St. Mary’s Preparatory School celebrates ‘Double Excellent’ in school inspection

St. Mary’s Preparatory School in Henley are delighted to announce that they have achieved ‘excellent’ in all areas, following a recent ISI Inspection. A ‘double excellent’ is the highest possible outcome for a school during an Educational Quality Inspection.

The ISI Inspection team found that the school was:

• excellent, both for the quality of pupils’ academic and other achievements
• excellent, for the quality of pupils’ personal development

Rob Harmer, Headmaster, said: “I am delighted that an external, independent body has not only recognised the excellent school that we are, but also that that they have captured the essence of what makes St. Mary’s so special. I know that our experienced team deliver inspiring and engaging lessons for our children and am proud that the inspectors recognised that our pupils’ attainment is above national age-related expectations in all subjects, with our more able pupils being effectively challenged and stretched.”

The ISI report noted that St. Mary’s pupils are: “Outstanding communicators, attentive listeners and highly articulate” and that “numeracy skills are a great strength.”

Kate Bodle, Deputy Headteacher and Head of Pastoral Support, commented: “We work hard to ensure that our children feel safe and secure in school, and I am particularly proud that the ISI Inspectors recognised this. The team noted many of the personal qualities that make our pupils so special – observing that they are well-balanced, confident children, strongly socially aware, and proactive in contributing to the lives of others within the wider community.”

As part of the inspection process, staff, pupils and parents are asked about their views on the school. 100% of parents consider that the school helps their children to be confident and independent and 100% of parents felt that the school prepares children well for making the transition to senior school.

Pupils at St. Mary’s enjoy access to subject specialist teaching from Nursery through to Year 6, and the ISI Inspectors noted that “The individual attention paid to all pupils helps ensure they achieve their very best. Pupils exhibit excellent knowledge, understanding and skills across all areas of learning, facilitated by teachers who endeavour to bring the curriculum to life, making learning fun and relevant.”

The full report is available on the school’s website here: https://www.stmarys-henley.co.uk/about-us/inspection-reports/