St John Henry Newman Catholic School

St John Henry Newman Catholic School

Address: Scalegate Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA2 4NL Unique reference number (URN): 112399

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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.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

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

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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.

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Achievement Needs attention

Typically, pupils’ attainment and progress in national examinations at the end of key stages 4 and 5 are below the national average. That said, recently there have been some improvements in some subjects and for some pupils. For example, disadvantaged pupils attained in line with their peers nationally in GCSE examinations in 2025. In addition, most pupils move on to appropriate education, training or employment at the end of Year 11 or Year 13.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils typically have gaps in their knowledge across the curriculum. Leaders have recently provided relevant training for teachers to strengthen how well they check on pupils’ learning. However, it is too soon to see the impact of this work. As a result, many pupils have gaps in their knowledge, including number skills and writing, that persist over time.

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Achievement Needs attention

Leaders do not robustly check how well pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve. For many of these pupils, their achievement from their starting points is inconsistent.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Over time, many pupils have not attended school regularly enough. Rates of attendance have remained below the national average for a number of years. Leaders have identified this issue and have taken some effective action to help pupils, who may otherwise have barriers to attending school. As a result, last year, the rates of attendance improved significantly. However, this positive trajectory has not continued this academic year.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders and staff have high expectations of how pupils should behave. There are clear systems and structured routines in place to help pupils to meet these high standards. Pupils share leaders’ vision. They are courteous and respectful with their classmates, staff and visitors. Pupils value kindness. Classrooms are typically tranquil. This means pupils can concentrate on their learning. The school is also calm at social times. Pupils build positive friendships. Bullying is rare. Pupils feel safe in the knowledge that staff will deal with it quickly if it does happen. Leaders make impactful tweaks to the behaviour policy for any pupils who may otherwise find it tricky to meet leaders’ high expectations.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

In recent years, leaders have strengthened the curriculum across all subjects and year groups. It is now coherent and well structured. Teachers know what to teach. They are experts in their subjects. Typically, teachers provide appropriate learning activities to help pupils to build their knowledge. They break down difficult concepts for pupils. However, teachers do not routinely check how well pupils have understood their learning. As a result, some misconceptions are not identified and some gaps remain in pupils’ knowledge.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have crafted effective systems to spot pupils, who may need help to improve how well they can read. Generally, leaders make sure these pupils receive the right support. This is not the case for pupils who may need help to develop their writing or number skills. Consequently, gaps in pupils' knowledge persist and often deepen for these pupils.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teachers know pupils well. Disadvantaged pupils receive the right support to enable them to learn in line with their peers. That said, support for pupils and students in the sixth form with special educational needs and/or disabilities is variable. This means that some pupils’ learning needs are not consistently met across all subjects.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The school does not meet the government's expectation for the minimum amount of hours that pupils should attend school each week.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders do not consistently check that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive help they most need. Furthermore, they do not know if some pupils are making sufficient progress through the curriculum in line with their starting points. There are secure systems in place to make sure that pupils with barriers to learning or wellbeing are identified. Staff, including teachers, know these pupils well. Recently, staff have received training on how they can help these pupils. However, inconsistency remains.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders have implemented appropriate strategies to support disadvantaged pupils. Staff know these pupils well and often provide the right level of help. Additional funding, including the pupil premium, is used appropriately. For instance, theatre trips and revision guides are funded for these pupils. However, leaders do not routinely check the impact of these strategies on pupils' learning and development.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Pupils known, or previously known, to social care receive support. Staff work with a range of external professionals to help these pupils, and pupils who may otherwise have barriers to wellbeing.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders make suitable use of alternative provision for some pupils. They work closely with these pupils and their families to make sure they continue to feel part of the school community.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Historically, leaders have not taken action quickly enough to address the areas of weakness in school. This has affected how well pupils attain in national examinations, rates of attendance and approaches for inclusion. There have been some recent changes to leadership in school. These leaders have identified some accurate areas for improvement. For instance, they recognise that improvements are needed in how well teachers check what pupils know. Leaders have started to provide relevant training. However, they do not have robust mechanisms in place to measure the impact of the actions they take.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Governors provide warm support for school leaders and play an active role in school life, including attending school performances and pupil lunches. However, they have been too slow to recognise the declining standards in school. Although they now have an awareness of the areas that need to improve, they have not provided the appropriate challenge to stem the decline over time.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff are fiercely proud to work here. They appreciate leaders’ actions to improve their workload and wellbeing. Recently, leaders have strengthened the professional development offer. Staff now receive training in line with school priorities. That said, leaders do not have the systems in place to evaluate the effectiveness of this training.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The school is the beating heart of the community. Staff work closely with parents and carers and the wider community. This helps to develop the sense of warmth and belonging for pupils and their families.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Leaders have not implemented an appropriate programme for personal development and wellbeing in the sixth form. This means that students do not receive their full entitlement at key stage 5. This is not the case in key stage 3 and key stage 4. Leaders have embedded an appropriate programme for pupils in Year 7 through to Year 11. There is a structured curriculum in place. Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe online and in their local community.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Pupils value diversity. They understand and welcome differences in others. Pastoral support is personalised and tailored to meet the needs of pupils. Leaders make sure that help is on hand for pupils if they have any worries. Pupils know this. Skilled staff liaise with external professionals to enhance this offer. This means that pupils develop an understanding of how to improve their mental health and wellbeing.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Leaders have crafted a wide range of activities, clubs and leadership opportunities for pupils. Pupils appreciate that everyone has the chance to develop their interests. Many pupils attend clubs, such as illustration club, news club, choir and crochet club. Many pupils become confident leaders and public speakers through pupil parliament, pupil minister groups and pupil leader sessions.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Pupils in all year groups receive appropriate careers guidance. For instance, pupils in Year 10 and Year 12 complete ‘World of Work’ days and work experience. This helps pupils to navigate a pathway to their future. Most pupils go on to appropriate education, training or employment.

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Post-16 provision Needs attention

Historically, students do not achieve well in national examinations at the end of key stage 5. More recently, leaders have made improvements to the curriculum to meet the needs of the students. As a result, many more pupils choose to remain at school for their sixth-form provision than before.

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Post-16 provision Needs attention

Teachers have a deep understanding of the students they teach. Usually, they personalise their lessons to students’ starting points. That said, some students with special educational needs and/or disabilities are not identified by leaders. This means they do not consistently receive the help they need. Students value the opportunities they have to develop their leadership skills. They truly are role models for younger pupils. For example, students in Year 12 are involved in paired reading activities with pupils in Year 7. Many students organise a variety of fundraising events to support local charities. This helps them to understand the ways in which they can contribute to society. However, students do not receive the full personal development and wellbeing programme in the sixth form.

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Post-16 provision Needs attention

Students experience the world of work during work experience placements in Year 12. However, for some students, these placements are not suitably tailored to their career ambitions. Even so, most students move on to their chosen pathway of education, training or employment at the end of Year 13.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are incredibly proud to be part of 'The Newman Family'. Generally, pupils enjoy coming to school. They share a feeling that they are part of a nurturing community. Pupils like spending time with their friends and share respectful relationships with their peers and staff. Pupils know that bullying and discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. Staff act quickly and effectively if any incidents of unkindness are brought to their attention.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are safe here. They know who to speak to if they have any worries, safe in the knowledge that this will be dealt with promptly by staff. Staff care deeply for pupils. Pupils appreciate the help they have at hand should they need it. Generally, classrooms are settled and tranquil spaces, where pupils can focus fully on learning. However, some pupils do not display positive attitudes to their learning. Furthermore, some pupils do not attend school regularly enough.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Over time, pupils have not achieved as well as they should in national examinations at the end of key stage 4 and key stage 5. They do not develop their knowledge consistently well across all subjects, including personal, social, health and economic education. Teachers do not routinely check on pupils’ understanding. This means that, for some pupils, gaps in their knowledge are widening over time. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities have their needs identified. However, the support for these pupils is inconsistent.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils value the wide range of opportunities they have to grow their interests and talents outside of the classroom. They appreciate the recognition and badges they receive for going above and beyond. Many pupils attend the enrichment on offer, such as sporting clubs, tranquil reading club, astronomy club and fantasy games club. This helps pupils to develop their confidence and resilience.

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Next steps

Leaders should establish rigorous systems to monitor the impact of their actions and use this information to drive improvements across all areas.

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Team inspectors:

Jacqueline Cahalin, Ofsted Inspector Chris Meldrum, Ofsted Inspector Melissa Relph, Ofsted Inspector Leaders should ensure that pupils, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive timely and effective support to enable them to learn successfully. Leaders should ensure that teachers swiftly identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge. Leaders should continue to refine the personal development programme, especially for students in the sixth form, so that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Governors should strengthen their systems for checking on the quality of the provision, so that they have the information required to offer effective challenge across all areas of the school.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Christina Battle.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty's Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, senior leaders, other school leaders and staff at the school. They also spoke with a group of governors, including the chair, and with representatives from the local authority.

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About this inspection

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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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school makes use of 2 registered and 2 unregistered alternative provisions.

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About this inspection

The school is registered as having a Roman Catholic religious character. It is in the Diocese of Lancaster. Its last section 48 inspection was in March 2025.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 16 June 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years. National average: 28.9%

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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English and maths GCSE

Percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Attainment 8

A measure of pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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national average

2022/23 (final) 41.6 46.3 Close to average

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Progress 8

How much progress pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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national average

2024/25 (final) 20.0% 25.8% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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national average

2024/25 (final) 35.6 34.9 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 35.9 35.0 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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national average

2023/24 (final) -0.78 -0.57 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) -0.76 -0.57 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Destinations after 16

Percentage of pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after the end of secondary school (key stage 4).

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A-level average point score

The average points that students achieved per A-level entry.

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A-level value added

A score showing students’ progress between the end of key stage 4 and the end of their academic qualification studies.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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