Summary and Conclusion
Introduction
Once again, the work of the School over the past year has been guided by the timeless values that underpin good education: the desire to inspire pupils with a love of academic subjects in a culture of high expectations of the potential of each individual; the commitment to support each girl so that she feels happy, self-confident and valued. We try to create a relaxed atmosphere in School in which all girls and staff can flourish, with lots of enriching activities outside the classroom to encourage the pupils to try themselves out in a variety of ways and make the most of their talents and their time in School.
We expect the students to be self-disciplined and to show courtesy to others; we want to create a tolerant community that is outward-looking. We have worked hard to retain a team of outstanding teachers who enjoy a high level of job satisfaction and who are able to work in the best possible environment with a professional level of support for themselves and their pupils.
The School remains committed to providing an affordable education for able girls and we have worked to maintain the academic strength and social mix that is a strong characteristic of North London Collegiate through continuing to raise funds for Bursaries and through improving public awareness of the history and breadth of education offered by the School.
An Outstanding Inspection Report
The report of the Independent Schools Inspectorate, published in 2008, concluded that the education experience provided by North London Collegiate School was fully consistent with our declared aims and philosophy. “The last Inspection concluded that the educational experience provided was excellent. It is now outstanding”. The overall conclusions of the report listed some of the outstanding features of the School the inspectors had identified: “the teachers’ command of, and enthusiasm for, their subject; a strong commitment to scholarship and academic challenge; relationships between pupils and teachers; the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness; the pupils’ pastoral care; the school’s links with the wider community… ” Similarly, the recent IBO Evaluation found us to be an “outstanding school” with “outstanding results”. And we should take a moment to be proud of these findings as we celebrate all that has been achieved over the last academic year. Only a moment though! The inspectors also concluded that one of the reasons for North London’s sustained success was the fact that the “School is constantly and successfully re-evaluating itself to improve its policies, its administration, and the quality of education, care and relationships, and governance and management.” This Evaluation Report is the next stage in that process.
A Curriculum that encourages Scholarship and Intellectual Ambition, and the Effective Communication of Ideas
The School’s tradition of academic ambition has again been reflected in the quality of the pupils’ learning. Over the last year they have been encouraged to develop exceptional levels of knowledge, skills and creative and critical understanding; there have been increased opportunities for pupils to think on their feet and handle unfamiliar material. Extension Courses and Symposia have given the opportunity for students to develop the skills of thinking flexibly; they have benefited from ambitious partnerships with other schools, wider reading, research opportunities and strengthened links with universities. The widening work of The Prince’s Teaching Institute has helped reinvigorate subject knowledge and commitment to rigorous teaching beyond the constraints, real or perceived, of examination specifications.
The Middle School curriculum has been developed to ensure high expectations of all and we have prepared the new A Level specifications (from September 2008) with demanding activities to engage, stretch and inspire. In the Junior School, KS2 schemes of work have been reviewed to ensure stretch and pace and the enhanced Modern Foreign Language provision for Juniors is challenging and stimulating.
A wider range of opportunities has been offered for pupils to demonstrate and enhance communication skills and have greater self-belief and confidence; these have produced a discernible improvement in the girls’ presentations: they have spoken with more poise and awareness of their audience and have shown more confidence in answering questions as well as doing more effective preparation and research. We have continued to develop ICT across the curriculum to ensure staff and pupils are making effective and imaginative use of it as a tool to bring variety, precision and depth to teaching and learning.
Students have made the most of responsibility posts and the calibre of leadership has been high; it has also been an exceptionally rich year in terms of performances and events, many led by the older pupils themselves.
Examination results were excellent again in the sixth form. The average point score for the IB again exceeded 40 points (not achieved by any other UK school). The percentage of A grades or IB equivalent at 92.3% is the highest in the School’s history and maintains a significant improvement on last year. In terms of national ranking, the School is in first place for the percentage of A grades; for A and B grades the ranking is 6th to 8th, depending on the publication. 83% of the sixth form achieved straight A grades or their equivalent in the IB and for the sixth year in a row the School has achieved over 95% A and B grades. All girls who applied last year have secured a university place. At GCSE there was yet another set of record results. The percentage of A and A* grades has increased to 97.4% and of A* grades to 81%. More than half of the year group achieved 9 or more A* grades and 40 girls have straight A* grades. It is particularly pleasing to see the jump in the proportion of A* grades achieved in 2006 sustained for the third year.
The Timetable and Curriculum Review
The response to the changes to the timing of the School day and the curricular flexibility that it has produced has been extremely positive, particularly in the Senior School. The shift to more double lessons has created opportunities for more in-depth work and there is less sense of rush; there is also a greater consistency of time allocation for GCSE options, a wider range of Upper School activities and time for additional Science and Modern Foreign Languages in the Junior School.
Pastoral Care
Care for the individual and the creation of a courteous, tolerant, outward-looking community where relationships are relaxed and the atmosphere is purposeful is what we have aimed for. The inspectors found the quality of pastoral care to be outstanding, relationships excellent and courtesy, care and consideration for others to be values that are well understood by the whole school community and which underpin community life.
Co-tutors in the Senior School and PAT in the Junior School have allowed teachers to spend more time with individual girls; the activities programme has been expanded and we have found more ways to recognise girls’ individual achievements. We have reviewed our behaviour policy; very rarely does the behaviour of a girl give us cause for concern, but when it does, it is promptly dealt with. Pupils, staff and parents appreciate this.
Our work in developing in the girls a confident and outward-looking approach was also recognized in the Inspection Report which found links with the community to be outstanding and the aim of the School to promote the importance of service to others to be fully realised. Links that are being developed with the Flying Angels School in Zambia are a particularly good example of what we are aiming for.
Staff Development and Resource Management
Non-teaching staff contracts and pay scales were reviewed after a process of consultation; a Personnel Officer has been appointed in response to increasing legislative burden, particularly in Employment Law. We plan to give consideration to the viability and feasibility of offering a crèche facility to help retain the regular number of highly qualified staff who leave us to have families.
The first full year of use of the Performing Arts Centre has far exceeded our hopes, in terms of the increase in performance opportunities for the girls, a café bar for the sixth form and an excellent reception space for entertaining parents, ONLs and other friends of the School.
The School’s growing reputation has encouraged applications from prospective parents from many areas within London and the surrounding counties, and it is in the interests of maintaining the School’s academic strength and social mix to keep North London Collegiate School as accessible as possible. A review of coaches was conducted, a shuttle service from nearby Underground stations introduced and possible new coach routes identified. A feasibility study will be conducted next academic year to explore other costing options for coaches such as zoned charging which may be fairer and more attractive to parents.
Securing the future of the School
We have worked to expand the Bursary Fund to provide an affordable education for girls, irrespective of their backgrounds. A renewed appeal was made in the Spring with a pleasing response. More staff time will be found for the Marketing and Development Office from September 2008 to establish a fundraising foundation and to work closely with potential donors.
Internal and external communications have been developed in a way that promotes the distinctive features of North London Collegiate to ensure the recruitment and retention of high calibre pupils and staff. There was much positive media coverage of examination results, school activities and the School’s involvement with The Prince’s Teaching Institute and the website has helped promote the outstanding Inspection report as well as School news and pupil achievements throughout the year. The DVD was updated to include material on the new PAC and the Newsletter continues to reflect the vibrancy of the School community.
We have worked to build relationships with feeder schools, parents and ONLs and plan to create a network community for the latter. And in the spirit of looking outwards, a working group, chaired by a governor has been looking at the possibility of franchising NLCS abroad. The main aims of such a venture would be to raise money for NLCS bursaries and to offer opportunities for cultural exchange and enrichment for pupils and staff, as well as the educational benefits for the host country. A suitable partner with the requisite finance is being sought and this could prove a very exciting and appropriate project for the next stage of the School’s development!
Bernice McCabe
Headmistress