Policies & ISI Reports
The School has many policies to ensure the best possible care for all children and adults at Wisbech Grammar School. All policies are regularly reviewed and updated.
If you have any queries or concerns about practices at Wisbech Grammar School, please contact the Headmaster’s PA.
Specific issues about safeguarding in Senior School or 6th Form should be addressed to our designated lead Child Protection Officers:
Senior School or 6th Form – Mr Peter Timmis, Deputy Head Pastoral.
Prep School – Senior Deputy Head, Mrs Keryn Neaves.
The Inspection body for Independent Schools in the UK has a set of policies to which every school must adhere to. Below are our policies some of which are specific to the Prep or Senior School and some which are shared policies.
Our policies and inspection reports are listed below for download, or if you would like a printed copy, please contact us.
Whole School
A4 Child on Child Abuse Policy
A6 Safeguarding and Child Protection 2022
A15 SEND 3-Year-Accessibility Policy
International Parent School Contract (2022 Edition)
Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy (Pupils)
Privacy Notice for Parents and Pupils
Data Retention Guidelines Parents and Pupils
Wellbeing and Mental Health Policy
EYFS
Prep School
ISI Reports
ISI report for Wisbech Grammar School May 2022
We are pleased to be able to share with you the ISI inspection report from May 2022. Below is a summary of the main points of the inspection with a link to the full report at the bottom of the page.
We were inspected over the course of a week by a team of inspectors with all aspects of the school being inspected. This was a Focused Compliance Inspection, including Pupil Personal Development, combined with an inspection of Educational Quality.
In terms of the Educational Quality and Pupil Personal Development the school, the main points are below:
The quality of the pupils’ academic and other achievements is good.
· Pupils of all ages are excellent communicators, particularly in speaking and listening.
· Pupils are highly numerate and transfer their skills across the curriculum with ease.
· Pupils are highly successful in their achievements in academic and other aspects of school life.
The quality of the pupils’ personal development is excellent.
· Pupils demonstrate a deep respect for the diversity within their school community.
· Pupils make valuable contributions to the school community through their fulfilment of meaningful responsibilities in a multitude of roles.
· Pupils of all ages work with high levels of collaboration to achieve common goals.
· Pupils demonstrate an excellent understanding of the importance and means of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Other particular highlights within specific areas of the school are below:
Prep School:
· The quality of pupils’ personal development is excellent. Those in the Prep school explained to inspectors how the use of self-assessment and discussion with teachers helps them to improve.
· From the earliest age, pupils demonstrate a mature understanding and acceptance of differences between people. Prep school pupils show an instinctive understanding of the importance of learning about other cultures.
· They are highly attentive listeners in lessons and interview, from the youngest age, as seen when children in Reception listened attentively to their teacher and peers when discussing a trip to the farm.
· Pupils develop their reading skills rapidly in the Prep school.
· Pupils write at a high level for a variety of purposes in both English and other subjects, their progress often being well supported by constructive marking.
· Pupils in the Prep school confidently predict the outcome of science experiments and compare different landscapes in geography. They readily and competently engage in activities which challenge them to use their higher order thinking skills.
· Pupils are highly numerate and achieve excellent levels in their lessons and work. Pupils use their mathematical skills and knowledge to good effect in other subjects on a regular basis throughout
the day by the youngest pupils in their self-selected activities and in the woodland learning environment.
· Children in the EYFS are keen to help others, such as when showing younger ones how to hold a fire hose.
· Prep School pupils embrace opportunities to help younger ones in the playground or House activities, and work as monitors in the library or assembly.
· Younger pupils are proud of the school rules which they have helped to devise and speak eloquently about the need to have them.
· Pupils have an excellent understanding of the impact of the decisions they make on their well-being and success, including in their future lives. Pupils in Prep 6 discussed the importance of talking to others when making difficult decisions.
Senior School:
· Pupils of all ages achieve at levels which are good and sometimes excellent in relation to their abilities.
· The most able pupils excel, often gaining places at higher education institutions with demanding entrance requirements.
· Pupils are highly motivated to succeed and to fulfil their potential.
· Pupils achieve at an excellent level in a wide range of activities due to the strong promotion of a wide co-curricular programme in school and numerous opportunities to perform and participate in team events.
· Pupils value and embrace these opportunities to explore new interests, extend their achievements in curricular areas and discover their personal strengths, which often lead to their future paths in life.
· Pupils readily take leadership in their learning in terms of what to learn about and how to present their findings, resulting in highly effective project work in their final years at the school.
· Pupils display a mature sense of self and understanding of their strengths, without any sense of arrogance. Naturally resilient when overcoming difficulties in their work and activities, they gain confidence from individual pastoral support and guidance from their tutors.
· Pupils work together to effect significant change within the school, and demonstrate a notable sense of pride in their achievements.
· Pupils have a highly positive and influential impact on the lives of others in the school community and beyond.
· Pupils have an excellent understanding of the impact of the decisions they make on their well-being and success, including in their future lives.
Boarding:
· Boarders demonstrate a mature attitude towards their work in response to the freedom given to them to manage their time and work independently in boarding hours.
· Boarders told inspectors how much they have enjoyed engaging and succeeding in new sports, such as cricket, since joining the school.
· Pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding are good overall, including boarders.
· Pupils have an excellent understanding of the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This includes boarders, whose well-being is effectively promoted by the proprietor’s provision of a ‘home from home’ environment in the boarding houses.
· Boarders maintain healthy eating habits in their own time, benefiting from advice provided by the school.
With any inspection or audit, there are areas that have been recommended as a focus for improvements and in some cases, action points.
The recommendations are in areas where the school has already committed to development, namely study skills, computing and careers. As an example, the launch of the Future Skills Programme this term is focused on ensuring our pupils are prepared for the world beyond education.
In terms of the action points, we have already addressed the single area identified with an in-depth action plan that has reviewed and refreshed our staff recruitment process. We are now in communication with ISI for a return visit within the next month to sign off the actions as complete.
Here is a link to the full report: 2022 Wisbech Grammar report
A final comment would be that the report does capture the spirit of WGS; the sense of community, the individualised pastoral support for each pupil, the nurturing of a culture of academic endeavour. We will continue to strive for excellence, and to implement marginal gains which will ensure that the school goes from strength to strength.
Thank you to all in the WGS community for your continued support.
Barney Rimmer
Headmaster WGS