St Thomas More Voluntary Catholic Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 February 2026

Pupils enjoy attending St Thomas More Voluntary Catholic Academy. They form strong and respectful relationships with their peers and staff. Their enjoyment of learning is reflected in the positive attitudes that they show. Pupils are welcoming and represent the school well. The school is a friendly and inclusive environment. Leaders have re-established the ‘STM way’, which has strengthened the school’s culture. Staff use this to teach pupils what behaviours are expected and how to make a positive contribution to the school community. This helps pupils to develop their character and confidence and to feel safe. On the rare occasions that bullying occurs, staff address this appropriately. The school’s effective work to strengthen pupils’ resilience has helped to improve rates of attendance. Leaders have taken steps to improve the school in recent terms. This has ensured that pupils now study a curriculum that is effectively designed and suited to their needs. Over time, teaching of the curriculum has also strengthened. Consequently, pupils’ experiences prepare them for the next stages of their education. On the whole, pupils achieve well. This is generally reflected in national assessments, where the school’s results are mostly in line with national averages. Pupils who are further behind or face barriers to their learning have their needs identified accurately and are supported to catch up. Leaders have a secure understanding of those areas where improvements are still necessary. Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities that enhance their education. These include a variety of clubs at lunchtime and after school. Pupils enjoy these, either because they reflect their interests, such as dodgeball, or because they can learn new skills, as in coding club. They appreciate being trusted and given positions of responsibility, such as junior chaplains. They take these roles seriously, considering how they can use them to benefit others.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should embed changes in the school’s teaching approach to ensure that these are implemented to a consistently high level across the school, in order to strengthen pupils' achievement.
• Leaders should ensure that staff consistently make well-considered decisions about how to use continuous provision in the early years to strengthen children's learning. This includes to close any gaps in children’s knowledge through high-quality interactions.
• Leaders should strengthen the school’s systems for evaluating the impact of recent improvement actions so that these evaluations better inform future strategic decision-making.

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