Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Secondary School
Unique Reference Number 100860
Local Authority Southwark
Inspection number 285902
Inspection date 7 February 2007
Reporting inspector Barry Jones
This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.
Type of school Comprehensive
School category Voluntary aided
Age range of pupils 11-17
School address Camberwell New Road/London/SE5 0RP
Gender of pupils Mixed
Number on roll (school) 667
Number on roll (6th form) 14
Appropriate authority The governing body
Date of previous school inspection 28 January 2002
Telephone number 02072746844
Fax number 02077371713
Chair Michael Gould
Headteacher Ms Sally Coates
Age group
11-17
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Inspection date
7 February 2007
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Inspection number
285902
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Introduction
The inspection was carried out by one Additional Inspector.
Description of the school
Sacred Heart is smaller than average and serves an inner city area that is more disadvantaged than most. There are higher proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and for whom English is not their home language, than in most schools. In 2003, it became a joint specialist language college with another Southwark secondary school. Attainment on entry to the school is below average but is improving. In 2006, the school has admitted a small number of students into the sixth form who need further support before continuing to further education.
Key for inspection grades
Grade 1 Outstanding
Grade 2 Good
Grade 3 Satisfactory
Grade 4 Inadequate
Overall effectiveness of the school
Grade: 1
Sacred Heart is an outstanding school. Its achievements are a credit to the staff, governors and, not least, to the pupils themselves. The school's work is greatly appreciated by the parents. As one parent wrote, 'The school is like a fine wine, it is gettingbetterwithage'.Thereisnoonesinglereasonfortheschool'ssuccess.Itdoes have an 'X factor' and new staff fit seamlessly into this thriving community and are encouraged to make their own distinctive contribution. There is an expectation that excellent standards in behaviour, attitudes and achievement will continue and this positive ethos pervades the life of the school.
Pupilsenterwithbelowaveragestandards.BythetimetheyleaveattheendofYear 11, standards are well above average and in some respects are exceptionally high. For instance, results in mathematics and history are excellent. Consequently, pupils' achievementisoutstandingandisconsistentlyinthetopfewpercentofallschools. This is principally because of the outstanding teaching. There are also very effective systems for monitoring the progress made by pupils. This means that dips in performance are identified early, appropriate support given and pupils' progress accelerated. A notable feature of the school is the willingness of pupils to attend extra sessions,includingonSaturdaymornings,forrevisionclassesorforadditionalsupport. Theiracademic gains are matched bypupils' outstanding personal development. Their behaviourisexcellentandunderpinstheharmonious,familyatmosphere.Visitorsare made to feel very welcome and this reflects well the Christian values of the school. Pupils are cared for very well and adults provide good role models. In return, pupils make an excellent contribution to the school and to the widercommunity. Theyare highlymotivatedandthisisshownbytheirverygoodattendance.Theyhaveagood understandingofhealthy-eatingissues.Thelackofadequatesportsfacilitiesandsmall play areas limits the opportunities for physical development. Currently, there is no timeinthecurriculumforphysicaleducation(PE)forYear11pupilsandnotallof these pupils participate in the after-school sports' clubs.
The school has benefited from its specialism in languages. More languages are now offered and standards have risen. Contrary to the national picture, more pupils are choosing languages in Year 10 and this reflects their positive attitudes. Productive links have been established with local schools and abroad.
Theschoolenjoysexcellentleadershipandhighstandardsaremaintained.Theschool knows its strengths and weaknesses very well and constantly strives for excellence. Teamworkingisexceptional.Asaresult,thereisoutstandingcapacitytoimprove further.
Effectiveness and efficiency of the sixth form
Grade: 2
Theschoolisparticipatinginapilotforasmallnumberofstudentswhoarefinding thetransitiontofurthereducationadifficultexperience.Theycometotheschoolfor one or two days per week and attend a college or do work experience for the other days.Thisismanagedwellandthelinkswiththecolleges,employersandotherpartners areexemplary.Theirincreasedmotivationisshownbytheirverygoodattendanceand thatall havenowraisedtheiraspirations.Theyareactivelypursuingapplicationsfor courses and have been guided very well by staff and careers advisers. It is too early to judge the effectiveness of the project but it has made a good start. They start with standardsthatarewellbelowaveragebutmonitoringbytheschoolindicatesgood progress by these students.
What the school should do to improve further
• Ensure that all pupils take part in physical education.
Achievement and standards
Grade: 1
Grade for sixth form: 2
Standards in national tests at the end of Year 9 are above average, having improved significantlyin2006,particularlyformoreablepupils.StandardsintheGCSE examinationsareconsistentlyhighandwereexceptionallysoin2005.Inparticular, results in mathematics have improved and have been exceptionally high in the last two years. This is due to the excellent teaching, a well-designed curriculum and very good leadership. Expectations for what pupils could achieve in mathematics were raisedfollowingcarefulanalysisofdataandthisapproachhasbornefruit.Standards inarthaveimprovedmarkedlysincethepreviousinspectionandallpupilsachievewell intheGCSEexaminations.Displaysofpupils'artdomuchtoenhancetheenvironment within the school. There are no underachievinggroups. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make the same progress as their classmates. Girls do better than boys andtheschoolisdevelopingfurtherstrategiestoraisetheattainmentofboys.
Personal development and well-being
Grade: 1
Grade for sixth form: 1
Pupils'personaldevelopmentandwell-being,includingtheirspiritual,moral,social andcultural,areoutstanding.Theschoolhasstronglinkswithcharities.Staffand pupilsraisedaconsiderableamountofmoneythatenabledsomeofthemtoworkwith children in an orphanage in Thailand. This good workis continuing. Pupils verymuch enjoycomingtoschoolandfeelverysafethere.Theyspeakhighlyoftheteachers and typical comments were, 'the teachers respect us and that is why we get on so well'and'lessonsareinterestingandfun'.Theschoolcounciltakesitsresponsibilities very seriously. They saythat theirviews are valued. They have influenced some changes in the school uniform, have initiated a refurbishment ofthe toilets and newdrinking fountains were installed in the playgrounds at their request. Pupils are very well prepared for the next stage in their careers.
Quality of provision
Teaching and learning
Grade: 1
Grade for sixth form: 2
The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Monitoring by the school shows that nearly 90% of lessons are good or better. There is some outstanding teaching in most subjects but particularly in mathematics and history. Teachers have good subject knowledge and have cultivated very good learning atmospheres in classrooms. This means that lessons can be conducted at a good pace without disruptions through minormisbehaviour.Theteachersmakeverygooduseofresourcesincludinginteractive whiteboardstoaddstimulusandinteresttolessons.Theyareskilledatquestioning and checkingwhetherpupils have grasped a topic. As one pupil said, 'If you tell a teacherthatyoudonotunderstand,youwillbetakentoonesideandhegoesthrough it step by step until you do.' The school uses its most effective teachers to support other teachers and this helps to maintain the high standards.
Curriculum and other activities
Grade: 2
Grade for sixth form: 2
The curriculum is good and contributes significantly to pupils' progress academically andsocially.Forinstance,thereisverygoodprovisionforpersonalandsocialeducation aswellasfornumeracyandliteracy.Theschoolhasmadeverygoodprogresssince thepreviousinspectioninimprovingtheresourcesforICT.Itsdesignationasaspecialist languagesschoolhashelpedconsiderablyindevelopingtheuseofICTinlanguages and in many other subjects. The curriculum is modified to meet the needs of pupils with learning difficulties and those who are very able or have particular talents. Consequently, together with the well-organised extra support available for these pupils, they make excellent progress. The school achieved the 'challenge award' in 2006 in recognition of excellence in meeting the needs of gifted and talented pupils. ThereisnoPEprovisionforYear11pupils.Thisarisespartlybecauseofshortcomings in the accommodation but also because the school was not able to appoint a head of PE for two years. This has been addressed for next year. Pupils are offered many opportunities for participating in sports after school. There is a good range of extra-curricular activities.
Care, guidance and support
Grade: 1
Grade for sixth form: 1
Care,guidanceandsupportareoutstanding.Theschoolisrelativelysmallandmeans that the staff know their pupils very well. They are very committed to ensuring that every pupil achieves their full potential and is involved fully in the life of the school.
The school employs a full-time counsellor and a part-time chaplain and this complements well the support given by individual teachers. The pastoral system is verystrongandlinkswellwiththeacademicguidance.Theschoolhasanaptlynamed 'trackandact'systemformonitoringprogressandthisisusedwelltoensurethatany dips in performance are remedied. The pupils know theirtargets and what theyhave to do in order to improve further.
Leadership and management
Grade: 1
Grade for sixth form: 2
Leadership and management are outstanding and have successfully raised standards andmaintainedhighlevelsofcare.Theheadteacherhashighexpectationsforthe performanceofherstaffandthepupilsandtheyrespondwell.Sheisablysupported by a very competent seniorleadership team. The high level ofconsistencyachieved everyyearacrossallthesubjectsistestimonytotheexcellentandconsistentleadership. Middle managers are very effective and receive good support and challenge from senior managers. The quality of teaching is monitored rigorously and constructive feedback, allied to in-service training, leads to better teaching. The governors have considerableexpertiseandarefullyinvolvedintheworkoftheschool.Theyholdthe school to account well. They recognise the shortcomings in the accommodation. However, they are hampered in their attempts to resolve this issue because of uncertainties over timescales for plans to rebuild the school.
Inspection judgements
Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate
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School
Overall
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16-19
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Overall effectiveness
How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners?
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1
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2
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How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being?
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1
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1
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The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation
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1
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2
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The capacity to make any necessary improvements
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1
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2
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Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection
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Yes
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NA
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Achievement and standards
How well do learners achieve?
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1
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2
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The standards1 reached by learners
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1
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4
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How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners
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1
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2
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How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress
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1
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Personal development and well-being
How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners?
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1
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1
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The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
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1
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The behaviour of learners
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1
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The attendance of learners
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1
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How well learners enjoy their education
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1
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The extent to which learners adopt safe practices
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1
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The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles
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3
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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community
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1
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How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being
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1
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The quality of provision
How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of the learners' needs?
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1
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2
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How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners?
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2
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2
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How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?
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1
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1
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Leadership and management
How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners?
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1
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2
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Howeffectivelyleadersandmanagersatalllevelssetclear direction leading to improvement and promote high qualityof care and education
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1
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How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets
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1
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How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can
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1
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How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money
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1
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The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities
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1
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Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements?
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Yes
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Yes
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Does this school require special measures?
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No
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Does this school require a notice to improve?
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No
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