Strategic Plans

School Improvement Plan

St Joseph’s RC High School is committed to the provision of a Catholic education for all its students in accordance with the principles and teachings of the Catholic faith. Through our mission statement, summarised by ‘Serving God Through Learning Together’, we endeavour to keep faith as the foundation of all that we do so that Gospel values and Catholic Virtues permeate and affect all aspects of our school life.

‘The parish community is a place for religious and spiritual education. School is a place for cultural education. The two dimensions must be integrated, because the same values inspire them: they are the values of Christian families who, in a society dominated by relativism and threatened by existential emptiness, intend to offer their children an education based on the unchangeable values of the Gospel.’

We embrace the Welsh Government’s vision of school improvement which supports us in our mission to nurture the whole child to prepare them to serve their communities in an uncertain world.

‘The overarching purpose of school improvement is to help schools give learners the best possible learning experiences and outcomes, whatever their background or circumstance, in order to achieve high standards and aspirations for all.’
(School improvement guidance: framework for evaluation, improvement and accountability)

We are committed to continuing to work alongside our Cluster primaries, our pupils, our parents/carers, our staff, our governors and other educationalists to ensure that all are actively involved in the construction of a learning environment in which all can flourish in all aspects of their lives.

our vision

**Our vision is for a virtue-driven learning environment.**

‘The core purpose of St Joseph's RC High School is Serving God Through Learning Together. This philosophy is at the heart of everything we do for each member of our community.’

**The Why, which drives our vision, is that we create pupils who are:**

faith-filled for themselves, others, and in God
hopeful for their futures and the future of society
loving of each other and their environments.

The What and the Where of our vision:

powerful knowledge through inspiring provision
challenge thinking through progression of knowledge and skills
authentic experiences which reflect our SJHS and Wales context.

Our improvement plan is the How:

high expectations for all
innovative and creative
responsive to the needs of pupils.

Continuous Cycle of Improvement

A robust continuous cycle of self-evaluation informs the school’s improvement plan. Evaluation of external outcomes is just one part of the jigsaw in the school’s monitoring, evaluating and reviewing process.

How exactly do we monitor, review and evaluate?

We monitor, review and evaluate (MRE) the quality of teaching, learning, curriculum, student support and leadership across the school through a range of MRE activities. These include:

Student work reviews.
Learning observations.
Discussions with students.
Discussions with teachers.
Data analysis.
Seeking views from parents/carers.
Document reviews

What are the school’s improvement priorities and how will we improve?
Self-evaluation processes have enabled us to identify key priorities to work on in 2024-2025.

Priorities 2024-2025

Priority 1 : teaching and learning

Maximise pupil engagement in learning by embedding the SJHS way to routines.
Further develop and consolidate students’ reading and writing skills.
Further develop students' numeracy skills.
Further develop students' skills in digital competency.
Improve reading and writing skills of eFSM pupils and pupils who score less than 70 in National Reading tests in years 7-9.
Improve standards in Welsh, particularly in Years 10 and 11 (GCSE Welsh) and in the school's provision to develop pupils’ understanding and appreciation of their Cynefin, the local area and Welsh culture and heritage.
Ensure all pupils are supported to learn and progress at an expected or better level by further improving how departments collect and use KS3 assessment data.
Further develop pupils' understanding of the cross-cutting themes in the new curriculum.
Further develop medium-term curriculum plans which effectively support progression.
Continue to develop pupils' knowledge and understanding regarding the benefits of healthy relationships to their mental well-being and self-respect through RSE.
Develop curriculum plans for 2025-26 and 2026-27 in readiness for the introduction of the 'Made for Wales' qualifications.

Priority 2 : Wellbeing, Care, Support and Guidance

Further strengthen the safeguarding culture of the school.
Decrease the impact of barriers to learning for eFSM learners in KS4.
Decrease the impact of barriers to learning for eFSM learners in KS3.
Decrease the barriers to learning for the 40% of pupils in KS3 living in the 20% most deprived wards in Wales.
Continue to implement the new ALN Code in preparation for full transition by Summer 2025 - ensuring that staff have excellent knowledge of the new code and the role they play within it to ensure their pedagogy has a positive impact on the outcomes for all learners with an ALN.
Further improve pupils' virtues-driven attitudes to learning.
Maximise opportunities for pupils to influence the school's life and work and share the impact of their voice.
Further develop, communicate and monitor our Pupil Voice Strategic Equality Action Plan (PV-SEAP).
Improve the Part A WSA strategy to support the emotional and mental health and wellbeing of all pupils and staff.
Sustain the school's Platinum ECO-Schools status for a 7th year.
Pupils to take a proactive approach in leadership with regard to issues identified from SHRN data and My Concerns.
Create and deliver an enrichment programme for years 12 and year 13.
Improve school attendance and narrow the NFSM vs FSM attendance gap.

Priority 3 : Leading and Improving

Further improve the ability of all middle leaders to plan a series of self-evaluative activities, each building on the findings of the last in order to improve the impact of teaching on learning.
Further refine the quality assurance process to support more effective communication and triangulation of findings to inform SDP.
Plan universal PL opportunities for teachers to ensure that all pupils are Increase the number of pupils who think hard and actively participate in the lesson/learning.
Plan targeted PL programme to support individual teachers to have a greater impact on the progress of students in their classrooms.
Refine approach to professional enquiry to ensure all pupils make at least expected progress.
Further develop the ITE programme to sustain a positive impact on our school.
Ensure all members of school (pupils, staff, parents/carers) have clarity regarding SDP priorities.

Pupil Development Grant (PDG)

This statement details our school’s use of the PDG for the 2025 to 2026 academic year.
It outlines our strategy, how we intend to spend the funding in this academic year and the effect that last year’s spending had within our school.

SCHOOL OVERVIEW

SCHOOL OVERVIEW
Detail	Data
School name	St Joseph’s RC High School
Number of learners in school	1459
Proportion (%) of PDG eligible learners	9.93%
Date this statement was published	May 2025
Date on which it will be reviewed	May 2026
Statement authorised by	Mrs J Morgan
PDG Lead	Mr T Seghiri
Governor Lead	Mrs A Godfrey

FUNDING OVERVIEW
Detail	Amount
PDG funding allocation this academic year	£194,147
Total budget for this academic year	£6,979,939

PART A : STRATEGY PLAN

Statement of Intent

Our ultimate objective is for all pupils eligible for Pupil Premium funding to feel noticed, valued, confident, and fully engaged in their learning, achieving academic progress in line with or above their peers. We aim to ensure that every FSM pupil has the literacy, numeracy, emotional, and social skills required to succeed both in school and beyond.

Our strategy is built upon the principles of early intervention, strong relationships, consistent pastoral care, and high-quality teaching. We work closely with families and external partners to remove barriers to learning and create a culture of high aspiration, inclusion, and wellbeing.

The appointment of an additional English teacher supports our intent by ensuring that vulnerable pupils receive personalised, high-quality literacy instruction, enabling them to access the wider curriculum with confidence. Smaller group sizes and targeted feedback have led to measurable improvements in engagement and praise points, reflecting increased motivation and self-belief.

By embedding wellbeing and resilience themes within the English curriculum, pupils are supported to explore emotions, identity, and empathy through literature—strengthening both academic skills and emotional intelligence.

The role also contributes to the school’s curriculum and leadership strategy, expanding qualification pathways and modelling effective literacy practice across departments. As a result, FSM pupils report higher confidence in their studies, and their progress in English is strategically tracked to ensure timely, evidence-based interventions.

The Learning Coach plays a vital role in achieving our objective that FSM pupils feel noticed, supported, and confident. Through one-to-one mentoring and goal setting, the Learning Coach builds strong, trusting relationships with pupils and families.

This individualised approach not only supports pupils’ academic progress but also strengthens their emotional wellbeing and self-regulation. Pupils are encouraged to take ownership of their learning, leading to improved engagement and resilience.

The Learning Coach also contributes to multi-agency collaboration, ensuring that external professionals, parents, and teachers work cohesively to meet pupils’ individual needs. This joined-up approach ensures that every pupil receives the right support at the right time—leading to improved confidence and sustained progress.

Our Attendance Officer ensures that FSM pupils maintain strong connections to school life and learning. Through consistent communication, home visits, and partnership with families, attendance barriers are identified and addressed early.

This approach has strengthened family engagement, helping parents feel supported and valued as partners in their children’s education. Collaboration with community and external services (e.g., Early Help, social care, health agencies) ensures a coordinated response to complex needs.

Improved attendance and punctuality directly support academic continuity, resulting in greater classroom engagement, improved wellbeing, and higher levels of pupil confidence. FSM attendance continues to move towards the school’s targeted levels.

Teaching Assistants play a crucial role in ensuring that FSM pupils receive swift and strategic intervention in literacy and numeracy. Small-group and one-to-one support, guided by assessment data, ensures that gaps in understanding are addressed rapidly.

Beyond academic support, TAs provide emotional reassurance and continuity of care, helping pupils to feel secure and valued in the classroom. This leads to stronger engagement, more positive behaviour, and higher praise-to-concern ratios compared to the previous year.

The impact of TAs is closely monitored, ensuring that interventions are purposeful, time-limited, and linked directly to improved outcomes.

The consistent presence of a trained Cover Supervisor ensures continuity of relationships and routines, particularly important for FSM pupils who benefit from stability and predictability. Lessons remain purposeful and aligned with curriculum goals, even in staff absence, minimising disruption.

The Cover Supervisor also supports literacy and numeracy reinforcement during cover sessions and maintains high expectations for behaviour and engagement. Their pastoral presence contributes to pupils feeling recognised, safe, and valued within the school environment."

Pupil Voice: Most FSM pupils report that they feel noticed, valued, and more confident in their studies compared with the previous year.
Engagement: Data shows an increase in praise points and reduction in concerns among FSM pupils, with improvement more marked than their non-FSM peers.
Family Partnerships: FSM parents and carers report feeling well supported by the school and confident in how to help their children at home.
Academic Progress: FSM progress is strategically tracked; timely interventions ensure that most pupils make at least expected progress.
Attendance: FSM attendance has improved towards the targeted level due to strengthened family partnerships and proactive attendance strategies.

Intended outcomes

This explains the outcomes we are aiming for by the end of our current strategy plan, and how we will measure whether they have been achieved.

Intended outcome	Success criteria
All KS3 and KS4 pupils indentified as vulnerable with have benefitted from a carefully tailored programme of literacy and numeracy support	FSM pupils continue to maintain at least 360 average points score capped 9.
	FSM pupils to achieve at least 43 average points score in literacy.
	In NRT tests 2025-26, the average score for 'Reading Strategies and Identifying Key Words' will increase to at least 1015 in Years 7, 8 and 9.
	In NNT tests 2025-26, the average score for Measurement and for Calculation will increase to at least 1015.
All KS3, KS4 and KS5 pupils identified as vulnerable will have beneffited from a carefully taoilred programme of academic, emotional and mental health/wellbeing support by end of academic year.	FSM pupils continue to maintain at least 360 average points score capped 9.
	FSM pupils to achieve at least 43 average points score in literacy.
	FSM attendance will continue to improve to 89%+.
	Most pupils are able to articulate at least two examples of how they are 'personally effective' in their approach to their studies.
	Most pupils involved in targeted intervention programmes make at least expected progress in the targeted skills as evidenced in NRNTs 2025-26.
	Learning plans in mathematics, science and technology will signpost key opportunities to develop numeracy (reasoning) skills and book looks will evidence a consistent approach to the development of numeracy skills.

Activity in this academic year

This details how we intend to spend our PDG this academic year to achieve the intended outcomes listed above.

Learning and teaching	£132,500
Community Focused Schools	£27,500
Wider Strategies	£35,000
Total Bugeted Costs	£195,000

Learning and teaching
Activity	Evidence that supports this approach
Additional English Teacher £35,000	Funding an additional English teacher has enabled smaller class sizes and targeted intervention groups, allowing vulnerable pupils to receive focused support in reading, writing, and communication. Evidence from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) highlights that small-group and one-to-one literacy interventions can accelerate progress by up to four months. This approach has strengthened pupils’ core literacy skills, improved engagement and confidence, and supported access to the wider curriculum. Improved self-esteem and reduced anxiety around literacy tasks have also contributed positively to pupils’ emotional wellbeing.
Additional Learning Coach £17,500	The Learning Coach provides one-to-one academic mentoring, emotional support, and goal setting for disadvantaged pupils. This personalised approach promotes motivation, attendance, and resilience, which are essential for sustained academic progress. The Learning Coach works closely with staff, families, and external agencies to ensure that barriers to learning are identified and addressed early. Evidence suggests that mentoring and coaching improve both academic outcomes and social-emotional wellbeing by building strong, trusting relationships and encouraging positive attitudes toward learning.
Three additional teaching assistants £60,000	Teaching Assistants are deployed to deliver structured literacy and numeracy interventions as well as in-class support for vulnerable pupils. EEF research shows that when TAs deliver targeted, evidence-based interventions, pupils can make accelerated progress in core subjects. TAs also provide emotional stability and reassurance, fostering a sense of belonging and confidence that encourages pupils to take greater risks in their learning. Their support enhances classroom inclusion, enabling pupils to access age-appropriate curriculum content while receiving the additional guidance needed to succeed.
Additional Cover supervisor £20,000	A consistent Cover Supervisor ensures continuity of learning and behaviour expectations during teacher absence, minimising disruption that disproportionately affects vulnerable learners. By maintaining stable relationships and predictable routines, the Cover Supervisor helps reduce anxiety and supports positive mental health. When appropriate, they reinforce key literacy and numeracy tasks during cover sessions, ensuring that learning time remains purposeful and aligned with curriculum priorities. This consistency contributes to improved academic outcomes and a supportive, emotionally secure learning environment

Community Focused Schools To include: (i) building strong partnerships with families; (ii) responding to the needs of the community; (iii) collaborating with other services):
Activity	Evidence that supports this approach
Part time additional attendance support £10,000	The additional Attendance Officer plays a pivotal role in strengthening relationships between the school, families, and the wider community. Through proactive communication, home visits, and early intervention, the Attendance Officer builds trust with parents and carers, helping to identify and address barriers to regular attendance such as health issues, transport challenges, or social care concerns. Evidence from the Department for Education (DfE, 2022) highlights that effective family engagement and early attendance intervention are key drivers of improved attendance and attainment. By maintaining regular contact with families and connecting them to appropriate community or external services, the Attendance Officer ensures that support extends beyond the classroom. This joined-up approach has improved communication between school and home, fostered stronger parental engagement in learning, and encouraged a shared sense of responsibility for pupil success. The role also strengthens collaboration with external agencies ensuring coordinated responses to pupils’ academic, social, and emotional needs.
Learning Coach £17,500	The Learning Coach supports the holistic development of vulnerable pupils by working closely with families and community partners to remove barriers to learning. Through personalised mentoring, the Learning Coach identifies individual and family challenges that may affect attendance, engagement, or wellbeing, and works collaboratively with pastoral teams and external professionals to implement effective support. Research into mentoring and family partnership models (EEF, 2021; DfE, 2020) shows that pupils thrive when families are actively engaged in their learning and when schools adopt a whole-community approach. The Learning Coach fosters this by holding regular communication with parents, celebrating pupil progress, and encouraging shared strategies for supporting literacy, numeracy, and emotional regulation at home. Additionally, the Learning Coach contributes to multi-agency meetings, ensuring the school’s understanding of each pupil’s circumstances informs joint planning with social care, educational psychology, and mental health services. This coordinated approach promotes early intervention, builds resilience in families, and strengthens the school’s role as a trusted hub within the community.

Wider strategies

For example and where applicable, Health and Well-being, Curriculum and Qualifications, Leadership and Raising Aspirations).

Activity

Evidence that supports this approach

English Teacher £35,000

The additional capacity allows for smaller class sizes and more individualised feedback, reducing pupil anxiety and improving confidence in reading and writing. Research from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) shows that when pupils feel competent and supported in literacy, their self-esteem and sense of belonging increase, contributing to better emotional wellbeing.

With an expanded English department, the school can offer a broader and more inclusive curriculum that better meets pupils’ diverse needs. This includes targeted support for GCSE English Language and Literature, functional skills pathways, and enrichment opportunities such as debating and creative writing. These options help ensure that vulnerable pupils have equitable access to qualifications that open post-16 opportunities. The additional English teacher also contributes to curriculum development, ensuring alignment between literacy provision and whole-school improvement priorities.

The additional English teacher provides leadership capacity within the department, leading intervention planning, and contributing to staff training on literacy across the curriculum. This strengthens the school’s overall teaching and learning culture. By modelling high-quality practice and evidence-informed instruction, the teacher enhances staff capability, ensuring that literacy remains a shared responsibility across all subjects.

Enhanced English provision encourages pupils to see themselves as capable learners and effective communicators. Through targeted intervention and enrichment activities such as public speaking, reading programmes, and creative writing competitions, the additional English teacher helps raise aspirations, particularly for disadvantaged pupils who may have limited cultural or academic capital. Exposure to diverse texts and authors broadens pupils’ understanding of the world and inspires ambition for future education, training, and careers.

Part B: Review of outcomes in the previous academic year

PDG outcomes

This details the impact that our PDG activity had on pupils in the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

Activity	Impact
English Teacher	Over the course of KS4 (10.1 to GCSE results achieved) APS Literacy increased by 1.54 (31.75 to 33.29), L2 incluive increased by 5.88% (0% to 5.88%).
Learning Coach	Over the course of KS4 (10.1 to GCSE results achieved) capped 9 increased by 57.59 (280.94 to 338.53), APS Literacy increased by 1.54 (31.75 to 33.29). APS Numeracy increased by 0.73 (29.63 to 30.35), APS Science increased by 9.79 (19.5 to 29.29) and APS Skills increased by 11.96 (21.75 to 33.71)
Three teaching assistants	Over the course of KS4 (10.1 to GCSE results achieved) capped 9 increased by 57.59 (280.94 to 338.53), APS Literacy increased by 1.54 (31.75 to 33.29). APS Numeracy increased by 0.73 (29.63 to 30.35), APS Science increased by 9.79 (19.5 to 29.29) and APS Skills increased by 11.96 (21.75 to 33.71).
Cover supervisor	Over the course of KS4 (10.1 to GCSE results achieved) capped 9 increased by 57.59 (280.94 to 338.53), APS Literacy increased by 1.54 (31.75 to 33.29). APS Numeracy increased by 0.73 (29.63 to 30.35), APS Science increased by 9.79 (19.5 to 29.29) and APS Skills increased by 11.96 (21.75 to 33.71).