Holy Cross Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher leads the school well. She is determined to give every pupil the best possible opportunities to succeed.

Staff and governors alike share her vision and ambition for the school. The school's work to promote pupils' personal development and welfare is outstanding. Pupils are confident and happy.

They feel safe and are extremely well cared for in school. Senior leaders have worked effectively during a period of significant changes to the staff team, to bring about steady improvements to the quality of teaching. The school provides a broad, engaging and stimulating curriculum.

Pupils develop strong spiritual, moral, s...ocial and cultural understanding. Teaching is effective. Pupils respond well to teachers' high expectations and regularly produce work of high quality in English and mathematics.

As a result, they are making good progress and levels of attainment are improving. Disadvantaged pupils achieve well. Work in their books and the school's own records show that they make strong progress from their different starting points.

Governance is strong and pivotal to the school's success. Pupils' behaviour is good. They enjoy school, work hard and are respectful towards each other and to the adults who teach them.

Although attendance has improved this year, it remains below the national average because : too many pupils are persistently absent. Children get off to a good start in early years. They are taught well and make good progress.

Very good support is provided for pupils who join the school other than at the usual time. They catch up quickly and achieve as well as their peers. Pupils do not make consistently good progress in science, geography and history.

Some teachers fail to address misconceptions and this limits the overall progress that pupils make in these subjects. Despite improvements to the teaching of mathematics, too few of the most able pupils make rapid progress and reach the higher standard. Teachers and other adults work closely together to support pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities.

However, their progress in mathematics is limited as assessments in this subject are not always used effectively to plan work that builds on their prior learning.

Information about this school

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School is smaller than the average primary school. It has an on-site nursery.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well above the national average. A much higher proportion of pupils than that seen nationally leave or join the school at other than the usual times. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above the national average.

However, many of these pupils join the school with a good level of proficiency in English. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress by the end of Year 6. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below the national average.