The Senior School, Pre-Preparatory and Nursery Schools and were inspected at the same time and separate reports are available on the ISI website.

This inspection report follows the frame work 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 Commission for Social Care Inspections (CSCI) 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

Bromsgrove Preparatory School provides a strong and supportive family ethos, within which pupils achieve well and grow into mature and responsible young people. They benefit from a high proportion of good teaching and from high standards of pastoral care, provided by committed and supportive staff. However, the quality of some boarding accommodation does not reflect the quality of boarding care and some aspects of the school’s provision lack balance.

What the School Does Well

The school has many strengths in its provision; the following are the most significant:

• Enthusiastic, committed and hard work ing staff establish an excellent rapport with pupils, who value the adult way in which they are treated and show obvious enjoyment in their work and in their time at school.
• A high proportion of good teaching enables pupils to achieve very good standards in science, ICT and physical education, and good standards in most other subjects; ICT is used very well to enhance learning in other subjects.
• Support for pupils with special education needs is very good, enabling them to make very good progress.
• Very good provision for pupils’ personal development helps them develop into courteous and well behaved young people who have very good relationships with each other and who treat others with respect and sensitivity.
• Very good pastoral care ensures that pupils are well supported in all that they do.
• The excellent new junior building enables pupils to begin their time in the prep school in a first-class learning environment.

What the School Should Do Better

The school has no significant weaknesses. However, it should consider the following areas to improve further the education it provides:

• The school’s extra-curricular programme lacks balance. Sporting activities play a more dominant role than cultural ones.

The Headmaster responds: "a re-shaped week and new Saturday activities programme have addressed this important issue."

• The quality of the environment for girls’ boarding does not adequately reflect the quality of boarding care.

The Headmaster responds: "a new girls' boarding house has now been opened."

• The school’s complaints procedure does not provide for an independent member of any panel, nor for a written record to be kept of complaints and their outcome.

The Headmaster responds: "these requirements have now been met."

Standards of Attainment and Progress in Subjects

Pupils achieve good standards by the time they are thirteen in relation to their abilities. Pupils’ attainment is high for their abilities in science, ICT and physical education, and good in all other subjects. It is in line with their abilities in modern languages .

Pupils have good oracy and literacy skills, and their proficiency in mental arithmetic is good. Older pupils undertake a good range of investigative work in mathematics. Pupils engage in high quality debate and discussion in scientific ideas and their practical skills are particularly good. Pupils achieve high standards across the range of ICT skills.

Pupils make good progress in relation to their abilities. Support for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and English as an additional language (EAL) is very good and, as a result, they make very good progress in relation to their starting points throughout the school.

The Quality of Pupils’ Learning, Attitudes and their Behaviour

Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good and their behaviour both in lessons and around the school is very good, enabling them to take full advantage of all that the school offers.

Pupils are well motivated and work effectively. They listen well, both to each other and to the teacher, and respect the views of others. They concentrate hard on difficult work and show care and attention to detail. They are keen both to ask and answer questions. They have very good relationships, both with their peers and with their teachers. They show good levels of imagination and creativity. Pupils respond well to opportunities for independent learning and research.

Around the school, pupils’ behaviour is extremely good. They show quiet confidence, without being brash, and take responsibility well.

The Quality of Teaching

Teaching is good and contributes very effectively to pupils’ progress. During the inspection, three-quarters of teaching seen was at least good and in four out of every ten lessons it was very good; on occasions, it was excellent. It was hardly ever less than satisfactory.

Teachers’ subject knowledge is very good and planning is good. Lessons are well structured and in many cases introduce new work in imaginative ways. Good use is made of group work and ideas are drawn together well at the end of lessons. The teaching recognises the needs of pupils with special educational needs and good support enables them to make very good progress. In most lessons, but not all, the work is sufficiently demanding for more able pupils.

Teachers almost always have high expectations and set sensible goals. They nearly always use time and resources effectively. They engage pupils in lively debate and maintain a brisk pace. In a few, less effective lessons, teachers talk too much or the delivery is dry and lacking in interest. Occasionally, lessons lack pace and pupils’ interest flags.

Other Aspects of the School

Attendance

Attendance is very good and enables pupils to take full advantage of all that the school offers. Both attendance and admission registers are completed fully and correctly.

Assessment and Recording

Methods for assessing and recording pupils’ achievement and progress are good; they are accurate, consistent and effective. Marking is, in most cases, good as is the identification of pupils with special educational needs. The use of assessment in planning is sound.

Curriculum

The quality of the curriculum provided by the school is good; it provides a broad and balanced education suited to all pupils , and prepares them well for the next stage of their education. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good but the programme of extra-curricular activities lacks balance.

Teaching and Non-teaching Staff

The provision of teaching and non-teaching staff is good. Staff are well qualified for the roles they undertake and they are effectively deployed. Both teaching and non-teaching staff are enthusiastic and hard work ing, and they contribute positively to the ethos of the school. Procedures for appra isa l and professional development are very good, and contribute further to the education pupils receive.

Resources for Learning

The books, materials and info rmation technology facilities to support teaching and learning are very good and are used effectively. Independent learning is successfully encouraged by wide access to the internet and the school’s intranet, both from the ICT suite and from computers around the school.

Libraries

The library offers very good support for the curriculum and is used effectively to support learning. It is well stocked and very well managed and pupils make good use of it.

Premises and Accommodation

The quality of buildings, accommodation and other facilities is very good and contributes significantly to the education the pupils receive. Accommodation in the new junior building is excellent but that for girls’ boarding does not match the quality of care they receive.

Links with Parents and the Community

The school has developed a very good partnership with parents and sound links with the community. About half the parents responded to a questionnaire distributed in advance of the inspection. In their responses, parents were overwhelmingly positive about the school. A number felt that info rmation about their children’s progress was insufficient, but inspectors found that it was very good. Parents also commented about excessive home work ; during the inspection, older pupils commented that preps often took longer than was intended but younger pupils found this was not a significant problem.

Pupils’ Personal Development

The school provides a very good range of means through which pupils can develop a spiritual awareness and a moral code. They are given a wide range of opportunities to develop socially, and culturally. Boarding contributes effectively to the personal development of pupils who board.

Pastoral Care

The school cares very effectively for its pupils’ well-being, development and safety through its very good arrangements for pastoral support and guidance, and its good arrangements for their welfare, health and safety. The school’s various pastoral, tutorial and other support and guidance systems make a very effective contribution to the educational standards and personal growth both of day and of boarding pupils. Measures to promote good discipline and behaviour are very effective.

Boarding Standards

No Commission for Social Care Inspection Team took part in the inspection.

Governance and Management

Governance and management are good, enabling pupils to achieve good standards and develop well. Links with the governors are effective and the prep school fits well into the Bromsgrove family of schools. Leadership is good at all levels, including that of the boarding. The school has a very strong ethos and this underpins all that it does. Staff are fully committed to the care and development of pupils, and the open and positive relationships between staff and pupils contribute much to pupils’ personal development. Development planning is good at all levels.

Achievement and Quality in Activities

Good provision in extra-curricular activities as a whole contributes well to the personal development both of day and of boarding pupils. They achieve good standards in many areas, although provision is much better in sport than elsewhere.

Progress Made by the School since its Last Inspection

The last inspection of the school took place in 1998 under a frame work very different from the current one. Since then, teaching facilities have been much improved, the Year 6 curriculum has been reviewed and the induction programme for new teachers has been improved. The length of the school day is still under review. The school has made good progress since the last inspection.

The Commission for Social Care Inspection has not inspected the school.

Compliance with the Regulations for Registration

Actions Required for Compliance with the Regulatory Requirements

In order to meet all the requirements, the school must:

1. ensure that the complaints procedure sent to parents provides that where there is a panel hearing of a complaint, one person will be independent of the management and running of the school; [Regulation 7. (g)]
2. ensure that the complaints procedure sent to parents provides for a written record to be kept of all complaints and of whether they are resolved at a preliminary stage or proceed to a panel hearing. [Regulation 7. (j)]

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