Praise for independent school from inspectors

ONE of the oldest independent schools in Wales has been praised for the quality of its teaching and learning.

Education watchdog Estyn said pupils at Kings Monkton School, in Cardiff, make “strong progress” and GCSE performance was high compared to national averages.

Inspectors said teaching was of a high quality across the school and “a strong nurturing ethos” helped pupils improve their confidence and self-esteem.

Both Kings Monkton’s current performance and prospects for improvement were rated “good” but the school’s report was not without fault.

In his report, lead inspector John Frederick Thomas said the school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils “do not meet requirements and give some cause for concern” – but appropriate action was being taken to address the shortcoming.

He said: “Across the school pupils have a wide range of abilities. Overall, they make strong progress during their time in the school.

“At Key Stage Four, pupils’ performance in GCSE examinations is high when compared with national averages.

“In each of the last three years the percentage of pupils achieving the Level Two threshold including English and mathematics has been well above national averages.

“Value-added measures at GCSE for the last two years show that pupils make strong progress relative to their abilities.

“Pupils with additional learning needs and those speaking English as an additional language make suitable progress.”

Mr Thomas said the school’s curriculum was “highly flexible and personalised” to meet the needs of individual and specific groups of learners.

And he praised teachers’ extensive subject knowledge, clear explanations, and thorough understanding of pupils’ abilities.

The school, which has about 250 pupils on roll and charges fees of up to £4,600 per term, was threatened with closure three years ago prior to a takeover by Heathfield Independent Schools.

The specialist education company has since invested heavily in the school’s buildings and Mr Thomas recognised Kings Monkton, which dates back to 1870, had been through “a period of considerable change”.

Principal Paul Norton, who joined Kings Monkton in 2013, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the progress the school has made in recent years and the entire senior management team who work together tirelessly to put the best possible curriculum in place for each of our pupils.

“We expect excellence and set high expectations of our staff and pupils.”