Inspection Report

Independent schools are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate approximately every three years, alternating between Regulatory Compliance Inspections and Integrated Inspections.

Regulatory Compliance Inspection

The Mead’s most recent inspection was a Regulatory Compliance Inspection in 2018. Judgements given are limited to ‘met’ or ‘not met’. The Mead met all compliance standards. You can see a full report here: The Mead School Regulatory Compliance Inspection 2018

Integrated Inspection

Our most recent full inspection in 2014 strongly affirmed that The Mead School is a happy, friendly and forward-looking school, stating, “Pupils are confident, articulate individuals with a mature approach to life.”

What they said about our pupils

  • Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning and are keen to succeed. Their excellent behaviour in lessons enables high quality learning to take place. The curriculum makes an excellent contribution to the pupils’ achievements. It is imaginative and flexible, and supported by specialist teaching in music, drama, physical education and French.
  • Pupils of all abilities throughout the school display high levels of literacy, numeracy and scientific understanding.
  • Pupils are highly articulate and use a wide and sophisticated vocabulary for their age. They listen to each other and their teachers carefully, and read with enthusiasm and fluency. They write convincingly in a variety of subjects and have excellent handwriting skills.

What they say about our culture

  • Pupils across the school work extremely well collaboratively to resolve problems, think logically and carry out research. They enjoy being active and reach good standards in physical education.
  • Pupils are highly successful in a wide range of activities outside the classroom. These achievements makes a significant contribution to their personal development, enabling them to demonstrate confidence and respect for themselves and each other.
  • Pupils attitudes to learning are excellent. They take great pride in their work and show a genuine proactive attitude towards all their activities. They work independently and apply themselves to their tasks without the need for supervision. They are excited by learning, therefore making rapid and sustained progress.
  • Clear and concise rules, created by the pupils themselves, ensure excellent behaviour and an atmosphere of mutual respect.
  • By the time they leave school, pupils have a well-grounded sense of their own self-worth as well as a clear idea of right and wrong. They have also gained valuable insight into heir responsibilities towards the wider society outside school.

What they say about our Early Years

  • Children in the EYFS are extremely well cared for and supported in their learning so that all make excellent progress from their starting points, and most achieve and some exceed the Early Learning Goals. The calm and ordered atmosphere provides a suitable background for children to play independently or to share with friends.
  • In the EYFS, high quality teaching and the use of a wide range of excellent resources engage and motivate the children through a well-planned and stimulating programme of activities.

What they say about our staff

  • The high standard of teaching makes a significant contribution to the pupils’ achievements, as well as to the school’s fulfilment of its aims to ensure that no subject is inaccessible to any pupils.
  • Systems to identify and support the needs to individuals, whatever their learning requirements, are strong. Pupils are offered individual help or additional challenging tasks as appropriate, supported by small class sizes and tasks matched to ability.
  • Teachers have high expectations of their pupils and communicated genuine enthusiasm for their subjects. They successfully encourage pupils to do things for themselves, to think independently and always to do their best.
  • Pupils thrive both academically and personally because they are well known to staff, and clear and effective procedures for their pastoral care are in place. Relationships across the school between staff and pupils, and amongst the pupils themselves, are excellent.

You can see a full report here: The Mead School Integrated Inspection