Report of Inspection Visit to Runnymede College, Madrid

"The authorisation of British schools in Spain is governed by Royal Decree 806/1993, which specifies that schools must satisfy the legal requirements laid down in the country of origin and that the education received by the pupils be officially valid for that country. The main purpose of inspection by NABSS is to ascertain whether a centre should be recommended for authorisation or have its authorisation as a British school in Spain revalidated. To comply with the Spanish decree, the school must have acceptable facilities and offer a British education based on the National Curriculum, taught by suitably qualified staff and using accepted methodology and teaching resources. Before authorisation can be granted by the Spanish authorities, satisfactory compliance with the decree has to be certified by the diplomatic representative for British education in Spain. This is the responsibility of the British Council’s Director in Spain who acts as Cultural and Educational Counsellor for the British Embassy in Madrid."
from the Handbook for the Inspection of British Schools in Spain, NABSS

Date of Visit: 25th April 2006

Inspectors: Howard Thomas (Lead Inspector), Jan Rees (Team Inspector)

1. Introduction
   • 1.1 Runnymede College is a long established, privately owned British school which first opened its doors to English speaking secondary pupils in 1967. It admitted its first primary age students in 1987. It moved to its present location in the northern suburbs of Madrid in 1998.
   • 1.2 The school has grown steadily in recent years, particularly in the sixth form, and a new building will be opened on the present site in September 2006.
   • 1.3 The school has a tradition of academic success and places emphasis on its pupils gaining entry to high quality university courses where competition for places is high.
   • 1.4 The Headmaster is the son of the founder of the school and is an ex-pupil. This is a major factor in the school's continuing identity as a caring establishment which educates the whole person and achieves academic success.
2. Accommodation and Resources
   • 2.1 The school occupies an attractive site. A main building, a prefabricated teaching block, a garden and hard sports and play areas provide adequate accommodation for the school's needs. There are plans for a new secondary block for September 2006.
   • 2.2 The Junior School, from Nursery to Year 6, is housed in the original building which was purpose built for a different school that previously occupied the site. The Foundation Stage rooms are large, light and provide a pleasant, attractive environment conducive to learning. The children can move freely around the classrooms and there are satisfactory toilet facilities. However, there is a lack of outdoor space for the reception classes which restricts the curriculum. As a consequence, the range of large equipment available is limited. However, overall the curriculum is satisfactorily resourced.
   • 2.3 The Key Stage 1 and 2 classes vary in size but they are consistently satisfactory for the needs of the children and they provide a stimulating learning environment. A feature of the classrooms is the attractive wooden structures for role play which also provide a separate work area.
   • 2.4 There are adequate resources for the needs of the curriculum and there is good, tidy storage with easy child access. All classes have their own reading resources and there is a well stocked library area with good potential for development as part of the school's plans for expansion. A good special needs room is also provided.
   • 2.5 The curriculum for both the junior and senior sections is supported by shared facilities; a good music room, and the use of a very good computer room which houses 24 high quality machines with appropriate software. Both the gymnasium and the outdoor sports area provide sports facilities of a good standard with adequate space for play during breaks. The dining facilities are satisfactory.
   • 2.6 The main building also houses the administration area and the large, attractive senior library. The library is well stocked with fiction and has an adequate range of non fiction texts.
   • 2.7 The majority of senior classrooms are located in a two storey prefabricated building which provides satisfactory accommodation. However, there is limited space in some classrooms and the corridors. This restricts the ways in which children can be seated in class and leads to some crowding in the corridors during lesson changeovers. The specialist accommodation for art is cramped but the quite good resources allow full implementation of the curriculum. The two laboratories and adjacent preparation area provide satisfactory accommodation with good resources.
   • 2.8 The school is equipped with computers in every room. The intranet system for staff provides very effective communication on a day to day basis and a very good facility for writing reports. Parents are also served by a helpful SMS system for urgent messages.
3. Health and Safety
   • 3.1 The school pays due regard to health and safety issues and provides a safe environment for the children and staff. A company has been contracted to ensure all Spanish legislation is fulfilled. The students have been taught how to behave in a responsible manner, particularly in the narrow Senior School corridors. There is a medical room in the main block and several staff have had first aid training.
4. Curriculum
   • 4.1 In the Foundation Stage the school teaches the national curriculum to a satisfactory degree. It uses the Early Learning Goals to assess students and to structure its reporting to parents. However, the curriculum would be extended and enriched by the inclusion of outdoor learning in the reception classes.
   • 4.2 In Key Stages 1 and 2 the school fully meets the needs of the National Curriculum. The teachers' long and short term planning ensures that the children reap the benefits of a broad and balanced programme. Very good curriculum planning booklets are prepared for staff and parents for each year group and effective curriculum review mechanisms are in place. Students are ‘set' for numeracy lessons but care must be taken in some sets to ensure that the work is well matched to the pupils' abilities.
   • 4.3 There is a good pastoral curriculum in Key Stages 1 and 2, with circle time, golden time and PSHE activities; these are supported by an assertive discipline system that functions well.
   • 4.4 The school offers a balanced, very broad curriculum in Key Stage 3 fully based on the National Curriculum. Time is limited because of the inclusion of compulsory Latin, but the curriculum planning and teaching in the subject ensure enrichment of the students' learning of languages and history. A supplementary English programme is available as an alternative to French.
   • 4.5 In Key Stage 4 the curriculum is broad and varied with a good range of options. This allows students to concentrate their studies in specific areas if they wish; for example, three single science IGCSE courses can be taken. Overall, up to ten IGCSE examinations can be sat.
   • 4.6 In the Sixth Form a good range of AS and A2 options is available.
   • 4.7 Setting in mathematics in the Senior School is successful, particularly for the more able students who take IGCSE, AS and A2 examinations early to allow them to take further mathematics in Year 13.
   • 4.8 In the Senior School, planned pastoral time is restricted to ten minutes at registration each morning. The students would benefit from greater access to moral and ethical debate. However, this deficit is reduced partly by the excellent relationships between students and teachers which allow individual guidance and create a positive ethos of respect and care for others.
   • 4.9 The students receive good individual careers guidance.
   • 4.10 The busy School Psychologist liaises with tutors throughout the school to adapt the curriculum to the students' needs when appropriate.
5. Teaching and Learning
   • 5.1 The teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory but would be improved by a greater range of creative tasks for the children, particularly in the open air. The consistent use of English at all times by the teachers and helpers ensures good standards of spoken English.
   • 5.2 In Key Stages 1 and 2, the teaching and learning varies from satisfactory to very good with a good variety of teaching styles. The teachers know the children very well which allows them to cater for individual needs in the classroom. In Key Stage 1 and Years 3 and 4 there is good use of support staff to improve learning. There is consistent effective questioning by teachers and the level of peer support in the learning process is notable. The quality of the displays of work is never less than satisfactory and at times is excellent. The preparation for SATs is thorough.
   • 5.3 In the Senior School, the standards of teaching and learning are varied. Overall they are good and they occasionally reach excellent levels when the children are challenged by precise, well pitched questioning which leads them to their own conclusions. The teachers make consistently high expectations of the pupils which are fundamental to the school's levels of achievement and the rigorous preparation for public examinations. Students are motivated by the overall very good subject knowledge of the staff in whom they have great confidence. However, the size of the rooms limits the activities available to the teachers, particularly in Key Stage 3. In lessons, a greater focus could be given to the learning objectives at the start, and summing up at the end. The marking of the children's written work is not generally very detailed. An overall teaching and learning policy, which includes norms for target setting and marking, would help push standards even higher.
   • 5.4 Throughout the school non native speakers, who make up more than half the student body, achieve high standards of English.
   • 5.5 The IGCSE and A Level examination results are excellent.
6. Staffing
   • 6.1 Staffing throughout the school is very good. The overall teacher to pupil ratio allows the students to be well cared for and to reach high academic standards. There is less experience in the Foundation Stage but, overall, there is a good balance of experience in the school with stability in Key Stages 1 and 2 and the Senior School. Great care is taken in the appointment of staff who are brought to the school for interview.
   • 6.2 The school is well served by its support staff at all levels; learning assistants, learning support staff, a laboratory technician and an ICT technician all contribute to the levels of achievement. The administrative staff provide parents and teachers with efficient support.
   • 6.3 The school makes an effort to provide staff development within the constraints imposed by being a British school in Spain. In addition to sending staff to the NABSS conferences, the school brings in outside specialists to provide training and some staff have undertaken individual courses relevant to their own professional development needs.
7. Management
   • 7.1 Runnymede College is a well managed school. The approachability and vision of the Headmaster and the effective channels of communication from teachers with posts of responsibility to the senior team are fundamental to its success. There are regular meetings of the different teams throughout the school and confidence in the school's managers at different levels is high. This year, the management structure has been improved with the appointment of a Head of Pastoral and a Head of Sixth Form.
   • 7.2 The absence of a woman in the senior team has not held back the school but the potential advantages of a more balanced team should be borne in mind when future appointments are made.
8. Recommendations
   • 8.1 The school should reorganise the allocation of classrooms to give the reception classes easy access to an outdoor area which can be used for learning activities. The outdoor curriculum should be developed accordingly, supported by the appointment of staff with relevant experience whenever possible.
   • 8.2 The school should study ways in which the PSHE curriculum can be reinforced in the Senior School.
   • 8.3 The Senior School staff should agree and implement a cross department teaching and learning policy which includes norms for the correction of written work and which could include greater use of target setting.

The school is recommended for full authorisation for 650 pupils from Nursery to Year 13 for six years.