Schools & FE · Report card

St Francis of Assisi Catholic College

Inspected 17 Mar 2026 · published 14 May 2026 · URN 104255

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Alexander Laney (lead), Antony Edkins, Nazya Ghalib, Philip Lloyd, Richard Winzor

What we read, and from where

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Achievement verified
Strong standard
Attendance and behaviour verified
Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching verified
Strong standard
Inclusion verified
Strong standard
Leadership and governance verified
Strong standard
Personal development and wellbeing verified
Expected standard
Post 16 provision verified
Expected standard
Framework verified
Report card
Inspection datesingle source
17 Mar 2026
Inspectors verified
Alexander Laney, Antony Edkins, Nazya Ghalib, Philip Lloyd, Richard Winzor
Postcode verified
WS9 0RN
Name on report verified
St Francis of Assisi Catholic College
Safeguarding verified
Met
URN verified
104255

Page 1 of 14

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

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Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

AchievementStrong
Attendance and behaviourStrong
Curriculum and teachingStrong
InclusionStrong
Leadership and governanceStrong
Personal development and wellbeingExpected
Post 16 provisionExpected

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+68Positivemore positive than 41% of reports of this type

In line with other reports of this type.

Praisevery wellpositiveconsistentlyexemplaryhighly effectivehigh-qualityhigh qualityextremely

Criticismconcernsnot alwaysgapsshortcomingspersistent absencestruggle

How the report reads, start to finish

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FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspectionLeadershipWhat needs to improve positive critical

Findings1492w+72
Leadership152w+43
Safeguarding51w−11
What needs to improve60w+33

Strengths

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Concerns

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Despite this, the range of opportunities is not always well aligned with pupils’ goals and aspirations, meaning that pupils do not always benefit from them as well as they might. p.4

Next steps

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What the report dwells on

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Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages: 14
Words of findings: 1,752; about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level: Hard; Flesch 41, typical 43
Average sentence: 16 words
Next steps: 3; typical 3
Hedged sentences: 4%; “some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 51%Leadership 5%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 2%About the inspection 40%

Full report text

St Francis of Assisi Catholic College

Address: Erdington Road, Aldridge, Walsall, West Midlands, WS9 0RN Unique reference number (URN): 104255

p.1

Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

p.1

Achievement Strong standard

Pupils, including those who may face barriers to their learning, achieve very well. Increasingly, this is reflected in the outcomes pupils achieve in national examinations. The achievement of disadvantaged pupils is particularly impressive. Over time, the attainment of these pupils has been above national averages and is rapidly moving closer to that of their non-disadvantaged peers nationally. This picture of high achievement is mirrored across all subjects, including for pupils in key stage 3. Here, pupils develop a detailed and secure understanding of the concepts they study. The quality of the work produced by pupils across the curriculum, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, is consistently high.

p.2

Achievement Strong standard

Pupils who join the school with gaps in their learning are very well supported. They make secure progress and quickly catch up to their peers. Overall, pupils are very well prepared for their next steps in education or employment.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

There is an impressive culture of high attendance. Leaders analyse patterns and trends in attendance carefully and identify concerns at an early stage. This enables them to respond to pupils' circumstances and provide tailored support to overcome any barriers. As a result, pupils attend regularly, and persistent absence has decreased sharply in recent years.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have also established a culture of positive behaviour. Staff and pupils share a common understanding of expectations, rooted in mutual respect. Staff consistently model the positive interactions they expect, which pupils value. They strive to meet leaders' high expectations in all that they do. Behaviour in lessons is exemplary, and pupils show a profound commitment to their learning.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

The support for pupils who struggle to manage their emotions is worthy of note. Leaders are quick to understand the reason why pupils may be struggling and provide tailored support to help pupils overcome these challenges. Pupils who join the school with previous behavioural challenges benefit from targeted support, such as mentoring, which helps them settle quickly and manage their behaviour well. Incidents of bullying are rare and are addressed promptly and robustly, ensuring pupils are supported and issues are resolved swiftly.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is both challenging and engaging. Through careful consideration, leaders and staff have worked together to ensure the precise knowledge pupils need is ordered sensibly. Consequently, the knowledge that pupils learn builds intentionally on what they have learned before. This helps pupils to make sense of their learning and develop a keen understanding of the concepts they study. For example, in mathematics, younger pupils engage confidently with challenging concepts, such as rational numbers, before going on to explore more complex algebraic expressions. Teachers' use of assessment is skilful. The learning cycle ensures that teachers methodically and accurately check pupils' understand before moving on to new learning. Teachers adjust their teaching skilfully to fill gaps in learning and ensure no pupil is left behind.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

A highly effective and well-established programme of curriculum review, alongside individual coaching support, ensures that leaders have a comprehensive understanding of the quality of the curriculum. Leaders use the information they receive from this to provide high-quality, tailored training that equips teachers with deep subject-specific knowledge, and a profound understanding of how pupils learn best. Staff expertly adapt their teaching to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders are deliberate in their work to build a clear and comprehensive picture of pupils' individual needs. Working hand in glove with pupils, their families and a range of external agencies, leaders identify barriers quickly, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders track pupils' progress analytically. Weekly 'team around the child' meetings review academic and personal development and identify when further support is required. The additional support provided is high quality and helps to reduce pupils' barriers. For example, pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs benefit from in ‑ house counselling delivered by skilled staff, which improves pupils’ wellbeing.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders ensure that staff have the information they need to meet pupils' needs within the classroom. Staff make thoughtful and effective adaptations that enable pupils to access learning.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders are highly intentional in the use of their pupil premium funding. They employ skilled support staff and have developed dedicated provision to support disadvantaged pupils. Pupils benefit from family support workers and emotional literacy interventions, which improve their experiences and outcomes. Additionally, through the careful commissioning of alternative provision placements, pupils who need it are thriving.

p.3

Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders are determined to ensure that pupils receive an education that enhances both their academic and personal growth. Their moral purpose shines through the decisions that they make. Leaders’ powerful vision of promoting faith, culture and learning is embodied by staff, who work relentlessly to ensure this is realised. There is a profound sense of pride in belonging to the St Francis of Assisi family. This is shared among staff, pupils and parents.

p.3

Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders and governors understand the school extremely well. They meticulously monitor the impact of their work, leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of excellence. Because of this, leaders have an in-depth understanding of what is working and where further refinement might be required. Where needed, they provide high-quality support to address any shortcomings. Staff at all levels play an active role in this. This careful and deliberate work is having a significant and positive impact on pupils’ experiences.

p.3

Expected standard

Staff, including early career teachers, are very well supported. Leaders have empowered them to take responsibility for their own learning. For example, all teaching staff in the school benefit from a highly trained and effective classroom coach. Staff value this support and use it thoughtfully to direct their own professional learning. This work is impressive and is driving improvements in pupils’ learning across the school.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders’ work to develop pupils’ character is of high quality. Leaders have intentionally woven opportunities to do so throughout every aspect of school life. This work is ingrained in the ethos of the school. For example, students in the sixth form frequently support younger pupils, acting as mentors to provide help with their reading and mathematics. Pupils’ understanding of their social and moral responsibilities, and their willingness to engage in articulate debate that helps to shape their community, are impressive. Pupils often drive significant changes in school practice, such as the behaviour management system and days of cultural celebration. Leaders are rightly proud of this aspect of their school.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The wider personal development curriculum, including pupils’ relationships and sex education, health education and the citizenship curriculum, is well planned. These elements take careful account of the risks pupils may face outside of school. For example, pupils learn about the risks associated with social media use. This work helps pupils to understand how to keep themselves safe outside of school, including online. While the curriculum is generally taught well, at times pupils do not have the opportunity to grapple with challenging concepts in sufficient depth. This limits the depth of pupils’ understanding.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

There is a growing range of extra-curricular opportunities available for pupils. Leaders have tailored these to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully included. These pupils attend these sessions with enthusiasm. Despite this, the range of opportunities is not always well aligned with pupils’ goals and aspirations, meaning that pupils do not always benefit from them as well as they might. Leaders are taking sensible steps to address this aspect of their work.

p.4

Post 16 provision Expected standard

Across the sixth form, students increasingly achieve well. While their outcomes in national A-level assessments have typically been close to national averages, their achievements in applied general subjects have been consistently above national averages for some time. Leaders have reshaped and redefined the curriculum over time to achieve this. They have devoted a significant amount of effort to ensuring that teachers develop the detailed subject knowledge needed to support students’ learning. This work is having a positive impact on students’ progress, as evidenced by the quality of work they produce in lessons.

p.4

Post 16 provision Expected standard

Students benefit from well-considered 16 to19 study programmes. These include an increasing range of meaningful interactions with the world of work. This helps students to develop their understanding of the pathways available to them after the sixth form. As a result, most students go on to gain places at university or apprenticeships, when they leave.

p.4

Post 16 provision Expected standard

The personal development curriculum in the sixth form is generally taught well. It helps students to understand how to approach life as a young adult. Where needed, students who face barriers to their learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are well supported and make sound progress.

p.5