Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 7 March 2023

Pupils at Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School (BUCHS) benefit from very high expectations of what they can achieve. They learn a coherent and meticulously planned curriculum. Pupils develop strong levels of self-motivation in their learning. Consequently, they do exceptionally well. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), who receive excellent support. This means they build the same deep and detailed knowledge as their peers. Pupils embody BUCHS's Catholic values. In particular, they learn the importance of duty. This teaches pupils to speak up if they have views or concerns. Pupils praise the sense of community in the school. Pupils take on leadership positions, such as 'form' and 'liturgy' representatives. This builds their confidence. Pupils enjoy, and feel safe in, the school. Behaviour is very positive. Pupils are excited about, and focused on, learning. They show mature respect for others. Pupils articulate the importance of empathy, such as wearing their rainbow badges with pride. If there is any unkindness or bullying, they are confident to resolve it themselves. Pupils engage with a wide range of opportunities. For example, many complete The Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Pupils praise the way the sporting and creative clubs extend what they learn.

What the school should improve

• While safeguarding is effective, leaders' processes to ensure all safeguarding information is recorded are not as thorough as they should be. This means that although leaders and governors know that the most important actions are taken to keep pupils safe, they are not as clear as they should be that the best actions are taken to support pupils in all situations. Leaders need to review and improve their processes for organising and recording safeguarding information so that these, and their oversight of them, are more thorough and efficient.
• Leaders do not make sure pupils get a sufficiently wide range of guidance and experiences to be ready for their next steps. This includes students in the sixth form. As a result, pupils do not have all the information they need to make the best and most informed decisions about their future choices. Leaders need to review their careers provision against the Gatsby Benchmarks and use this to improve the advice and guidance they give to pupils about their options for education, employment or training.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)