London Nautical School is a smaller than average school situated in the heart of London. The school has a unique nautical ethos, is very popular and is heavily oversubscribed with four applications for every available place. It serves a very wide catchment area which stretches throughout London. The school has specialist sports status and has gained a number of prestigious accolades including Healthy Schools Standard and the British Council Gold Award for International Work.
The school has a welcoming and harmonious community, where students are happy and safe and make sound academic progress. They behave appropriately and respect the views of others. Through the work associated with the national awards, students have a good understanding of the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, participating enthusiastically in sporting activities and physical pursuits, which reflect well the ethos of the Sports College status.
Students make a good contribution to their local community by acting as sports leaders in primary schools and through the school’s partnerships with other schools overseas.
The well-orchestrated curriculum has recently been re-organised to meet the needs and enthusiasm of all students. Students experience a good range of activities, which are enriched well by visits to places of interest and significance, such as the First World War battlefields. Guest speakers, theatrical productions and clubs ranging from Lego construction to Ju-Jitsu enhance the curriculum further. At Key Stage 4, great care has been taken to ensure that there is a good blend of vocational and academic courses. This together with visits to sporting events and overseas trips to Holland, Italy and Norway provide opportunities for students to broaden their personal and academic skills. Maritime connections offer exciting and unique opportunities for students to acquire new skills through the annual regatta and weekend sailing opportunities.
The school is proud of its good care, guidance and support. The most vulnerable students benefit greatly from good links with external agencies. Staff can point to real successes in helping students overcome difficult histories and challenging episodes in their lives. The inclusion team provides a wide range of support to enable vulnerable students to play a full part in school life and is increasingly successful at engaging hard-to-reach families.
The Headmaster of the London Nautical School has a clear vision for the direction the school should be moving towards. He has established a new leadership team, with clear lines of accountability, which is focused on raising attainment. The vision has been shared effectively with all staff. There is a clear ambition to make sure that all lessons are good and that students achieve well.
The school has a strong commitment to ensuring that every student has an equal chance to learn. It works hard to eradicate any differences in the achievement of groups of students. For example, the school has been very successful in helping some students with previously challenging behaviour to enjoy learning again and they now make expected progress.
The school has evaluated its contribution to community cohesion effectively. This has been achieved by developing and promoting a clear and detailed understanding of its own community and their different faiths, ethnicities and cultures that exist within it. The school’s international links promote good awareness of global issues. For example, in 2008 the school hosted high profile delegations from Zambia and Bangladesh to promote good practice in developing sports provision. Through the British Council the school has developed partnerships with schools in Malaysia.
From Ofsted Report 2009/2010
