St Bede’s Catholic High School, Lytham

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. This is a good school where the students' attitudes are exceptionally positive and they thoroughly enjoy learning.

Students, parents, staff and governors are very proud of their school and were keen to let the inspection team know this. Students' academic achievement is good and previous areas of underachievement have been tackled well. The percentage of students gaining five or more passes at GCSEs at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics, has been above or well above that found nationally for the last three years.

Good teaching, with some that is outstanding, enables students to make good and sometimes better progress. Stud...ents' behaviour is outstanding. Students are extremely courteous and respectful to each other and to adults.

Their safety is also outstanding. They are very aware of how to keep themselves and others safe. The headteacher is a very effective leader.

He models and expects high standards from his staff and students. His drive towards improving the school is impressive and areas of relative weakness have been tackled well. Since the previous inspection, students' achievement has improved in many subjects.

The quality of teaching has improved and attendance, which was already above average, has risen even further. The governing body supports the school very well and offers a good degree of challenge. It is not yet an outstanding school because : The achievement of all groups of students is not consistently good or better in all subjects.

Not enough teaching is outstanding and a little requires improvement. Teachers do not always make the most of the students' eagerness to learn to ensure that they progress as well as they can. The quality of teachers' marking does not always help students to improve their work.

A few subject leaders are not sufficiently skilled in checking the quality of teaching. They do not always link the quality of teaching well enough to students' learning and progress.

Information about this school

Saint Bede's is smaller than the average-sized secondary school.

Almost all students are of White British heritage and speak English as their first language. The proportions of students who are supported at school action, school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs are average. The proportion of students known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is lower than average.

The pupil premium is additional funding for students known to be eligible for free school meals, students in local authority care and those whose parents are in the armed forces. The school has some students who are known to be eligible for free school meals. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

The school has specialist status in business and enterprise and also in modern foreign languages. A very small number of students is educated off site at the specialist medical unit at the McKee Centre or are dual-registered and currently attending Lytham St. Anne's Technology and Performing Arts College.