Blessed William Howard Catholic High School has been judged to be a ‘Good’ school following a recent inspection by Ofsted.

The school has been through a period of rapid change in recent months, becoming part of The Painsley Catholic Academy in September and appointing a new Principal.

There have been significant changes to the structure of the senior leadership team and new policies implemented to ensure that Blessed William Howard is moving towards being an outstanding school.

The Ofsted inspection report highlights the excellent progress at Blessed William Howard.

Recognising improvements in student behaviour and an ongoing commitment to raising academic standards, the report states: “There is clear evidence that pupils make more progress and that their behaviour has improved……..The vast majority of pupils enjoy school and come across as happy, confident and considerate.”

The report continues, “Your (the school’s) focus on establishing a culture of high expectations and pursuit of academic excellence is having a positive impact on the quality of teaching and the attitudes to learning of pupils……Teaching is well structured and focused on supporting the progress of all pupils.”

Principal, Karl Brown, is delighted with the inspection findings and said: “The outcome of the inspection is fantastic news for our school and the community we serve.

“The result reflects the hard work of students, staff, the Local Governing Body and the Board of Directors of The Painsley Catholic Academy.

“This judgement demonstrates the impact of the new strategies being employed, which are designed to secure an outstanding rating.

“I thank parents/carers for their ongoing support during this period of change. Whilst the report is extremely positive, myself and my colleagues intend to take every opportunity to reflect on the findings in order to provide an outstanding education at Blessed William Howard Catholic High School.”

The school has published the full report on its website, as well as sharing the key findings with parents and students.

Blessed William Howard is further boosted with the forthcoming arrivals of two new Vice Principals in the next few weeks.

Dan Vince will join the school from his senior position at the Birmingham Diocese in which he has supported schools in their pursuit of excellence, and Richard Howes, a Senior Leader with a vast experience of school improvement.

Mr Bell, Painsley Catholic Academy's Chief Executive Officer, added: "My congratulations to the Principal and his team at Blessed William Howard.

“I am delighted with the progress being made at the school and know that the school will go from strength to strength.

“These are exciting times for all involved at Blessed William Howard in the pursuit of academic and pastoral excellence."