Holy Family VA RC Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Reduce the rate of persistent absenteeism by further improving relationships with the minority of parents who do not send their children to school regularly enough.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• Leaders have established a culture of success and an ethos of care and respect. The motto of the school absolutely captures what makes it so special: ‘As Holy Family, we learn, believe and seek to make the right choices, as God’s children.’ Leaders, staff and pupils treat everyone with respect and kindness.
• The headteacher only took up her post in September 2017. However, she was part of the senior leadership team that has driven the improvements since the last inspection. Her relentless pursuit of excellence has meant that the quality of teaching and learning is continually improving and is now excellent. She inspires and motivates staff and pupils to be the best that they can be. Pupils thrive as a result.
• Leaders carefully manage staff performance. Regular monitoring of teaching ensures that strengths are celebrated. Staff also benefit from highly relevant training to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
• Throughout the school, at all levels, strong leadership is at the core. Middle leaders share the same passion and ambition as senior leaders. Middle leaders have excellent subject knowledge and understanding in the areas they lead. All leaders genuinely love teaching and are passionate that all pupils love learning. Middle leaders ensure that the curriculum is exciting and provides a wide range of additional experiences. All leaders monitor pupils’ achievement and they use this information to target any pupils who may need additional support to catch up. Consequently, pupils make the same high level of progress across the curriculum as they do in mathematics and English.
• Staff morale is very high. Leaders ensure that there are many opportunities for teachers to learn from their colleagues and hone their skills. Staff are also encouraged to visit other schools to share good practice and to ensure that the assessment of pupils is accurate.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is skilfully woven through the curriculum and the extra-curricular activities. Leaders provide pupils with a diverse range of opportunities to learn about different faiths and beliefs. The school organises visits for pupils as part of the religious education curriculum to learn about different religions. Leaders do their utmost to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.
• Leaders identify any barriers to learning that pupils have and take swift, targeted action. The pupil premium funding is used very effectively to enable disadvantaged pupils to reach their potential. As a result, disadvantaged pupils achieve as well as or better than other pupils nationally.
• Leaders make good use of the additional funding to support pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. They deploy staff effectively and, as a result, their individual needs are met. They attend regularly and achieve well.
• Leaders use the sport premium effectively. Action plans are rigorous and demonstrate the impact that the funding has on improving pupils’ skills in sports. The school has achieved the gold sportsman award for the fifth consecutive year.
• Leaders involve parents in their children’s education. There are many different ways that they are kept informed about their children’s progress, for example parents’ evenings, reports home and newsletters. Parents are also invited in regularly to celebrate their children’s home-learning projects and see the progress they are making across the curriculum. There are also workshops for parents to help them understand how they can support their children’s learning at home.
• The local authority provides effective support for the school. It has helped the school to make rapid progress and accurate judgements about the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Reports provided to the school from the local authority and external advisers are accurate and honest and make focused recommendations for improvement. Leaders waste no time in acting on this advice as they strive for excellence.
• Parents respect and value the leadership of the school. They were keen to talk to inspectors at the start of the day to share their views about the excellent work that staff and leaders do. Parents also reported the ‘amazing’ progress that their children make.

Governance of the school

• The governing body is ambitious that all pupils succeed. Governors are determined that pupils have many opportunities to learn a wide range of skills through a rich and interesting curriculum. As one governor stated, ‘Our children deserve the best. We need to make sure that is what they get!’
• Governors have played a key role in the improvements made since the school opened. They support leaders effectively and demonstrate a clear passion to make the school the best that it can be. They support leaders, ask pertinent questions and provide focused challenge.
• Governors know the school well and have an accurate overview of the many strengths and the areas that leaders are keen to improve further. The governing body uses knowledge gathered from visits and reports from leaders and the local authority to hold school leaders to account for the quality of education provided.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders make safeguarding a high priority and this is an area of strength in the school. There is a strong culture of safeguarding throughout the school. Pupils feel safe and happy and their individual needs are met very well.
• Leaders and governors ensure that staff have relevant and up-to-date training. Staff are alert to any concerns about pupils’ welfare and know what to do to ensure that they are safe. All safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose, including protocols and practices for record-keeping. Leaders undertake the appropriate checks to ensure that only suitable people are recruited to work with pupils in the school. When it is necessary, the school liaises closely with external agencies and parents to make sure that pupils are safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Teachers’ high expectations and excellent subject knowledge ensure that pupils across the school make excellent progress and attain well. Teachers regularly assess pupils’ learning and use this information to plan rich and engaging lessons across the curriculum. Their questioning skills are strong and probe pupils’ knowledge and understanding to develop their learning.
• Teachers are passionate that their pupils will excel and do their best to remove any barriers they may face. As a result, pupils are fearless and determined to be the best that they can be. Their attitudes to learning are excellent.
• Teachers apply the school’s marking policy consistently. They make it clear to pupils what they are learning and how they can improve. Pupils value teachers’ feedback and understand clearly what they need to do to make more rapid progress.
• Pupils value the relationships they have with staff. They feel safe and happy and demonstrate resilience in their learning. A view held by many pupils was summed up by one pupil who said, ‘We get a great education. The teachers are amazing. They just inspire us and make learning fun. One day I want to be just like them.’ Pupils take immense pride in their work and in the quality of their books. Across the school, they display a thirst for knowledge that is contagious. As a result, pupils make exceptional progress and achieve at a very high standard by the time they leave school.
• Across the school, high-quality displays showcase the excellent standard of pupils’ work. They celebrate the school’s vision and values and the ethos of the school.
• Teaching assistants are deployed exceptionally well. They support pupils highly effectively and adapt learning activities so that they meet pupils’ individual needs. Their impact is noticeable and pupils who find learning more challenging thrive as a result.
• Leaders ensure that the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics is consistently strong. For example, teachers place great emphasis on developing pupils’ language skills. As a result, pupils are very confident when speaking to strangers, debating and contributing during lessons.
• In mathematics, teachers ensure that pupils undertake a range of challenges. They have many opportunities to develop their problem-solving and reasoning skills and to deepen their learning.
• Pupils write well and at length for a wide variety of purposes, especially in key stage 2. The standard of written skills across the curriculum is also very strong. Pupils take great pride in their books. Handwriting and presentation is of a high standard. Teachers encourage pupils to make their writing interesting and support them in deepening their understanding, knowledge and skills.
• Pupils enjoy reading. They read regularly at home and at school. There are many opportunities for pupils to develop excellent comprehension skills. They also read with fluency and expression.
• Teachers’ assessments are accurate. They have many opportunities to work together and with teachers from other schools. Checks on pupils’ work by leaders, and external checks by the local authority, demonstrate that the assessment of pupils’ progress is reliable. This information is used well to target pupils and to provide additional support.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Leaders and staff have created a happy, calm and purposeful environment where everyone is valued and respected. The well-being of all pupils is at the heart of the school, especially that of vulnerable pupils who face challenging circumstances. The highly effective relationships between staff and pupils are impressive. Staff ensure that pupils have high self-esteem and are resilient learners. As a result, pupils thrive and settle quickly into school life.
• Pupils aim high and work hard to achieve their ambitions. Consequently, their attitudes to learning are outstanding across the school and this has a strong impact on the progress that they make. Pupils want to learn and be the best that they can be. Those who spoke to the inspectors spoke with passion about their ambitious plans for the future.
• The learning mentor is highly regarded and respected among the community. Parents trust and respect her as they know she wants the best for their children. She helps families to overcome any problems they face and involves external agencies when necessary. Pupils were keen to tell me that ‘We always go to her for help because she sorts out any worries or problems that we have. She is just great.’
• Pupils are kept safe and feel safe in the school. They say that bullying never happens. If it ever did, they know that all staff would help them and listen to their concerns. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves healthy and how to stay safe. They explain how to stay safe, especially when they use the internet.
• Across the curriculum, there are a broad range of opportunities which ensure that pupils understand how to stay healthy. Pupils take lots of exercise and are keen to represent the school in different sports. The sports coaches have a positive impact on improving the skills of pupils and teachers alike in a wide range of physical opportunities.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding, both in classrooms and around the school.
• Pupils are very friendly and polite. They socialise well and show respect for staff and each other. They listen well in lessons and their attitudes to learning are excellent. Pupils support each other admirably during lessons and they display a genuine care and concern for each other. They are a credit to the school and their families.
• Pupils are proud to attend Holy Family. They take their areas of responsibility in the school seriously and wear badges and stickers with pride. Pupils are highly regarded in the locality for their impeccable behaviour.
• The vast majority of pupils attend well and arrive punctually every morning, keen to learn. Pupils value their education and understand the importance of coming to school. However, attendance is broadly average, mainly due to parents taking pupils on holiday during term time. The learning mentor closely monitors attendance. She knows families well and offers highly effective support to them.
• Persistent absence over the last few years has risen. This is because a small number of families do not take their responsibility to get their children to school seriously enough. Leaders are tenacious in their checks on attendance and do everything they can to ensure that it improves. They are keen to see attendance rise for all pupils, no matter what their circumstances are.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• Work in pupils’ books, learning in lessons and the school’s own assessment information are testament to the continuing drive leaders have placed on achievement, which has risen year on year. Pupils in all year groups are making strong progress. Pupils’ work in subjects other than English and mathematics is also of a very high standard.
• From below average starting points, pupils make rapid progress. In 2016, pupils’ progress in writing and mathematics was in the top 10% of schools nationally. In 2017, their progress in reading was also in the top 10% of schools nationally.
• All groups of pupils make excellent progress from their starting points. Disadvantaged pupils attain at least in line with the national average in most subjects. This is because leaders identify any barriers to learning that these pupils have. They use the pupil premium funding very effectively to match additional teaching and support directly to pupils’ needs.
• In 2016, leaders identified that not enough of the most able pupils were reaching the highest standard in reading, writing and mathematics. They wasted no time in taking action and making this a key focus for the year. In 2017, a much higher proportion of pupils across the school achieved the highest standard. Across all year groups, and in all subjects, the impact of this focus is clear in the work of current pupils and in the school’s assessment information.
• Excellent use is made of the special educational needs funding. Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities receive high-quality support. Their individual needs are identified and targeted support is implemented swiftly. Consequently, in all year groups, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make strong progress.
• Pupils attain highly in the Year 1 phonics check. The proportion of pupils who reach the expected standard has been above the national average for the past four years. In 2017, all pupils achieved the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check.
• By the time pupils leave school in Year 6, their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is at least in line with the national average at both the expected standard and the higher standard. Consequently, they are very well prepared for secondary school.

Early years provision Outstanding

• The leadership and management of the early years is outstanding. The early years leader is resolute in her vision that all children will achieve a good level of development. Barriers to children’s learning are identified and removed. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths of the provision. They regularly assess its quality and are constantly seeking to make further improvements.
• Relationships between adults and children are nurturing, caring and respectful. Staff have created an environment where children thrive emotionally and academically. Children behave sensibly and are consistently kind to each other.
• A high proportion of children enter Nursery with knowledge, skills and understanding that are below those typical for their age. Staff quickly identify children’s learning and development requirements and ensure that these are addressed. Assessment procedures are thorough and provide teachers with a very detailed knowledge of each child’s development. Teachers use this assessment to plan a wide range of exciting activities which engage children. Consequently, children across Nursery and Reception make rapid progress. Before 2017, the proportion of children who reached a good level of development was well above the national average. In 2017, the proportion dipped but was still in line with the national average. This was because there were a high number of children who had SEN and/or disabilities.
• Leaders make very effective use of the early years pupil premium funding. They identify the main barriers to learning for disadvantaged children, which usually relate to language development. Leaders have recruited a speech and language therapist and ensure that all staff in the early years have specialised training in this area. As a result, disadvantaged children make outstanding progress and work beyond the goals that they are expected to achieve.
• Children benefit from high-quality teaching in the early years. Well-trained teachers and teaching assistants use questioning effectively to probe and deepen children’s understanding. A vibrant and well-planned learning environment, both indoors and outdoors, provides varied learning activities for children which engage their imaginations. Children’s interests are identified and their next steps in learning are developed through their play. Consequently, children have fun and are fully engaged in their learning. For example, the lead inspector saw children totally absorbed in the pretence that they were on a shape treasure hunt. Throughout this activity, children developed a wide range of skills and made rapid progress.
• Transition is well planned, not just when children start school but from Nursery to Reception and when they join Year 1. As a result, children’s transition is smooth and they settle swiftly into school. Thorough systems are in place to further help transition. These include home visits, transition days and meetings with parents. Parents are kept well informed about their children’s progress.
• All the statutory welfare requirements are met and the school’s safeguarding practices and procedures are adhered to. They are a strength of the provision. Staff have high expectations for children’s behaviour and take time to explain the purpose of school routines and how these contribute to children’s ongoing safety and welfare.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 136080 Salford 10042628 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary controlled 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 243 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mrs Christine Truman Mrs Clare Baron 01619 212900 www.holyfamilysalford.co.uk holyfamily@salford.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 9–10 October 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• This is an average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well above the national average.
• The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language is well above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who are supported because they have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• The school meets the government’s floor standards. These standards set the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The headteacher has been in post since September 2017. Prior to this, she was the deputy headteacher.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes, including undertaking some joint observations with the headteacher.
• The lead inspector met with a group of pupils. Inspectors also talked with others informally around the school.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, the business manager, the SEN leader and the family support worker.
• Inspectors looked at examples of pupils’ work from across the curriculum and talked with pupils about their work. They listened to pupils read and talked to them about the books they enjoyed and those they are currently reading.
• The lead inspector met with four members of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair.
• The lead inspector met a representative of the local authority who is the school’s improvement partner.
• Inspectors took account of the eight written responses to Ofsted’s online Parent View survey. Inspectors spoke with parents at the start of the school day.
• Inspectors took account of the 29 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for pupils.
• The lead inspector carried out a detailed scrutiny of current pupils’ progress and attainment.
• Inspectors examined a range of documents, including the school’s improvement and development plans, the school’s own self-evaluation, safeguarding records and policies, information about the school’s performance and pupils’ attendance, governors’ strategic plans, staff training records and information about managing teachers’ performance.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at the start of the school day and during breaktimes and lunchtimes.

Inspection team

Julie Kynaston, lead inspector Jeremy Barnes Howard Bousfield

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector