What Others Say...

The College can proudly and justifiably claim that it is ‘outstanding’. This follows the most recent inspection when boarding in the Preparatory School (The Pre) was inspected in January 2010; the Upper School’s boarding was inspected before Christmas and the Early Years Provision in Butcombe Pre-Preparatory School, in 2008. On each occasion the Ofsted inspectors have found the provision to be outstanding.

In the Upper School the inspectors recognised that ‘Young people are offered a traditional boarding experience with an environment which is supportive, nurturing and inclusive. Each young person’s individuality is recognised. The promotion of equality and diversity is outstanding throughout the standards inspected.’

Inspectors almost invariably make a series of recommendations in their report. The Pre joins a very small number of schools in the country for whom the inspectors made no recommendations at all. They commented that ‘the School has a strong sense of community spirit and boarders state, ‘It’s like one big family’. There is a strong sense of mutual respect within the community and staff ensure that all pupils from differing culture and background are able to make an equal contribution to the School.’

When the provision in Butcombe was judged outstanding in 2008 less than 4.3% of schools nationally achieved such a rating. The inspectors found that ‘the children made excellent progress in all areas of learning as the teaching is consistently inspiring and challenging for children’. They note that ‘parents are extremely happy with the high quality care and education provided ... and children establish excellent relationships’.

There is no doubt that a school such as Clifton College should be achieving these results as a given; however there can be no room for complacency and only very few schools achieve the highest level, and even fewer do so in each school. These inspections are rigorous and this external assessment, and subsequent acknowledgement, of the College’s quality make it reassuringly clear that the pupils through the College are looked after and cared for extremely well.