St Catherine’s School and College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Teaching is typically good at this school.

Teachers know their students very well. They plan most lessons to ensure that everyone knows what they have to do to learn well. Students work hard and make good progress from their starting points.

They enjoy attending school and have well-formed ideas about what they would like to do in the future. Students behave well in lessons and around the school site. Respectful relationships between students and staff are visible at all times.

Students and their parents agree that all are kept safe and well looked after. The overall effectiveness of the sixth form is good. Students work hard....r/>
They enjoy the opportunity to spend time at college and at the school's work-related education centre. Well-developed systems for checking on everyone's work and achievements ensure that school leaders have precise information about strengths and weaknesses. This means that they can plan to make the school even better.

Governors take care to hold school leaders to account. They ask searching questions in meetings. During regular visits to the school they review how well everyone is working.

The school meets the national minimum standards for residential special schools. It is not yet an outstanding school because : In a few lessons, insufficient attention is given to planning lessons which stretch and support every student equally well. The administration of medication does not always meet standards of best practice.

Marking and commenting on students' work are inconsistent. Sometimes, teachers do not offer advice about next steps. School leaders have not ensured that all safety measures are in place in every area of the residence for managing all risks.

Information about this school

St Catherine's is a smaller-than-average-sized day and residential school for students who have speech, language and communication difficulties. All of the students have statements of special educational needs. A small number are entitled to receive the pupil premium (additional funding made available by the government for children who are looked after and those entitled to receive free meals), and the proportion of such pupils in the school is lower than the national average.

Almost all students are of White British heritage. Students come from homes on the Isle of Wight and on the mainland. Since the previous inspection, there has been a change in school leadership.

The principal has been in post for three years and the leadership team has been re-organised. The school is on a split site. Sixth form students have most of their lessons in the sixth form centre, away from the main school building.