Savio Salesian College

Savio Salesian College (formerly known as Savio Catholic High School or Savio High School) is a Roman Catholic secondary school in Bootle, Merseyside, England. The school is under the care of the Salesians of Don Bosco (www.salesians.org.uk) and was successful in early 2006 to secure a bid for specialist Business & Enterprise status. The school has about 700 pupils on roll. Father G Briody joined the school as headteacher in September 2005.

Savio Salesian College

Savio Salesian College follows the educational philosophy of St John Bosco, founder of the Salesian Order. St John Bosco saw the unique value of every child and wanted them to achieve their potential. With this inspiration we aim to provide every child with:
* The best examination results they are capable of achieving
* An appreciation of their faith and an awareness of the needs of others
* The skills needed to make the most of their life opportunities both at school and in the wider community.
* We cannot achieve these aims without working closely with our parents. The home school partnership with parents is key to achieving success and happiness for all young people.

*Quality education requires a balance between challenge and support.
*We aim to instil in our students the values of love, peace, justice and personal responsibility and this must be done in an orderly and settled environment.
*We insist on the high standards of politeness, behaviour and appearance.
*As a business and enterprise college, our mission is to prepare each young person in our care for the successful career beyond school so they can make a positive contribution to society and achieve economic well being.^[1]

Ofsted - December 2009

• Inspection grades:
  • Overall effectiveness – how good is the school? - 2 (good)
  • The school's capacity for sustained improvement - 1 (outstanding)

Savio Salesian College is a rapidly improving school. Some aspects of its work are outstanding. Much of this is down to the excellent leadership of the head teacher and his team of senior leaders who have very high expectations and ambitions of the students. Student achievement, the quality of teaching and the outstanding care and guidance indicate a track record of improvement over the last three years. As a result, the school has an excellent capacity of further improvement.

In 2009, more than 80% of students achieved five GCSEs with "A" grades, which is well above the national average. Key to the school's improvement is the success and impact of the excellent business studies department through the school's specialist status and above average results in subjects such as physical education and sport, science and ICT. Excellent care for groups and individual students is not just concerned with giving them support, it is focused on finding ways of tackling and removing anything that is hindering their progress. The outstanding breakfast club is making a real difference to students motivation, attendance and achievement. The whole school is constantly aiming at heightening students' low aspirations. As a result, an increasing number are finding employment and moving on to university. Aspirations and ambitions for some students remain low but the school successfully uses role models to instil a "can do" culture among students.^[2]

Ofsted 2011–12 subject survey inspection programme: (ICT)

Achievement in ICT Achievement in ICT is good. Students begin in Year 7 with levels of attainment which are slightly below the national average. All students study ICT until the end of Year 11 and take a qualification. By the end of year 11, they are achieving above national averages. Students with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported very well and have excellent access to facilities. High-quality support means that these students make good progress. Students behave well in lessons. They listen to each other and work well either in groups or independently. The excellent relationships between staff and students when using ICT support good progress in lessons. Students are supported to learn how to become safe and responsible users of new technologies through tutor time and assemblies, at times led by the on-site safer schools police officer.

Quality of teaching in ICT The quality of teaching in ICT is good. Teachers plan lessons which engage and motivate students. Staff have good subject knowledge and are confident users of ICT. They have high expectations of the students. Teachers form very positive working relationships, which challenge and engage students in their learning. The assessment of work in lessons is excellent and is used effectively to target interventions with students who underachieve. Students are aware of their progress and know what they need to do to improve their work. The use of ICT to support learning across the school is good and improving. Students have very good access to ICT and it is used appropriately in many lessons to develop their learning, although progress in ICT across the curriculum is not monitored. The quality of the curriculum in ICT is good. All students at Key Stages 3 and 4 receive their entitlement to the statutory ICT National Curriculum during ICT lessons. The curriculum is planned well and reviewed regularly and has been updated to make it more interesting and enjoyable. The college has recently introduced a gaming skills course in Year 9 to increase the challenge for students. The college recognises that the curriculum provided at Key Stage 4 does not always challenge the most able students and has plans to introduce more appropriate accreditation for these students. The college has well-developed plans to replace the current virtual learning environment (VLE) to enable better access for students. Students have access to very high quality opportunities to use ICT in other curriculum areas. Opportunities to use their skills in a number of enterprise activities, several of which have won national recognition, demonstrate what some students can achieve. However, this work is not currently monitored or assessed, and some students are receiving broader experiences in ICT than others. Effectiveness of leadership and management in ICT The effectiveness of leadership and management in ICT is outstanding. ICT is led very well at both departmental and senior management levels. Significant progress to improve the outcomes for all students in ICT has been made in the last three years. The leadership team has a clear and shared understanding of both strengths and areas for further development. The standard of self-review and evaluation is outstanding. Members of the governing body are actively involved in monitoring the progress of students in ICT and in ensuring that it provides value for money. Access to ICT equipment in the college is excellent. The college provides regular opportunities for student support at lunchtime clubs and Easter revision sessions, and has further plans to offer access at the breakfast club. The use of data to raise standards and improve provision is excellent. The use of targeted interventions and additional support is having a significant impact on students’ achievement.^[3]

Notable alumi

• Jamie Carragher, former footballer and beloved sky sports pundit(England national football team, Liverpool F.C.)
• Paul Nuttall, politician (UKIP MEP)
• Cheryl Mackie, actress (Brookeside, Dream Team)
• Alex Greenwood, footballer
• Mike Hoban, former Senior Civil Servant and Deputy Director, Education, Ofsted.
• Craig Dewhurst, History Graduate first class honours degree, top class legend.

References

External links

• Savio Salesian College, Sefton Council.
• Savio Salesian College Website