St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington

St Josephs Catholic High School, Workington

Address: Harrington Road, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 3EE Unique reference number (URN): 148703

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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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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders' actions have improved pupils' attendance. There are clear systems to promote regular attendance. Leaders respond promptly when concerns arise. They work closely with parents, the local authority and other agencies to remove barriers to attendance. As a result, attendance has improved over time and is now above the national average. Leaders provide targeted support for pupils whose attendance has been historically low, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These pupils attend school more regularly, and the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent is decreasing.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders set high expectations for pupils' behaviour. They establish clear routines. Staff apply the school’s approach to behaviour management consistently. Pupils understand these expectations and follow routines well. In lessons, low-level disruption is rare and dealt with promptly when it occurs. Consequently, the school is calm and orderly. Most pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. Incidents of bullying and discriminatory behaviour are uncommon. Leaders deal with any incidents promptly, and pupils are confident that any concerns they raise will be taken seriously. Leaders provide effective support for pupils who need additional help to manage their behaviour.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders are committed to ensuring that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully included in all aspects of school life. They identify pupils' needs before they join the school and use 'pupil snapshots' effectively to ensure that staff understand the support individual pupils require. This includes the many pupils who join the school during the academic year. As a result, most pupils are able to access the curriculum successfully.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have a pupil-centred approach. They use additional funding appropriately to support pupils' needs. For example, leaders provide professional development that helps staff meet the needs of disadvantaged pupils. They have also introduced strategies to support pupils with their reading. These actions help pupils to access their learning with confidence.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders work effectively with a range of agencies to support pupils who require additional help. They ensure that support is coordinated well and that pupils receive appropriate help in a timely manner. As a result, many pupils overcome barriers to their learning and wellbeing. Leaders use alternative provision thoughtfully. They monitor pupils' attendance, behaviour and learning carefully to ensure that alternative provision has a positive impact.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have improved many aspects of the school's work since the previous inspection. They have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and the areas that require further improvement. Leaders recognise that improving pupils' achievement is their highest priority. They understand the reasons why pupils underachieve and have a clear strategy to address this. Leaders have increased leadership capacity at all levels. They monitor teaching and learning closely and provide appropriate support and challenge. As a result, leaders are strengthening the quality of education.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff value leaders’ personal approach to their workload and wellbeing. They appreciate the positive culture that leaders have established. When staff require additional support, leaders ensure that appropriate help is available. Staff also value the professional development opportunities available to them. Training is carefully planned for both teaching and support staff and helps them to carry out their roles effectively. Staff benefit from opportunities to work with colleagues from other schools. This strengthens their professional expertise. Staff are committed to the school's continued improvement.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Trust leaders and governors share leaders' ambition for the school and have an accurate understanding of its strategic priorities. They provide appropriate support and challenge. Leaders work effectively with parents and the wider community. They communicate regularly with families and keep them well informed about school life. Leaders also contribute to the wider educational community by sharing effective practice with other schools. This demonstrates their commitment to improving education beyond their own setting.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders prioritise pupils' personal development. They have established a broad and well- sequenced personal development programme. This allows pupils to develop the knowledge they need to make informed choices. Leaders monitor the quality of this provision carefully to ensure it meets pupils' needs. The programme includes learning about fundamental British values, healthy relationships and how to be safe online. Leaders ensure that the curriculum reflects the local context. For example, pupils learn about water safety in response to issues that affect the local community. Leaders also draw on the expertise of external professionals to deepen pupils' understanding of important issues. As a result, pupils are prepared well for life beyond school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders ensure that pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities beyond the classroom. They recognise the importance of broadening pupils' experiences. They work hard to remove financial barriers that might prevent participation. Pupils take part in visits to places of worship, undertake The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and participate in residential visits. These include overseas visits to Spain. Leaders also ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities access experiences that meet their individual needs. Consequently, pupils develop confidence, resilience and independence.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders encourage pupils to develop their own interests through a range of clubs and enrichment activities. They also contribute positively to school life through leadership opportunities. For example, pupils coach younger pupils in sport and work with community groups to promote healthy lifestyles. These opportunities help pupils to develop a deep sense of responsibility and make a positive contribution to their community. Leaders understand pupils' pastoral needs well. They identify emerging concerns promptly and ensure that pupils receive appropriate support to overcome barriers to learning and wellbeing.

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Needs attention

Pupils benefit from a comprehensive careers programme. Leaders establish partnerships with employers and further education providers to help pupils to understand the opportunities available to them. Consequently, almost all pupils move on to appropriate education, employment or training.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils do not achieve as well as they should across the curriculum. Published outcomes at the end of key stage 4 remain below national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils. Consequently, too many pupils leave the school without securing the knowledge and skills they need for their next stage of education, employment or training. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities typically make appropriate progress from their individual starting points.

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Achievement Needs attention

Leaders understand the reasons for pupils' underachievement accurately. They recognise that gaps in pupils' learning, alongside inconsistencies in teaching, have limited pupils' achievement over time. Leaders have introduced a range of actions to address these weaknesses. However, these actions are at an early stage and have not yet had sufficient time to improve pupils' achievement consistently. Across some subjects, pupils demonstrate appropriate knowledge and skills, which is reflected in their outcomes. However, this is not typical across all subjects. Variability in the quality of teaching means that some pupils do not retain their learning over time.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The quality of teaching is not consistent across the curriculum. Leaders have not ensured that teaching is effective across subjects. As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge securely over time. Leaders are accurate in their understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the quality of teaching. They check it and then provide targeted professional development to teaching staff.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The curriculum has appropriate breadth and is delivered in a logical order. New learning builds on prior knowledge. However, staff do not routinely adapt the curriculum and their teaching for disadvantaged pupils and for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders identify pupils who have weaknesses in reading, writing and mathematics promptly. Reading support helps many pupils improve their reading fluency. However, in some subjects teachers do not check pupils' understanding carefully. This means that sometimes gaps in pupils' learning are not identified and addressed.

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

Pupils enjoy attending school. Pupils feel happy in an environment built on the school's values of faith, hope and love. These values allow pupils to foster positive relationships based on mutual respect and cooperation. Pupils know that trusted adults will listen to any concerns they raise and take appropriate action. Pupils engage positively with their learning and attend school regularly. They benefit from calm classroom environments with few distractions. Bullying is rare and dealt with swiftly. Pupils learn about local and national risks. As a result, they know how to keep themselves safe.

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

Pupils benefit from a school where every pupil is valued. Leaders use 'pupil snapshots' and support plans effectively to meet pupils' needs. This includes pupils who join the school during the academic year. A range of carefully considered support, including breakfast club and personalised mentoring, helps pupils to settle quickly and engage positively with school life. As a result, barriers to learning are reduced and pupils are ready to learn. However, pupils do not achieve as well as they should in national examinations.

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

Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities that broaden their experiences. They take part in local visits and residential trips overseas, and represent the school in local and regional competitions. Leaders ensure that financial barriers do not prevent pupils from participating in these experiences. Pupils learn about the fundamental British values. They understand the importance of democracy and respect for others. They contribute to school life through leadership roles and elections. Pupils also learn practical skills, including first aid, which help prepare them for life beyond school.

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

Pupils receive appropriate careers guidance. They engage with employers through careers fairs and work experience. Leaders ensure that opportunities are carefully tailored for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils are prepared for their next steps and move on to appropriate education, employment or training.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that teachers make appropriate adaptations so that pupils receive the support they need to learn. Leaders should further develop their strategies to close gaps in pupils’ learning so that pupils secure the important building blocks that they need for future learning. Leaders should ensure that improvements to teaching are embedded across all subjects and lead to positive trends in pupils’ achievement.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Mater Christi Multi Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive

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Team inspectors:

Jacqueline Cahalin, Ofsted Inspector Ahmed Marikar, His Majesty's Inspector Lisa Corrigan, His Majesty's Inspector

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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 30 June 2026

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Total pupils

officer (CEO), Jacky Kennedy, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by George Krawiec.

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Total pupils

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

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Total pupils

At the time of this inspection, the school was being led by an acting headteacher.

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Total pupils

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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Total pupils

Inspectors spoke with the acting headteacher, senior leaders, staff, pupils, the CEO, members of the governing body, members of the board of directors and representatives of the local authority and diocese.

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Total 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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Total pupils

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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Total pupils

This school is registered as having a Catholic religious character. It is in the Diocese of Lancaster. Its last section 48 inspection was in October 2024.

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Total pupils

The school currently makes use of one registered alternative provision.

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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.

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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) 43.4 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

2023/24 (final) 30.8 34.6 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 33.5 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

2022/23 (final) -0.80 -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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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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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 7.4% 8.4% Close to average

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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

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