St Joseph's College

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Joseph’s College Beulah Hill, London SE19 3HL

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Outcome

St Joseph’s College has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The co-headteachers of this school are Catherine Kane and George Mantillas. The school is a single-academy trust. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Stephen Horsman.

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Joseph’s College is an inspiring, caring community. Pupils, and students in the sixth form, value its diversity. They enjoy coming to school and this is reflected in their exceptional attendance rates. Pupils appreciate the school’s holistic approach to education. They report enthusiastically on how it broadens their horizons, touches their hearts and inspires their minds.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to the school’s high expectations for their learning and personal development. Pupils in key stage 4 and students in the sixth form achieve well. The percentage of students going on to further education and successful employment is well above national averages.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are polite and courteous. Bullying and derogatory behaviour are rare. If this happens, it is dealt with quickly and effectively. Pupils feel respected by their peers. The school’s ‘5 respects’ are woven through daily life. Respect for faith and learning, the community and self are lived out daily. One pupil, reflecting the view of many, commented, ‘Essentially these build our character to ensure that we become leaders in school and in the future outside of school.’ 25 and 26 March 2025

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

Following the previous inspection, leaders have refined the school’s curriculum. Content is carefully sequenced and suitably broad. It enables most pupils to build on their prior learning, gain a depth of knowledge and achieve well. This is reflected in the school’s published key stage 4 and sixth-form outcomes. The school’s vision is ambitious and inclusive. Teachers are acutely aware of pupils’ identified needs. When needed, they adapt teaching to make learning accessible to all pupils. This enables pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities to achieve well.

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

Teachers check pupils’ understanding carefully and address gaps in their knowledge. Pupils find this helpful. They also appreciate the ways teachers help them revise and remember important knowledge. Pupils respond to teachers’ advice to improve their work. They know that they are expected to persevere when they encounter challenges. Expectations for students in the sixth form are equally high. The broad curriculum offer includes A levels and technical and vocational qualifications. Teaching is effective and enables students to achieve well academically and personally.

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

Some pupils’ access to, and achievement across, the curriculum is hampered by weaknesses in their literacy. Leaders recognise this and have prioritised reading across the curriculum. For example, pupils’ literacy is a key focus of training for staff this year. Teachers are working to build a culture of reading, to deliberately develop vocabulary and to promote talk and writing. Teachers check pupils’ progress through the reading curriculum. Effective, specific interventions support pupils who need support with reading.

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

Behaviour is managed well. Pupils understand and follow the school’s clear systems. This helps to create a harmonious school community. Positive behaviour is rewarded, and time is built in for pupils to reflect on their behaviour.

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

The curriculum is designed to help pupils to learn about democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Pupils debate controversial issues, learn to express themselves and respect views different from their own. Pupils and sixth-form students value their learning about important issues such as healthy relationships and personal safety. The careers programme is extensive and comprehensive, meaning pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, employment or training.

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

There is a wide range of additional activities, including sports, languages, music, drama and anime. Pupils enjoy the many visits that enrich the curriculum, including to the British Film Institute, Cambridge University and overseas locations. Pupils have a voice in the school, for example by suggesting that a day is planned to focus on mental health. School council representatives are articulate about how they are democratically elected and have participated in a mock United Nations General Assembly. Pupils take on opportunities to develop as leaders, for example as prefects or being on the sixth-form leadership team. They readily contribute to the school community by supporting younger pupils with reading or organising fundraising events for different charities. 25 and 26 March 2025

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Leaders and those responsible for governance engage well with stakeholders. They are alert to issues of staff well-being and workload. Trustees and governors hold leaders to account. They fulfil their statutory duties, including in terms of equalities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Until recently, the school has not given sufficient focus to developing pupils’ literacy skills, particularly for those who need additional support with reading and writing. This hampers some pupils’ access to the curriculum and achievement. The school should ensure it fully embeds its recently developed approaches to pupils’ literacy.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged St Joseph’s College to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2020. 25 and 26 March 2025

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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). 25 and 26 March 2025

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form

Headteacher Catherine Kane (co-headteacher) George Mantillas (co-headteacher) Website www.stjosephscollege.org.uk

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form

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 February 2020

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Information about this school

 St Joseph’s College is a Roman Catholic (Lasallian) boys’ comprehensive.  The school has a mixed sixth form.  The school is a Roman Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Southwark. The previous section 48 inspection was in November 2021. The next one is due in 2026.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Year 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school does not currently make use of any alternative provision. 25 and 26 March 2025

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection 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 held meetings with the co-headteachers, members of the senior leadership team, curriculum leaders, governors and trustees.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  Inspectors held meetings with pupils and students in the sixth form and spoke to them during lessons and at social times of the day.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including published outcomes data, trustee minutes, attendance data, and information about behaviour and pupils’ destinations.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

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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Inspection team

Anne Hudson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ogugua Okolo-Angus Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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