We are absolutely delighted that FHS has been reported as ‘Excellent’ in pupils’ academic and other achievements and pupils’ personal development, as well as meeting all Regulatory Compliance Standards, in our recent ISI Inspection.

You can read the full report here.

The inspectors recognised the value of the holistic education offered at FHS, with glowing reviews for our academic, sport, music, drama and co-curricular offerings, achieved through a combination of the calibre of our teaching staff, the enthusiasm and commitment of our pupils and the quality of our facilities.

Part 1 of the Inspection Report focuses on the quality of education provided. Praise for the added value of an FHS education, both at GCSE and A Level, the passion and dedication of our teaching staff and governors, the excellent attitude of our pupils to learning and the leadership skills and confidence endowed by our curriculum was abundant. Please read the full report to discover the full extent of the praise received, but some key quotes are below:

“At A Level, pupils’ attainment is excellent across all subjects and continues to rise still further, placing the school recently in the top 10% nationally for added value. Pupils make excellent progress, from their above average starting points, to be highly successful at GCSE and A Level, enabling them to proceed to universities of their choice.”

“Pupils make rapid progress as they are well taught and enthusiastically apply themselves to academic study. They are courteous, keen to learn and highly collaborative in approach.”

“The school atmosphere is highly conducive to learning, underpinned by a strong sense of community with a shared purpose.”

“Pupils comment that teachers support them well to achieve, through encouragement and by fostering self-belief.”

“Pupils are articulate and confident speakers, conversing with ease and conviction, expressing their opinions using sophisticated language and often conveying complex ideas and depth of reasoning.”

“Pupils enjoy a good measure of success across sport, music and other activities, with a good number of individual successes at high level in competitions. Many excel in sport because of the wide range of sporting activities available to them, and because they are actively supported to develop interests and perform at elite level in their chosen field.”

Part 2 of the report focuses on the quality of the pupils’ personal development, and truly reflects the School’s vision of being academic and kind; a particularly telling quote being “Inspectors agree that the school balances academic success with wellbeing very effectively so that pupils can be successful, but also happy.” It is immensely gratifying that the inspectors recognised the strength of our pastoral care programme, the self-awareness, maturity and confidence of our pupils, their great sense of values and responsibility, their social development, the leadership and supportive roles embraced by older students and most of all the quality of relationships between girls and staff of all ages which make the FHS community and atmosphere so warm and friendly. Again, there were too much superb feedback to mention, but some indicative quotes are below:

“Pupils are resilient and forward-looking in their learning, making the most of the opportunities offered to them.”

“Pupils’ deep sense of values is underpinned by their spirituality. They feel strongly that they belong to a school community with shared values.”

“Pupils develop their sense of collective and individual responsibility, through the school’s procedural structures, for example as prefects and in setting up and running clubs. Older pupils are regarded as kind friends to younger pupils, sensitively guiding them forward.”

“The school’s active promotion of kindness and care for others is apparent in the warm and considerate relationships observed amongst pupils.”

“pupils are empowered by their own increased self-awareness gained through leadership experience.”

“The leadership supports pupils’ mental health well, through a strong pastoral system… Every pupil interviewed, the majority at random, felt there was an adult they could turn to at school to support them and that the staff were approachable.”

We would like to extend our thanks to the entire FHS Community for their hard work, dedication and unique FHS Spirit. The results of this inspection reflect the universally cohesive, supportive and kind environment which is result of the enthusiasm, commitment and inclusivity of our staff, governors, girls and their families.