St Joseph's RC High School

Inspection of St Joseph's RC High School Sefton Lane, Horwich, Bolton, Lancashire BL6 6HW

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 18 and 19 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school fosters a positive culture where pupils feel well cared for and valued. Pupils know that they have trusted staff that they can go to for support. Pupils feel safe and are proud to be part of the school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has raised its expectations of pupils’ conduct. Pupils are respectful of the new behaviour routines. They typically behave well. Pupils appreciate the positive relationships that they forge with their teachers. This encourages open communication and a respectful atmosphere.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Pupils are motivated to excel, celebrating both personal and collective successes. For example, pupils’ experiences and achievements have been shared and recognised on national television. They benefit from a well-considered curriculum. This helps most pupils to achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers different opportunities to promote pupils’ wider development. Educational visits allow pupils to extend their learning beyond the classroom. For example, some pupils enjoyed visiting the Houses of Parliament and different universities. Pupil leaders relish serving the community through charitable projects and visiting local nursing homes. Some pupils enjoy taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. These activities help pupils to develop their confidence and sense of responsibility.

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

In most subjects, the curriculum is clear and ambitious. The school has identified the essential knowledge that should be taught and the order in which this learning should take place. This ensures that pupils build a secure foundation of knowledge before moving on to new learning. Nonetheless, in key stage 3, the curriculum for some subjects is not designed well enough. For example, it does not ensure that pupils gain broad and deep enough understanding of the subject content. This limits how well pupils develop their knowledge in these subjects.

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

In most subjects, teachers deliver subject curriculums effectively. This enables pupils to grasp new concepts well. Teachers identify and address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge before moving onto new content. This helps them to achieve well in these subjects. However, in a few other subjects, the curriculum is not delivered with similar success. At times, checks on pupils’ learning do not identify whether pupils’ earlier learning is fully secure. Sometimes, pupils’ misconceptions and gaps in their knowledge go unnoticed. Occasionally, this means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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

The school identifies pupils’ additional needs early. It puts effective support in place for these pupils using its ‘RAISE network’ strategy. This approach ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) can access the curriculum and achieve well. 18 and 19 March 2025

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Since the previous inspection, the school has strengthened the support that it provides for pupils who struggle to read. Consequently, these pupils quickly develop confidence and fluency in their reading. The school promotes a love of reading through a well-resourced library and engaging activities. Many pupils read widely and often.

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In the main, pupils are motivated in their learning. Classrooms are calm and productive. This helps pupils to focus on their learning. The school has effective systems to support pupils who face challenges in attending school. For instance, it uses its ‘Think me!’ approach to ensure that barriers are understood and addressed well. Most pupils attend school regularly.

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Pupils understand how to keep safe. For instance, they learn about online risks and the harm caused by vaping. However, the personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) curriculum is not delivered consistently well. Some pupils are not given opportunities to discuss and explore the differences between people, fundamental British values and relationships in sufficient depth. This limits their readiness for life in modern Britain. Careers guidance prepares pupils well for their next steps. For example, pupils enjoy learning about the world of work through mentoring programmes and work placements.

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Members of the governing body are committed to maintaining high standards across the school. They challenge and support the school to strengthen its provision. Staff feel supported in driving improvements. They value the efforts to reduce workload and manage their well-being. This keeps staff’s morale high.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the key stage 3 curriculum does not cover subject content in sufficient breadth and depth. This limits how well some pupils develop their knowledge in these subjects. The school should ensure that the curriculum is refined so that pupils gain the knowledge that they need to have the best chances of success.  At times, the checks made on pupils’ learning do not identify whether pupils are fully secure with prior learning before they move on to new content. This means that gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not spotted, and pupils are not supported to build on their prior knowledge as well as they should. The school should ensure that misconceptions and gaps in learning are quickly addressed before new learning is introduced.  The PSHE curriculum is not delivered consistently well. This means that some pupils have limited opportunities to discuss and explore some aspects of the subject content

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

in sufficient depth. The school should ensure that it strengthens how the PSHE 18 and 19 March 2025

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curriculum is delivered so that pupils gain the knowledge and understanding that they need to better prepare them for life in modern Britain.

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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). 18 and 19 March 2025

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1047

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 December 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This Roman Catholic school is in the Diocese of Salford. The most recent section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in March 2023. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place in 2028.  The school is part of the Bolton Learning Alliance partnership.  The school uses two registered providers of alternative provision and three unregistered providers of alternative provisions for a small number of pupils.  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 (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form 18 and 19 March 2025

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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.  The inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders and subject leaders. Inspectors met with a range of other staff and leaders during the inspection. Inspectors also met with a representative of the diocese.  Inspectors spoke with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors. Inspectors also spoke with a representative of the local authority and the providers of the alternative provision.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour across the school, including at social times.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: English, science, mathematics, art and design, history and modern foreign languages. For each deep

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dive, they held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with subject leaders and looked at pupils’ work in some other subjects.  Inspectors spoke with the leaders responsible for pupils’ personal development, behaviour and attendance, alternative provision, careers, the provision for SEND and reading.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and records relating to pupils’ attendance and behaviour.  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 considered the responses of parents and carers to the online survey,

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Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils.

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Inspection team

Amina Modan, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

David Roberts Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 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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