St John Henry Newman Catholic School

Newman Catholic School Lismore Place, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 1NA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Sixth form provision Good 2

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 The literacy skills of students are not always well developed across all subjects. Errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation are not always identified in a timely fashion. This leads to errors being repeated and some students lacking fluency in their writing.  The most-able students in the school are not always challenged to do their best in lessons. The school’s previous policy of entering students early for GCSE mathematics examinations meant that some students who had the potential of gaining higher grades were entered for the foundation paper in the first instance and consequently did not attain as well as they could have done.  School leaders have not always been rigorous enough in checking on the quality of teaching or the impact of actions taken to bring about improvements. The records of leaders, including information provided to governors, do not always focus on the difference being made to the learning

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

of students. As a result, the quality of teaching and learning across the school and within subjects is inconsistent.  The marking of students’ work does not routinely check to see whether or not students are making improvements in their learning. The school’s agreed policy for marking is not being applied consistently.

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The school has the following strengths

 Leaders are closing the gap between the achievement of disadvantaged students and their peers.  Students behave well and are a credit to the school. They are smart in their appearance.  The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of students is promoted well. Students demonstrate a good understanding of British values of tolerance and respect, for example.  Leaders and governors have good arrangements in place to keep students safe. Vulnerable students are helped to achieve and develop at least as well as their peers do.  There is some outstanding teaching and learning, most notably in art.  The sixth form has improved. More current students are making better progress than in the past. Students who completed their studies in 2014 have all gone on to university, college or employment.  The headteacher’s ambition is clear. All staff who responded to Ofsted’s survey stated they were proud to work at the school.

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The school has the following strengths

 Parents express confidence in the school. All who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View) agreed they would recommend the school to other parents.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed the school at work, including in lessons and at breaks and lunchtimes. They scrutinised a range of documentation and met with the headteacher and members of the leadership team.  Discussions were held with 30 students representing all year groups throughout the school, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body, a representative of Cumbria local authority, and a representative of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lancaster.  Inspectors observed the teaching and learning in the lessons taught by teachers and assistants. They spoke with students, looked at the information about the progress of students within the classes, and examined work in books completed over time. Approximately one-third of this inspection activity was conducted jointly with members of the school’s leadership team.  Inspectors also took into account the 40 responses received from parents on Parent View and the 29

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Information about this inspection

responses received from staff to Ofsted’s survey.

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Inspection team

Mark Williams, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 Newman Catholic School is a smaller than average-sized school; however, the number of students on roll is rising.  The school’s sixth form is smaller than average. It too has a rising roll.  The proportion of disadvantaged students who are eligible for funding through the pupil premium is above average compared to other secondary schools in England. The pupil premium is additional government funding to support students known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs is broadly average.  The large majority of students are of White British heritage.  The school is part of the Carlisle Secondary Learning Consortium.  A review of how the school is making use of the pupil premium funding is being undertaken by the headteacher of Our Lady’s Catholic High School, Preston.  The school did not meet the government’s current floor standards for 2014. These are the minimum

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Information about this school

expectations for students’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 11.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the rates of progress made by students in their learning through routinely good or better teaching by:  ensuring that literacy skills are promoted and developed across all subjects so that students are accurate and fluent in their use of spelling, grammar and punctuation  ensuring that marking undertaken by adults, in line with the school’s policy and best practice, routinely checks to see whether or not students are making improvements in their learning  providing greater levels of challenge to the most-able students.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership across the school by ensuring that:  records of checking on teaching quality and actions undertaken focus on the difference being made to students’ learning and that this impact is routinely reported to the governing body.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management are not good because, despite important and correct actions taken, leaders have not always been rigorous enough in checking on the quality of teaching or the impact of actions taken. As a result, they cannot always identify quickly enough where weaknesses are present in order to act upon them. Leaders’ records, including information provided to governors, do not always focus on the difference being made to the learning of students. An example of this is the review of the school’s marking policy. The review reported that marking was good or outstanding in quality. Inspectors, however, including in joint scrutinies of work with school leaders, found considerable inconsistency in quality, with little that was outstanding. This was because leaders were focusing on whether marking was happening rather than whether or not it was making a difference to students’ knowledge, skills and understanding in

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The leadership and management requires improvement

a particular subject. Likewise, observations of the quality of teaching - do not focus sharply enough on the gains made by students. As a consequence, the quality of teaching and learning across the school and within subjects is inconsistent.  Despite these weaknesses, stronger aspects of leadership stand proud. Leaders have ensured that the school is a calm, orderly place where students behave well. The headteacher has made clear his ambition that standards should rise. He has made some difficult decisions regarding underperformance of staff and has ensured that progression up the pay scale is on merit alone. His vision is shared, as demonstrated by all staff responding to Ofsted’s survey stating their pride at working at this school. Likewise, the leadership of vulnerable students is successfully helping such students achieve and develop at least as well as their peers do. Furthermore, leaders of the sixth form are ensuring that current students are making better

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The leadership and management requires improvement

progress than that seen in the past.  Middle leadership is developing well. In mathematics, for example, leaders have taken action to aid students’ use of mathematics across the curriculum. In English and science, leaders have taken steps to provide courses that allow students to achieve well. In all three subjects, work has been undertaken to close the gap between the performance of disadvantaged students and that of their peers and to cater more for the needs of the most able, such as through the reorganisation of setting arrangements. Leaders in these subjects recognise, however, that they need to measure the impact of their actions in terms of the difference they are making to students’ learning.  The curriculum is broad and balanced, although the promotion of literacy, while planned for, is not always executed consistently. A good range of extra-curricular activity is offered and this is valued by students.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. This is demonstrated not only in students’ good behaviour, but also in their understanding of British values, including tolerance and respect. Consequently, students are prepared well for life in modern Britain.  Students benefit from helpful guidance and support from transition from primary school to making choices about sixth form or employment. Leaders’ commitment to being inclusive is evidenced by the higher-than- national proportion of disadvantaged students going on to study in the sixth form.  Both the diocese and local authority meet with leaders to offer guidance, challenge and support. Both have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. External support and challenge, such as that to help leaders review their effectiveness in using the pupil premium funding, is helping the school to close gaps between the achievement of disadvantaged students and that of their peers.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors, like staff, are clearly committed to the school and its students, not least because of the numerous challenges the school has faced over the years. They have, for example, ensured that the school’s arrangements for safeguarding students meet statutory requirements.  Governors recognise clearly the strengths of the school and the weaknesses that remain. Minutes of their meetings show they ask leaders questions so they can support and challenge the school. The information they receive, however, as recorded in minutes, focuses on actions taken rather than the difference being made to the learning of students.  Quite correctly, governors have seen the potential offered to them to support and challenge leaders further through scrutinies of pupils’ work and taking a greater role in self-evaluation.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of students is good.  Students are a credit to the school. They are polite, courteous and dress smartly. They move around school in a calm, orderly fashion. They know bullying of any kind is unacceptable; as a result, such incidents are uncommon. Parents and staff responding to inspection questionnaires were unanimous in their view that pupils behave well.  On occasions, low-level chatter disrupts learning. This is usually the result of teaching that does not demand high enough expectations of what students are to do and learn. In these circumstances a word from an adult is usually sufficient to gain students’ full attention.  Students make a good contribution to school life. The Student Parliament, for example, was instrumental in the design of the school’s uniform. Students also have a good understanding of British values, including tolerance and respect. They display a good understanding of other faiths and cultures. As stated by one

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Behaviour

student, they appreciate that everyone has the right to have opinions and to value those who are different.  The attendance of students, including those who are disadvantaged, while below average, is improving well. Furthermore, there has been a decline in the proportion of students who are persistently absent.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  All parents responding to the inspection questionnaire were confident that the school keeps their children safe. Students who met with inspectors were overwhelmingly of the view that this was the case. Year 8 and 9 students, for example, talked confidently about how to use the Internet safely and responsibly.  Pastoral support for students, especially those who are vulnerable, is strong. For such students, support begins in primary school. This enables students to transfer into Year 7 with confidence. There is good, clear liaison with external agencies. The result is that vulnerable students are helped to achieve and develop at least as well as their peers do.  Records are kept of the rare occasions when racist or homophobic language is used in order to make sure there are no repeat victims or offenders. These records, however, while most helpful, do not always

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Safety

indicate that the school has spoken to parents to make them aware of incidents.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Three factors prevent teaching from being routinely good to enable students to make best progress in their learning: inconsistency in the promotion of good standards of literacy; marking that does not routinely check that students are making progress; and the most-able students not always being challenged to do their best. Together, the three factors mean the quality of teaching is variable across the school and within subjects.  Errors in students’ use of spelling, grammar and punctuation are not always identified in a timely fashion. This means students do not always spell correctly common and key words in different subjects. On other occasions, students’ written work lacks meaning and fluency because the work given to help them improve offers the potential of making things worse. For example, while students are encouraged to use adverbs, conjunctions and prefixes, and indeed can talk about these features well, what is asked of them is too

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

simple; for example, cutting out strips of paper to make sentences that, on completion, contain errant capital letters and full stops.  Work in students’ books shows that the school’s agreed policy for marking is not being followed consistently by all staff. This means that marking does not routinely check to see whether or not students are making improvements. For example, while some teachers point out to students ways to improve learning, others are not. Likewise, some teachers mark work very regularly, while others are not clear how regularly they are meant to mark books. This means that some students learn very well at a swift rate , while others repeat errors made earlier in the year.  The challenge provided for the most-able students to do their best is again variable. Questions asked by teachers and activities set do not always help these students think more deeply about what they are learning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 There are, however, strengths in teaching which leaders can build on. Outstanding teaching leading to equally high quality progress and attitudes to learning was observed in the art department. In one lesson, for example, students of all abilities, and those who are disadvantaged, were engaged by the teacher’s questioning which helped them to evaluate the strengths in their own work and what needed to be done to improve. Work completed since September showed this level of quality to be typical. Marking was regular and focused on supporting students’ improvements. While errors in spelling were noted, the teacher had acted promptly and improvements had been brought about. Inspectors agree with the teacher’s assessment that Grade A* was well within the reach of these students.  Other examples of good learning and progress included the experience of Year 10 students in history where, over time, students had become increasingly confident in offering explanations of their thinking

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

about why the construction industry in the USA in the 1920s went through a period of growth.  Work is under way to promote students’ use of mathematics across the curriculum. Teachers make use of displays showing mathematical vocabulary. On joining the school in September, Year 7 pupils were provided with lists of such vocabulary and information relating to calculations to help them take the step from primary to secondary education.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Students in the school currently, with the exception of the current Year 10, entered the school with prior attainment significantly below average. The same was true for the Year 11 students who took their GCSEs in 2014.  Published data shows that in 2014, GCSE results declined markedly from the previous year’s high. Taking only students’ first entries into account, the figure gaining 5 grades A*-C, including English and mathematics, fell to 33 percent. When accounting for students’ best entry (multiple entries to improve their grades), this figure rose to 48 percent.  Leaders’ policy of promoting multiple entries – a policy no longer in operation – has proved to be a two- edged sword. On the one hand, students at risk of not achieving a grade C in mathematics in the main reached this important mark that enabled them to go on to the next stage of education or employment; on the other hand, entering students who had the potential of attaining a grade A or B into the foundation

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

paper on the first entry explains why the school’s progress measures in mathematics were lower than for other subjects. However, 28 students who had initially taken the foundation paper went on to take the higher paper and achieved a B grade or better in the summer of 2014. In English, the impact was less marked: the published data show there was only a three percent difference in the first and best entry scores.  There is variability in the achievement of the most-able pupils. In lessons where they are challenged to do their best, they make good progress through thinking deeply about a problem because of the teacher’s questioning or by phrasing a response in their own words, for example. Sometimes, however, teachers do not ask students challenging enough questions or do not have high enough expectations of what they can do. As a result, progress is made, but it is not as good as it could be.  Vulnerable students, those with special educational needs for example, because of targeted support, are

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

making progress in their academic achievement and personal development at least in line with that of their peers. Furthermore, gaps are closing between disadvantaged students currently at the school and their peers. This welcome improvement is the result of increasingly effective use of pupil premium and Year 7 catch-up funding (government funding for those entering secondary school with below average standards in English and mathematics). It also represents an improvement on the published data for last year’s Year 11 who left in 2014. In this cohort, based on first entries in English, disadvantaged students were one-and-a-half grades behind both non-disadvantaged peers nationally and in school. In mathematics, they were also one-and-a-half grades behind in school, but nearly two-and-a-half grades behind nationally.  Students are performing well in a number of subjects across the school; good achievement is apparent in

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

art and design, construction, resistant materials, geography and information technology. In geography and information technology, the percentage of students attaining a grade A or B was significantly higher than the national average.  On the whole, across the curriculum, students are acquiring subject knowledge well. However, they are sometimes let down by slips not being corrected. In mathematics, for example, students’ incorrect recording of area as centimetres rather than centimetres squared is not always spotted and acted on by teachers in a timely enough fashion. Likewise, students’ developing subject knowledge is sometimes negated by them not being prompted to record responses in clear, well-written sentences. This means that students potentially will lose marks in written examinations. Reading, however, is being promoted through a range of materials and targeted support; for example, older students listen to younger ones.

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The sixth form provision is good

 The sixth form provision has improved since the inspection of November 2013.  Numbers are rising; however, they are still small and this makes valid comparisons with national figures and statistics unreliable. In 2014, all students went on to university, college or employment. Good leadership of the sixth form has ensured that teaching is predominantly good and close checks are made on students. As a result, currently more students are making good progress than in the past, particularly given their generally below-average starting points.  Students who spoke with inspectors value the support they are given to help them succeed on their courses and, indeed, in choosing the right courses to follow. Equally valued are the careers advice and guidance offered. Students represent the school well as strong ambassadors. They behave well and are kept safe. Inspectors judge that sixth form students attend well. While attendance rates appear below

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The sixth form provision is good

average, because of small numbers, the legitimate absence of one student can distort the true picture.  Students’ enjoyment of sixth form life is reflected in the opportunities they take to enhance their personal development as well as their academic or vocational achievements. A number, for example, help younger students in their reading. Others help with assemblies, sports leader coaching or offer support in lessons such as information technology.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is failing

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Grade Judgement Description

to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 112399 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 453720

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Secondary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 11–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 612 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 52 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mike Shovlin Headteacher John McAuley Date of previous school inspection 19 November 2013 Telephone number 01228 404942 Fax number 01228 404943 Email address office@newman.cumbria.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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