Holy Ghost Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of its pupils. Pupils achieve exceedingly well in national tests for reading and mathematics, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

In the early years, children get off to an excellent start, particualrly in developing a wide, rich vocabulary and strong early writing skills.

Pupils are exceptionally courteous and caring. They make a strong contribution to this safe and happy school.

For instance, in Years 5 and 6, pupils act as buddies for children in Reception and Year 1. They help to ensure that younger pupils enjoy breaktime and check on their wellbeing. Pupils of all ages play harmonio...usly together.

Pupils take up responsiblities widely, regularly contributing to their school and local communities. For instance, children in the early years help to tidy up, pupils in Year 4 collect clothing donations for charity and in Year 6, pupils support a homeless shelter.

The school broadens pupils' experiences through an ambitious extracurricular programme of visits, clubs and special events.

One highlight is a careers fair which introduces pupils to a range of professions. The school's extensive work to develop pupils' talents and interests includes a strong focus on sports which are popular. All pupils from Year 3 onwards regularly represent their school in sporting events.

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

The curriculum is broad and interesting. Pupils enjoy their learning and develop detailed knowledge with particular strengths in some subject areas. For example, they draw on a range of methods and materials to produce high quality artwork.

They develop a comprehensive knowledge of sporting techniques, such as how to bat, bowl and field a ball with increasing control in readiness for playing cricket later on.

Teachers are knowledgeable about the subjects they teach. In the early years, training has had a strong impact on developing the expertise of all staff.

There is a sharp focus on extending children's knowledge at every opportunity. Teachers across the school present information clearly, breaking it down in to manageable chunks. They know the needs of pupils with SEND and make a range of adaptations to support them in learning the curriculum well.

Teachers routinely engage pupils in meaningful discussion to broaden their thinking.

Currently, the school is redeveloping some aspects of the curriculum where the key knowledge to be learned is less clearly defined than in the rest of the curriculum. Where this is the case, teaching does not emphasise the most important concepts and, as a result, pupils find it difficult to recall some of the content they have been taught.

Published outcomes for those subjects that are assessed in national tests are exceptionally high. Outcomes in other subjects are more variable, and particularly in subjects where the curriculum is not as well developed.

The school checks in a variety of ways how well pupils have learned the curriculum, providing leaders with a broad understanding of where improvements could be made.

They act on this promptly and effectively. On occasion, however, the school does not check that pupils' understanding is secure before setting them work to do or moving on to new learning. As a result, pupils occasionally have gaps and misconceptions in their learning that are not addressed swiftly.

Pupils benefit from the many reading opportunties provided by the school. The texts chosen by the school have rich vocabulary and cover a range of genres. Pupils develop an interest in books, discussing them routinely and considering how the author has written them to appeal to readers in multiple ways.

Staff have been well trained in the school's phonics scheme, which is delivered systematically to pupils at the earlier stages of reading. Reading books are well-matched to pupils' phonic knowledge which develops swiftly. Pupils who need additional help with reading are quickly identified and provided suitable support.

Pupils' behaviour is excellent. They are attentive and focus well so that learning proceeds uninterrupted. Leaders take fair and effective action in instances where a pupil needs additional support to meet the school's expectations.

The school encourages and supports families to maintain exceptionally high attendance rates.

Pupils are taught comprehensively about healthy relationships, including how to be a good friend and how to resolve conflict. They are taught about unhealthy relationships and other risks, including online, and when to tell an adult about any concerns they may have.

Pupils are taught extensively about equalities, including the importance of respect and tolerance for others' beliefs and backgrounds. They are encouraged to take careful account of others' views.

The governing body has made a strong contribution to ensuring stability in the quality of the school's work during a period of change in staffing, including leadership, and ensured that staff and pupil wellbeing remains a prioirty.

Together with school leaders and staff, they have ensured that priorities for improvement have remained the focus of the school's work, including provision for pupils with SEND, which has developed considerably in recent time.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some areas of the curriculum are less well developed than others.

In places, the key concepts that pupils need to remember for future learning are less clearly defined than in other subjects. As a result, teaching, including the work pupils are given, does not focus on helping pupils to recall those concepts securely and sometimes pupils may forget them. The school should ensure that the key concepts that pupils need to know are prioritised in curriculum planning and that teaching focuses on helping pupils to remember key content.

• In some instances, the school does not identify misconceptions and gaps in pupils' knowledge and correct them. As a result, there are gaps in pupils' knowledge in some areas of the curriculum. The school should ensure that pupils' knoweldge is checked systematically so that gaps and misconceptions can be identified and swiftly addressed.

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