St Patrick's Catholic College, A Voluntary Catholic Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 January 2026

St Patrick's school motto, 'faith, family, future', is at the heart of this school and lived out every day. Pupils feel a deep sense of belonging there. The school is a close community where pupils feel safe. They enjoy positive relationships with staff and value the high-quality care and support that they receive. A high proportion of pupils face a range of barriers to their learning and wellbeing. Staff use their secure knowledge of pupils' needs to support them well. Effective teaching is typical. As a result, pupils' attendance is high. Pupils typically make secure progress through the curriculum and achieve well. The school is very calm and orderly. Leaders have embedded high expectations for behaviour and conduct. Pupils rise to these expectations consistently. They demonstrate excellent manners. For example, pupils hold doors open for adults and greet them respectfully when they walk past them. In lessons, pupils are deeply committed to their learning, work extremely hard and follow instructions closely. At social times, they mix well. Bullying is rare, and, if it does occur, adults deal with it swiftly. Pupils play an active part in the school community. For example, they take responsibility to lead on areas such as sport, social media and communication. Through these roles, pupils develop their confidence, teamwork and public speaking skills well. The school provides pupils with a wide range of carefully chosen opportunities to support their personal development. This includes a range of clubs such as darts, choir, debate, Bible study and sport. A range of trips, including visiting places of worship, museums and local employers, enhances pupils' understanding of diversity within and beyond modern Britain effectively. Pupils engage positively with the wider community by participating in charity and parish events such as coffee mornings and a recent 'Reindeer Run'.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should work with staff to ensure that teaching is adapted consistently well to support pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding so that they are supported to achieve all that they can. • Leaders should further develop the impact of both the teaching and assessment of personal, social and health education to ensure that pupils develop a consistently deep understanding of this curriculum.

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