St Thomas More High School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 6 March 2024

At St Thomas More High School pupils are supported to achieve, both academically and personally as individuals. The school has built strong relationships between its pupils, staff, and parents and carers. Leaders have developed a caring community where pupils and staff feel part of a family. Pupils are respectful of each other and their teachers. They are proud of their school. Pupils benefit from an extensive range of extra-curricular opportunities. Many pupils take part in clubs such as aviation and astronomy, and also belong to teams such as for chess. These are very well attended by pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). All pupils participate in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. This helps pupils to successfully develop skills and interests that they can use beyond the classroom. The school has thought carefully about how to prepare pupils for adulthood. Pupils are encouraged to take up a wide variety of leadership positions. For example, every year there is a leadership retreat. This develops leaders in sixth form and key stage 4. This equips pupils to make a valuable contribution to their community in a range of different ways.

What the school should improve

• In some instances, teachers do not provide pupils with clear guidance as to how they can improve their communication of what they have learned, for example through their writing across the curriculum. This means that some pupils are unable to express their ideas and what they have learned clearly. The school should ensure that pupils are consistently supported to be able to communicate effectively what they have learned and know across the curriculum. This will ensure that they achieve better in all subject areas.

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