Private School News

SIBFORD SCHOOL RECEIVES GLOWING REPORT

Teachers, parents and pupils at Sibford School near Banbury are celebrating a highly successful inspection report from the ISI – the Independent Schools Inspectorate.

The report states that the Quaker-run school ‘meets well its aims to encourage and enable all pupils to recognise their gifts and talents, and to realise their full potential’.

It describes the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils as ‘outstanding’ and the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning and achievement as ‘good, with many examples of outstanding practice’.

The ISI, which is the body approved by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for the purpose of inspecting independent schools, looked at nine different aspects of the school and awarded ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ status in all.

Sibford head, Michael Goodwin said: “Everyone is delighted with the outcome of this inspection. The published report affirms the high standards that we strive to achieve and I would like to take this opportunity to thank staff, children and their families for all their hard work, dedication and support.”

A total of nine inspectors spent a week at the school at the end of February, examining pupils’ work, observing lessons and conducting interviews with pupils and staff.

The report praises Sibford School for developing a ‘high moral sense’ amongst its pupils and says: ‘the school secures an atmosphere of tolerance, openness and trust in which teasing, harassment and unacceptable behaviour would find great difficulty in developing’.

Links with parents and the community are described as ‘outstanding’ as are the breadth of the curriculum and the provision for pupils of a wide variety of abilities.

The report also recognises the important dimension that overseas pupils provide to the experience of all and concludes that the quality of governance is ‘strong, purposeful and clear’ and that the leadership and management of the school are ‘confident and direct’.