Pupils' achievement at Hornsby House School judged as 'excellent'

Published on isbi School News dated Tuesday 18th of January 2011

Pupils' achievement at Hornsby House School judged as 'excellent'
Report on November 2010 Inspection now available

The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) undertook a two-day inspection of Hornsby House School, Wandsworth, in November 2010 and the report has been issued. The inspection focused on compliance with regulatory requirements and on the Early Years Foundation Stage, which covers children from birth to 31st August following their fifth birthday and therefore includes the Reception school year (4 and 5 year olds).

The opening sentence in the assessment section of the report reads:
The pupils' overall achievement is excellent and fulfils the aims of the school in providing learning for all, so that pupils achieve high academic standards within a wide and creative curriculum, as well as providing a happy and stimulating environment in which pupils have opportunities to develop their ideas and initiative.

The outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage were described as follows:
Outcomes for children are outstanding. They make rapid progress and are on course to meet all the Early Learning Goals including communication, language and literacy and mathematical development by the end of their Reception year, with many likely to exceed them.

Hornsby House was judged by the inspectors to have met all the requirements of the Independent School Standards Regulations 2010. Their only recommendations were for the school to consider giving all pupils access to Drama within the curriculum and to continue to pursue the possibility of extending outdoor activities for the Early Years Foundation Stage children.

Jon Gray, Headmaster, said,
'The staff and Governors at Hornsby House work extremely hard to make this school the happy and purposeful place that it is. We are all delighted that the Independent Schools Inspectorate team were so impressed by the school and we are grateful for their constructive advice.

A specialist Drama teacher will be in place from September 2011 and each year group will have a weekly Drama lesson. The report recognises that the school is already pursuing opportunities for outdoor activities beyond the site for Early Years Foundation Stage children. We are in the process of forging links with a local 'forest school' as part of a programme of activities to make greater use of outdoor space.'