May 12th 2017
What a busy and exciting week we’ve had! Sarah and I were fortunate enough to be invited to Pangbourne College’s centenary celebrations on Tuesday, which were attended by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh - the atmosphere of anticipation in the chapel as the congregation awaited the arrival of the royal party was unlike any I have experienced before. The call had come through from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) on Monday that we would be inspected on Wednesday and Thursday, so the regal outing was an excellent tonic. Today we welcomed forty-five families to Moulsford for our Open Day.
The ISI team carried out a Regulatory Compliance Inspection, which occurs roughly every three years. The school is judged against the Independent School Standards, with further commentary given in the Independent School Standards Regulations. In addition, because Moulsford has a Reception class, the inspectors also judge the school against the provisions of the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework. The school’s boarding must fulfil the National Minimum Standards for Boarding. This particular inspection does not focus on the educational provision at Moulsford.
The inspection process is incredibly thorough and rigorous with no stone left unturned by the four members of the ISI team. The key to a successful inspection lies in the preparation undertaken in the three years leading up to the visit. I am extremely grateful to the entire Moulsford staff (from groundsmen to domestic staff, from the office to teaching staff, and of course our Senior Management Team) who all pulled together in a fantastic display of sustained teamwork to ensure that Moulsford was thoroughly prepared - and they were still smiling for Open Day too! My thanks also go to Ed Boddington, Chairman of Governors, and the wider governing body for their support. Thank you also to the parent body for completing the ISI questionnaire – the inspection team commented that not only were the results extremely positive but there was a very high parental return. ISI request that we do not publicise the outcome until a full written report has been received next month. However, I can say that we have had a hugely positive week.
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