other schools. Hall Mead pupils are often involved in these activities across music, languages, mathematics, ICT and design and technology. These events promote the pupils’ confidence and their awareness of the needs of others. Teachers participate regularly in activities with primary schools in many, but not all, subjects. Pupils and parents praise the arrangements for pupils’ transfer from primary school, which are very good and include annual evaluation by both groups. Exchange of pupil related information with partner schools and colleges is productive and systematic.

36. People and organisations from the community use the schools’ facilities regularly. Occasional visits or visitors enrich the curriculum. Pupils enjoy particularly the assemblies taken by the local vicar. The school intends to increase the number of visiting presenters and has already appointed a member of staff to co-ordinate and extend the links with the community. The school has a very well established link with a German school. An excellent innovation enables about 20 pupils to complete their work experience whilst living in a German community, whilst a similar number of German pupils become part of the Hall Mead community for three weeks. This makes a very effective contribution to pupils’ cultural awareness.

Leadership and management are very good overall. The leadership of the headteacher and also of the senior leadership team is outstanding. Other staff, including heads of department, heads of faculty and heads of house provide very good leadership. Management is very good. Governance is very good.

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher and his senior team lead by example and provide excellent role models, to which both staff and pupils aspire.
• There is a consistency in the high quality of academic and pastoral leadership and teamwork is much in evidence.
• The school evaluates its work closely and there is a strong commitment to improve provision in all areas of school life.
• • Induction procedures are excellent and teachers new to the school speak highly of them.
• Expenditure is very well planned and controlled and the school demonstrates excellent value for money.
• The school does not provide for a regular daily act of collective worship and does not report standards in ICT in Years 10 and 11.

Commentary

37. The excellent leadership of the headteacher and the senior team has focused on a shared vision for how the school should develop. Moreover, senior leaders place great trust in middle managers and, as a result, high expectations of departmental and school performance are shared with all members of staff. Teachers and pupils speak highly of the headteacher and of the senior leadership team and say that consultation, advice, and support are of the essence in their leadership styles. Moreover, senior staff are very talented teachers and they lead by example. High aspirations among all segments of the school community are intrinsic to everything which Hall Mead attempts to do and stem directly from the approach of senior leaders

36. The school has addressed very effectively issues from the previous inspection in relation to the role of middle managers. To this end, the establishment of the management board has ensured that both academic and pastoral leaders meet on a regular basis to discus~ the progress of their pupils in terms of subject performance and personal development. Middle managers, therefore, now play a key role in evaluating whole-school provision and they take more responsibility for the development of their individual areas. The quality of leadership amongst these staff is consistently good and in many cases very good. They demonstrate a real commitment to supporting staff and pupils outside their subjects and houses and they