We are pleased to acknowledge that Slindon College met all regulatory standards for independent schools and for the statutory framework of the Early Years Foundation Stage.  

This was a focussed Compliance and Educational Quality inspection and the first inspection since 2018. The inspection took place over four days, with the team observing lessons, talking to the Senior Leadership Team, the teaching, non-teaching, specialist and Learning Support staff and perhaps most importantly every single Slindon College pupil present over the four days.

The Educational Quality Inspection reports on the quality of the school’s work. It focused on the two key outcomes: the achievement of the pupils, including their academic development, and the personal development of the students. 

In what the inspectors described as an ‘overwhelmingly positive response from parents,’ all said that both the range of the subjects was suitable for their child and that their child’s particular individual needs are met effectively. 

Within the Boarding House, without exception, every parent who responded to a questionnaire agreed that boarding supported their child’s personal development. 

Some key findings of the inspection are:

• From low starting points, almost all pupils made strong progress, so that they gain the skills needed to move into mainstream education when they leave. 
• The quality of the pupils’ personal development is excellent. 
• Pupils rapidly develop in their self-confidence, self-awareness and self-worth as they move through the school. 
• Pupils have a strong social awareness, collaborate easily, respect differences and show excellent empathy and patience in their relationship with each other.

 

Delving into the report further, the inspectors made the following statements:

‘The ethos of the school underlines that everyone’s learning path is different, and the aim is to encourage pupils to reach their potential by providing a supportive, nurturing, calm and impactful environment. In this respect the school successfully fulfils its aims.’

It was found that the ‘vast majority (of pupils) said that the teachers knew how to help them learn. Teaching staff have a thorough, informed and detailed knowledge of each pupil’s needs.’

The inspectors also noted the following regarding the quality of pupils’ academic and other achievements:

• Teaching skilfully draws on pupils’ stronger practical and creative skills in subjects such as mathematics.
• The communication skills of most pupils develop remarkably during their time at the school. (…) almost all pupils identify confidence in speaking as their most successful achievement. One pupil described the school as allowing him to ‘find his voice.’ Pupils are excellent listeners, invariably allowing time for those who find verbal communication a continuing difficulty.
• The school’s emphasis on, and investing in, digital learning has enabled many pupils to secure their good progress. 
• Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good and, in some cases, excellent. Classroom behaviour is impeccable.

In writing about the personal development of our pupils, the report comments that this is ‘excellent’ along with the following key points:

• Pupils’ development of self-esteem, self-confidence and self-knowledge is excellent. 
• Pupils’ have excellent social awareness.
• Pupil personal development is buttressed by staff who are highly and specifically trained.
• The pupils’ described an atmosphere and ethos that enables them to develop friendships and relationships which transcend their different needs. 
• The development of pupils’ spiritual understanding is excellent.
• Pupils value highly the diversity within the school community. They realise that there are physical and mental differences between many of them but often prefer to accept these and focus more on the similarities. 

 

Many of our students began their responses with ‘before I came here I couldn’t…’ and almost all spoke of their previous difficulties in communication and associated lack of self-belief or confidence. 

The pupils’ described a pride in being educated in a house that once served as a World War One hospital, a manor house, and that had concealed Roman Catholics during the reign of the first Queen Elizabeth. They spoke of ‘an atmosphere and ethos in school that enables them to develop friendships and relationships which transcend their different needs’ and as one pupil described it:

 ‘we are the same because we are all different.’

 

Headteacher, Mrs Sotiria Vlahodimou said:

"We are thrilled at the outcome of this report by ISI. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our staff who work tirelessly to make Slindon College the success it is, to our pupils for their continued hard work and passion and to our wonderful parents for their overwhelming support."

To read the full report visit our dedicated page: Inspection Reports