St Columba’s Roman Catholic High School is a denominational school which serves the town of Perth and communities across Perth and Kinross Council. This inspection was carried out in September 2008 at which time the roll was 543. Young people’s attendance was in line with the national average in 2006/07.

Particular strengths of the school

• The headteacher’s success in leading school improvement.
• The strong teamwork within the school and with partners in the community.
• The strong Roman Catholic ethos and values of the school.
• The well-behaved and courteous young people.
• The skilful introduction by staff of creative new ways to help young people with difficulties in learning.
• The positive and stimulating atmosphere in the school which encourages learning.

Examples of good practice

• The school’s involvement with its wider community.
• New ways of encouraging participation in physical education at S3/S4.
• The creative approach of having a ‘reporter of the week’ in science.