Holy Family Catholic High School, A Voluntary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils enjoy attending Holy Family Catholic School. Staff know pupils well and show a genuine care for them.

The school has introduced improvements to the curriculum. This is helping to improve the quality of education. However, curriculum planning and the teaching of the curriculum is currently inconsistent.

As a result, published outcomes for some pupils are too low.

Many pupils behave well in school. They want to contribute to lessons and enjoy participating.

A minority of pupils do not behave as well as they should. This results in a few pupils experiencing multiple suspensions. The vast majority of pupils feel safe in school and have a trus...ted adult to talk to.

Pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are included in the life of the school well. They have access to safe spaces in school when they require quiet time.

Pupils across the school benefit from many opportunities for educational visits and extra-curricular activities.

Pupils in the music group enjoy performing in assemblies. Pupils proudly debate with other schools and won the Trinity Cup in a recent debating competition. The school uses educational visits, such as visits to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and theatre trips, to build pupils' cultural capital.

Disadvantaged pupils access funds to ensure that they can attend.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school ensures that most pupils access a broad and balanced curriculum. The number of pupils who study the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects varies between year groups.

In Year 11, more pupils study a modern foreign language compared to Year 10.

The school has developed an ambitious and well-planned curriculum. It is clear what topics teachers will cover and when.

It is also clear how pupils will build on their knowledge over time and what vocabulary they will learn. However, the quality of education is inconsistent within subjects. Some teachers do not consistently check that pupils have understood or remembered what they have learned.

Therefore, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and teachers do not always address these. Teachers have good subject knowledge. Most teachers explain new information clearly.

However, in some lessons, staff do not do this well. As a result, some pupils are not always clear about what they are learning. This hinders how well some pupils, including those with SEND, achieve.

Reading has been prioritised. The school has put systems in place to check pupils' reading skills from Year 7 to Year 11. Trained staff support pupils in key stage 3 to read with greater accuracy and fluency.

There is less specific support in place for key stage 4 pupils. There are whole school reading strategies in place. This includes reading in form classes and the use of guided reading.

Staff promote reading in the school. World Book Day events are well received by pupils. All of Year 7 and Year 8 received a free book.

The needs of pupils with SEND are identified well. There are a large number of pupils with SEND in the school. The school ensures that these pupils' needs are known to staff.

However, some staff do not use the recommended strategies in lessons to best support pupils with SEND to access the curriculum. This hinders the learning of some pupils with SEND. The school has a specialist resourced provision base for pupils with autism.

Pupils who attend this provision are fully integrated into the life of the school. These pupils are well supported to access the curriculum. They access activities and lessons with their year-group peers.

The school has put systems in place to improve pupils' conduct. Many pupils respect the behaviour policy and respond to it well. The school is working in a context that provides significant challenge.

There are a number of pupils who arrive at a point other than September of Year 7. These pupils do not conform to the school's expectations of behaviour as well as other pupils. Leaders are aware of this and are working to support these pupils to behave well.

The school has worked effectively to build positive relationships with families to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. However, there remain some pupils who still miss too much school. These pupils miss out on vital learning.

Pupils receive a well-structured programme of personal development. This includes healthy and unhealthy relationships, how to stay safe, fundamental British values and sex and relationships education. Pupils engage in charity work through links with churches.

Pupils learn about different faiths and perspectives. The school provides pupils with leadership opportunities such as the student leadership team and school councillors. The councillors discuss their views with senior staff and help to enact change.

Pupils benefit from a comprehensive careers programme. The school organises a range of visits to colleges and other organisations to inform pupils about different career pathways. Pupils are supported well to make informed choices about their next stage in education, employment or training.

A trust intervention board has been put into place to support school improvement further. Those responsible for governance understand the school's strengths and weaknesses. They fulfil their statutory duties.

They are ambitious for pupils, have appropriate professional knowledge and hold leaders to account. However, school improvement work has not secured rapid improvement. Many parents and carers are supportive of the school and appreciate the work that is done to support their child.

Staff feel well supported by leaders and the school ensures that their morale is kept high. Staff speak positively of working as a team and feeling part of a family.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some staff do not use effective strategies to support the learning of pupils with SEND. This means that some pupils with SEND are not able to access some aspects of the curriculum. The school should ensure that staff use pupils' support plans, and education health and care plans, to adapt the delivery of the curriculum to help pupils with SEND to access their learning.

• Within subjects, there is variation in how effectively the curriculum is being implemented. As a result, some pupils are not learning as well as they should be. The school needs to continue to check that the curriculum is being delivered effectively.

• Many pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, do not attend school regularly enough. This means that they miss valuable learning which, in turn, limits their achievement. The school should put the right support in place for pupils to overcome any barriers to regular attendance.