Holy Family Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

At Holy Family, every child is welcomed and nurtured, including those who join part way through the school year.

Pupils have warm relationships with adults in the school. Pupils trust staff to listen to them and sort out any worries. This helps pupils to feel valued and safe at school.

The school is ambitious for its pupils to succeed. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have the same opportunities as their peers. Pupils are proud of their work.

They try hard and achieve well.The school is calm and orderly. Pupils behave well because they know exactly what is expected of them.

Pupils care about each other. At breaktimes, ...they make sure everyone has someone to play with. Pupils, from the early years upwards, happily work together and share resources politely.

Pupils benefit from trips to enhance their learning, including residential visits. These help them to gain confidence and experience different places. Pupils learn about being good citizens by being involved in the local community.

They organise litter-picking events and collect donations of clothes to support refugees. Pupils have a strong sense of belonging at Holy Family and are proud of their school.

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

Many pupils join the school speaking English as an additional language, having recently arrived in the country.

The school puts language and communication at the heart of the curriculum to meet their needs. The school's curriculum is ambitious. It is organised well and sets out what pupils should learn and by when, building on what children learn in the early years.

The school ensures that the curriculum includes references to different places around the world to reflect the experiences and cultures of the local community.

Teachers have good subject knowledge, and they make sure that activities are engaging for pupils. Staff ensure pupils retain knowledge and skills by recapping previously learned information and reinforcing important vocabulary.

For example, in geography, pupils learn songs to help them remember the names of the continents. Teachers make frequent checks on what pupils know. This means that they can identify any gaps and provide clear, direct feedback that helps pupils to achieve well.

The school manages and organises support for pupils with SEND well so that pupils get the help that they need to access the curriculum. The school provides training for staff in many aspects of SEND, including quick identification of pupils' needs. However, it recognises that there are areas where this could be further developed.

The school has plans to address this so that pupils benefit from increased precision in the support in place to meet their needs.

The school successfully promotes a love of reading. Children are exposed to a wealth of high-quality books in the Nursery and begin learning to read as soon as they start in Reception.

Pupils who struggle with reading are identified quickly and receive targeted support. This ensures they catch up with their peers. The school works effectively with parents and carers to support them to understand how they can help their child to read at home.

Pupils' positive behaviour in lessons and at social times begins in the early years. Children become increasingly independent and resilient as they move up the school. Staff use effective strategies to help pupils understand their emotions and manage their behaviour.

Pupil attendance ambassadors remind their peers that attending school regularly is important. Attendance has been improving year-on-year and most pupils attend regularly. Where this is not the case, the school works well with families to identify and resolve any reasons for absence.

The walking bus supports families to ensure pupils arrive at school on time.

Pupils have many opportunities to develop their interests and talents through clubs, including drama, Irish dancing and football. Pupils enjoy learning to play musical instruments, choral singing and sporting competitions.

The school goes to great lengths to ensure that all pupils can access these opportunities. Pupils are encouraged to become responsible through a range of leadership opportunities that help them to develop their confidence and contribute to the life of the school. Pupils celebrate equality and diversity.

They are clear that everyone is treated fairly and with respect at school.

Highly regarded leaders have a clear vision and are ambitious for the school. They know what is working well and have developed carefully considered plans to improve the school even further.

Governors meet with staff and pupils regularly to check what leaders tell them and offer challenge when needed. The supportive staff enjoy working here and feel that the school considers their workload and well-being.

The school engages well with parents to involve them in their children's education.

Parents are very positive about the school. They value the highly effective pastoral support and the approachable and caring staff team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not ensured that all staff have the expertise and training they need to be able to meet all the needs of pupils with SEND. This means that some pupils do not consistently get the precise support that they need. The school should continue to develop training for staff so they increase their expertise to support pupils with SEND even further.