Sir Jonathan North Girls' College

Inspection of Sir Jonathan North Girls’ College Knighton Lane East, Leicester, Leicestershire LE2 6FU

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 January 2025

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

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The associate principal of this school is Dr Helen Coles-Hennessy. This school is part of Lionheart Educational Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Kath Kelly, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Byron Chatburn. There is also an executive principal, James McKenna, who is responsible for this school and one other.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Sir Jonathan North Girls’ College under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Sir Jonathan North Community College to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as Sir Jonathan North Girls’ College as a result of conversion to academy status. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 14 and 15 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Sir Jonathan North Girls’ College. The school wants the very best for every pupil. Staff help pupils to achieve excellent academic outcomes. They want more than exceptional examination results for pupils and work hard to support pupils who attend the school to become ‘good people’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are comfortable and confident in their lessons. They learn in focused and ambitious classroom environments. Pupils consistently take great pride in their work. They enjoy working together, sharing their ideas and supporting one another to be successful. Staff provide the right support at the right time, and pupils develop strong and trusting relationships with their teachers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils describe the school as a place in which they can be themselves. They contribute to the life of the school and think about how they can improve the experiences of their peers. Members of the school council develop projects that will leave a lasting legacy, including playing a role in renaming school buildings after inspirational women. The school ensures that pupils regularly engage with positive female role models. Pupils are very well equipped to move on to the next steps of their education and for life in modern Britain.

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

The school’s curriculum is intelligently designed and ambitious. In each subject, the curriculum reflects pupils’ interests and cultures as well as provides opportunities to broaden their horizons. Pupils relish the chance to challenge themselves and develop a sophisticated understanding of the subjects they study. The work pupils produce is of exceptionally high quality. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve highly.

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

Teachers are experts in the subjects they teach. They undertake rigorous checks on what pupils understand and immediately address misconceptions or gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Staff know pupils very well. They identify the needs of pupils with SEND effectively and ensure that the work and explanations they provide enable these pupils to be successful.

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

The school fosters a culture of independent learning. Central to this is the focus on reading. Pupils make excellent use of department and whole-school libraries. For those who need extra help, staff provide personalised support so pupils become more confident and fluent readers.

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

Pupils have incredibly high standards regarding what they should be able to achieve and the environment in which they should learn. This reflects the ethos and culture of the school in which resilience, respectfulness, reflectiveness and resourcefulness are promoted and rewarded. During lessons and at social times, pupils demonstrate these qualities in abundance.

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

The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development is exceptional. Pupils have 14 and 15 January 2025

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plenty of opportunities to develop their talents and interests, whether taking part in the badminton or Latin clubs or joining the band. Where some pupils may not be able to attend clubs, the school has carefully designed a range of opportunities so all pupils can develop their interests and learn the skills they need for their next steps. Pupils become sports leaders and work with local primary schools. They participate in culture days and help to contribute to a local food bank. The school listens to pupils, for example by offering journalism and chess clubs at pupils’ requests. Pupils develop an understanding of their ability to make a difference to the school and wider community, as well as how to accept success and failure.

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Pupils are incredibly well prepared for their next steps. They receive careers information and guidance which supports them in reaching decisions about their futures. Pupils share their ambitions for their lives beyond school as well as an understanding of how to achieve those ambitions.

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The school and the trust work together to identify any areas for development and to take effective action to consistently improve the school’s provision. Staff are proud to work at the school. They benefit from a well-designed programme of training. Staff appreciate the consideration given to their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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’ 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). 14 and 15 January 2025

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1154

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School details

Principal James McKenna (Executive Principal) Dr Helen Coles-Hennessy (Associate Principal) Website www.sirjonathannorth.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Lionheart Educational Trust. The school joined the trust in March 2019.  The executive principal and associate principal took up their posts in August 2024.  The school currently makes use of two registered and seven unregistered alternative provisions.  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.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements 14 and 15 January 2025

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(quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 met with the executive and associate principals, other senior leaders, subject leaders, staff, the CEO, the chair of trustees, and members of the local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, science, history, physical education and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for pupils’ behaviour, attendance and personal development. They also met with leaders responsible for the provision for pupils with

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SEND, the provision for disadvantaged pupils and alternative provision.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for staff professional development.  Inspectors met formally and informally with groups of pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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 responses received on Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. They also considered responses to the Ofsted surveys for school staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Matthew Fearns-Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kathryn Hardy Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 January 2025

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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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