Ofsted & Section 48 Inspections
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I am incredibly proud that in March 2023 St Bede’s was judged to
be an outstanding school. The rigorous inspection included ‘deep dives’ into many different subjects, meeting with students, senior leaders, staff and governors. Inspectors also considered student and parent/carer feedback to reach their judgement.
I was extremely pleased that independent inspectors observed the excellent relationships between students and staff as well as the exceptional behaviour displayed across the school. We pride ourselves on our strong pastoral care ensuring that students feel safe in school and are well supported.
"Pupils behave exceptionally well. They are unfailingly respectful to each other, to staff and to visitors. Pupils are happy and feel safe. Leaders have put in place excellent pastoral care. Pupils know there is always someone they can go to for help. Bullying is very rare and it is swiftly and effectively dealt with by staff when it does occur."
Ofsted 2023
St Bede’s works hard to provide a broad and balanced curriculum which is ambitious for all students including those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with special educational needs. Teachers work hard to provide engaging lessons which ensures all students make rapid progress. Ofsted in their report highlighted the attention to detail subject leads have taken in planning their curriculum right across the curriculum and how they consider the needs of all students.
"Leaders in subjects across the school have created an ambitious curriculum. They have identified the knowledge that pupils need to learn that will allow them to reach challenging end points. This curriculum is very well sequenced and teachers make frequent links back to previous lessons. This allows pupils to confidently discuss what they have learned and to apply this prior learning to new situations. Teachers put in place well targeted adaptations to support pupils with SEND. These pupils are then able to achieve the same ambitious goals as their peers. Teachers are able to do this because of the work they do with leaders to identify the specific needs that pupils have. The monitoring of action plans for pupils with SEND by leaders is exemplary. This excellent support for pupils with SEND continues into the sixth form."
Ofsted 2023
Extra-curricular is an important part of school life at St Bede’s. Staff work hard to provide students with the best possible experiences inside and outside of the classroom. We now offer more clubs, trips and visits than ever before. Inspectors concluded that this was a real strength of the school.
"Pupils have many opportunities to both develop and discover interests. This includes an innovative ‘elective’ programme in Year 8. Pupils select from a wide array of topics which go beyond the usual curriculum. This allows pupils to personalise what they study while still having an excellent common curriculum. Leaders have also ensured that pupils throughout the school benefit from well-chosen visits, clubs and opportunities to support their community."
Ofsted 2023
As a faith school, St Bede's is also subject to a Section 48 inspection by the Anglican diocesan of Southwark and the Catholic diocesan of Arundel and Brighton. This last inspection took place in December 2017 with the overall judgement graded ‘outstanding’
Adam Powell
Headteacher
Full copies of the inspection reports can be accessed below. To view the most recent report and previous reports on the Ofsted website, please click here.
We invite all parents to participate in the Ofsted ‘ParentView’ by reviewing their experiences of the school.