambridge.co.uk

Name of Headmistress	Mrs Jayne Triffitt
Chairman of Governors	Dr John Tudor
Age Range	11 to 18	Gender	Girls
Number of Pupils	480	Number of Boarders	46
Inspection Dates	15–19 March, 2004

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 school must not quote the report selectively in the school prospectus or other promotional literature.

The inspection was not carried out in conjunction with the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) and the report does not contain specific judgements on the National Minimum Boarding Standards. It comments on the progress made by the school in meeting the recommendations set out in the most recent statutory boarding inspection and evaluates the quality of the boarding experience and its contribution to pupils’ education and development in general.

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.

MAIN FINDINGS

Overall Summary

The young women who leave St Mary’s are a credit to themselves and their school. They achieve very good standards in relation to their abilities. They are intensely, and rightly, proud of their school. They are hard working, articulate and well adjusted; above all, they are inspired by the Catholic and Christian ethos of the school; they care for each other and the world outside the school. They achieve so well because of the skill, commitment, care and high expectations of the staff. A key factor in the improvements which have taken place in recent years has been the committed leadership of the headmistress. Nevertheless, more rigorous monitoring and an effective staff development strategy are needed to encourage further development of the school.

What the School Does Well

The school has many strengths:

• The ethos of the school, which actively promotes Christian values, self–respect and respect for others, informs and enhances the educational experience of its pupils.
• The strong and committed leadership of the headmistress is the principal factor in the revival of the fortunes of the school.
• In relation to their abilities, the girls achieve very good academic standards in public examinations, and the school properly acknowledges their achievements.
• The pastoral care provided by the school gives excellent support to each girl’s personal, vocational and academic development.
• The dedicated, committed and hard–working staff contribute very positively to all aspects of the girls’ academic success and personal development.
• The personal development of the girls is very good: they leave the school as mature, confident and well adjusted young women.

What the School Should Do Better

Nevertheless, there are a few areas for improvement:

• The school still lacks a comprehensive staff appraisal scheme which can identify and disseminate good practice and provide the basis for a comprehensive and coherent staff development policy.
• Information and communications technology (ICT) is not yet integrated into the teaching of most subjects and, therefore, insufficient use is made of the school’s facilities and pupils’ skills.
• The school does not monitor rigorously enough the implementation of its policies and the performance of subject departments.
• The current timetable structure does not adequately implement the curricular intentions of the school.

Standards of Attainment and Progress in Subjects

Standards reached in GCSE and A–level examinations are well above the national average and above the average for broadly equivalent maintained secondary schools. In terms of the highest grades, A* and A at GCSE level and A and B grades at A Level, the performance of St Mary’s girls has been slightly above the level for selective schools. In relation to their attainment on entry to the school, the girls achieve high standards. The strongest subjects at GCSE level are the sciences, English, history, and mathematics. At A level, there is little to choose between the subjects and none are weak. Pupils make good and sometimes rapid progress throughout the school.

The Quality of Pupils’ Learning, Attitudes and their Behaviour

The good quality of pupils’ learning, their very good attitudes to work, and the very good standard of behaviour are strengths of the school and contribute significantly to overall attainment and progress. Pupils are highly motivated, they are confident to ask questions and they work well with each other. When given the opportunity, they are capable of independent research. Relationships, based on mutual respect, are very good.

The Quality of Teaching

The overall quality of teaching is good. In approximately three–quarters of the lessons observed the teaching was considered to be good or very good. In only a few lessons was teaching judged to be unsatisfactory. Teaching is strongest in German, biology, drama, English, Spanish, history and chemistry. In general, the teaching caters well for the needs of the pupils throughout the school and contributes effectively to their attainment. Support for pupils with special educational needs or whose mother tongue is not English is good.

Other Aspects of the School

Attendance
Levels of attendance are high, approaching 95 per cent. Unauthorised absence is so rare as to be effectively nil. Pupils mainly arrive punctually to school and to lessons, and any lateness is recorded carefully. Registration procedures for the sixth form are unsatisfactory and do not meet regulatory requirements. The school relies too easily on the system of signing–out slips.

Assessment and Recording
The assessment and recording systems are well conceived and are generally effective and appropriate for the pupils’ ages and abilities but they are not widely used to inform curriculum planning. Methods used for assessing and recording pupils’ progress, achievement and needs are generally accurate and effective, but they are not always used consistently. The frequency and quality of marking is good in most departments.

Curriculum
The quality of the curriculum is good. It is suited to the needs and abilities of the pupils and provides equality of access for all, including those with special educational needs (SEN) and English as an additional language (EAL). It contains a broad and generally balanced range of subjects. However, some aspects of the timetable are unsatisfactory. The curriculum contributes significantly to the pupils’ academic, personal and physical attainment and progress. A good range of extra–curricular activities enhances the curriculum. Throughout the school the curriculum is effective in preparing the pupils for the next stage of their education.

Teaching and Non–teaching Staff
The quality and deployment of teaching and non–teaching staff are sound overall. The teaching staff is well qualified and its members have appropriate experience for the roles they undertake. Professional training and development do not currently reflect individual or whole school needs, and an appraisal scheme is planned but has not yet been introduced.

Resources for Learning
Resources are satisfactory overall and good in some subjects. ICT resources are better than average but are not used enough to support teaching. The budgeting process is not linked to departmental or whole–school priorities and should be reviewed.

Libraries
The library is well stocked with books and other resources which are up to date and relevant to pupils’ needs. The closure of the middle school library, to provide more teaching space, caused a degree of disruption which has not yet entirely been resolved. The library does not operate as smoothly as it should because it does not benefit from the expertise of a professional librarian.

Premises and Accommodation
The buildings and other facilities, including the playing fields, are adequate and well maintained. They make a sound contribution to pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare, and appropriately support the curriculum. The school is accommodated in two buildings in Bateman Street, and one in Brookside. Sports fields are a short distance away at Long Road. Boarding facilities are generally good.

Links with Parents and the Community
The school has developed an effective partnership and worthwhile links with parents and the community. Reports are detailed and parents’ meetings are held at appropriate times. Parents are active fund–raisers and attend school functions. The well–organised work experience scheme creates links with the community and the school has very strong links with the local catholic community. The well–above–average response to the pre–inspection questionnaire expressed a very high degree of satisfaction with the school. The few concerns raised by parents were not supported by inspection findings.

Pupils’ Personal Development
The personal development of the pupils is very good and a major strength of the school; it is appreciated both by the girls and by their parents. The Christian and Catholic ethos permeates all that the school does. Spiritual and moral development is particularly strong. An outstanding feature is the work done by the school and through the initiative of the girls to enable sick children to make the pilgrimage to Lourdes. The boarding experience makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ personal development.

Pastoral Care
The level of pastoral support and guidance is excellent and makes a significant and positive contribution to the educational needs and personal growth of the pupils. Pupils value the high quality of care, support and guidance they receive from their teachers and tutors. Boarders are generally well looked after. The provision for health, welfare and safety is good overall, though the school does not have a nurse and the composition and workings of the health and safety committee require modification.

Boarding Standards
No National Care Standards Team took part in the inspection.

Governance and Management
The overall quality of governance and management is good. The vision and commitment of the headmistress provide clear educational direction for the school and are chiefly responsible for the school’s resurgence in recent years.

Achievement and Quality in Activities
The extra curricular activity programme is of high quality and makes a very good contribution to the educational experience and personal development of the pupils and to the life of the school. The programme of activities provides a suitable range to cater for the ages and abilities of the pupils. The contribution of the Young Enterprise Scheme and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme is outstanding.

Progress Made by the School since its Last Inspection

The school was last inspected in 1994 under a previous inspection regime. The school has undergone considerable changes since then and the findings of the report are not relevant to the present inspection.

Compliance with the Regulations for Registration

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

Actions Required for Compliance with the Regulatory Requirements

In order to meet all the requirements, the school must:
(1) ensure that sixth form students are registered formally twice a day, including at the beginning of the school day. Regulation [3.(.9)]

In addition to the actions set out above, the school is asked to address any issues highlighted in What the School Should Do Better. These are set out as recommendations for the school in Section 2 of the report.

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