St Ursula’s Convent in South London has turned the corner according the latest Ofsted report, which now provides a more detailed account of what’s working well and where its next steps for improvement lie for schools after an inspection, writes Niall Holden…
Just two years ago the formerly “outstanding” girl’s Catholic school in Greenwich was rocked with a Ofsted report of “requires improvement”. It came after the school was involved in a dispute which had seen teachers walk out for 16 days over five months in 2024.
In a report released just last month, the school achieved ‘Expected standard’ in five categories and a ‘Strong standard’ in one.
The school was inspected in six different categories, following the 2024 review with inspectors highlighting ‘turbulence in leadership’.
Major reforms were made in 2024 to Ofsted’s inspection framework nationally, following the death of Berkshire headteacher Ruth Perry. Inspectors can no longer give schools one word ratings such as ‘good’ or ‘inadequate’.
A coroner had ruled that an Ofsted inspection, which downgraded Ruth Perry’s Caversham Primary School in Reading from “outstanding” to “inadequate”, had contributed to her taking her own life.
St Ursula’s Convent school achieved ‘Expected standard’ in ‘attendance and behaviour’, ‘curriculum and teaching’, ‘inclusion’, ‘leadership and governance’, ‘personal development and well being’, while its pupils’ academic achievement was rated as ‘strong standard’.
The Inspectors’ report cited pupils achieving highly across the school, producing consistently strong work and largely performing above the national average at GCSE. Those arriving with gaps in reading, writing or maths ability, receive swift support to help them catch up, according to the report.
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It also noted that the school has expectations from it’s pupils, who ‘respond with strong achievement, enthusiasm for learning and positive behaviour and that pupils feel proud of their school.’
Inspectors also praised the pace of change and the positive culture now firmly embedded across the school, including singling out the good leadership of headteacher Mark O’Shaughnessy who joined in 2024.
Mr O’Shaughnessy said: “This vastly improved Ofsted report is a moment of real pride for our school, and a powerful reflection of how far we have come in a short space of time.
“It recognises the dedication of our staff, the resilience and ambition of our students and the shared commitment we have to delivering the very best education. Our community has come together, healed, and now moves forward into a bright future.”
A spokesperson for the governing body added: “The governors are thrilled with the pace of transformation and the rapid progress made. The inspectors recognised the amazing dedication and commitment from the whole school team.”
