St Peter's Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 March 2026

Pupils do not achieve highly enough. For example, students in the post-16 provision often achieve below national averages in examinations at the end of key stage 5. Similarly, at the end of Year 11, some pupils do not perform as well as they should in national examinations. This includes some pupils who have higher academic starting points when they join the school and some disadvantaged pupils. Most pupils enjoy learning. However, the quality of teaching that they receive is variable. Teaching does not routinely identify and close gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills. Staff do not make effective adaptations for pupils who face barriers to learning, such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Consequently, pupils do not progress through the curriculum as well as they should. Pupils benefit from a wide range of personal development opportunities. These develop their confidence and independence. For example, pupils are proud to represent the school in sports and music. There are a range of national and international visits, such as a sporting tour to South Africa. These opportunities develop pupils’ teamwork and build their sense of belonging to the school. The school has a strong sense of community, underpinned by its ‘ROCK’ values. Pupils understand these values and appreciate being rewarded for demonstrating them, for example, when they show ‘optimism’ or ‘kindness’. Pupils are safe and happy in school. They have warm, respectful relationships with staff, and with each other. Staff are caring and know pupils as individuals. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They understand the importance of respecting and celebrating difference. Discrimination or bullying are not tolerated. Pupils attend school regularly and benefit from effective support to reduce their absence, when they need it. They conduct themselves well and have positive attitudes to their learning.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that staff have sufficient expertise to adapt their teaching to support those pupils who face barriers to their learning, so that the needs of these pupils are met well and they learn successfully.
• Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment strategies effectively, so that gaps in pupils’ learning are identified and remedied swiftly.
• Leaders and staff should raise their expectations of what pupils, including those with high academic starting points, can achieve, so that teaching enables them to meet the ambitious aims of the curriculum and achieve highly.
• Leaders should ensure that the quality of teaching is consistently effective, so that post-16 students and pupils in key stage 4 achieve as highly as they should.
• Leaders should continue their work to embed the careers programme, so that all pupils benefit from strong careers experiences in preparation for their next steps.
• Leaders should ensure that their approach to monitoring and evaluating the impact of their actions to improve the school is sufficiently rigorous and precise, so that they make the necessary improvements and trustees can hold them robustly to account.

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