Broughton Hall Catholic High School

Inspection of Broughton Hall Catholic High School Yew Tree Lane, West Derby, Liverpool, Merseyside L12 9HJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 1 and 2 November 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, and students in the sixth form, are proud to be part of Broughton Hall Catholic High School. Pupils enjoy strong relationships with their teachers and pastoral staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and safe. They know who to speak to if things go wrong. Pupils behave well in lessons and during social times. They respond well to leaders’ high expectations of behaviour. Bullying is rare but when it does occur staff ensure that it is sorted out quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and students respond well to leaders’, governors’ and staff’s high expectations of what they should achieve and how they should behave. Staff do all they can to help pupils do well in the school. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have equal access to a suitably ambitious curriculum. They progress well through the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and students in the sixth form are helped to understand themselves, to value and respect each other and to contribute positively to the wider community outside school. Personal development lessons support pupils and students in the sixth form to be increasingly confident, resilient and independent. Students in the sixth form are excellent role models for younger pupils.

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better?

Leaders, including governors, are united in their desire to ensure that all pupils have access to a high-quality, broad and ambitious curriculum. Leaders recognise that in the past there were shortcomings in the curriculum. They have made many changes that have addressed the weaker areas which were mentioned in the previous inspection report.

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better?

Almost all subjects across the curriculum, and in all key stages, are well designed. In a small number of subjects, some pupils are not able to build their knowledge in sufficient depth. Leaders know where the curriculum needs developing further and are in the process of making improvements.

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better?

In the sixth form, the school works in partnership with the boys’ school next door. This arrangement allows students in both schools to study a wide range of courses that meet their interests and needs very well. Students in the sixth form are very well prepared for the next stage of their education, employment and training.

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better?

Teachers know their subjects well. Most teachers deliver the curriculum effectively and with enthusiasm. They usually ensure that pupils, including those with SEND and students in the sixth form, develop a good depth of understanding in their subject because they build up pupils’ knowledge and understanding in a logical order. Most teachers check that pupils have remembered and understood earlier 1 and 2 November 2022

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topics before introducing new learning. In the small number of subjects where this is not the case, pupils do not show the same depth of understanding of current and/or previous learning.

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Teachers carry out frequent checks on the learning of pupils and students in the sixth form. They use the information well to identify and correct pupils’ misconceptions and to adapt the curriculum to cover any learning that pupils may have missed and forgotten.

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Pupils behave well around the school site and in the dining areas. Lessons across the school typically take place without disruption. Sixth-form students enjoy their own spacious study area. They use their time in this area to study independently. Students in the sixth form consistently demonstrate mature attitudes to their learning.

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Teachers spoke enthusiastically about recent changes to the systems to help pupils and students in the sixth form with SEND. Leaders are becoming increasingly adept at identifying the individual needs that pupils with SEND may have. Teachers and learning support assistants told inspectors that the information they receive from leaders is very useful. It helps them to find the best ways to support individual pupils with SEND in their lessons so that they can access the same curriculum as other pupils.

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Leaders have improved the way reading is taught. Pupils are encouraged to read widely. Leaders identify the specific barriers faced by pupils with insecure reading knowledge. They put effective support in place to help these pupils become more confident and fluent readers.

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Recently, leaders redesigned the personal development curriculum to take into consideration the views of pupils and students in the sixth form. The curriculum provides pupils with opportunities to learn about a wide range of issues in an age- appropriate way. These include British values, relationships and sex education and health education and more practical issues, such as managing money.

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There are a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities available for pupils and students in the sixth form. Leaders are aware that they need to do more to encourage wider participation in activities which have been affected by the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Pupils and students in the sixth form benefit from a wide range of careers education, advice and guidance. Students in the sixth form and younger pupils receive independent careers advice. There are opportunities for older pupils and students in the sixth form to meet with local employers and to visit local universities. School leaders are rightly proud of the destinations of many of their pupils when they leave the school. 1 and 2 November 2022

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Governors know about the strengths and areas for development at the school. They hold leaders to account and use their expertise to help leaders improve the quality of education. Recently, they have played an important role in supporting senior leaders during a period of change to the design of the curriculum. Staff value leaders’ efforts to develop ways to protect them from excessive workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong safeguarding culture across the school. Leaders are very well informed about a wide range of safeguarding issues. They ensure that safeguarding training for staff is thorough. They make sure that staff know how to identify the signs that may indicate that pupils are at risk of harm. Staff share their concerns in a timely manner. Leaders work well with external agencies to ensure that pupils and their families get the help that they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about how to keep safe, for example online and in the local community.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not designed a curriculum that supports pupils to learn about these subjects in sufficient depth. As a result, some pupils do not acquire the essential knowledge in some aspects of the curriculum as securely as they should. Leaders should ensure that, in these subjects, curriculums are designed so that pupils gain the same rich body of knowledge as they do in other subjects.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 1 and 2 November 2022

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 1 and 2 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10244615 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1223

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Small numbers of pupils attend alternative provision at one of nine registered alternative providers.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2020. Previously, his role was deputy headteacher at Broughton Hall Catholic High School and, consequently, a new deputy headteacher was also appointed for September 2020.  Broughton Hall Catholic High School is a faith school. It is part of the Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool. The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in November 2018.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 11 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 1 and 2 November 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders and subject leaders.  The lead inspector met with governors and spoke to representatives of the local authority and the archdiocese  Inspectors reviewed the school’s records of safeguarding checks and referrals to the local authority. Inspectors spoke with staff about how they keep pupils safe. Inspectors also asked the pupils how they keep themselves safe and what to do if they have concerns.  Inspectors held discussions with staff and considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors spoke with pupils and students from all year groups and considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors considered the views of the parents and carers who responded to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey. This included the free-text responses.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, science, geography and design technology. Inspectors met with subject leaders, discussed the curriculum, visited lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work

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Inspection team

Timothy Gartside, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Alan Hammersley Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 November 2022

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regulates and inspects to 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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