St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 27 January 2026

This is a welcoming school where pupils' best interests are nurtured. Pupils benefit from a strong culture of care that is evident across the school. Pupils feel safe and valued. They speak confidently about the warm relationships they have with staff. Positive interactions between staff and pupils are a notable feature of the school. Expectations for behaviour and conduct are clear and understood by all. Pupils rise to these high standards and take responsibility for helping one another meet them. Pupils enjoy calm, orderly classrooms where learning is the focus and disruption is rare. Pupils enjoy being part of the school community and attend very well. They want to be in school and trust staff to respond quickly and effectively to any concerns. Bullying is rare and dealt with swiftly and effectively when it does occur. Teachers know pupils well and act when pupils face barriers to learning or wellbeing. Support is timely and effective, ensuring that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, can access the curriculum. Pupils appreciate this help and improve their outcomes from their starting points. Most pupils achieve well in line with national averages. However, some pupils and sixth-form students do not make as much progress as they should. Leaders have addressed this and pupils are benefiting from improved teaching and clearer guidance from staff. Pupils value a range of extra-curricular and co-curricular opportunities. They represent the school as mentors and prefects and enjoy theatre visits and residential trips to Scotland. Pupils respond well and take pride in earning reward points for positive contributions. They develop leadership through roles such as the school council, and sixth-form students acting as positive role models who support younger pupils. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. Pupils benefit from a culture of high expectations that prepares them well for life in modern Britain.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently identify and meet the precise needs of all pupils so that misconceptions are addressed swiftly.
• Leaders should ensure that assessment is used consistently and effectively across all subjects so that gaps in pupils knowledge are identified accurately.
• Leaders should ensure that recent actions to strengthen achievement in the sixth form are fully embedded and lead to consistently positive results for all post-16 students.

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