St John's RC High School

Overview

Education Scotland inspectors visited St John’s RC High School in November 2022, finding that the new headteacher is establishing foundations for future progress. The report evaluates all four quality indicators as “satisfactory,” noting strong Marist values and positive student leadership alongside identified needs for improvement in leadership structures and teaching quality.

Strengths

• The leadership of the new headteacher, who is “establishing foundations for the school’s future direction and progress” and promoting collegiate working.
• The influence of “strong Marist values” on the school’s work, particularly in improving young people’s “presence, participation and progress.”
• An “increasing range of valuable opportunities” helping young people lead healthy and active lives.
• Senior pupils acting as “positive role models” who demonstrate “enterprising leadership, creative teamwork and active citizenship.”

Areas to improve

• Senior and middle leaders must develop a “sustainable and manageable model for the leadership of change” and improve how they identify strengths and weaknesses.
• Staff should work together more effectively to improve “the quality of learning, teaching and assessment” and provide curriculum pathways meeting all young people’s needs.
• All staff need to further develop “inclusive practice” and improve their understanding of roles in ensuring wellbeing, equality, and inclusion.
• Staff must review approaches to equity funding to ensure it appropriately targets disadvantaged pupils and demonstrate how this leads to better outcomes.

Safeguarding

The report states that staff should continue to improve their understanding of their roles and responsibilities in ensuring wellbeing, equality, and inclusion to improve outcomes for all young people.