Maricourt Catholic High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Maricourt Catholic High School is a caring community. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

This is because leaders have high expectations of pupils' behaviour and learning.

Teachers know pupils well. Pupils, and students in the sixth form, appreciate the respectful relationships that they forge with staff.

Pupils feel safe and are happy at school. They are confident to report any concerns about bullying. Staff resolve issues quickly and effectively.

Pupils reported that derogatory language is rare.

Pupils are friendly and polite. They respect and celebrate differences between people....

They behave well around the school, creating a calm environment at breaktimes and lunchtimes. Pupils learn well in most lessons with few interruptions. They show positive attitudes to their learning.

Leaders make sure that all pupils and students can take part in a wide range of activities that inspire and interest them. For example, pupils enjoy taking part in martial arts and dance clubs. They also perform in school productions and represent the school in sport.

Parents and carers are very positive about the school. A typical comment was that 'the school goes above and beyond for my child'.

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

Governors and leaders have high ambitions for pupils.

Pupils, including students in the sixth form, study a wide range of courses. Most pupils and students, including those with SEND, progress well through the curriculum.

Leaders have put in place a curriculum which has the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) suite of subjects at its heart.

They have strengthened the modern foreign languages curriculum in key stage 3. This has increased the number of pupils who choose to study this subject at key stage 4. As a result, the proportion of pupils following the EBacc suite of subjects is rising.

Subject leaders have thought carefully about the knowledge that pupils should learn. Leaders have also considered the order in which to teach essential information. Subject curriculums are carefully organised.

Teachers ensure that pupils revisit their learning regularly. They give pupils opportunities for them to practise and build on what they already know. This helps pupils to remember the curriculum.

Many teachers have a detailed knowledge of their curriculum subjects. They use their subject expertise skilfully to help pupils remember and apply their learning. Teachers in the sixth form have particularly strong subject expertise.

In most subjects, teachers use assessment strategies well. They spot and address pupils' misconceptions quickly and effectively, including pupils with SEND. Teaching staff provide effective support to pupils in lessons.

This helps pupils move on to new learning confidently and successfully. In a small number of subjects, some pupils do not progress through subject curriculums as well as they should. This is because in these subjects, teachers sometimes do not identify pupils' misconceptions quickly or effectively.

Leaders accurately identify the needs of pupils with SEND. Teachers provide effective support so that these pupils can learn the same ambitious curriculum as other pupils in the school.

Pupils who are at the earliest stages of learning to read receive specialist support from staff to help them to read more fluently.

This improves these pupils' confidence in reading and helps them to better access the school curriculum.

Typically, pupils learn without disruption. However, in a small minority of lessons, pupils behave less well than at other times.

This is because a small number of teachers do not follow the agreed school behaviour systems.

The personal development curriculum provides pupils with the knowledge that they need to be responsible citizens. This includes age-appropriate relationships, sex and health education.

Pupils learn about other cultures and beliefs. Teachers prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain.

Pupils, including students in the sixth form, benefit from a strong careers education, information, advice and guidance programme.

A high proportion of pupils move on to further education and training, including those pupils with SEND. In the sixth form, many students progress on to university.

Governors provide effective support for leaders.

They have a clear vision for the school. They provide a well-defined direction for improvement and know the school well. Governors challenge leaders to develop further the quality of education for pupils and students.

Leaders take positive action to support the workload and well-being of staff. Staff appreciate the efforts made by leaders to reduce their workload. Staff are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding at the school. Staff are alert to the dangers that pupils and students in the sixth form may face.

This includes when pupils are online.

Leaders are quick to identify when pupils need additional help or are at risk of harm. Staff work well with a range of other agencies to provide support for pupils and their families.

Pupils, and students in the sixth form, say that they feel safe in school. They learn how to keep themselves safe, including learning about the dangers of peer-on-peer abuse.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, teachers do not use assessment strategies well enough to identify errors and misconceptions in pupils' work.

This means that pupils make less progress in some aspects of the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that staff focus on identifying pupils' errors and misconceptions. Staff should use assessment strategies effectively to ensure that pupils do not misunderstand important aspects of their learning.

• A small number of teachers do not follow the agreed school practices for behaviour management. This inconsistency means that some lessons are negatively affected by the poor behaviour of a minority of pupils. Leaders should ensure that school policies are followed consistently well by staff to ensure that pupils behave well in all lessons.