Corpus Christi Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Corpus Christi Catholic College is a welcoming school where pupils are safe.

Most pupils say they have an adult in school who they can talk to if they have concerns. The school has recently expanded its pastoral team. Parents and pupils value the quality of pastoral care at the school.

Most pupils enjoy school. However, bullying happens and some pupils say the school does not always deal with it effectively.

After a period of decline in attainment standards, the school has recently taken appropriate steps to begin to bring about much needed improvements.

Most lessons are orderly. However, parents have expressed their concerns that expectations for be...haviour and learning are not as high in some lessons as they are in others. Inspectors agree.

Due to variable expectations, pupils tend not to achieve as well as they could.

The school offers pupils a range of extra-curricular clubs to take part in, such as chess, reading, drama and a range of sports. Pupils have the opportunity to develop their leadership skills by being prefects and members of the school council.

Pupils who hold leadership roles are proud to attend the school and feel like they have a voice.

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

The school acknowledges that pupils' achievement is not as high as it needs to be. The school has recently begun work to address this.

It has invested in a new key stage 3 'mastery' curriculum that is challenging and aspirational. The new curriculum clearly identifies the core knowledge that pupils should learn over time. Some departments are further along than others, in embedding this new curriculum.

All pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from studying a broad curriculum.

There is variation in how well the curriculum is being implemented. In most lessons, teachers have secure subject knowledge and explain concepts clearly.

However, teachers do not systematically assess pupils' understanding and adapt their teaching to respond to pupils' misconceptions or gaps in knowledge. As a result, the impact of the curriculum is variable. Signs of better impact are more evident where pupils are following the school's new curriculum.

For example, in a Year 7 English lesson, pupils demonstrated clear understanding of the complex plot of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. They were able to select key quotations and develop detailed analysis of them.

Pupils with SEND, including those pupils who attend the additional resource provision, are well supported.

The school has clear systems for assessing and reviewing the needs of pupils. The school draws on the expertise of a range of professional support to help meet pupils' needs.

The school has identified those pupils at the early stages of reading.

A phonics programme has been implemented to support pupils. Staff have received appropriate training. The school has prioritised this aspect of its work by recently appointing a new leader for reading and literacy.

The school has a clear behaviour policy. Pupils understand this policy and think that it is fair. Some teachers do not apply the school's behaviour policy consistently.

This means that pupils receive mixed messages about the school's expectations. Low-level disruption and disengagement are not always challenged as they should be. Some pupils show a lack of tolerance for others as they use language that is derogatory, racist and/or homophobic.

Some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, do not attend school regularly enough. Leaders have recently introduced more robust systems for tracking attendance. This is helping to inform the strategies the school uses to improve attendance.

Although this work is in its infancy, there are signs that the school's actions are beginning to improve attendance for some pupils.

Pupils follow a detailed curriculum in personal, social, health and economic education. The depth of pupils' understanding of different world religions and fundamental British values varies.

Pupils develop culturally, morally and spiritually in a range of ways. The school holds culture days and regular assemblies, which give pupils the opportunity to reflect on faith. The school has recently developed its careers provision.

Pupils are provided with opportunities to engage with local employers.

It is only recently that the school has operated with a full senior leadership team. This has helped to bring recent improvements to the school that need embedding.

The school's vision for the quality of education it wants pupils to receive is not currently realised. Staff feel proud to work at the school. They say that leaders support them well with their well-being.

Some staff and parents say that leaders could do more to communicate with them. Trustees and governors are skilled and experienced. They have an accurate view of the school's strengths and areas to develop.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school does not apply its behaviour policy consistently. As a result, pupils receive mixed messages about the school's expectations.

Some pupils do not meet the school's expectations for behaviour or do not focus enough on their learning. The school must ensure that all staff apply the behaviour policy consistently, so that behaviour across the school is consistently of a high standard. ? The curriculum is in a state of development and improvement.

Some departments are further along this improvement journey than others. This means that the school has not clearly identified the body of knowledge that they want pupils to acquire and develop over time in all subjects. The school must ensure that an ambitious curriculum is planned, sequenced and embedded consistently well across all subjects.

• The teaching of the curriculum is not consistently strong enough across all subjects. As a result, pupils have significant gaps in their knowledge and do not achieve well. The school must ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently well, and pupils' understanding is checked systematically, so that pupils know more and remember more.

• Some pupils, including the most disadvantaged, do not attend school often enough. As a result, these pupils have gaps in their learning. The school must use and develop its recently improved tracking systems for attendance, to identify and plan robust support to improve pupils' attendance.