St Michael's Catholic School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 February 2026

Pupils enjoy belonging to the school’s thriving and respectful community. They are motivated to succeed and they attend regularly. Staff know pupils really well. They support them effectively in their academic learning and wider development, whatever additional barriers or particular needs pupils may have. Pupils play a full part in school life and leaders make sure that all pupils have access to every aspect of what the school provides. Through their highly constructive attitudes and levels of enthusiasm, pupils make a significant contribution to the positive culture of the school. Sixth-form students take a leading role in the life of the school, acting as responsible, aspirational role models for younger pupils. Pupils’ personal development is underpinned by very strong values and virtues, such as empathy, humility and truthfulness. These make a very positive difference to pupils’ daily lives at school. Pupils are taught about why these values are important and regularly put them into practice in their work and other activities. This provides a strong foundation on which other aspects of school life are built. Pupils experience a wide range of additional opportunities to discover new talents or extend existing ones. They develop a deep understanding of people from different cultures and backgrounds. Pupils reflect spiritually every day. The school sets high ambitions for pupils. They get the right support to achieve their goals when they leave school and are well prepared for their next steps in education or employment. Pupils conduct themselves very well indeed and rarely need to be reminded about how to behave. Relationships are extremely positive. Unkindness or disrespect are not tolerated. The school develops these high expectations from the early years onwards. Pupils trust staff and know that any concerns that they might have are taken seriously and addressed quickly. Pupils feel safe and are well cared for.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that teachers meet pupils’ needs more fully through consistently precise adaptations in lessons and by addressing any misunderstandings that pupils may have quickly and effectively.
• The school should improve pupils’ achievement further by increasing the depth and quality of pupils’ writing, including picking up on basic errors routinely, so that pupils’ written responses reflect pupils’ understanding fully.
• Leaders should continue to develop the effectiveness of teaching in the sixth form so that students’ learning is consistently enriched and extended, and supports students to achieve more highly.

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