Farnborough Hill

Pros

The school has a cohesive staff body and people are supportive of each other. Behaviour of pupils is excellent. In lessons teachers only have to deal with low-level disruption. Parents are generally very supportive of their child’s education. The buildings and the grounds are magnificent. They are a joy to work within. The HR system is becoming increasingly professionalised. However, the school still lacks a dedicated HR department. On the whole, teachers are left to teach their schemes of work without top-down interference and are trusted whilst in the classroom. The quality of teaching is generally very good. The sciences are a particular strength within the school. The school is truly welcoming to people of all faiths and no faith. Teachers are expected to support the ethos of the school but this is not done in an invasive way. The school’s pay structure is competitive compared to schools of a similar stature and nature. The school have expanded the number of additional responsibilities available for staff allowing more opportunities for staff career progression.

Cons

The school is currently a member of the Teacher’s Pension Scheme but may not retain it. Working conditions for part-time teachers are extremely poor. Part-Time teaching staff are not given the same proportion of frees as full-time staff are not paid a pro-rata salary. The school is becoming more corporate in its nature and is in danger of losing its unique identity following a significant re-branding exercise. The school does not have a well-developed extra-curricular provision due to the timing of the school day. There has been a very high-turnover of senior leadership staff and there is an apparent lack of scrutiny of key strategic decisions. Managing Staff Workload is not a demonstrated priority of the management of the school and the staff body is visibly stressed at certain times of the year.