Bishop Challoner Catholic School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value their education and the opportunities to socialise and make new friends.

Teachers expect them to work hard, and pupils describe most teachers as kind and helpful. Teachers in the sixth form give students extra tuition if they fall behind or miss school owing to illness.

Pupils are positive about the changes and routines that new leaders introduced.

These have improved pupils' behaviour and attitudes. Inspectors saw calm, friendly and sensible behaviours throughout the day. Pupils are clear that staff do not tolerate bullying.

When staff witness or hear about poor behaviour, they take swift action. Staff keep pupils safe. Pupils know that... if they have any problems, they can approach their mentors, support staff or counsellors for help.

Staff teach pupils how to consider and deal with contemporary challenges. For example, through tutor time, assemblies and formal lessons, staff lead sessions on relationships. This content is delivered in an age-appropriate manner.

Topics include how to form healthy relationships. Pupils are also taught to understand the nature of abusive relationships. These sessions also help pupils to understand the dangers of sending inappropriate images.

Pupils learn about other important issues, such as consent. Older pupils were involved in creating some of the resources used. This makes them easily relatable to the school's younger pupils.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

New leaders and governors are ambitious and have set high expectations for all. They quickly identified what aspects of the school's work were not strong enough. They set about making important changes and have brought about notable improvements.

Across the subjects, leaders plan in a logical order what they want pupils to know. There are plentiful opportunities for pupils to revise knowledge they have learned before. This helps them to remember important knowledge and make links across topics.

In history, for example, pupils in Year 8 learn about slavery. They were able to make links to their learning in Year 7 about medieval English kings. They already understood the relationship between power and the exploitation of the poor.

Through training and collaboration with colleagues, teachers develop their expertise. They impart knowledge effectively, helping pupils to achieve well. They check pupils' understanding often.

They use the information to adapt their teaching to address pupils' emerging misconceptions. Leaders make sure that teachers have a secure understanding of how to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They receive training and bespoke information on how to adapt teaching for all pupils with SEND.

This enables these pupils to access the curriculum. There is also a strong focus on giving extra support to those pupils who need extra help to read fluently.Although the curriculum is broad, pupils stop studying some subjects at the end of Year 8.

This means that pupils miss out on being able to deepen their knowledge in some subjects. Subject leaders are taking effective steps to address this. For example, they are reorganising subject plans so that pupils can study important subject content in sufficient depth.

In the sixth form, students can study a range of academic and vocational courses. From Year 7 onwards, pupils benefit from a comprehensive programme of impartial careers guidance. This includes past pupils who come back to speak to them about future career opportunities.

Students leave the school well prepared to continue in education, training or employment.

Pupils are keen to learn and pay attention in class. Sixth-form students utilise the study room throughout the day.

They do much independent study between their lessons. These positive attitudes help them succeed in their studies.

Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities that enrich their personal development.

Staff teach them to respect all faiths and value diversity. This is exemplified by the school's provision of a multi-faith prayer room. The newly formed pupil council gives pupils a voice in the running of the school.

Sixth-form students support and mentor younger pupils. The school hosts a lecture series with external speakers. These cover a diverse range of topics, such as science, law and the media.

The school has been recognised and commended for being at the forefront of best practice in teaching about the Holocaust.

Leaders recognise that in making changes to secure improvement some staff may be working harder than before. They established a staff well-being group to see how best to support staff welfare.

Governors have budgeted for this work to fund some of the group's recommendations.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff understand the issues facing pupils in the school.

They know that they must report any concerns, however minor they may seem. This helps safeguarding leaders to check for any issues and patterns that indicate pupils may need help.

Leaders have well-established links with a range of external agencies.

They make referrals in a timely fashion and work together to support pupils' safety and welfare.

Leaders make the necessary checks when recruiting staff to determine candidates' suitability to work with young people.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Although the curriculum in Years 7 to 9 is broad, it does not enable pupils to deepen their understanding in some subjects.

However, it is clear from leaders' actions, including their work to develop subject planning and train staff, that they are taking the necessary steps to improve pupils' learning. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied. Leaders need to build on their existing work to ensure that the curriculum in key stage 3 is as ambitious as the national curriculum.