Bolton St Catherine's Academy

Inspection of Bolton St Catherine's Academy Stitch MI Lane, Bolton BL2 4HU

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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The acting headteacher of this school is Tuesday Humby. This school is part of The Bishop Fraser 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), Tuesday Humby, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Lesley Durosomo. 11 and 12 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kind and well-mannered. The conduct of most pupils shows that they are proud to be ambassadors for the school. Pupils contribute well to the calm environment that exists here. They value the positive relationships that they have with staff, who care for them extremely well. Children in the early years settle quickly because of the school’s strong induction programme. Pupils are happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Although the school has high aspirations for pupils’ achievement, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should. The school has not ensured that pupils, including some with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit sufficiently from the school’s academic curriculum. Pupils in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision) achieve well. Typically, these pupils learn an ambitious curriculum that is well-matched to their needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy taking part in a range of clubs such as sports, chess and the arts. The school provides pupils with opportunities to take on responsibilities. For example, as prefects and as playground leaders for younger children. The school ensures that pupils access a number of trips, including residentials to take part in outdoor and adventurous activities. These experiences help pupils to become resilient and independent young people.

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

The school has experienced a considerable period of instability in staffing and leadership during recent times. Previous inconsistent leadership has contributed to the historic underachievement of pupils. This has now been rectified. The published data shows that the attainment and progress of Year 11 pupils has been significantly below the national average for a period of time. In addition, the attainment of Year 6 pupils in reading for 2024 was below the national average.

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

New leadership of the school has brought about a significant period of improvement in a short period of time. The school has thought carefully about the important knowledge that pupils should learn from the early years to Year 11 so that the curriculum is now ambitious for all. Pupils' behaviour and attendance has improved, and subject leadership has strengthened. This means that most pupils at the school are experiencing a stronger quality of education than they did in the past. Even so, these changes are having less impact on older pupils. This is because they have the biggest gaps in their learning due to the considerable changes in staffing and the weaknesses in the previous curriculum. This prevents these pupils from achieving as well as they should. However, most children in the early years are prepared well for Year 1.

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

In those subjects where staff have strong subject knowledge, the activities that they design and the checks that they make on what pupils know and remember help pupils to achieve well. However, in some subjects, staff do not spot the gaps or misconceptions that pupils have in their learning. They miss opportunities to correct errors in pupils’ knowledge. When this happens, pupils move on to new learning before they are ready. In addition, some of the activities that staff create are not matched to pupils’ needs 11 and 12 March 2025

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sufficiently well. Some pupils do not build on what they know and can do securely and do not achieve as well as they should.

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The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND accurately. Most staff make effective use of the guidance and training that the school provides to support these pupils well so that they can learn successfully alongside their peers. However, at times, the achievement of some pupils with SEND is hampered because of the same variability in the delivery of the curriculum that affects other pupils.

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Improvements to the school’s reading programme have ensured that staff provide effective support to pupils who find reading difficult. Children in the early years develop their early language through listening to stories, songs and rhymes. Typically, pupils who have gaps in their phonics knowledge receive the help that they need to catch up quickly. However, some pupils do not get the help that they need to become fluent readers. This prevents these pupils from accessing some parts of the curriculum as well as they should.

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The school has raised its expectations of pupils’ conduct and enhanced the support that it provides to pupils that may need help to manage their own behaviour. There has been a rapid reduction in the number of pupil suspensions as a result of the school’s carefully considered work in this area. Most pupils demonstrate a positive attitude towards their studies. The school provides intelligent support to pupils, where needed, to ensure that their attendance improves. This has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of pupils that are persistently absent from school.

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The school’s provision for personal development prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils know how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. They know how to stay safe, including online. Pupils benefit from an extensive programme of careers education. They take part in work experience that is well matched to their interests and aspirations. Most pupils move on to meaningful destinations which include further education, apprenticeships or employment with training.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, staff design activities that do not help pupils to develop a secure knowledge of the subjects that they study. This prevents pupils, including some with SEND, from achieving as well as they should. The school should ensure that it supports staff to design learning activities that prepare pupils well for each step in their education.  Staff do not routinely check what pupils have learned and remembered. As a result, errors and misconceptions go unnoticed and persist over time. The school should 11 and 12 March 2025

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ensure that staff check pupils’ understanding and address any misconceptions, enabling them to build key knowledge and tackle more complex learning.  Some pupils do not receive the support that they need to become fluent readers. When this happens, these pupils struggle to access some parts of the school’s curriculum. The school should ensure that it provides these pupils with the help that they need to develop their reading fluency so that they can learn the school’s ambitious curriculum with success.

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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). 11 and 12 March 2025

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1051

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School details

Headteacher Tuesday Humby (Acting headteacher) Website www.boltonstcatherinesacademy.org.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 27 and 28 September 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a religious character. It is part of the Diocese of Manchester. The most recent section 48 inspection took place in June 2018. Its next inspection is due by the end of 2026.  The school hosts a local authority commissioned specially resourced provision for 20 pupils with autism. At the time of the inspection, there were 19 pupils in this provision.  The school joined the Bishop Fraser Trust, a Church of England multi-academy trust, in May 2018.  The CEO of the trust took up the post of acting headteacher at the school in November 2024.  The school makes use of two registered and two 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. 11 and 12 March 2025

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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 (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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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, English, mathematics, history, music and art. They discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited some lessons, reviewed pupils’ work and spoke with staff and pupils.  The lead inspector observed some pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in some other subjects.  Inspectors visited the specially resourced provision. They spoke to staff and pupils and viewed samples of their work.  Inspectors met with the chair of the trust, the CEO of the trust and acting headteacher, the head of primary, the head of secondary, and other leaders.

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Information about this inspection

 The lead inspector held meetings with members of the trust and the governing body, including the chair of governors. He also spoke with representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors met with leaders to discuss SEND, the curriculum, assessment, pupils’ behaviour and attitudes, the early years provision, the school’s pupil premium strategy and the provision for pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They considered responses to the staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors gathered the views of staff and pupils throughout the inspection.  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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. 11 and 12 March 2025

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Inspection team

Andy Cunningham, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Elliot Costas-Walker Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 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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