St Catherine's College

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Catherine’s College Priory Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 7BL

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Outcome

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

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Solomon Berhane. The school is part of the Diocese of Chichester Academy 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), Mark Talbot and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nick Taunt (interim).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud and happy to be members of this welcoming, caring school. The school’s values of encouraging pupils to be ‘ambitious, hard-working, resilient and responsible’ are embedded at the heart of the school community. The school has high expectations of pupils’ achievement and conduct. Pupils are well motivated, work hard and achieve well. They behave positively and courteously in lessons and as they move around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school prioritises pupils’ personal development alongside academic success. Pupils benefit from a strong pastoral system that supports their well-being. They value the warm, positive relationships that they have with their teachers and with each other. As one pupil said, ‘The staff love us here and we respect each other.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of additional opportunities that go beyond the academic curriculum. For example, pupils enjoy taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, sports and performing arts events and the nature club. These opportunities enrich pupils’ learning and nurture their personal development.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent, typical of many, stated, ‘I feel very lucky to have a place for my child at this wonderful school.’ 20 and 21 May 2025

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

There are high aspirations for the pupils at St Catherine’s College. The curriculum on offer is broad and ambitious. The school has carefully identified the essential knowledge and vocabulary that pupils should learn and in what order. As a result, learning is organised coherently across the curriculum. This helps pupils to tackle increasingly complex tasks over time. Most pupils make strong gains in what they know and remember. Pupils value learning and take pride in their work. They appreciate the wide variety of ways that the school celebrates their achievements.

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

Teachers are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their subjects. Typically, they present information clearly and explain new learning well, checking in most cases that it has been understood. At times, some teachers do not promptly address the gaps and misconceptions that some pupils have about their learning. When this happens, some pupils move on to new learning before they are ready. This means that a small number of pupils do not have secure prior knowledge when they meet new content.

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

The school has focused on ensuring that all pupils can successfully access the curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified promptly and clear support strategies are put in place to help them. Staff make effective adaptations for pupils with SEND during lessons. Support staff work well with individuals. Consequently, pupils with SEND achieve well from their various starting points.

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

The school has developed a rigorous approach to identifying pupils who are struggling to read. Well-trained staff provide these pupils with the help that they need. Older pupils act as reading mentors for those in lower year groups. As pupils move through the curriculum, they build a rich subject-specific vocabulary. As a result of the strategies used, pupils become confident and fluent readers.

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

The curriculum to support pupils’ personal development is strong. Pupils are well prepared for the next stages of their lives and studies. Many pupils take on leadership roles. These opportunities help pupils to develop into mature and responsible citizens. The comprehensive personal development programme, ‘life skills’, covers all aspects of citizenship. Pupils are taught how to keep safe online, as well as in the local area. They learn about healthy relationships and how to protect their mental health. In addition, the school’s extensive careers programme provides pupils with useful information to enable them to make well-informed decisions about their next steps.

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

This school is well-led. Trustees, governors and school leaders work together to identify priorities for the school’s future development. Staff feel supported and value leaders’ mindfulness of their workload and well-being. Teachers appreciate the wide range of professional development opportunities on offer. Staff are immensely proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 20 and 21 May 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority?

 Occasionally, some teachers do not check thoroughly enough that pupils understand what has been taught. This means that these pupils move on to new learning before they are ready. The school should share the good practice that exists across the school for checking pupils’ understanding so that all pupils achieve as well as they could.

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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 the school to be good for overall effectiveness in November 2019.

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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. 20 and 21 May 2025

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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). 20 and 21 May 2025

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,063

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 to 20 November 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 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.  As a school with a religious ethos, the school was last inspected under section 48 of the Education Act in November 2023.  The school uses eight registered alternative provisions for pupils.

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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 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 held meetings with 20 and 21 May 2025

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the headteacher, senior leaders, a range of staff, pupils, the CEO of the trust and two members of the local governing board.  An inspector held a telephone discussion with a member of staff at two providers of alternative provision.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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.  Inspectors met with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at break and lunchtime.  Inspectors spoke to staff, including early career teachers, about behaviour and their workload in school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey. They took account

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of the responses to the online parent survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments. Inspectors considered the views of pupils shared in Ofsted’s online pupil survey and through discussions held with pupils throughout the school.

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Inspection team

Ann Fearon, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Cathy Reid Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 May 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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