Finchley Catholic High School Prospectus

8 Enquiring minds Nurturing intellectual curiosity and inspiring a passion for learning is our core business. At the heart of our success is a focus on adapting our teaching to the needs of the individual, helping each child to flourish in their own way and make exceptional progress. High quality assessment and feedback allow us to intervene quickly when pupil progress is not rapid enough. We all remember our most inspirational teachers and, here at Finchley, each and every teacher works tirelessly to provide an enjoyable, memorable and enlightening experience for the students in their care. Our teachers are consistently encouraged to consider what makes a great teacher and to reflect on their own practice. All are supported through training and sharing of good practice to be highly effective practitioners. We are fortunate to have overcome the current teacher shortage so that, in contrast to many schools, our posts are filled by highly qualified subject specialists. Our support for children with Special Educational Needs is excellent. We have a dedicated and talented team of teachers and teaching assistants devoted to the task whilst we also ensure that all teachers are equipped to support each and every pupil in their care. Our Excellence in Scholarship programme provides stretch and challenge for our most able pupils and involves a very well-received programme of talks, trips and preparation for further study at the top universities. We offer a full range of GCSE options including subjects such as classics and music, often squeezed out at other schools due to budgetary constraints or a lack of specialists. We determine GCSE entry according to what’s best for that individual and we work hand in hand with pupils and parents to ensure that the right level of challenge is provided for each child. “The high expectations leaders and teachers have for every student to achieve their best academically and personally are a notable strength of the school” Ofsted