Holy Family Catholic High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Senior leaders are skilled and determined. They have secured the improvements required since the last inspection to provide a good quality of education at the school.

Leaders know the school well. They plan and review actions to improve the school meticulously and effectively. Leaders are not complacent.

They are well equipped to further strengthen pupils' outcomes. Leaders, including governors, promote positive values clearly and consistently. They set and support a culture where pupils are confident, considerate of others and hard working.

As a result, pupils enjoy the school and attend regularly. Subject leadership is good. Su...bject leaders play an important role in improving teaching.

Teaching is good across a range of subjects, including English, mathematics, physical education (PE) and Spanish. Although teaching in geography, history and science is effective, it is not as consistently strong as in other subjects. Leaders' work to strengthen the curriculum is effective.

Where the curriculum is strongest, such as in English, teachers provide pupils with frequent opportunities to think about, deepen and extend what they know and understand. Pupils' outcomes require improvement. Pupils make strong progress in English.

Despite making better progress, pupils are not consistently working at the standard of which they are capable in geography, history and science. The progress of disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is securely improving but does not match that of others nationally. The management of the additional funding provided for disadvantaged pupils is effective.

These pupils attend the school regularly, behave well and make better progress than previously. Pupils' behaviour is good. They are courteous, happy and confident.

Pupils' conduct around the school and attitudes to learning are positive. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effective. Pupils understand and value differences, and say they feel confident and safe to be who they want to be.

A strong culture of safeguarding exists throughout the school. Pupils say staff know them and care about their well-being. Students are taught well and make good progress in the academic and vocational courses which are provided in the sixth form.

Information about this school

Holy Family Catholic High School is an average-sized school in Sefton. The school is part of the Archdiocese of Liverpool. About a quarter of the pupils who completed Year 11 in 2017 joined during key stage 4, following the planned closure of another local school.

For those who completed Year 11 in 2018, this proportion rose to one third. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is in line with the national average.

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is significantly below the national average. The school uses four alternative providers for a small number of pupils. These are Educ8, Everton Free School, Oakfield Pupil Referral Unit and Pinefield Centre.