St Anthony's Girls' Catholic Academy

Overview

St Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy is described as a “calm and harmonious school” where the Mercy ethos is central to a “caring and welcoming” environment. Leaders are praised for uniting staff in a pursuit of “ambition and excellence,” ensuring pupils receive a “good quality of education” and are well-prepared for their next steps.

Strengths

• The curriculum is strong, with leaders identifying “precise knowledge” pupils need to remember, supported by effective “retrieval starters” that pupils value.
• Staff build “strong relationships” with pupils, ensuring those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the “same ambitious curriculum as their peers.”
• Pupils demonstrate “high levels of respect” and benefit from plentiful opportunities to broaden their experiences, including leadership roles like ‘transition buddy’.
• Governors and trustees “know the school well” and ask “insightful questions” to ensure the school continues to improve.
• Sixth-form provision is robust, offering a “broad range of academic subjects” complemented by vocational qualifications relevant to the local labour market.

Areas to improve

• In a few subjects, leaders have not fully mapped out key concepts, meaning pupils learn less; leaders should work with teachers to map “key substantive and disciplinary knowledge.”
• The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum is “not securely embedded,” with some pupils unable to recall important knowledge; leaders must continue to develop this area.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff receiving appropriate training and promptly reporting concerns, while pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including online.