New Ofsted grading system

The main change is that we no longer give one overall judgement, such as ‘good’, ‘outstanding’ or ‘requires improvement’.

Instead, the report cards show colour-coded grades for different areas – the aspects of education that matter most to you, like ‘attendance and behaviour’, ‘achievement’, ‘personal development and well-being’, and ‘inclusion’ (meaning how well the school or other provider meets the needs of all children).

We grade these areas on a new scale:

• ‘exceptional’
• ‘strong standard’
• ‘expected standard’
• ‘needs attention’

In conducting inspections, each diocese is  exercising a pastoral function on behalf of  their Bishop. Inspection is one of the ways a Bishop acts as a shepherd of his schools,  protecting, supporting and encouraging  them. For this reason, dioceses also have  a canonical and legal responsibility to  ensure that the inspection of their schools  witnesses to Catholic values and are compatible with both the teachings of the  Church and the law of the land. Dioceses will exercise this responsibility by  appointing accredited inspectors who are  able to carry out this pastoral and legal  function effectively.  

When an inspector carries out an inspection,  they are acting on behalf of the Bishop in  whose diocese the school is situated. For this reason, they must be able to act with integrity as his representative and must therefore be practising Catholics in full communion with the Catholic Church.

Summary of findings from our recent CSI Inspection ^{(Sept 24)}

What the school does well:

• The headteacher is a faith-filled leader, energised by the school’s mission. Her vibrant approach to providing outstanding Catholic education is infectious and is shared by all staff.
• Catholic social teaching permeates all aspects of school life, from the governors’ direction to class-based learning and social outreach projects.
• Outcomes in religious education are excellent because staff have very high expectations and are well-skilled in communicating these to pupils.
• Leaders deploy a rigorous monitoring and evaluation cycle, which enables rapid improvements to the school’s Catholic life and mission, religious education, and collective worship.
• Pupils participate fully and actively in a wide range of Catholic prayer styles.
• They enthusiastically respond to the invitation to lead prayer for others.

What the school needs to improve:

• Establish consistency in how pupils are challenged to respond at a deeper level to all areas of the religious education curriculum. 

We are delighted to share the outcomes of our recent Ofsted inspection, which took place on 3^rd  February 2026. The report recognises Our Lady and St Kenelm RC School as a place where children thrive, and the feedback is something our whole community can be deeply proud of.

Inspectors described the school as being at a strong/expected standard across all areas, with safeguarding fully met and embedded in a culture where “pupils are made safer and feel safe.” This reflects our shared commitment to care, trust and partnership.

Our Most Recent Inspection: February 2026

We are proud to read that we have been highly recognised for all that we have achieved under the new inspection framework.   We are thrilled with the positive outcomes that have been acknowledged in the report.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all staff, governors, parents and especially our children, for all of the continued support to follow our mission statement and:

‘Bring out the best in everyone, for the benefit of all, in the Spirit of Christ’