St Anselm’s College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders have overcome the shortcomings identified at the previous inspection. They provide a good quality of education.

Senior leadership, including that of the deputy headteachers, is a strength of the school. Leaders know the school well. This helps them to plan and refine their actions, which improve the curriculum, teaching and pupils' progress.

Governors fulfil their responsibilities well. They challenge and support senior leaders very effectively, to improve the school. Leaders' appointment of a school improvement partner and use of local authority expertise have helped secure the improvements made since the previous inspection.
...>
Leaders promote positive values clearly and consistently. They set and support a culture where pupils feel valued and are aspirational. The leadership of teaching, learning and assessment is highly effective.

The weaknesses in teaching seen at the previous inspection have been rectified. Teaching is now good. Teachers usually expect high standards of pupils' work, so pupils try hard.

They take pride in their work. In a few cases, where teachers' expectations do not fully match the typically high standard set elsewhere, pupils' work is less well presented and precise. Teaching is especially strong in English, art and physical education.

Pupils think deeply and apply learning creatively in these subjects. These strengths are less evident elsewhere, notably in technology. Pupils' outcomes are good.

They make good progress during their time at the school and successfully move on to next steps. Leaders plan an effective curriculum for pupils. Pupils study courses which meet their needs.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported effectively. The management of the additional funding provided for disadvantaged pupils is good. Pupils' attendance is good.

Pupils' conduct around school is positive and they are punctual to lessons. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. Pupils understand and value differences.

Sixth-form leaders have overcome the weaknesses seen at the previous inspection. Teaching is effective across the academic and vocational courses which students follow. Sixth-form students benefit from the wide-ranging enrichment activities provided.

They are prepared well to succeed, academically and socially, in their next steps.

Information about this school

The school is a Catholic grammar school for boys. It is part of the Diocese of Shrewsbury.

The school joined the Edmund Rice Academies Trust as a stand-alone academy in 2011. As such, the school is part of a global network of schools in 25 countries. This includes 12 schools in England.

The school was inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in March 2019. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is below the national average.

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is below the national average. The school uses alternative providers for a small number of pupils. These are Utopia Project, Wirral Hospitals' School and Wirral WRAP.