St Anne's RC Voluntary Academy

Inspection of St Anne’s Roman Catholic High School, A Voluntary Academy Glenfield Road, Heaton Chapel, Stockport, Cheshire SK4 2QP

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 14 and 15 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have benefited from the substantial improvements that leaders have recently made across this school. Pupils said that leaders have raised their expectations of their behaviour. Most pupils understand that this is because leaders want the best for them. Typically, pupils’ conduct reflects leaders’ high standards. Most pupils feel happy and safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders demonstrate increasing ambition for what pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can achieve. For example, the proportion of pupils studying the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects is rising rapidly. Pupils typically achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have provided thoughtful ways for pupils to report any concerns that they have, for example through the ‘Tell Us’ section of the school website. When pupils report incidents of bullying, leaders respond swiftly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a strong voice in this school. Leaders consult with the student council on issues ranging from the food selection in the canteen to what they learn about in personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons. This helps pupils to feel valued within the school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders encourage pupils to engage in enrichment opportunities. Pupils spoke particularly enthusiastically about the trips that leaders offer, such as the recent visit to Amsterdam.

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better?

In recent years, leaders have made improvements to the quality of education that they provide. They have ensured that subject leaders are knowledgeable about effective curriculum design. Subject leaders have thought carefully about how learning builds from Years 7 to 11. They have identified what pupils will learn and the order in which this knowledge will be taught. The strengthened curriculum means that pupils build their knowledge well over time.

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better?

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They work closely together to design effective learning activities. Leaders have ensured that teachers use assessment strategies to frequently check what pupils know and remember. However, some teachers do not execute these strategies effectively. As a result, some pupils, including pupils with SEND, develop gaps in their learning which teachers do not identify and address as swiftly as they could.

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better?

In the last two years, leaders have strengthened the provision for pupils with SEND. In particular, leaders have raised staff’s expectations of what these pupils can achieve academically. Leaders accurately identify any additional needs that pupils may have. Teachers successfully adapt their delivery of the curriculum so that pupils with SEND learn well alongside their peers. 14 and 15 June 2023

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Leaders have identified reading as a barrier to learning for many of their pupils. Leaders have robust systems and processes in place to identify those pupils who struggle the most with their reading. Well-trained staff provide timely support, which helps these pupils to read with increasing accuracy and confidence.

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The atmosphere in the school, including during lessons, is calm and orderly. While many staff and pupils spoke about considerable improvements in behaviour recently, a small number of pupils, parents and carers said that behaviour sometimes disrupts learning. Leaders have introduced more robust processes for dealing with any poor behaviour swiftly. They have developed a range of actions which are helping those pupils who struggle to regulate their own behaviour.

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A number of pupils, particularly some disadvantaged pupils, do not attend school as often as they should. As a result, these pupils miss out on vital learning.

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Leaders promote pupils’ personal development through assemblies and PSHE lessons. Pupils experience democracy in action when they elect their student council representatives. Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain.

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Pupils experience a suitable careers programme. Leaders ensure that pupils receive the information and guidance that they need to make informed decisions about their next steps.

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Leaders at all levels have a strong shared vision of the high-quality education that they want to provide. Trustees and governors work well together to support and challenge leaders. Staff share leaders’ vision for the school. Staff are very proud to work at this school. They are appreciative of leaders’ consideration of their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have a robust approach to safeguarding pupils. Leaders have trained staff well to follow the ‘4Rs’. These remind staff of their duty to recognise, respond, record and refer any concerns that they have about pupils. Staff know how to identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. Staff are vigilant to the particular risks that are more common in the local area. Leaders work with external agencies to ensure that vulnerable pupils receive appropriate support in a timely way.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe through the wider curriculum. For example, they learn about fire and water safety and how to stay safe online. 14 and 15 June 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers do not check effectively how well pupils know and remember the curriculum. This means that some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge which are not identified quickly or addressed swiftly. Leaders should ensure that teachers have the expertise required to use assessment strategies consistently well.  Some pupils, particularly some disadvantaged pupils, do not attend school as often as they should. This means that they miss out on essential learning and do not achieve as highly as they should. Leaders should accelerate their plans to improve the attendance of these pupils.

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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.

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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. 14 and 15 June 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 St Anne’s Roman Catholic High School, A Voluntary Academy, converted to become an academy school in November 2020. When its predecessor school, St Anne’s Roman Catholic High School, Stockport, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate overall.  This school is part of the Emmaus Catholic Academy Trust.  This is a Roman Catholic school in the Diocese of Salford. The school has not had a section 48 inspection since it converted to become an academy school. However, the last section 48 inspection of the predecessor school was in January 2017.  The school has an executive headteacher who was appointed by trustees when the school converted to become an academy school. He is also the headteacher of another secondary school in a neighbouring authority and he divides his time between the two schools.  There have been a significant number of changes in staffing since the school became an academy.

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Information about this school

 Leaders use two registered alternative providers for a very small number of pupils. 14 and 15 June 2023

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 The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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 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 spoke with the executive headteacher, other leaders and staff.  Inspectors spoke with representatives of both the trust and the local governing body.  Inspectors spoke with a representative of the local authority and a representative of the Diocese of Salford.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, geography, modern foreign languages and music. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in other subjects.  Inspectors spoke to pupils about their experience of school and their views on

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Information about this inspection

behaviour and bullying. Inspectors also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes.  Inspectors checked the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures, including the school’s single central record. The inspectors met with leaders, staff and pupils to check on the effectiveness of safeguarding in the school.  The inspectors reviewed a wide range of evidence, including the school’s self- evaluation documents and records relating to pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors considered the responses shared through Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, including the free-text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Sally Rix, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Christine Veitch Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 June 2023

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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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