St Anne's Catholic High School for Girls

Inspection of an outstanding school: St Anne’s Catholic High School for Girls Oakthorpe Road, Palmers Green, London N13 5TY

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 November 2022

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Outcome

St Anne’s Catholic High School for Girls continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Everyone here describes the school community as being a family. Positive and supportive working relationships are displayed in abundance. Pupils rise to the high expectations that leaders have of them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum enables all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to thrive. Pupils remember in detail what they learned in previous lessons and from previous years. This allows their learning to develop and deepen successfully over time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff provide many different extra-curricular and leadership activities for pupils to take part in. Pupils also start up and run clubs and societies themselves. Pupils enjoy participating in a range of charitable and outreach projects, which aim to help both the local community and those further away.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In lessons, pupils display exemplary attitudes towards their learning. They enthusiastically offer their answers and opinions. Pupils are confident and engaging when discussing life at their school. Leaders ensure that any bullying or misbehaviour is rare and if it does occur it is swiftly dealt with. Pupils are kept safe. At break and lunchtimes, pupils talk and socialise with each other in friendly and positive ways.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The curriculum for each subject is carefully designed and ordered. Teachers ensure that pupils meet key ideas on several occasions. This helps pupils to commit these ideas to their long-term memories. In the sixth form, the curriculum enables students to gain increasing mastery in their chosen subjects. They discuss their knowledge in detail and with confidence. Throughout the school, pupils achieve very highly.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum, including with support from external advisers. Where appropriate, adaptations are made to ensure that pupils build 22 and 23 November 2022

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their knowledge deeply. The history curriculum is an example of this. Leaders have carefully considered when pupils learn about key ideas and themes. In Year 8, for instance, they learn carefully selected knowledge about the Tudors. Students in Year 12 then use this knowledge to understand King Philip of Spain’s influence on the reign of Queen Mary. This careful sequencing means that pupils find learning to be a seamless journey at the school.

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Assessment is used purposefully, both to check pupils’ understanding and to help them to remember key ideas. In science, for example, staff use well-chosen strategies to help pupils to remember the key parts of a cell. Staff also focus on finding out how well pupils are learning the planned knowledge and skills. The information gathered is then used to plan adaptations and to provide extra help for pupils who need it. Pupils appreciate how staff guide and support them with their learning in all subjects.

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Leaders and teachers support pupils with SEND well. Teachers have the information they need to understand pupils’ barriers to learning and adapt lesson materials to meet pupils’ needs. Well-trained learning support assistants frequently work with pupils in lessons, providing bespoke support. This allows pupils with SEND to access the same learning as all pupils. Expert support is in place for pupils who attend the additional resourced provision. Pupils here access an ambitious curriculum. This is delivered by teachers with strong subject knowledge and an acute understanding of pupils’ specific needs.

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Leaders encourage a love of reading. Pupils read regularly during some of their tutor sessions and all have a book with them at all times. Leaders have recognised the need to support those pupils at the earliest stages of reading. For these pupils, leaders make sure that they get the support they need to learn to read fluently and accurately. This includes phonics teaching delivered by well-trained staff.

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Leaders have high expectations of all pupils. These are shared with staff and pupils and help to foster a positive approach to behaviour. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are exemplary.

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The provision for wider development of pupils is extensive, and includes a carefully planned personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme. PSHE is delivered through timetabled lessons by teachers who receive bespoke training. Pupils also take part in an exceptionally rich range of extra-curricular activities. For example, sixth-form students work with a local community outreach team, which is supporting older people to boost their IT skills.

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Careers guidance is comprehensive and is appreciated by pupils. This is well demonstrated by the careful thought that has been put into the GCSE options process.

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Leaders are tenacious in ensuring that the quality of education for pupils goes from strength to strength. As part of this work, they place great emphasis on providing high- quality professional development for all members of staff. They also take account of staff workload and well-being. The governing body has a strong understanding of its role and provides effective support and challenge to leaders. 22 and 23 November 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have put in place a thoroughly trained safeguarding team. They have a strong knowledge of the issues facing young people in the local area. Appropriate referrals are made for all pupils who may be at risk of harm, and leaders make sure that vulnerable pupils receive extensive, well-targeted support. Leaders have recently increased the number of staff who are able to offer counselling support in the school. They have made sure that clear processes are followed for managing the safer recruitment of staff.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive appropriate training each year and leaders have worked to enhance their safeguarding professional development. Leaders keep accurate records of the support provided. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe.

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Background

When we have judged a school outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in December 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

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.

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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. 22 and 23 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10250718 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,073

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form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Chair of governing body Mr John Donnelly

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Date of previous inspection 14 and 15 December 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has two sites. Pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 are taught at the lower site and pupils in Years 10 and 11 and students in the sixth form are taught at the upper site.  The school is a Roman Catholic faith school within the Diocese of Westminster. A section 48 inspection took place in March 2017.  The school has an additional resourced provision for pupils with SEND. This provision caters for pupils with autism spectrum disorder. Pupils access between 10 and 50% of their lessons in the specialist provision. The lessons are taught by specially trained subject teachers.  Leaders make use of two registered alternative providers.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 22 and 23 November 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection 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 met with the headteacher and senior leaders. They also met with the chair and other members of the governing body.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in these subjects: art, English, history and science. Inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited lessons, reviewed pupils’ work, met with pupils to discuss their learning, and met with subject leaders and teachers.  Inspectors also visited lessons and reviewed pupils’ work for some other subjects.  Through discussions with leaders, governors, pupils and staff, inspectors considered how effectively pupils are safeguarded. Inspectors also looked at records related to safeguarding, including records of checks carried out before staff are appointed.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with pupils to discuss aspects of safeguarding. They spoke to pupils during lesson visits. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at break and lunchtimes. The inspection team spoke to staff about behaviour and about their workload in the school.  Inspectors considered responses to the parent and carer, pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Luke Stubbles, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Hannah Glossop His Majesty’s Inspector 22 and 23 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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