Holy Family Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. They ensure that everyone is part of the life of the school. Leaders and governors have started driving improvement to achieve their vision.

However, these improvements are not yet secure across the school. As a result, the quality of education that pupils receive is not good enough.

The school's virtues of respect, kindness, friendship, forgiveness, honesty and compassion are woven through the day-to-day life of the school.

Pupils say that these virtues stay with them outside of school. Older pupils enjoy the responsibilities they have. Opportunities to be a buddy with reception children or a chaplaincy member help them ...to support and care for others.

Pupils actively support charities. They know the importance of being a responsible citizen and helping others who are in need.

Pupils feel safe.

They know and understand the high expectations that adults have of behaviour. Pupils respond well to this. Adults know the pupils well.

Relationships are positive. As a result, pupils know that they can talk to adults in school if they have a worry or concern. Pupils say that bullying is rare.

They trust adults to deal with any incidents of bullying quickly if they occur.

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

Leaders are making the necessary changes to improve important aspects of the school. Their actions have had a positive impact on pupils' behaviour.

Staff are proud to be part of the Holy Family team. They feel valued and supported by leaders.

Leaders have recently introduced a new phonics programme.

This begins in Reception, where children get off to a positive start. However, many pupils in key stage 1 are not on track with the programme. Leaders have introduced an additional daily phonics lesson to address this.

Nevertheless, some pupils who struggle to read are considerably behind where they need to be. Older pupils read a wide range of texts. However, teachers' expectations of what pupils can achieve in reading are not high enough.

As a result, pupils do not progress as well as they should.

The school's curriculum is broad and ambitious. The early years staff use their knowledge of the children to build a curriculum that meets their needs well.

From the moment children start nursery, there is a strong focus on developing speech and language. Beyond early years, however, some subjects in the wider curriculum are not well designed. Leaders have not broken down the important knowledge they want pupils to know and remember into small, manageable steps.

As a result, pupils struggle to remember their learning over time. In history, for example, younger pupils cannot explain the important role of Florence Nightingale.

Leaders have made changes to the curriculum design.

However, the implementation for some curriculum subjects is at an early stage. In science, the curriculum is well planned and sequenced. However, its implementation is in its infancy, and it is too early to see the impact.

Some leaders have not yet carried out checks on the effectiveness of the subject they lead. This means the curriculum design does not take into consideration pupils' prior knowledge or any gaps they may have. Consequently, some pupils do not build knowledge well over time.

The knowledge leaders want all pupils to know and remember in mathematics is carefully considered and sequenced. This starts in the early years, where children develop a clear understanding of number. Pupils build on this and use their knowledge of number to solve more complex problems.

They use mathematical vocabulary accurately to explain their processes. Teachers use a range of resources to support all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, pupils with SEND access learning alongside their peers.

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They behave well during lessons and low-level disruption is not tolerated. During social times, pupils play well together and enjoy using the wide range of equipment available.

As a result, the school is calm and orderly. In the early years, children are polite and considerate and cooperate well together.

Leaders have an effective approach to promoting pupils' personal development.

Pupils understand the importance of keeping physically and mentally well. They know that sleep and a healthy diet support this. Pupils have opportunities to be reflective.

They do this through collective worship and make use of the Sanctuary, which provides quiet time to think. Pupils appreciate and respect difference.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that all staff are appropriately trained to identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. They follow the school's agreed response to report concerns. Leaders ensure that pupils and their families get the support they need in a timely manner.

Leaders carry out relevant checks on the suitability of staff.

Pupils know how to stay safe, including when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The reading programme for the weakest readers is not effective.

As a result, some pupils do not read accurately or as fluently as they could. Leaders need to ensure that the programme for early readers is effective so that pupils catch up quickly. ? In some wider curriculum subjects, leaders have not identified the precise knowledge they want pupils to know and remember.

This means that pupils develop gaps in what they know and can do. Leaders need to ensure that they identify the key knowledge they want pupils to learn so that they know and remember more over time. ? Some leaders do not have an accurate understanding of the effectiveness of the curriculum.

As a result, gaps in pupils' knowledge are not addressed. Leaders need to check to see what pupils know and remember and support teachers to adapt the curriculum. This will help pupils build knowledge well.

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