King’s College Alicante is the only school in the region that regularly undertakes external inspections accredited by the Department for Education (DfE) of the British Government. In its last report, released last week by the leading independent inspection providers, Penta International, the school has been graded as “outstanding” in every category.
King’s College Alicante has been rated as “outstanding” in every category by Penta International, an inspectorate body accredited by the British Government whose key purpose is to report to the English Department for Education (DfE) on the extent to which schools meet the standards for British Schools Overseas. This inspection is a thorough external review by an independent organisation across a multitude of areas both in and around the school, from facilities to teaching and learning, as well as student support.
“King’s College, The British School of Alicante (KCA) is an outstanding school. As a result of a strong curriculum and excellent approaches to teaching and assessment, academic attainment standards are high. The behaviour and attitudes of the pupils are impressive. Leadership of the school at all levels is excellent. Care and support offered to pupils are exemplary”, highlights the report recently released by Penta International.
King’s College Alicante is the only school in the region that regularly undertakes these external inspections which come accredited by the Department for Education (DfE) of the British Government. The DfE has a set scheme for the inspection of British Schools Ooverseas whereby schools are analysed against a common set of standards.
The purpose of the inspection is to provide information to parents, teachers, senior managers and the school’s management, on the overall effectiveness of the school, the standard of education it provides and its compatibility with independent schools in the United Kingdom.
The inspection and subsequent report cover the key areas of quality of the curriculum; quality and standard of teaching and learning; the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils; their welfare, health and safety; the suitability of the proprietor and staff; the school’s premises; and the complaints process and procedures. An essential part of the inspection is considering the extent to which the British character of the school is evident in its ethos, curriculum, teaching, care for pupils and pupils’ achievements.
“Outcomes like this do not just happen. I am indebted to our leadership team, all staff, parents and pupils for their respective contributions to making KCA the very special place it is”, said Iain Blaikie, headteacher of King’s College, The British School of Alicante.
This inspection of King’s College Alicante took place last October. During the inspection visit, over 80 lesson observations took place, as well as a series of learning walks. School documentation and policies were analysed and data reviewed. Pupils’ workbooks were scrutinised, and discussions were held with the senior staff, the management team, and a range of teachers, parents and groups of pupils.
Main highlights: King’s College Alicante’s strengths
The resulting report elaborated by Penta International, released last week, highlights as the school’s strengths “the pupils, who are enthusiastic, eager learners; caring; happy; polite; well-behaved and proud of their college, and the standards they achieve.”, as well as the “commitment and passion of all members of staff to secure the best possible outcomes for pupils” and the “breadth of opportunities available to pupils beyond the curriculum to develop interests and skills which will prepare them for the future”.
According to Penta, King’s College Alicante “is the only school in this region of Spain that is truly able to evidence its British style and character” and it “fully meets the standards for BSO (British Schools Overseas scheme)”. The “quality of the curriculum”, “the teaching and assessment” and “leadership and management” are rated as “excellent”, while one of the key strengths of the school is considered to be “the College’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and its impact on the personal development of pupils”.
“Above all, our fantastic pupils were singled- out as our prize asset and they are all to be thanked and congratulated on being the best young people any school could ask for. The school is extremely well placed now to continue thriving and consolidate our position as one of Spain’s best”, added Mr. Blaikie.
About King’s College schools
Sir Roger Fry knighted in 2012 by Queen Elizabeth II for promoting British education internationally, founded the first King’s College school in Madrid in 1969 and ever since the network of King’s College schools has now extended to a total of 10 schools in the UK, Spain (Madrid, Alicante, Murcia and Elche), Germany, Latvia and Panama.
All of the schools offer pupils a quality British education based on the National Curriculum of England and Wales, which emphasises strong academic values through hands-on learning. Pupils from the age of 18 months to 18 years old are taught by native and British trained teachers. The educational model of the schools is characterised by its rigorous and broad curriculum, its interdisciplinary approach and its emphasis on practical learning, exploration and the active participation of students.
In 2019, King’s College schools became members of Inspired, a leading global premium schools group operating in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, educating over 45,000 students across a global network of more than 64 schools.
