St John Bosco Arts College

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 March 2026

St John Bosco College is a welcoming and caring community. Pupils enjoy being at the school. The school builds trusting relationships with pupils. This helps pupils to develop a strong sense of belonging and feel safe. Pupils know who to seek help from when they feel worried. Instances of bullying are rare, and when it does occur, staff deal with it quickly. Pupils have access to an ambitious curriculum, including academic and vocational subjects. However, some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, learn better in some subjects than others. This is because the curriculum is not taught consistently well. This leads to gaps in pupils’ essential knowledge and slows the progress of some pupils through the curriculum. Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils generally behave well. Pupils are taught about equality and learn to respect others. They socialise well together at break and lunchtimes. In lessons, pupils listen well and follow instructions. Pupils benefit from high-quality pastoral care. This supports their mental health and wellbeing. Staff make appropriate adjustments that enable pupils who face barriers to learning to access the curriculum. Attendance is improving. This is because of bespoke support and close work between leaders and pupils and their families. Pupils benefit from an extensive range of clubs that develop their interests. These include sports, the eco-club, the 'faith in action' team, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Monday mindfulness and the young editors programme. Leaders make adjustments to enable all pupils to be included in these activities. Pupils have lots of opportunities to take part in competitions, such as for debating and performing arts, which the school has had great success with. These help to develop pupils' confidence and wellbeing. A number of overseas visits, including to New York, Berlin and Rome, help pupils to develop an understanding of the wider world. Leaders support pupils with financial barriers to participate in trips and visits.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that teachers routinely check pupils' understanding to identify and address gaps in their knowledge so that they can achieve more and at least be in line with national averages.
• Leaders should ensure that pupils receive appropriate and challenging activity choices matched to their prior learning so that they deepen their understanding.
• Leaders should continue their efforts to improve pupils’ attendance, particularly for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities so that their attendance continues to improve.
• Leaders should continue to monitor and evaluate the impact of their actions to ensure that their range of strategies is having the intended impact.

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