Mount Lourdes Grammar School

Overview

Mount Lourdes Grammar School is described as having a “clear, coherent, and meaningful” vision rooted in Mercy values, which is consistently evident in the quality of relationships and pupil behaviour. The inspection highlights “highly effective self-evaluation processes” and a culture where pupils are “kind, courteous” and demonstrate a “genuine sense of enjoyment of school.”

Strengths

• The school’s vision is well-understood by the community, with 92% of parents and all staff reporting they know and contribute to it.
• Pupils exhibit “exemplary” behaviour and are “keen and ready to learn,” with 97.9% indicating they enjoy school.
• There is a “highly proactive and holistic approach to pupil and staff health and well-being,” including effective restorative practice and peer support.
• Strong equity measures, such as the “Excel” intervention programme, positively impact engagement and academic achievement for pupils with barriers to learning.
• “Highly effective collaboration” with external partners, including a local manufacturing company, enriches the curriculum and promotes STEM careers.

Areas to improve

• Strengthen classroom practice by ensuring planning “stretch[es] and challenge[s]” pupils and improving questioning strategies to extend thinking.
• Embed digital skills “more systematically across the curriculum” for coherent progression.
• Individualise the target-setting process to help pupils take greater ownership of their learning, as some do not know if they are making progress.

Safeguarding

The report states that child protection arrangements are robust, with a “highly proactive and holistic approach to pupil and staff health and well-being” at the heart of the school’s ethos.