St Benedict’s is now officially a GOOD school!
St Benedict’s Catholic High School in Alcester is proud to announce the grading of Good in ALL areas from the Ofsted inspection undertaken on the 12 and 13th March 2024. Led by the Headteacher, Luke Payton, and the dedicated staff team, the school has demonstrated rapid improvement across the board. The school had previously been judged Requires Improvement by Ofsted 2020.
Headteacher, Luke Payton, commented, “The report reflects the commitment, hard work and passion of all of our students and staff. All have worked tirelessly to improve the provision at St Benedict’s and we are so proud that this has been reflected in such a positive OFSTED report.
In the words of Ofsted, ‘St Benedict’s Catholic High School’s leaders and pupils share the same high aspirations.” As a Catholic school for all, regardless of faith or background, St Benedict’s is committed to a journey of continuous improvement.
The school has been part of the Our Lady of the Magnificat Catholic MAC since September 2021 and has benefited from unwavering support from the Trust to both improve and develop.
Highlighting what makes St Benedict’s unique Mr Payton added, “We are a small school with a big heart and our community is the biggest strength of our school. We look forward to continuing to work together to achieve the very best for our students and their families.”
The school currently has an above national average percentage of students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and OFSTED commented that, “Pupils with SEND successfully access learning and achieve well.”
As an early participant in the DFE Behaviour Hubs programme, the school was supported, by the Behaviour Hubs Lead School, St Augustine’s Catholic High School, to make rapid positive change to culture and behaviour. This work was validated by OFSTED stating that, “There is a purposeful atmosphere around the school. Pupils focus on their learning well... The school has successfully raised expectations around pupils’ learning and behaviour. In all year groups, including the sixth form, positive relationships between staff, pupils, parents and carers help pupils to be confident and happy.”
The highly experienced inspection team acknowledged the strength of leadership and governance both at school and Trust level. CEO, Mr Tom Leverage commented, "It is wonderful to see the exceptional work of all staff recognised by Ofsted but also the recognition of strong governance that has demonstrated such a deep understanding of the school. Our Governors and Directors are volunteers who are committed to placing the school at the centre of our community and it is through their diligence that the school has achieved so much over the last three years."
It has also recently been announced that Ms Claire Paddock will be taking over as Principal from Mr Payton on 3rd June 2024. Ms Paddock has been Senior Assistant Headteacher at St Benedict’s since 2021 and has been instrumental in the progress the school has made. She commented, “It is an exciting time and I am proud to lead this dynamic school community to the next stage”
The sixth form has grown rapidly over the last two years and it is expected that demand for places will increase further with the publication of such an exceptional report. In September 2024, the school will be broadening its offer through an exciting collaboration with St Augustine's Redditch an Outstanding secondary school which is also part of the Magnificat family of schools. New Principal, Ms Paddock commented, "We will begin September knowing we are part of a sixth form offer that is unrivalled in the local area."