Holy Family Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being part of this happy and diverse school community. They help everyone to feel welcome and valued in their school. Relationships between adults and pupils are warm and nurturing.

Pupils feel safe. They know that staff are there to listen and support them if they have any worries.

Pupils know that they are expected to work hard and to do their best.

As a result, pupils are keen to learn. They achieve well.

Pupils are respectful and polite to one another and to staff and visitors.

Around the school, pupils are calm and settled. This means that they can learn without disruption. Pupils are proud of their achievements and they en...joy the weekly assemblies where they celebrate success.

Pupils benefit from a wide range of activities beyond the academic curriculum. This helps to develop their talents and interests. For example, pupils take part in music, dance, gardening and sports clubs.

Trips and visitors to school support pupils' learning across the curriculum.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum to meet the needs of its pupils. This starts from the early years.

Teachers benefit from helpful support and guidance about how to deliver the subject curriculums well. In lessons, teachers select appropriate activities to enable pupils to understand new learning.

In most subjects, the curriculum sets out clearly the essential knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which this should be taught.

Assessment strategies are well established in these subjects. Teachers use a variety of helpful methods to check how well pupils are learning, including how much of the subject content they can remember over time. Teachers support pupils to build on their previous learning in a highly structured and carefully considered way in these subjects.

In a few subjects, the curriculum content is not identified clearly enough. This hinders teachers from helping pupils to build on what they know already and from checking how well pupils have learned what they should. Consequently, some pupils struggle to remember the important knowledge that they need to be ready for the next stage in their learning.

Reading is at the heart of the school's curriculum. Staff prioritise developing children's vocabulary, language and communication through high-quality interactions. This helps them to make a strong start when they begin to learn phonics.

Pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read, or who speak English as an additional language, receive the support that they need to become successful readers. Effective staff training ensures that there is a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. Generally, reading books are matched to the sounds that children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 know.

This means that pupils can practise reading and experience success. Older pupils read books written by a wide range of authors. Most pupils become fluent and confident readers.

The school accurately identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND as soon as possible. Staff tailor learning activities well to meet pupils' needs. This ensures that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum content as their peers and achieve well.

Staff model play and set appropriate challenges for children in the early years. This helps children to develop positive attitudes to learning. Children quickly develop confidence and independence.

Pupils across the school behave well. They listen carefully to their teachers.

The school is committed to broadening pupils' horizons.

It promotes pupils' personal development well. Pupils learn about different faiths and beliefs. They understand fundamental British values and they know to be tolerant and respectful.

Pupils learn important information about online safety, healthy lifestyles and how to keep themselves safe.

Pupils value the roles and responsibilities that the school provides to develop their leadership skills. These include acting as school ambassadors and eco-councillors.

Pupils are proud of their efforts to raise money for charities. These experiences help pupils to understand what it means to be an active citizen in modern Britain.

The school has a committed and skilled governing body.

Governors know the strengths and areas for development of the school. They provide a balance of challenge and support. Most staff feel well supported.

They know that their workload and well-being are considered when making changes to the school's curriculum. As a result, staff are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the school has not been specific enough about the key knowledge that pupils should learn. This sometimes hampers teachers from designing learning that builds on what pupils already know, and from checking how well pupils have remembered important curriculum content. The school should ensure that, in these subjects, teachers are clear about the knowledge that pupils should learn and when this content should be taught.

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