Barnham school proves it's a class act

Outstanding attainment, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development were some of the comments made by Ofsted inspectors after they visited the St Philip Howard Catholic High School.

Headteacher David Todd said he was delighted with the outcome of the report.

“This report serves to recognise the hard work, talent and dedication of the whole staff team, and members of our school community, comprising teachers, associate staff and parents, who contribute to the success of our students,” he said.

“It highlights the high standards of work, behaviour and care for each other shown by the children in our school.”

The school was visited last month by inspector Jacqueline White and four additional inspectors; they observed 39 lessons and 38 teachers.

In their report, inspectors said they were impressed with students’ behaviour and with the quality of education provided across the whole school, including the sixth form, and found parents and carers overwhelmingly positive.

The report stated: “The school provides its students with a good quality of education, including in the sixth form, and some aspects of its work are outstanding.

“The strong Catholic ethos permeates the school and contributes to students’ outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

“Students feel they are extremely safe and valued as individuals.

“They are proud of their school and have a strong sense of belonging.

“This is evident not only in their caring relationships and considerate behaviour, but also in their high attendance.

“They are proactive in seeking to create a cohesive community which looks not only inwards, but makes a good contribution to the wider community.”

The report also said the school fully prepared pupils for their future lives, demonstrating well-developed financial, communication and social skills.

The inspection team noted the number of previous students who gained five or more GCSE passes at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics, was higher than the national average.

The Elm Grove South school was also praised for its ‘close-knit and highly-supported’ sixth form.

The contribution students make to the school and the wider community was praised, as was their organisation of charity events.