Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School is a community where pupils feel happy and enjoy coming to school.

Leaders' expectations for pupils' and students' learning are high.

Pupils and students live up to these expectations and achieve well across a range of subjects.

Leaders expect pupils to behave well and most do. Pupils, including students in the sixth form, do not tolerate any form of discriminatory behaviour.

Pupils like each other and treat each other with respect and kindness, regardless of ethnicity, gender or culture. They say th...at they feel safe in school. Pupils are confident that leaders will quickly act to address any incidents of bullying.

Classrooms, corridors and social areas are generally calm and welcoming for pupils.

Pupils have a strong input into the running of the school. They feel that they are listened to by leaders and believe that their opinions are valued.

Students in the sixth form are fully involved in all aspects of school life. They take pride in the work that they do. For example, students in the sixth form support younger pupils by becoming 'guardian angels'.

Pupils enjoy the interesting and inspiring opportunities beyond the academic curriculum. For example, pupils take part in a wide range of drama, music and sports clubs. They are keen to contribute to their local community through The Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

All pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are encouraged to take advantage of these activities.

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

Leaders and governors are committed to addressing social disadvantage. They strive to give all pupils, including those with SEND, the best possible start in life.

Leaders have thoughtfully redesigned the curriculum so that pupils can build on what they already know. The curriculum is broad and suitably ambitious. However, in a small number of subjects in key stage 3, leaders are still fine-tuning their curriculum thinking.

In these subjects, leaders have not thought deeply enough about the essential skills that pupils must learn.

Leaders encourage pupils to choose to study subjects at GCSE that make up the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.

Subject leaders use their expertise well to make it clear to teachers the key knowledge that pupils should learn.

During lessons, teachers typically check carefully for any gaps in pupils' knowledge. They use this information to adapt their teaching so that pupils can gain or recover any learning that they have missed or forgotten. Teachers are proficient in selecting appropriate activities.

Mostly, pupils can apply new learning to increasingly sophisticated concepts and ideas.

Teachers have a sound knowledge of their subjects. They explain new topics clearly to pupils and students.

Most teachers check how well pupils and students are learning the intended curriculum. However, some teachers do not use assessment information well to address pupils' misconceptions quickly enough. This hinders pupils' progress.

Leaders have provided more time during the school day for pupils to read with teachers. Leaders have effective systems in place to identify and help those pupils who have fallen behind in reading.

The curriculum is equally ambitious for pupils and students with SEND.

Leaders have effective systems in place to identify the specific needs of pupils and students with SEND. Most pupils with SEND achieve well.

Pupils, including students in the sixth form, behave well during lessons and social times.

Pupils said that their lessons are rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. This means that teachers can focus on delivering the curriculum effectively.

Staff support pupils' wider development effectively.

The personal, social, health and economic education curriculum is planned well. Pupils learn about the features of healthy relationships. For example, they learn about consent.

Pupils value democracy and see its benefits through the work of the school council. They understand the negative impact of prejudice on others.

Leaders provide pupils with a carefully selected set of cultural experiences to prepare them for life in modern Britain.

All pupils, including students in the sixth form, benefit from the many opportunities on offer outside the classroom.

Students in the sixth form engage well with school activities. For example, they champion equalities, and lead the influential school council.

They take part in school productions, and support younger pupils well.

Leaders ensure that careers guidance is well established across the school. All pupils move on to appropriate, high-quality destinations at the end of their time at the school.

Many students in the sixth form progress on to apprenticeships and university.

Governors hold leaders to account successfully for the quality of education in the school.

Leaders take account of staff's workload and well-being.

Staff feel that they are respected and said that the school is well led and managed by leaders and governors. Staff are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong safeguarding culture across the school, including in the sixth form.

Staff are vigilant in spotting the signs that may indicate that pupils may need help. They report safeguarding concerns in a timely manner.

Leaders work effectively with external partners to ensure that pupils and their families get the help that they need. Leaders have a secure understanding of what makes pupils feel unsafe.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe through the curriculum, including when online.

They are taught about issues such as peer-on-peer abuse and sexting.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, in key stage 3, leaders' curriculum thinking is at an earlier stage of development. This means that teachers are not as clear about the skills that pupils should learn.

Leaders should ensure that the curriculums in these subjects contain enough information about the essential skills that pupils must acquire. This will help teachers to ensure that pupils learn all that they need to know in readiness for the next stage in their education. ? On occasion, some staff do not check well enough that pupils have understood what they have learned before moving on to new learning.

When this happens, pupils' knowledge is less secure. Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment information well to address pupils' misconceptions in a timelier manner.Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2017.