ISI praises King Edward’s for ‘Excellent’ care that expands the horizons of its pupils

King Edward’s Witley has received top marks from inspectors for the care and support it provides to its pupils.

In January, the School faced a full inspection from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), an organisation appointed by the Department for Education to monitor education standards in the independent sector.

At the conclusion of a robust process where every aspect of life at the School was reviewed, inspectors applauded the quality of the school’s academic achievements – and reserved particular praise for how King Edward’s supports its pupils to grow and develop.

Mrs Joanna Wright, Head, said: “Our School, and particularly our pupils, shone throughout the inspection. What the inspector repeatedly referred to, and is the reoccurring theme of the report, is that young people thrive as individuals in our community. Not only do the majority of pupils gain places at some of the most highly selective and competitive universities, but they are also a credit to the School, their families and, most importantly, themselves.”

Among the positive comments, inspectors found that:

• Pupils fully espouse the School’s maxim of ‘united by diversity’; it is their lived experience. They are pleased to be part of what inspection evidence confirms is a welcoming, socially diverse and multi-cultural institution. They recognise that living within it expands their horizons.
• Pupils of all abilities, including those with SEND and EAL, achieve well and show commitment to do their best.
• Pupils demonstrate considerable enjoyment in and engagement with a wide range of activities.
• Pupils’ moral understanding is excellent and exemplifies the school’s aim to engender moral values, personal standards, integrity, self-discipline and respect. Pupils exhibit a very strong sense of right and wrong; they show respect for behavioural expectations.
• Pupils demonstrate excellent levels of self-confidence and self-discipline, evident in the quality of their discussion with inspectors, their contributions in class and in co-curricular activities. They are extremely articulate and speak freely.

As a result, inspectors found the quality of pupils’ personal development to be ‘Excellent’, the best possible grading, and concluded that the quality of academic achievement is ‘Good’. King Edward’s also passed all compliance and regulatory checks.

Mrs Wright added: “After the challenges of the pandemic, the outcome of this inspection is a fantastic testament to the expertise of our staff, the support of our parents and the efforts and talents of our pupils. Collectively a huge amount has been achieved over recent years and we are all immensely proud of this report. It is also important to stress that this is just a step in our journey as a school community. We have high aspirations for King Edward’s Witley, and this inspection comes at the start of a period of significant investment.”

Recently King Edward’s welcomed an Olympic Gold medallist, Giselle Ansley, to open a state-of-the-art new sports pitch. In addition, the School is developing plans to reimagine, develop and enhance a number of learning and social spaces across the School’s impressive site.

Mrs Wright added: “We should all take this opportunity to celebrate, but I really do look forward to what our School will continue to achieve in the future.”

To read the report in full, please click here.