Excellent ISI Inspection October 2021

Published on isbi School News dated Thursday 9th of December 2021

Charlotte House Preparatory School Receives Glowing Report as a Top UK Independent School
Charlotte House Preparatory School in Rickmansworth, southwest Hertfordshire has received an outstanding report that highlights it as one of the leading independent girls’ schools in the UK.
The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) released the report in October 2021, having observed all aspects of the school, including its quality of education and the spiritual, moral and cultural developments of its pupils.
Charlotte House is an independent day school for girls aged from 3 to 11. The school was founded in 1931 as the Rickmansworth PNEU (Parents National Educational Union) School and became Charlotte House Preparatory School in 2011.
The school is a registered charity overseen by a governing body and has an Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) that caters for children aged 3 to 5 years; a pre-prep for pupils in Years 1 and 2; and prep for those in Years 3 to 6.
The i ISI report not only outlined the school’s academic excellence and teaching, but also highlighted the fantastic pastoral care and sense of community.
Headteacher Miss Penny Woodcocks says: ‘We are obviously thrilled that this report picked up on how wonderful our school is as a strong community, as an inspirational hub for our girls to be the best they can be and achieve academic excellence. We pride ourselves on being a foundation that inspires the pupils to begin their journeys in both life and education.
‘We are a family at Charlotte House and always aim to provide a supportive, happy and stimulating environment in which pupils are equipped with a broad range of skills, knowledge and experiences through a challenging, innovative and comprehensive curriculum.
It was heartening to see that the inspectors observed all this, and that they noted how we encourage our girls in areas of appreciation, respect, independence, co-operation and courtesy to enable pupils to flourish and reach their potential. Our core values are an intrinsic and important part of our school and this report has recognised the energy and commitment we place on community, individuality and inspiration in all aspects of school life. Our girls are able to transfer to senior school life successfully and are prepared for the demands of modern life.’
The key findings of the report noted that the quality of the pupils’ academic and other achievements is exceptional and that pupils show excellent attitudes to learning, complemented by outstanding collaborative skills, and they apply their well-developed study skills effectively. In addition, it was highlighted that the quality of the pupils’ personal development is superb, with pupils showing very mature spiritual understanding, excellent self-understanding, self-belief and self-confidence.
Miss Woodcock adds: ‘The inspectors found that our pupils have extremely strong social awareness and that they enjoy a very positive and supportive relationships with their peers and staff, reflecting the strong family ethos of our school.’
The ‘Focused Compliance and Educational Quality Inspection Report’ was released in November after inspectors observed lessons, conducted formal interviews with pupils and examined samples of pupils’ work. They also held discussions with members of staff and with the chair of governors, observed a sample of the extra-curricular activities that occurred during the inspection period, and attended form times and assemblies.
Inspectors visited Charlotte House facilities for the youngest pupils, together with the learning support and educational resource areas. The responses of parents, staff and pupils to pre-inspection questionnaires were analysed, and the inspectors examined curriculum and other documentation made available by the school.
You can find the full report here [https://www.charlottehouseprepschool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Charlotte-Hse-EQI-Report-v5-2021-10-29.pdf]
For more details about enrolling your child at Charlotte House Preparatory School or to arrange a visit, please call 01923 772101 or visit our website.