Carmel College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's Catholic ethos and values are at the heart of all that the school does. The school celebrates pupils' different backgrounds.

This is a welcoming school with a strong spirit of community. Pupils show respect and kindness to all. They form trusting relationships with staff.

The school values pupils for who they are. It goes beyond the expected to help every pupil succeed and live life to the full. Pupils flourish here.

The school has the highest of aspirations for what pupils can achieve. Pupils benefit from the school's broad and ambitious curriculum and excellent teaching. They show a real interest in their learning and achieve highly.

P...upils' behaviour is exemplary. In lessons, they focus on their work and listen intently to their teachers. The school is calm and orderly.

Pupils take responsibility for their behaviour. They also show genuine care and consideration for each other.

The school provides pupils with an impressive enrichment programme.

Pupils enjoy a diverse range of clubs and activities including sports, music and creative arts. Educational visits and events such as a culture festival enrich pupils' learning. Furthermore, pupils take on a wide range of leadership roles.

Pupils make a significant contribution to school life and to the wider community.

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

The school has developed its curriculum with considerable expertise. The curriculum provides pupils with a deep and rich body of knowledge.

Moreover, the school rigorously checks the impact of their curriculum on pupils' learning. This leads to changes that en-rich the curriculum further and ensures that it continues to meet pupils' needs and inter-ests. The curriculum is well-sequenced both within and across subjects.

It builds pupils' knowledge and skills in a logical manner from key stage 3 to the sixth form. There is an appropriate balance between academic and practical subjects. Many pupils study for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc).

From key stage 4, pupils can also study vocational courses, including health and social care, child development and sport. The school pre-pares pupils well for the next stage of their education, training and employment.The school has high aspirations for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

It identifies pupils' needs with speed and precision. Teachers and other adults are skilful at meeting the needs of pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers.

They achieve exceptionally well from their starting points.Reading has high priority. The school identifies those pupils who are at an early stage of reading.

It provides them with the extra support they need to become fluent and confident readers. The school promotes reading for pleasure and reading across the curriculum. Pupils read often at school and develop a substantial vocabulary.

The school also develops pupils' oracy. Pupils are articulate and confident speakers.Teaching at the school is of high quality.

Teachers revisit pupils' prior learning and build on that learning. They present new information with clarity and check pupils' understanding systematically. Teachers use questioning well to secure and extend pupils' knowledge and understanding.

In the sixth form, teachers generate rich discussion and debate. They develop students' independence and strengthen their subject knowledge through the 'super curriculum'. Pupils achieve high levels of attainment.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. Pupils meet the school's high expectations and show a commitment to school life. Sixth form students are role models for younger pupils.

In lessons, pupils are attentive and show positive attitudes to their learning. They respond with willingness and confidence to teachers' questions. They work well, both on their own and with their peers.

The school's personal development programme is exceptional. It makes a significant contribution to the development of pupils' character. Pupils learn about important issues such as relationships and equality and diversity.

They are taught how to keep themselves safe, including online and in the local community. Pupils have a deep and secure understanding of the protected characteristics and fundamental British values. The school's careers programme gives pupils detailed information and expert guidance.

Pupils undertake meaningful work placements. This supports pupils to make well-informed choices about their next steps.The school values staff and prioritises staff well-being and workload.

Staff are highly motivated and enjoy working at the school. Trustees perform their statutory duties with appropriate rigour. Together with governors, they hold school leaders to account.

Furthermore, the trust supports the school's continued development. It provides high quality staff training and additional leadership capacity.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.