St Ursula’s Convent School in Greenwich, London, was inspected on January 30 and 31, 2024, and received an overall effectiveness rating of Requires Improvement. This marks a significant decline from its previous Outstanding rating nine years ago. The inspection highlighted several areas needing improvement, including the quality of education, behavior and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The school offers an ambitious curriculum that enables many pupils to achieve well by the end of key stage four. However, recent leadership changes have led to insufficient oversight for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. While most of these pupils follow the same curriculum as their peers, they do not consistently receive the necessary support to access learning effectively.
The school has made recent changes, including appointing new leaders, which have increased the number of staff available for pupils to approach with concerns. Pupils are aware of whom to talk to and how to report issues, and staff ensure that support is in place to keep pupils safe. Although bullying is infrequent, some pupils feel unsettled due to recent challenges at the school and express a lack of trust in adults to help them effectively. Behavior in the school is generally orderly, with pupils being polite and courteous. However, there are times when behavior is less calm, particularly during unstructured periods. The school has introduced a new behavior policy that sets high expectations, but it is not yet fully embedded in practice.
The curriculum is ambitious and aligns with national expectations, with careful consideration given to the knowledge pupils should learn and the sequence in which it is delivered. This approach helps pupils secure their understanding before tackling more complex work. Teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge and value professional development opportunities. However, recent staffing changes have led to inconsistent sharing of information regarding pupils' needs, particularly for those with SEND. Consequently, some staff do not adapt activities and resources appropriately, limiting these pupils' understanding in various subjects.
Most pupils exhibit positive attitudes towards learning and behave well, although there are instances of less respectful behavior that fall below the school's expectations. The school monitors attendance and takes action to promote improvement, but recognizes the need for further efforts to ensure all pupils, including those with SEND, attend regularly. The personal, social, health, and economic education curriculum aims to support pupils' wider development, providing information about future learning and careers. However, the implementation of this program is inconsistent, leading to varied experiences for pupils.
Pupils have opportunities to take on leadership roles, such as prefects, and value this involvement. However, they feel that their discussions and recommendations do not always lead to sufficient action from the school. The governing body understands the school's strengths and weaknesses and fulfills its statutory duties, but their efforts are still in the early stages and have had limited impact on improvement. Many parents and carers express the need for further sustainable improvements at the school.
The safeguarding arrangements are effective, ensuring that pupils are kept safe. To improve, the school must ensure that teachers have adequate information to adapt the curriculum for pupils with SEND and provide the necessary support for effective learning. The new behavior policy needs to be fully embedded, and the personal development program should be coherently planned and implemented to provide a consistent experience for all pupils.
