Inspection Reports

We are delighted to share our routine inspection report from the visit by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) that took place in December 2025.   Following their new framework instituted in September 2023, ISI inspection reports have become much more formulaic.  They also no longer use comparative word judgements such as ‘excellent’, which is the rating we received from our last routine inspection three years ago in 2023.

Inspection reports are now blander and ‘binary’ in their judgements, with the four required sections of the new framework simply either ‘met’ or ‘not met’.  We are very pleased to say that through our community’s hard work, enthusiasm and positivity, all the relevant standards are indeed ‘met’.

We are proud of the strong, positive language used by inspectors to celebrate our lovely school.

Every inspection team is tasked with finding areas of improvement during their inspection visits to give schools pointers to focus on, for their next routine inspection in three years’ time.  We are most happy to take on board the single recommended step put forward by inspectors in our ISI report, which relates to ’embedding better the economic awareness of younger pupils’.

We will be addressing this with the children and will be talking about this with parents too, in due course.

Sincere thanks to everyone involved – children, staff and parents 0 for ensuring the continued success of our unique school

ISI SCHOOL INSPECTION REPORT – DECEMBER 2022

Sincere thanks to our whole school community, for everyone’s effort, positivity and hard work in achieving ‘excellent’ across all areas, following our ISI inspection at the end of November ’22. (A full copy of our Combined two-part Focused Compliance and Educational Quality Inspection is available via our website or from the school office.)

In our Regulatory Compliance Inspection, all compliance areas were deemed ‘met’.

In the first section of the EQI, the quality of pupils’ academic and other achievements was excellent, as was pupils’ progress and achievement over time and pupils’ attitudes towards learning, including their ability to demonstrate initiative and independence.

The report highlighted that pupils here achieve at high levels in all aspects of school life and enjoy their numerous successes, pointing out that pupils’ excellent academic and extra-curricular achievements owe much to the proprietor’s provision of excellent, much appreciated facilities which offer plentiful opportunities for pupils to develop their talents.

The report went on to say that Merton Court pupils attain highly in Mathematics, English and Science by the time they reach the top of the school, that they have an excellent, well-developed range of study skills, which they use to great effect from an early age and that their understanding of the uses of information and communication (ICT), and the application of their computing skills, are excellent.

In the second section of the EQI, inspectors judged the quality of pupils’ personal development as excellent, with pupils’ self-knowledge, self-esteem, self-confidence and self-discipline excellent, whilst also saying that pupils demonstrate high levels of perseverance and resilience, responding to challenges with commitment and enthusiasm. Levels of moral understanding are also extremely high in response to the high expectations of staff and effective classroom management techniques.

Furthermore, ISI reported that pupils’ social development and ability to collaborate are excellent – pupils are determined to stay safe and healthy, exhibiting excellent knowledge about what this means. Their respect for other members of the school community is also excellent.

Pupils are extremely clear about the meaning and the expression of spirituality, showing an excellent understanding of associated vocabulary. Their contributions to the school community are extensive and valued by all members of the school; they make decisions effectively and assuredly and they choose wisely when selecting the level of challenge in the extension work available to them, showing excellent understanding of decision-making.

So, all in all an ‘Excellent’ ISI report.

Well done everybody – pupils, staff, and parents. This report is a source of real pride, and equally, an opportunity for genuine celebration.