Mount St Mary's Catholic High School

Mount St Mary’s is unique, not only in terms of its long history and development but also in its physical structure.

The present accommodation includes a 19th century convent and orphanage, a block dating from the late 1950s and a ‘new’ block erected in 1990. Over more recent years, it has benefitted from the completion of a £12m BSF remodelling which has left us with first class facilities to complement our drive for excellence in all areas. Whilst our history and buildings may be inspiring, it is the work, commitment and determination to support our young people that is central to our drive for improvement.

Located very near Leeds city centre, the school is within easy walking distance of the central bus station, Royal Armouries, West Yorkshire Playhouse and all the other facilities of our well resourced city. The district immediately surrounding the school is currently benefitting from substantial regeneration.

Mount St Mary’s draws its students from the East, South and West of Leeds and sometimes beyond, and is always oversubscribed.  Approximately 50% of students are baptised Catholics, however, a significant number of our young people come from other strong faith backgrounds and this underpins our work and ethos.

Our student cohort is mixed, both in terms of prior attainment and social background, however the majority of our students come from areas of significant socio-economic disadvantage. This is reflected in 51% of our young people being in receipt of the pupil premium grant. The school serves a community which is a rich, diverse mix of cultures, languages and ethnicity. 62% of our student population are black minority ethnic and over 40 different languages are spoken at home.  We at Mount St Mary’s consider this diversity to be a significant strength and our students and staff work together to form a harmonious community. We are a wholly inclusive school, the result of close teamwork, well sourced provision and dedication.

Whilst we draw students from a broad demographic area, we are rightly proud of where our young people move on to. Every child buys into our aspirations and secures clearly identified and successful progression routes in education, employment or training.

Students at Mount St Mary’s are encouraged to live by our school moto, Quid Retribuam – “How can I repay the Lord for his goodness to me” - by always giving of their best in everything they do whether that be academically, spiritually or socially. Such determination and dedication from both staff and students alike means that there are always success stories to celebrate – individual, cohort and whole school.

In April 2019 the school underwent a Section 48 Inspection gaining an overall judgement of Good with Outstanding. The report comments "Students are polite, confident and respectful in the way they treat each other and interact with staff and visitors. They are .. highly articulate and proud of their school and their personal achievements. Behaviour in school is excellent, with a very low level of conduct issues, and a strength of the school as it reflects its Catholic character."

Our recent Section 5 OFSTED Inspection graded our school as 'Good' in all areas. All students seek to access extra curricular activities beyond the school day, be that of a sporting nature, academic, performing arts or public speaking. This is an area we value highly and continue to see growth in. It described us as a joyful place, with an authentic mission…clearly embraced by all the school community and forges a passion… for desiring to give back. Leaders have developed a nurturing school, one in which there is a strong sense of responsibility towards each other. We have a well established reputation for our care, guidance and support ensuring all learners are afforded a high level of structure and personalised development.

October 2023 saw the school assessed for Excellence in Pupil Development. The award stating: “The most immediate strength identified was that of an all-pervading atmosphere of friendliness, calmness and inclusion. Most schools can achieve this at certain times or in certain areas, but in Mount St Mary’s it was ubiquitous . . . The impact of the School’s work on pupils’ development is enormous. Not only are they, by their own and their parents’ claims, developing to be a new generation of young leaders, but the School is now showing very impressive academic results, to the point where, in 2023, it had the best progress at 16 in Leeds, and the third best in the Yorkshire and Humberside region . . . Behaviour is excellent, although the School would probably say that ‘relationships are excellent'”.

With the return to national progress comparatives in 2022, Mount St Mary’s topped both local and regional tables for P8. This success has been replicated in 2023, where we have actively bucked the vast majority of the national trends.

Our school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

In accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education, the school will carry out an online search as part of the due diligence on shortlisted candidates.