Overview

• The Whiston secondary suspended more than 200 pupils over roughly three weeks as a new policy reset expectations, with weekly totals dropping from 99 to 67 to 36.
• Inspectors reported leaders have made progress but said the behaviour policy is not yet fully embedded and some areas still need improvement.
• The disciplinary approach allows suspensions when students repeatedly refuse reasonable instructions from staff.
• Acting head Clare McKenna and the Pope Francis Catholic MAT said reforms are deliberate and long-term, citing calmer classrooms and fewer disruptions noted by Ofsted.
• Persistent challenges include elevated pupil absence and the unexplained, prolonged absences of the headteacher and deputy, even as local reaction has been largely supportive.