4 days Ago
An “exemplary” catholic school has gone from good to outstanding in all areas in a recent Ofsted report. Cardinal Newman Catholic School on The Upper Drive in Hove was inspected between October 8 and 9. Inspectors found that pupils are immensely proud to attend this school and feel a strong sense of belonging.
It highlighted that students “extoll the ethos and values of the school, as captured in the declaration ‘I am valued, I am valuable, and I value others'". When Ofsted last inspected the school in 2023, it mentioned that the school could be rated ‘outstanding’ in its next inspection. In this inspection, the education watchdog found that students achieved extremely well because they benefit from highly skilled and expert teaching.
The teaching allows them to develop wide-ranging knowledge and a deep understanding of the subjects they learn. Ofsted found that the school ensures everyone is well prepared for life in modern Britain. Students said they are "encouraged to respect and celebrate difference of all types, and they do".
The report also stated that a “very strong pastoral care provides exceptional support for pupils’ well-being”. It also found that students know that they have adults who will help them if they are struggling and that they are hugely respectful of one another. Cardinal Newman Catholic School on The Upper Drive in Hove (Image: Ramy Abou-Setta / The Argus) The education watchdog found that the school’s curriculum is highly ambitious, underpinning the aim that “all pupils will develop the knowledge and critical thinking skills they need to be successful during their time in school and beyond”.
The inspection also found that the sixth-form curriculum is equally ambitious and builds on what pupils have studied in key stages 3 and 4. It reported that students in the sixth form are challenged to achieve their best and that work produced by these students is of a high quality. Ofsted highlighted that behaviour in lessons is “exemplary” and that pupils work with “great effort, motivated by teachers who are experts in their subject”.
It also highlighted that students with SEND achieve well and that they successfully learn the curriculum alongside their peers. The report found that there are effective procedures to identify pupils’ need and that teachers adapt their teaching for pupils with SEND using the information in their ‘pupil passports’. It also found that many students say that they enjoy reading and that there is a range of opportunities for “pupils to engage with a wide range of high quality books”.
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