St Wilfrid's Catholic Comprehensive School, Crawley

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 March 2023

Pupils at St Wilfrid's are proud to be part of a big community that shares strong values. Pupils and parents say that this is 'their' school. Diverse backgrounds are celebrated in a safe environment. For example, in 'cultural week', pupils talk confidently about their own religions or beliefs. They come to school wearing traditional costumes. As one pupil explained, 'Cultural week includes everyone.' School leaders have high expectations, based on their clear moral principles. They expect everyone to follow them. Teachers and sixth-form students set an excellent example for younger pupils. Leaders prioritise academic and personal development equally. They check that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), take part in clubs and visits. Pupils value the choice in key stage 4 options and in the sixth form. Most pupils do well in their studies, especially those who start secondary school a little behind their peers. Strong careers advice helps pupils with their next steps. Many sixth-form students go on to university. Pupils' behaviour is excellent. Pupils are polite and courteous. They know that the staff look after them well. There is very little bullying, but if it happens, pupils trust staff to deal with it.

What the school should improve

• Sometimes, teachers are not ambitious enough. They do not always ensure that the work for some pupils, including some of the most-able pupils, is sufficiently challenging. As a result, these pupils do not always achieve as well as they could. Leaders should ensure staff have the training and knowledge they need to adapt their teaching better to meet the needs of all their pupils, including the most able.
• The proportion of pupils who take a modern foreign language, as well as either history or geography, is very small. For some pupils, this may have a limiting impact on their next steps or their choice of careers. Leaders should continue to increase the number of pupils choosing these subjects.

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