The McAuley Catholic High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school.

They are well cared for by staff. The school has developed strong pastoral systems. These support pupils, including students in the sixth form, to participate fully in the school community.

The school has implemented new policies and routines to manage behaviour. These have created a calm environment, where pupils can learn effectively. When incidents of bullying or other unkind behaviours occur, adults act swiftly and effectively to resolve them.

Leaders, including trustees, have acted to address the issues raised at the previous inspection. Pupils now study a broad curriculum over their time in key stage 3. This supports them to be bett...er prepared as they move into their GCSE courses.

Most pupils achieve well in external examinations. This helps them to be well prepared for their next steps in education, employment or training.

Leaders aspire for pupils to play a positive role within the school, as well as the local and Catholic communities.

Opportunities such as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme are well used and valued by pupils. The school uses opportunities such as these and residential visits to help pupils to become more independent and resilient young people.

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

The school has experienced a number of changes in leadership roles since the previous inspection.

This includes the headteacher and other senior and middle leadership responsibilities. New leaders have prioritised making improvements to the curriculum. The early impact of these changes is seen in pupils' achieving improved outcomes in external examinations.

The curriculums in many subjects, including science and art and design, are carefully planned and well established. In these subjects, the knowledge and skills that pupils learn build in complexity over time. Teachers explain new knowledge clearly.

What pupils learn builds on what they already know. In some other subjects, the school is continuing to strengthen the curriculum.

In some lessons, the work that pupils complete is not as well matched to the aims of the curriculum as it could be.

When this happens, the most important information that pupils need to know is not prioritised sufficiently. In others, although teachers check what pupils know, this does not consistently result in teachers making adaptations to close gaps in pupils' knowledge.

The school has developed effective systems to support pupils in the early stages of learning to read.

These help pupils to improve their reading and to access the rest of the curriculum.

Leaders have a clear understanding of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They share detailed information with teachers about how they can meet the needs of pupils.

This enables teachers to support pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum as their peers.

The sixth-form provision is a strength of the school. Students in the sixth form benefit from their time there.

The school has diversified the range of subjects that are available to students. These reflect students' changing interests. Lessons are calm and focused.

Students develop secure knowledge of the subjects they study. Through the school's careers programme, students are well informed about the options available to them when they leave the school.

Through the school's personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum, pupils learn about important topics, such as healthy relationships and consent.

Many pupils talk confidently about the beliefs of different faiths. This contributes to the school's inclusive ethos. Despite this, other aspects of what pupils know, particularly their understanding of fundamental British values, are less secure.

The school has not adapted the curriculum to close these gaps in pupils' knowledge.

Pupils engage in a variety of extra-curricular activities. These are well attended, including by disadvantaged pupils.

The school uses external speakers, as well as educational visits, to broaden pupils' horizons. Many pupils engage in purposeful leadership roles, including in the sixth form, where, for example, some students are trained to support younger pupils with their reading.

Pupils, including in the sixth form, attend school regularly.

The school has a clear understanding of the barriers to attendance. It works effectively with families to remove these. This forms part of the school's strong pastoral support offer.

The school prioritises the well-being of pupils. Staff from the pastoral, SEND and safeguarding teams meet regularly to review what support individual pupils might need. This ensures that pupils receive the help they need.

Trustees have a strong commitment to the school. They and school leaders have an aligned vision for ongoing improvement. Leaders at all levels have improved the school since the previous inspection.

They have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. Despite this, the school's checks on some areas of improvement are not ensuring that these changes are consistently implemented.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some lessons, the work that pupils complete is not well matched to the aims of the curriculum or pupils' prior knowledge. When this happens, it limits how effectively pupils learn the most important knowledge identified within the curriculum. The school should ensure that work is consistently closely aligned to the aims of the curriculum.

• Some opportunities to adapt the curriculum to address pupils' misconceptions or gaps in knowledge are missed. When this happens, including in PSHE, pupils' knowledge of the curriculum develops more slowly. The school should ensure that assessment information is routinely used to adapt the curriculum so that pupils' knowledge continues to build.

• The school's system for checking actions to improve the school is not as strong as it could be. Some initiatives are implemented inconsistently. The school should ensure that its quality assurance procedures lead to consistent implementation of new initiatives.