St Anne's Convent School was established in 1904 by the La Sainte Union Sisters and is still under their trusteeship. It was the first direct grant grammar school to convert to a comprehensive intake. After over a century of single-sex education, boys were admitted into the sixth form for the first time beginning in the 2006-07 school year. The word "convent" was dropped from the school's official title to reflect this change.
Premises
The school occupies a site on the corner of Carlton Road and Carlton Crescent back to Rockstone Place. Nos. 11 and 12 Carlton Crescent are Grade II listed buildings. The westwards extension of No. 12 was built in 1961, for which the architects, Richard Sheppard, Robson & Partners, received a Civic Trust design award; this was described as "a model of neighbourly treatment in terms of scale character and materials, and an outstanding example of a modern building meeting present-day requirements yet harmonising beautifully with an earlier style".
Academics
The school annually achieves significantly better than the national average. The progress students make from starting at age 11 places it in the top 10% of schools nationally. The school's 5A*-C indicator has been in the 70-80% range for the past four years. It achieved an English Baccalaureate result of 47% in 2015. It regularly ranks at the top of the A Levels results table for non-independent schools in Hampshire.
The school was last inspected by Ofsted in March 2016. The inspection team rated the overall effectiveness of the school as Outstanding in all areas, including the sixth form. Key findings of the inspection:
"The headteacher's excellent leadership has improved all aspects of the school since the last inspection. Governors and senior leaders are highly effective. Together they have created a culture where staff and pupils flourish.
The headteacher has systematically developed the staff so that they have high levels of expertise in teaching and learning.
Governance is first-rate. Governors effectively contribute to the school’s success because they rigorously monitor their impact on driving the school forward and challenge themselves and school leaders to do better where necessary.
Outcomes are outstanding. Excellent relationships between teachers and pupils, challenging teaching and highly effective systems for tracking pupil progress ensure all groups of pupils, including the most able, achieve very well.
Achievement at GCSE has improved every year for the last three years and is well above the national average. Progress is above average in all subject areas.
Pupils' behaviour is exemplary and their attendance is above average and improving.
The school is a warm and caring community where pupils flourish. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is woven through lessons and is a particular strength of the school.
Leaders and teachers have imparted the pupils with a very strong work ethic, a love of learning and a desire to excel.
Disadvantaged pupils are very well supported and so make the same progress as, or better than, other pupils nationally.
Pupils who have special educational needs or disability are also very well supported and so make very strong progress.
The curriculum is effective in both key stages and in the 16–19 provision, and provides excellent opportunities for pupils' personal and academic development.
Pupils are happy at St Anne's Catholic School and staff keep them safe. Leaders robustly monitor safeguarding procedures and ensure that no issues slip through the net."
