St Augustine’s Federated Schools: CE High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The vision of faith, hope and love is central to this school.

The core values of kindness and inclusion are guiding principles. Leaders have developed a broad curriculum. Leaders encourage pupils to develop an understanding of differences in people.

They help pupils to respect people from different backgrounds and to challenge stereotypes.

Leaders have high expectations, including for pupils' behaviour. They provide pupils with support and guidance.

Pupils are safe, happy and well cared for by staff. Pupils appreciate staff's approach to managing behaviour in a fair and reflective way.

Leaders address any concerns about bullying or the use o...f discriminatory language effectively when they occur.

Pupils behave well, and the school is a calm and purposeful environment. Working relationships between staff and pupils are respectful.

Leaders ensure that pupils have access to an exceptionally wide range of activities, in which all pupils take part.

Pupils fundraise for many charities and take on responsibilities. For example, pupils take their roles seriously while working for the 'eco-charity' and well-being committee. Pupils have opportunities to take part in a variety of workshops and projects, such as working with financial organisations and London theatres.

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

Leaders have constructed an ambitious curriculum. In all subjects, pupils build important knowledge progressively over time. For example, when studying poetry in English, pupils in Year 7 learn how to identify key themes and develop analysis skills.

In Years 8 and 9, pupils use these strong foundations to compare poems, including Middle Eastern poetry. On occasion, teachers' expectations of pupils' work are not as consistently high.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge and present information clearly.

Typically, they check pupils' understanding carefully. However, this is not routinely the case. Sometimes, teaching does not address pupils' misconceptions in a timely way.

Leaders place a high priority on reading. There is a range of reading-based enrichment opportunities for pupils to take part in. For instance, all pupils in Year 7 visit a bookshop in order to buy a book, which is funded by the school.

Pupils at the early stages of reading are identified and supported to improve. This helps pupils to read fluently and with confidence.

Leaders identify and meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well.

Staff receive regular and effective training to support pupils with SEND in the classroom. They use assessment information and appropriate strategies to help pupils with SEND to succeed. Staff support pupils with SEND, including pupils who utilise the 'deaf student provision' to access the curriculum effectively.

Pupils are well behaved in lessons and around the school site. They are enthusiastic to receive 'positive behaviour points'. Low-level disruption in lessons is uncommon.

On occasion, pupils lose focus in class, and staff do not ensure that they support pupils to concentrate on their learning.

Leaders promote pupils' wider personal development through a rich set of experiences. They have developed an extremely thoughtful curriculum, which pupils study weekly.

This allows pupils to consider and debate a range of opinions and beliefs. Leaders empower pupils to follow their initiative. For example, the student leadership group works closely with the school community to organise many events.

Pupils take part in an extensive range of visits.

Leaders have developed an exceptional careers programme, which involves all pupils. Leaders strongly support students in the sixth form with making decisions about their future education and employment.

This includes support in writing applications for universities and apprenticeships. Students receive personal interviews and regular support, and they take part in a variety of work-based opportunities. All students in the sixth form take part in work experience and complete a two-day work placement at London Zoo.

Leaders are highly considerate of staff workload and take their well-being seriously. Staff feel well supported and have access to a wide range of professional development opportunities. The governing body understands the strengths and priorities of the school and carries out its role effectively.

It has a clear strategic vision and provides appropriate challenge and support to leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have put clear safeguarding systems in place.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding, where everyone takes responsibility. Staff are well trained, and they understand how to identify and report safeguarding concerns. Leaders are timely in their response to any concerns.

They work effectively with a range of external agencies to provide specialist support for pupils.

Leaders understand the local risks and react diligently when concerns are raised. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, and they know how to report concerns.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, teaching does not identify and clarify pupils' misunderstandings. This means that pupils are not fully ready to learn new content. Leaders should develop the expertise of all teachers so that they identify and address any gaps in pupils' understanding consistently.

• On occasion, staff's expectations of pupils are not high, including in keeping all pupils attentive in lessons. As a result, some pupils do not demonstrate a consistently positive attitude to the quality of their work. Leaders should ensure that all staff have consistently high standards for the quality of work produced and support pupils to focus and concentrate.