Holy Family Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Holy Family Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Holy Family is a school community rooted in the values of the Catholic faith. The school's mission statement of 'Always our best for God, each other and ourselves' is lived out daily in the way pupils and adults treat each other with fairness and respect. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and the many pupils who speak English as an additional language learn well here.

From the start, children learn how to behave well. Adults model the school's high expectations.

Pupils behave well in lessons.... Low-level disruption is not tolerated. Pupils enjoy learning and want to do well.

The small number of pupils who find it harder to behave are supported effectively to improve. Pupils know what bullying is. They say it is very rare at their school.

They are clear that they would let adults know about it quickly. They are confident it would get sorted out swiftly. Pupils feel safe and parents agree.

Holy Family gives a warm welcome to pupils and families from all over the world. Pupils' different experiences and abilities are celebrated. New pupils and their families quickly become a valued part of the school community.

Parents appreciate the commitment and support school leaders give them.

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

Leaders and staff have reviewed carefully the content and order of the school's curriculum. Starting from the early years, leaders have identified the knowledge pupils need to become successful learners.

The sequencing of knowledge helps pupils to build their learning over time. In history, for example, pupils make links successfully between different time periods. Pupils in Year 3 remember and build on their Year 2 learning about the Great Fire of London; pupils in Year 6 use their prior learning to understand the impact of improvements in sanitation in Victorian London.

In science, pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 expand on their earlier learning of human digestion, using more complex scientific vocabulary.

Phonics teaching starts when children enter Reception. Phonics is taught effectively.

Teachers are quick to identify any pupils who struggle. Pupils receive immediate additional help. This means that pupils can keep up with their peers.

Pupils who speak English as an additional language quickly gain the phonic knowledge they need to become successful readers. The books for early readers help pupils to grow in fluency and confidence. Adults regularly read aloud to pupils.

Pupils recognise the value of reading, to gain new vocabulary and for enjoyment.

Teachers' accurate assessment of phonics and early reading enables them to adapt the curriculum quickly to meet the needs of pupils. However, this is less consistent in key stage 2, where leaders have recently altered the reading curriculum.

While teachers check on pupils' reading, the information is not used precisely or swiftly enough to adapt the reading curriculum to meet pupils' needs. This means, for some pupils, their progression in reading slows.

Leaders have identified and sequenced the mathematics curriculum effectively.

Learning is broken down into small steps. This helps pupils, including those with SEND, to learn well. In the early years, the focus on number gives children a good foundation for their future mathematical learning.

Teaching helps older pupils recall and practise their mathematical knowledge so that they can move on to more complex learning.

Pupils with SEND receive the support they need to do well at school. Their needs are identified accurately and plans are reviewed regularly.

Parents of children with SEND value the support and communication they receive from leaders and teachers. Parents are clear that the school helps their children to grow and succeed.

The curriculum helps pupils become well-rounded young people who have the skills to make a difference to the world as they grow older.

They have a strong awareness of equality, respect for others and their stewardship of the world. They talk with confidence about how discrimination, such as by race, gender or sexual orientation, is wrong. Pupils are proud of their responsibilities, such as organising a recent 'walk against hunger' and being a member of the chaplaincy team.

Governors share in the vision of the school. They challenge leaders robustly about the school's work. Staff appreciate leaders' care and support for their well-being and workload.

Most pupils attend school regularly. Where attendance is low, leaders work with families to improve attendance.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding is at the heart of the school's work. Leaders are tenacious in making sure children are safe. Regular training for staff means they have a secure knowledge of safeguarding.

They identify and report any concerns swiftly. Leaders work closely with outside agencies to keep pupils safe. They are not afraid to challenge to get the right outcomes for children.

Staff are recruited safely. Governors check the school's work rigorously.The curriculum gives pupils information to keep themselves safe, for example how to have a healthy lifestyle, how to stay safe online and how to report sexual harassment.

Pupils feel safe at school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The implementation of the reading curriculum in key stage 2 is not as strong as in early years and key stage 1. Sometimes the teaching of reading is not adapted swiftly enough to respond to assessment information.

This means, for some pupils, their progress in reading slows. Leaders should ensure that teaching makes effective use of assessment of reading at key stage 2.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2012.