THE largest preparatory school in Jersey has received a glowing report from independent assessors for its “aspirational” ethos and “strong” academic progress.
St Michael’s Preparatory School was hailed as “excellent” in the review compiled by inspectors, who visited the Five Oaks site in late January.
During the four-day visit, inspectors observed lessons, curricular activities and assemblies.
They also examined school policies, including safeguarding, child protection and pupil welfare.
In the report compiled by the Independent Schools Inspectorate as part of the British Schools Overseas inspection programme, the school was described as “aspirational on behalf of its pupils, and it successfully instils in them a strong sense of academic ambition”.
It added: “Pupils make strong progress and achieve well because they are valued as individuals and receive bespoke support and guidance.”
The students’ behaviour was described as “kind, courteous, and considerate at all times”, while bullying was reportedly not part of the school’s culture.
The report also said the school placed British values at its heart, and praised teachers’ commitment to giving detailed feedback and advice to students to enable their academic progress.
“The prevailing ethos of productive, positive teacher-pupil relationships is present across the school in all age phases and was seen to be a consistent feature in lessons observed,” the report added.
“Pupils universally display strong communication skills, speaking and listening astutely, and writing with a good understanding of grammatical rules.”
Recommendations from the report included enabling older pupils to achieve a broader range of academic knowledge, skills and understanding, and developing a wider understanding of the diversity of cultures and individual characteristics in modern society for all pupils.
Henry Marshall, who became head teacher at the school in September 2022, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have achieved a first-class inspection report from ISI.
“This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our staff, the support of our parent body and above all else, the remarkable achievements of our talented pupils.
“We pride ourselves on fostering an environment where every child can thrive, both academically and personally.
“We consistently strive to provide the highest standard of education and pastoral care to our pupils. This excellent achievement reinforces that commitment.”
St Michael’s is a private co-educational day school for students between the ages of three and 14 years.
