A secondary school has been told to improve after recording a “high number of suspensions” and seeing classroom learning consistently disrupted.

The education watchdog downgraded St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School in Rochester from “good” in all areas to “requires improvement” in three of five key categories.

The school has said issues such as low outcomes in exams and poor behaviour “has much to do with Covid restrictions and the after-effects of the pandemic” and it is continuing to work with staff, students and families to address these.

The mixed Roman Catholic school teaches 1111 pupils between 11 and 18-years-old.

It had previously taught them across a split site in Ordnance Street and Maidstone Road, both in Chatham, but moved to a set of playing fields of City Way in Rochester in 2022.

St John’s had held a “Good” Ofsted rating since 2019 when inspectors noted the headteacher, ably supported by her leadership team, had ensured standards across the school have improved.

The government has since scrapped single-phrase inspection headline grades for state-funded schools.

During a visit on October 29 and 30 inspectors found the quality of education on offer, the behaviour of pupils, as well as the quality of leadership and management, had all slipped.

It was noted that Covid restrictions had had a negative impact on the school, particularly around staffing.

In a report, published on January 17, inspectors said: “Too many pupils do not behave well in classrooms and around the school site.

“This resulted in a high number of suspensions last year.

“The school has clear systems for managing pupils’ behaviour, but staff’s expectations are not consistently high.

“This means that disruption to learning during lessons is too common.”

Pupils’ behaviour across the school site is “not routinely calm and orderly”, particularly during unstructured times.

The school’s approach to pupils being late and truant during the school day was also found to have not had a positive impact.

Inspectors also found that “teaching does not focus on the key knowledge that pupils must learn routinely well” at times resulting in gaps in areas which can mean “pupils do not achieve well, including in public examinations”.

Despite this, the report notes staff are “deeply committed” and described a “warm and friendly school” with “a broad and ambitious curriculum that meets national expectations”.

But, inspectors said leaders are sometimes “too positive” about the impact of their work which limits the effective use of strategies to improve key areas of the school.

The school has however been credited for its quick and effective assistance with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) and a stronger sixth-form department.

A spokesman for the school said: “We are pleased that Ofsted have recognised that ‘this is a warm and friendly school that welcomes all pupils into its caring community’, a place where pupils typically ‘feel happy and safe’ and where those with special education needs receive support ‘quickly and effectively’.

“Personal development at the school is good, with teaching staff described as ‘passionate’ about our ‘well-structured personal development provision.’

“Ofsted has praised our careers guidance, work experience placements and ‘wide range of extra-curricular opportunities’.

“The sixth form has also been judged as good, with inspectors stating that teachers ‘give clear instructions, model examples well and correct misconceptions in a timely manner’. Elsewhere, our curriculum across the school has been described as ‘broad and ambitious.’

“We acknowledge the findings of inspectors that ‘outcomes in public examinations are low’ and that ‘behaviour of pupils is variable’ and are pleased that Ofsted has recognised that this has much to do with Covid restrictions and the after-effects of the pandemic.

“We look forward to continued working with staff, students and families, as well as Medway LA and the Archdiocese of Southwark, to address these issues and continue our mission of providing a world class Catholic education”.