King William’s College and The Buchan School has welcomed what it has described as a ‘glowing report’ following its British Schools Overseas (BSO) inspection.

The inspection, which was undertaken in November last year, rates the quality of pupils’ learning and achievement as ‘good’ and that of their personal development as ‘excellent’.

It found that the schools meet all required standards, with numerous areas singled out for praise.

Between them King William’s College and The Buchan have 434 pupils aged from two to 18, with 48 of them boarders.

Principal Damian Henderson said he was proud of the findings of the ‘glowing’ report.

He said: ‘This inspection validates the incredible efforts of our staff, students, and wider school community.

‘Our commitment to academic rigor, pastoral care, and developing well-rounded individuals is at the heart of what we do. We are thrilled that the inspectors recognised these values.’

Chair of governors Peter Clucas added: ‘The outcome of this inspection reflects the strength and ethos of King William’s College and The Buchan School.

‘This is a particularly pleasing report as it recognises the dedication, professionalism and commitment of our teachers and staff in all aspects of school life.

‘The report endorses our current vision for our future and we remain focused on providing the very best opportunities for our students.’

The report hailed the school’s academic achievements with nearly half of all GCSE and IGCSE grades achieved being graded A*-A/9-7, with International Baccalaureate (IB) scores surpassing the worldwide average.

In 2024 most Year 13 leavers went on to university, with many obtaining places at their first-choice institution.

Pupils, including children in the early years, make very good progress at the junior school, the report found, and their progress remained positive overall through the senior school.

Development of pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding is good, and the curriculum is ‘suitable and broad’, the inspection concluded.

But it added: ‘In a small number of lessons, planning and teaching are less effective, sometimes because of an over-reliance on resources which are not adapted to meet pupils’ needs effectively.

‘In some lessons, there are insufficient levels of challenge, including for those pupils with high prior attainment.’

The report recommends that the school ensures that teaching and learning strategies are consistently implemented, and that lesson planning always includes appropriate levels of challenge.

Rating the quality of pupils’ personal development as ‘excellent’, the report highlights how students are equipped with resilience, independence, and a deep sense of social responsibility.

Boarding facilities are praised for their recent upgrades and strong pastoral care. The boys’ boarding house moved into refurbished premises in August last year while the Years 7 and 8 centre relocated to refurbished premises in November.