Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School

Inspection of Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School Belltrees Grove, London SW16 2HY

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Sixth-form provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding 25 and 26 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe and happy. They achieve exceptionally well at this school. Pupils receive an education full of opportunities needed for them to thrive. This includes an ambitious, broad and engaging curriculum. Pupils value the education they receive and work hard in lessons, benefitting from expert teaching. The inclusive ethos ensures that all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are supported and encouraged to be ambitious and confident learners.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school prioritises pupils’ wider development. There are an extensive range of opportunities that nurture pupils’ individual talents and interests. These include many sporting activities, music, drama, debating, chess and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Pupils relish these experiences and participation rates are high. Spiritual and social development are an essential part of school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is impeccable in lessons and around the school. Bullying is rare and dealt with swiftly. Pupils feel safe and are taught how to be safe. The emphasis on community and respectful relationships is central to the school’s ethos. Pupils are proud to be a member of this welcoming and harmonious school, where attendance rates are exceptionally high. Pupils appreciate the support available to them and excel both, academically and in their character development.

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

Leaders have relentless ambition, delivering an education that supports and encourages every pupil to fulfil their potential, both personally and academically. Leaders’ vision threads through every aspect of the school’s work. The curriculum is ambitious and inclusive. It is delivered by well-trained, highly skilled teachers.

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

Teacher expertise ensures that learning is engaging. Staff appreciate the high-quality professional development they receive. This helps all staff to plan and deliver high-quality learning. Teachers use resources carefully which promotes pupils’ sustained focus and deeper understanding.

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

Teachers check pupils’ understanding systematically and with precision. This ensures that pupils acquire a strong understanding of the subject content studied and apply this in increasingly complex contexts. For example, in physical education (PE), Year 7 pupils recalled how to warm up safely. They described accurately the effects of exercise on the body, including an understanding of aerobic and anaerobic respiration, building on content learned in science. In the sixth form, the curriculum is expertly taught. This enables students to achieve exceptionally highly in their studies.

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

There is an emphasis on developing pupils’ verbal communication across the school. Staff identify and address any gaps and misconceptions in pupils’ learning quickly. Teachers adapt the curriculum effectively so that all pupils, including pupils with SEND, are well supported to make strong progress across the curriculum. 25 and 26 February 2025

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Pupils display excellent attitudes towards their learning. They are respectful to staff and their peers, considerate of other learners and eager to support one another. For example, pupils actively support the well-being of others. There is a shared sense of ambition across the school. Lessons are focused on learning and there is no poor behaviour. The school has established high expectations and clear routines that ensure all pupils know what is expected of them. Students in the sixth form are highly motivated and model high standards of behaviours that the school expects.

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Reading is prioritised and promoted across the school. Pupils who struggle with reading receive effective support, so that they rapidly develop the literacy skills required to access the rest of the curriculum. Pupils enjoy access to the library and whole school events that celebrate literature and encourage reading for pleasure.

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Personal development is exemplary and central to the school’s values. The school goes beyond the expected, so that pupils access a wide, rich set of experiences, which includes serving on the school council and organising charitable events. Students in the sixth form actively contribute to the leadership of the school. For instance, through the ‘Big Sister’ programme and the ‘Racial Justice’ team. They willingly take assemblies that address themes, such as racism and sexism. ‘Aspire’ provides targeted experiences for pupils’ future aspirations, such as university trips and visiting speakers, so that all pupils learn about future options available to them. Pupils receive a comprehensive careers programme focused on expert careers information and guidance.

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Staff are proud to work at the school and appreciate the regular communication and support for staff well-being. Governors have a forensic understanding of the school and share the ambitious vision held by leaders at all levels. Parents and carers are very positive about the education their children receive at this school.

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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. 25 and 26 February 2025

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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1179

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form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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form

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 October 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher took up post in 2016.  The school has a Roman Catholic religious character. The last Catholic Schools Inspectorate was carried out on 18 and 19 January 2024.  The school does not currently make use of any alternative provision.  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 25 and 26 February 2025

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

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 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.  Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  The inspectors held discussions with the chair of the governing body, the headteacher, other leaders, teachers, members of support staff and pupils.  Inspectors conducted deep dives in these subjects: PE, science, modern foreign languages and geography. 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 spoke to a range of staff about their well-being and workload, as well as other aspects of the school’s work.  Inspectors spoke to the staff with specific responsibility for SEND, behaviour,

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attendance, sixth-form provision and personal development. They also reviewed a range of documentation in these areas.  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.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, when moving around the school and during lunch and breaktimes. The inspectors also considered a range of documents and other information about behaviour, attitudes and the personal development of pupils.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and the responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Sophie Cavanagh, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Duncan Kamya Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 February 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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