Ofsted report April 2018 - school media release

St Katherine’s School outlines plans for ongoing improvement

St Katherine’s received a two-day Ofsted inspection at the 781 pupil school in Ham Green in March, which resulted in an overall grade of ‘requires improvement’.

Now, Head of School, Justin Humphreys has outlined steps already being taken to raise standards at the school.

Following their visit, government inspectors recognised there is gathering momentum behind actions already taken by the school to make improvements and that the leadership team has the capacity to build on these improvements even further.

Commenting on the report, Mr Humphreys said:

“It is good to see that inspectors recognise that St Katherine’s is on the right path to improve standards and the actions being taken to further improve the outcomes for our young people.  Our year on year improvement in overall outcomes at GCSE, A Level and vocational subjects over the last five years is testament to our students’ achievements and the dedication of all our staff.

“I am heartened that inspectors commented on several positive aspects of our school community. In particular, they noted that students’ personal development and welfare is good, our programme to support the smooth transition for our Year 7 students from our large number of feeder primary schools is carefully and thoughtfully managed, low-attaining students achieve well and we provide a safe, inclusive environment for vulnerable students. Ofsted also recognised that our raised expectations for students’ behaviour is having an impact on their ability to learn.

“The school leadership team and staff absolutely recognise the need for particular groups to make greater progress and this is a priority for us.

“We continue to support the progress of learners in maths and science with high quality professional development working with the North Somerset Teaching Alliance and we have increased the teaching and leadership capacity this year with further strength being added for September 2018.  We recognise we are part way through our work with these two faculties to achieve the above average outcomes for all students achieved in other areas of the school.

“We continue to focus on effective evaluation of data so we always have an accurate picture of every student’s progress and how the school is improving overall; how we can ensure every student reaches their potential; providing professional development opportunities for our teachers; improving our sixth form provision and tackling ‘behaviour for learning’ and attendance.

“St Katherine’s is a thriving, diverse school community where we promote our values of excellence, acceptance, resilience, aspiration and respect to our young people. I am confident the school community will continue working together to bring about improved teaching and learning for all students at St Katherine’s.”

Commenting on the report William Harding, Chair of Governors said:

“While governors appreciate the overall judgment may be disappointing it is encouraging to see that it matches the improvement priorities set by the senior leadership team at the start of the year.

“Looking ahead, we are encouraged that Ofsted noted the changes the Head of School is already putting in place to raise standards and improve teaching and learning for our students and look forward to working with an external reviewer so we can improve our support for disadvantaged learners.

“The Head of School has a clear vision for St Katherine’s, fully supported by the governors and Inspirational Futures Trust, that involves all of its community in bringing about the changes necessary to raise standards.   As the inspectors recognised, the staff are fully behind this vision and I know they are rising to this challenge.

“Together, we look to continuing the trend of improving outcomes for St Katherine’s students.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• St Katherine’s School year on year exam results – illustrating the school’s continuous improvement

A Level and Vocational pathways

GCSE

• The full inspection report is available here.