St Nicholas Catholic High School

Inspection of St Nicholas Catholic High School Greenbank Lane, Hartford, Northwich, Cheshire CW8 1JW

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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 Good 5 and 6 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy in the caring community of St Nicholas Catholic High School. Students in the sixth form value the personalised support that they receive from their teachers. This helps to prepare them well for the next stage of their education, employment or training.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils benefit from a well-designed, ambitious curriculum. They enjoy learning. Most pupils apply themselves in lessons and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values underpin pupils’ respectful behaviour. Pupils said that they are kind to each other. They know that they will be listened to by staff if they have any concerns or worries. As a result, pupils feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils value the range of clubs and activities on offer to them. The diverse experiences that the school provides help pupils to nurture their wider talents and build their leadership skills. Pupils develop a strong sense of the importance of citizenship and helping others, for example by raising money for local charities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In the sixth form, students benefit from global travel opportunities, for example some students spoke enthusiastically about a planned expedition to Vietnam and Cambodia.

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better?

All pupils follow the same broad and balanced curriculum, including those in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. The school has addressed previous weaknesses in a small number of subject curriculums through the strengthening of training and support for staff. Staff are empowered to carry out monitoring and evaluation of the subject curriculums to ensure they remain current and effective.

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better?

Typically, teachers implement the curriculum well. They have detailed subject knowledge and explain concepts well. Students in the sixth form benefit from teachers’ expertise and enthusiasm for the subjects that they teach. Teachers regularly check what pupils know and remember. They identify pupils’ misconceptions and, in the main, rectify these quickly.

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better?

The school has recently introduced strategies to improve reading. It has accurately identified pupils who find reading more difficult. However, the additional support that the school has put in place to help these pupils to catch up quickly is relatively recent. The school is also in the early stages of implementing initiatives to increase pupils’ exposure to rich texts. Some older pupils have not benefited from the various reading strategies put in place. 5 and 6 March 2024

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The additional needs of pupils with SEND are identified well. The recent strengthening of the training and information that staff receive relating to pupils with SEND has improved how these pupils are supported to access the curriculum. Staff understand the needs of pupils with SEND and make suitable adaptations in their teaching where necessary. Consequently, most pupils with SEND achieve well.

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Some pupils, including some who are disadvantaged, do not achieve as well as they should. The school is not clear enough about the impact of the curriculum for these pupils. Added to this, the school does not fully analyse how these pupils’ attendance and behaviour contribute to their lack of achievement.

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Most pupils attend school regularly. The school has systems in place to address low attendance and to support pupils to be in school as much as possible. Despite this, a small number of pupils, including some who are disadvantaged, do not attend school as often as they should. This hinders how well some of these pupils achieve.

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Pupils’ behaviour around the school is calm and courteous. Pupils and staff said that the behaviour system is fair. Pupils value the rewards that they receive for their positive behaviour and attitudes.

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The school has designed a strong curriculum for personal, social and health education. Pupils can recall a range of knowledge that helps them to keep safe, build healthy relationships and make positive contributions to the wider world. This continues for students in the sixth form. Pupils receive a wide range of information and guidance about careers education and their future opportunities. Pupils are aspirational for their future education and employment.

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Leaders are ambitious for the future developments of the school. Governors are clear about their roles and responsibilities. They ensure that they provide appropriate support and challenge to the school as it continues to develop. Most parents and carers were positive about the information that they receive about how well their children are learning.

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Staff said that the school carefully considers their workload. For example, staff are consulted on any changes before they are introduced. Staff are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s strategies to support pupils who have gaps in their reading knowledge are at the early stages of development. This means that some pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, do not read as well as they should. The 5 and 6 March 2024

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school should ensure that staff are suitably equipped to support pupils to catch up with their reading. This will help these pupils to build fluency in their reading and access all areas of the curriculum.  The school lacks a coordinated approach to evaluating the impact of its work to support pupils who are disadvantaged. This means that some disadvantaged pupils do not achieve as well as they should or benefit from all that the school has to offer. The school should ensure that it makes effective use of the information that it has so that it is better placed to remove the barriers to success that some disadvantaged pupils face.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 5 and 6 March 2024

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School details

Local authority Cheshire West and Chester

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,199

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 February 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Shrewsbury. The most recent section 48 inspection of the school’s religious character took place in May 2017. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place during the academic year 2024/25.  The school makes use of one unregistered alternative provider for a small number of pupils.  The school has a specially resourced provision for 12 pupils aged between 11 and 16 with SEND. The provision provides specialist support for pupils with autism spectrum disorder.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 5 and 6 March 2024

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, geography, psychology and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and members of staff. The lead inspector met with members of the governing body and spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils from Years 7 to 13 about their experiences

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Information about this inspection

of school and their views on behaviour and bullying. Inspectors also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Eleanor Overland, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Niamh Howlett Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 March 2024

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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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