Notre Dame High School is a denominational school for girls which serves the north-west of Glasgow. The roll was 788 when the inspection was carried out in November 2009. Around three quarters of the girls attend as a result of placing requests. Around a third of young people have English as an additional language. Young people’s attendance was above the national average in 2007/2008 and continues to improve. Almost a third of young people attending are from areas of multiple deprivation.

Particular strengths of the school

• Outstanding ethos which nurtures and develops very well behaved, courteous and confident young people.
• Young people’s wide range of achievements.
• A Catholic community of faith which embraces and celebrates the rich diversity of cultures and faiths in the school.
• The wide range of partners and opportunities for learning which enhance young people’s experiences.
• Staff’s developing approaches to implementing Curriculum for Excellence.
• Visionary leadership of the headteacher and senior leadership team.

Examples of good practice

• Developing the four capacities of a Curriculum for Excellence through “The Creative Curriculum”.
• Wider Achievement – A school approach to “Values in Action”.
• Supporting young people at risk of missing out in their transition to long-term training or employment.