The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils' experience of school varies widely. This is because pupils' behaviour varies widely, from the respectful and polite to the defiant and, at times, dangerous.

Which classes you are in, who else is in them, which teachers you have, and who else is moving around school at the same time as you go a long way to determining whether your day is good or not.

For some pupils, their day is spoiled by frequent low-level disruption, defiance of some pupils towards staff and derogatory language. For others, much less so.

Some pupils feel unsafe in school because they feel intimidated by the behaviour of a minority. Some pupils do not think that staff will help them... if they share a worry. Such is the variability, though, many pupils feel happy and safe in school.

There is a mixed picture about how staff deal with bullying. Some pupils told inspectors that it does not happen very much and, if it does, it is dealt with. Other pupils do not believe it is well handled.

Expectations of what pupils can achieve vary widely. In some classes there is a noticeable zip and energy, with staff pushing pupils to do well. Elsewhere, the mood is flat, with much lower expectations of what pupils can achieve.

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

The school is in transition. A new headteacher and other senior leaders have been appointed recently. Over time, however, leaders have not done enough to prevent serious weaknesses building up in pupils' behaviour and in the wider safeguarding culture of the school.

The recently formed senior leadership team knows what needs to be done and has started to get on with it. They have taken steps to engage with the staff, such as through working groups. Governors, the local authority, the diocese and the multi-academy trust (MAT) which the school expects to join are all supporting leaders in the task of school improvement.

The current leadership has the capacity to improve the school.

Leaders have created a new curriculum for key stages 3 and 4, which will be introduced in September 2021. Their aspiration is that the new curriculum will help pupils achieve the best possible outcomes.

Subject leaders are clear about what is to be taught, when, and why. Senior leaders have been working with subject leaders to plan the assessments that will be used. These are a work in progress.

Leaders have identified a need to strengthen and improve the quality of teaching in some areas. Consequently, a substantial amount of planning is taking place to ensure that the quality of teaching of the new curriculum will be up to the required high standard.

Leaders have acted to help some of the pupils who struggle with their reading.

However, there is more work to do to ensure that all of the very weakest readers are supported. Leaders are working on improving the culture of reading within the school through the 'form time' reading activity, for example.

Careful thought has been put into how best to adapt the new curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils with SEND have access to a full curriculum, including in the sixth form.

In the sixth form, the 'foundation six' curriculum is effective in helping students access advanced level qualifications. Sixth-form students are positive about their studies, especially the 'wider reading' guidance they receive.

While many pupils behave well, a substantial minority do not. Leaders have taken action to address this, which pupils and most staff think is having a positive effect. However, there remains much work to do.

Learning is frequently interrupted by low-level disruption. Some pupils are openly defiant towards staff. Not all staff apply the school's new behaviour policy consistently.

Some pupils do not feel safe moving around the school site because of the poor behaviour of some pupils. A small number of staff and pupils have been injured recently as the direct result of some pupils' poor behaviour.

Leaders have acted to strengthen the personal, social, health and economics (PSHE) curriculum from September 2021, including the appointment of a new leader to take responsibility for it.

In PSHE, pupils are taught about keeping themselves safe when online, healthy lifestyles and healthy relationships. The school has a range of initiatives in place to support pupils with their mental health. Pupils speak positively about these.

The 'virtues' curriculum teaches pupils about important values. However, some pupils found it difficult to explain to inspectors what they have learned about fundamental British values such as respect and tolerance. Sixth-form students speak positively about wider enrichment opportunities, such as virtual work experience.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

There are serious weaknesses in the wider safeguarding culture of the school. Some pupils and staff do not feel safe in school.

This is typically because of poor behaviour. Some pupils told inspectors that they do not tell an adult if they are worried or have concerns, because they do not think it will be dealt with. There is variability in staff understanding of what to do should they have concerns about the conduct of an adult in school.

However, safeguarding leaders have a sound understanding of what action to take to support pupils who have disclosed safeguarding concerns, or who are at risk.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The new policy, system, routines and expectations for behaviour are not securely or consistently established across the school. As a result, too often lessons are disrupted, pupils defy staff and disrespect staff and peers, and there is poor conduct around the site.

Leaders should take steps to ensure that all pupils understand and follow the expected code of conduct, and that all staff apply the school's behaviour policy consistently. ? Caused to a substantial degree by leaders' failure over time to establish an acceptable standard of behaviour, the wider culture of safeguarding in school is weak. Additionally, the training of staff in the correct process to follow for making a whistle-blowing alert, and how to respond should a pupil express a worry, has not cut through to all staff.

The consequence of these weaknesses is that: some pupils, and some staff, do not feel safe in school; some pupils do not think it is worth disclosing a worry because they do not have confidence that it will be dealt with correctly; and some staff are not clear on what to do if they are concerned about another adult's conduct. Leaders should take action to ensure that all members of the school community feel safe, by, in addition to bullet one above, remedying weaknesses in staff understanding of their responsibilities under 'Keeping children safe in education'. ? Leaders had already identified that the legacy curriculum was not fit for purpose and have developed a new curriculum for September 2021.

They have plans for ensuring that assessment of pupils' knowledge, skills and understanding within the curriculum is effective. Leaders also have plans for ensuring that teachers' subject knowledge and pedagogical skills are effectively developed. Leaders should ensure that they proceed with these intentions as planned.

• Leaders have recently acted to address weaknesses in the legacy personal development curriculum, including those noted in the recent section 8 inspection. As a result of the weaknesses in the current provision, some pupils have gaps in their understanding of aspects of fundamental British values. Leaders should ensure that this particular strand of pupils' personal development is foregrounded when the new curriculum is introduced in September 2021.