Saint Claudine’s Catholic School for Girls

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. The majority of students make good progress and achieve well given their starting points when they enter the school.

Teaching is generally good across the school and some is outstanding. As a result students, including those who are disadvantaged, make good progress and achieve well. Strong careers advice and guidance and a developing range of subjects in the good sixth form are increasing staying on rates and enabling more students to progress to further and higher education.

Students say that school is a safe and secure place to learn. Attendance is at a high level and there is zero tolerance of all forms of bullying. A highly experien...ced headteacher a national leader of education leads a strong senior team who identify good practice in teaching and learning from a range of sources and implement it across the school.

The governing body knows and supports the school community and has established effective systems to monitor how successful leaders are in driving improvement. Positive attitudes to learning are a notable feature among students who arrive in class very well prepared for learning and ready to do their best. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Not all students who enter the school with high scores make as much progress as they could by the time they reach GCSE.

The quality of assessment, marking and feedback to students does not always match that of the best. There are too few opportunities for pupils to gain a deeper understanding of their work through discussions.

Information about this school

This is an average size secondary school.

It converted to academy status in April 2012. When its predecessor school was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall. The proportion of students from minority ethnic backgrounds is well above average.

Students come from a wide range of ethnic groups, with many speaking English as an additional language. About one in five students is supported through school action, which is above average. About one in every 25 students is supported at school action plus or has a statement of special educational needs.

This proportion is below the national average. Two in every five students are eligible for the pupil premium, additional funding provided for children in local authority care, children of service families and those who are known to be eligible for free school meals. This is well above the national average.

There are no children from service families currently on the school's roll. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students' attainment and progress. A very small number of students follow vocational courses with a local training provider.