Richard Challoner School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a lively and happy school.

Leaders refer to the 'Challoner family' to describe the close school community. Pupils behave very well and treat each other kindly. Leaders want all pupils to experience success and to fulfil their potential, inside and outside the classroom.

Across the curriculum, pupils aim high and flourish in their learning.

The school nurtures pupils to look after each other and to do their best. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in the school community.

Pupils work hard in lessons and staff are ambitious for what every pupil can achieve. Pupils are safe and bullying is extreme...ly rare. If it does happen, leaders intervene quickly and effectively.

Leaders and staff place strong emphasis on pupils' personal development. The spiritual and social development of pupils is a central part of school life, where assemblies and celebrations bring pupils together. The 'Challoner Challenge' ensures that every pupil is supported to try new activities, including joining clubs, fundraising, public speaking, sports, art and music.

The 'House competition' enables pupils to compete for points during lessons and in clubs, as well as in a range of house events, such as drama and swimming. From the start of Year 7, pupils are encouraged to become active and confident participants in school life.

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

Leaders are highly ambitious for pupils' education.

The curriculum matches and often exceeds the scope of what is expected nationally. For example, in art, pupils develop detailed knowledge of artists and designers. Their learning is rich, and includes, for example, the study of graphic architecture and Latin American designs.

Leaders ensure that the curriculum includes a range of cultural perspectives. In modern foreign languages, for instance, pupils learn about Francophone and Hispanic cultures. Almost all pupils study a foreign language at GCSE.

Curriculum content is carefully sequenced. Leaders have identified key concepts within subjects, and these are revisited regularly. This ensures that pupils develop a secure understanding of each subject over time.

Teachers make sure that complex ideas are broken down into simple parts. They use their subject expertise to model demanding tasks and check for understanding. As a result, pupils learn to make connections across the curriculum and apply their understanding to more complex areas of learning.

Teachers regularly check what pupils know and remember. As a result, any misconceptions are swiftly identified and corrected. This supports pupils to develop their understanding of important ideas and tackle more complex learning in a subject over time.

Classrooms are calm and focused. Pupils said that this is because there are clear systems in place that they understand and that help them to learn. They have highly positive attitudes to learning and value their lessons.

They ask questions and are not afraid of making mistakes as they learn. Pupils are punctual to lessons and attendance is high.

Staff understand pupils' individual needs, including the specific needs of those with SEND.

All pupils are supported to follow a curriculum in which they experience success. This prepares them well for the next stage of their education, employment or training. Pupils who attend the on-site Newman or Xavier centres follow the same curriculum as their peers wherever possible.

Pupils and students flourish in these settings. Specialist staff ensure that they develop a range of knowledge and skills for later life, including cooking and gardening. These pupils and students are fully included in the life of the school, for example by participating in house events.

In the sixth form, students enjoy learning from teachers who are experts in their subject. They use study time meaningfully, using the well-resourced library to focus on their independent learning. Students receive advice and guidance to support them with their next steps.

Girls who join the sixth form said that they feel warmly welcomed. Students enjoy mentoring other pupils, including supporting students in the Xavier Centre. They also appreciate the wide range of opportunities available to them, such as university visits, charity events and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme.

Leaders have focused on strengthening the wider curriculum. Through the thriving house system, all pupils participate in a wealth of activities. There is an active student parliament, diversity group and environment ambassadors.

Opportunities extend to Saturdays, where sports, music and the library are available to pupils. Residentials and visits abroad are organised regularly. Through the personal development programme, pupils learn about important topics such as consent, healthy relationships, and how to stay safe online.

Pupils benefit from a comprehensive careers programme and work experiences in Years 8, 10 and 12. This contributes to leaders' high-quality work to nurture pupils' wider skills and character development.

Staff feel very well supported.

Leaders think carefully about workload and consult staff regularly. They provide teachers with an exceptional professional development programme. This ensures that teachers continue to develop the knowledge and teaching expertise to support all pupils to learn.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding is a high priority for all staff. They receive regular training on how to identify pupils who may be at risk, and they know how to report concerns.

Leaders ensure that all concerns are managed through robust systems and processes. Leaders carry out thorough pre-employment checks when recruiting new staff. They work with outside agencies and local partners to support vulnerable pupils and families.

Pupils are taught how to stay safe, including online. They learn how to look after their mental and physical health. Pupils trust the staff in school and know how to report any concerns that they may have.

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