The Mount School York has been rated excellent the highest grade attainable, following the Independent School Inspection in November 2018.
The School was inspected for both regulatory compliance as well as educational quality. The educational quality report focuses on two main areas: the quality of pupils’ academic and other achievements and the quality of pupils’ personal development.
We are delighted to report that the inspection found the quality of both the pupils’ academic and other achievements and personal development to be EXCELLENT, the highest possible grade. The School was also judged to be fully compliant in all regulatory areas.
The quality of the pupils’ personal development was judged to be excellent. The report quoted that; “Pupils self-esteem is high and pupils show excellent self-understanding. Pupils display excellent social skills and awareness of others. They support and encourage each other, creating particularly open and friendly relationships. Pupils’ spiritual understanding is a key strength.”
The Inspectors recognised that pupils’ academic and other achievements is excellent, with attainment above national age-related expectations. “Pupils show strong knowledge and understanding across subjects, particularly in the Sixth Form. Communication skills are a particular strength of pupils and are evident across many subjects and ages. High expectations in teaching mean that pupils strive for and achieve high standards in their learning.”
The excellent pastoral care and ethos offered by the Quaker School was a running theme throughout the report. “The ethos of tolerance and care for others is found throughout the school. Inspectors observed excellent levels of behaviour and respect for all demonstrated by pupils, embedded throughout school activities. Pupils identify an atmosphere of inclusivity and of excellent behaviour based on mutual respect which exists in the school”
Adrienne Richmond, The Mount School Principal comments, “We are delighted with the report, to be graded ‘excellent’ for both areas of the Educational Quality is extremely pleasing. It is a very proud moment for everyone involved to receive such an excellent report and endorsement of the School.”
“I am very happy that the Inspectors remarked on the confidence and high self-esteem of pupils. Our all-girl focus provides a culture where girls are encouraged to believe in themselves and that nothing is beyond their reach. This in turn leads to happy, confident girls and enables us as a school to get the best possible outcomes for all of our pupils.
“The happiness and development of our pupils is at the heart of all we do at the School. The Inspectors noted the excellent care and mutually respectful relationships between staff and pupils and the value placed by staff on pupils’ interests and happiness. The report is a testament to the hard work that staff and pupils at The Mount give in every day in School.”
Whilst at the School the inspectors observed every aspect of school life including lessons, assemblies, extra-curricular activities and the boarding house. They reviewed extensive documentation and requested that parents and pupils complete a questionnaire. They also conducted interviews with girls and staff from across the whole School.
The below are just a few of the key findings of the report and are a fantastic testimonial to the high calibre teaching and support girls at The Mount receive.
Further highlights from the report can be viewed here
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Pupils exhibit a sense of empowerment and are very keen to learn, supported by encouragement to achieve their best at all times.
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Pupils are able to communicate with each other and their teachers very well. They exhibit particularly strong listening skills.
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Pupils display excellent social skills and awareness of others. They support and encourage each other, creating particularly open and friendly relationships.
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Supportive, knowledgeable teaching and use of open questions encourages pupils’ critical thinking and reasoning.
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Pupils exhibit increasingly strong study skills as they progress through the school. Younger pupils begin to embed independent learning, supported by teaching that helps them do so.
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High expectations in teaching also mean that pupils strive for, and achieve high standards in their learning.
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A strong sense of community and social responsibility are embedded across all areas and facets of the school, in line with the Quaker philosophy.
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Pupils have a very high level of moral understanding. They understand the effect of their own and others’ actions.
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Pupils relish the diversity between each other and learn from it because the school has successfully created an atmosphere where difference are invisible and prejudices are absent.
The full report can be read here.