St John Henry Newman Catholic School

Overview: St John Henry Newman Catholic School is a good school that provides a positive and supportive environment for its pupils. Pupils feel safe and enjoy coming to school to learn. The school has a strong sense of community, with staff and students working together to achieve their goals.

Strengths:

• Pupils are proud of their school and enjoy coming to learn.
• Pupils feel safe and know that there is always someone to talk to if they have worries or concerns.
• The school has a well-designed and ambitious curriculum that supports all pupils to achieve well.
• Teachers use assessment strategies well to check that pupils have learned the important knowledge they need.
• The school has effective systems in place to identify and support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Pupils make good progress in reading and most can read fluently and confidently.
• The school provides a wide range of opportunities for pupils to learn about options for their next steps, including work experience and careers fairs.
• Leaders work well with stakeholders, including consulting with parents and carers on key issues.
• The school has a strong community feel, where staff and students work together.

Areas to improve:

• Teachers are not provided with sufficient up-to-date information to help them meet the needs of a small minority of pupils with SEND.
• Some pupils struggle to express themselves fluently and confidently, although leaders are addressing this by providing speaking and listening opportunities.

Safeguarding: The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders placing a strong emphasis on the well-being and safety of all pupils and students. Staff are trained well to spot any signs that indicate a pupil may be at risk from harm, and leaders work well with outside agencies to provide support for vulnerable pupils and families.