Holy Family Catholic Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that a greater proportion of most-able disadvantaged pupils achieve at the higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics in key stage 2.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• Leadership at Holy Family Catholic Primary school is exceptional at all levels. This truly is a ‘school of excellence’. The executive headteacher provides inspirational leadership. Together with the highly skilled leadership team, she has built an outstanding school. Leaders are relentless in their ambition to ensure that all staff and pupils achieve the highest levels of success at the school.
• The school’s core purpose, shared by all leaders, is to ensure that pupils get the very best education. Leaders have this at the heart of all they do. This has ensured that the quality of teaching is consistently effective. The school rightly prides itself on the learning opportunities it provides for staff, who are encouraged to read educational research and discuss and debate all aspects of teaching and learning. The engagement of staff in innovative educational practice plays an important part in the school’s success.
• The school has rigorous systems to check on pupils’ achievement. Consequently, leaders have a clear and accurate view of the school’s strengths. Leaders use achievement information to set aspirational targets for pupils. There is no complacency at the school. Leaders’ improvement plans identify where the school can do even better. For example, leaders have identified the need to further enhance the progress of the most able disadvantaged pupils so that greater proportions achieve at the higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2.
• Middle leaders are encouraged to play a vital role in the school’s success. They work as a cohesive and highly enthusiastic team. They share the ambition for further improvement in their areas of responsibility. For example, they regularly review and evaluate the impact of additional support to ensure it is purposeful, effective and of the ultimate quality for all pupils in their year groups.
• The curriculum has been carefully planned. Pupils benefit greatly from the excellent learning opportunities provided across a range of subjects. Learning in subjects such as music, art and design is a strength of the school. A typical pupil comment was: ‘We love learning because all our lessons are interesting and exciting.’
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is skilfully threaded through the curriculum. Cultural diversity is celebrated through assemblies and educational trips to museums, art galleries and places of worship. These experiences help pupils develop their understanding of life in modern Britain extremely well.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They appreciate the strong leadership support and told inspectors that staff and leaders ‘go to great lengths’ to care for their children. One parent commented that, ‘This school is one big happy family.’
• Pupil premium funding is used effectively to reduce any barriers to learning that may be experienced by disadvantaged pupils. The impact of the use of pupil premium funding is evaluated carefully by leaders and governors. The targeted use of the funding enables disadvantaged pupils to be successful and be part of everything the school has to offer. For example, funding allows disadvantaged pupils to participate in holiday clubs.
• The primary school physical education (PE) and sport funding is also used well. Pupils take part in a wide range of sporting activities during and after school. There are also opportunities for pupils to be involved in sports competitions with other schools in the local area. Pupils talk enthusiastically about taking part in a wide range of sporting opportunities, including table tennis, cross-country and athletics. Specialist sports staff lead PE lessons. In addition, the funding has enhanced teachers’ own skills in delivering quality sports and PE lessons.
• The school demonstrates innovative practice in teaching and learning. As a result, it is often asked to share its expertise with other schools. Leaders work alongside neighbouring schools on assessment, curriculum development and other local initiatives. The local authority has full confidence in the school’s leadership and considers it necessary to maintain only a light touch monitoring role.

Governance of the school

• The governance of the school is effective.
• Governors know their school well and are confident to ask challenging questions. They are conscientious in their responsibilities and enjoy taking part and contributing to the life of the school.
• The skills of the governing body have been utilised well to ensure that governors’ expertise benefits the school. Governors lend their skills effectively to aspects of the school’s development, monitoring of improvement and safeguarding. As a result, they make an important contribution to raising standards in the school.
• The governing body makes sure that the pupil premium and the PE and sport funding are spent purposefully and make a difference for pupils.
• The governing body is diligent in its responsibilities to safeguard pupils and to this end has appointed a national lead trainer as safeguarding governor to oversee and monitor safeguarding and welfare-related matters.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Robust systems are in place which are understood by staff. Staff at all levels understand that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Records are detailed and kept securely. Staff undertake regular and appropriate training and safeguarding has a high priority in school. There are updates on associated issues as they arise, including those related to keeping pupils safe from abuse and harm.
• Leaders are persistent in cases where the school is concerned for a pupil’s welfare. Effective relationships with other agencies and with parents ensure that pupils are kept safe and their welfare needs are met.
• Pupils develop an age-appropriate understanding of personal safety. Pupils explained the importance of protecting their identity when using the internet. They know that people online might not be who they say they are. As a result, pupils know the risks associated with social media and using the internet.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Teaching is characterised by friendly, warm relationships between staff and pupils. The extremely well-organised lessons balance the needs of pupils with different abilities very effectively. The learning environment is stimulating and productive. Staff have high expectations of pupils in both their learning and their behaviour. Pupils rise to this by working hard and taking an active, enthusiastic role in what they do. Pupils enjoy their learning enormously, saying ‘learning is interesting’ and ‘we have a responsibility for our own learning’.
• Teachers have excellent subject knowledge. They use information from assessments very effectively to plan lessons that build successfully on what pupils have already learned. For example, the teachers use a strategy called ‘pit stop’ to help pupils direct where their learning is going and check if they have encountered difficulties. Teachers then move quickly to target any learning problems and provide excellent support. Teachers extend pupils’ learning by developing their reasoning skills exceptionally well and enabling them to apply their existing knowledge and skills.
• Teachers have an in-depth knowledge of the learning needs of pupils. They set challenging targets for pupils. Pupils are totally immersed in their learning. However, at times the most able disadvantaged pupils are not fully challenged by their work.
• The teaching of phonics is highly skilled and successful. Teachers and other adults in the early years and in key stage 1 take every opportunity to reinforce pupils’ phonics knowledge, both within and beyond the daily phonics sessions. As a result, an increasing proportion of pupils exceed the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1.
• The development of reading, writing and grammar skills is a high priority in school and standards are very high. Texts are used extremely effectively in lessons to create a range of interesting and stimulating activities in both reading and writing. There are numerous chances for pupils to write in subjects such as history, geography and science. This helps pupils to further deepen their learning and apply their skills in a range of contexts.
• Pupils acquire knowledge and develop their mathematical skills extremely well because of the challenging questions they are asked. They are trained to work out mathematical sums in their heads. This encourages fast thinking and keeps pupils interested. Pupils told an inspector: ‘We try and find out the most efficient methods to do our calculations. This way we can practise and improve our mental maths.’

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Holy Family truly lives up to its ethos of ‘God, love and family’ in everything that it does. The importance placed on pupils’ personal development and welfare is palpable in school. Staff and governors are conscientious in their responsibility to ensure that the school provides a safe, nurturing environment in which pupils can thrive and succeed. Inclusion is at the heart of the school’s work.
• Staff treat pupils with consideration and ensure that everyone feels welcome and valued. Adults model respectful and caring behaviour in lessons, around school and in the way that they engage with pupils. As a result, pupils behave similarly and are thoughtful and compassionate citizens. During the inspection, pupils were observed wholeheartedly participating in a sponsored walk organised by the school council to raise funds for a local charity.
• Parents and staff agree that the school is safe. The responses to the online surveys universally endorsed this view.
• Pupils are undivided in their view that they feel safe in school. All pupils know how to keep themselves safe, personally and online. Pupils are encouraged to be actively involved in the life of the school. One such example is the role of the ‘e-cadets’, who have made a valuable contribution in helping to make sure that pupils know how to stay safe on the internet.
• Pupils understand how to treat each other equally and why it is important to do so. Pupils told inspectors why it is important to help and support others who may need extra help in school. They said this means that, ‘They are treated equally because that way they have a fair chance like everyone else.’

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils love their school. Their attendance is above the national average. There are meticulous and effective systems for monitoring absence. Good attendance is rewarded and has a high profile in school. Persistent absence is below that of other schools nationally. The few pupils that are persistently absent are given appropriate support, which ensures that they are soon back on track.
• Pupils’ behaviour in the playground and at lunchtime is excellent. The school is calm and harmonious. Pupils enjoy the company of other pupils and adults. They are friendly and respectful to everyone. Over time, they gain a very good understanding of how important their behaviour is to other people and how it can affect their learning.
• Bullying in any form is extremely rare and there have been very few incidents of low-level poor behaviour. Staff manage behaviour very effectively. Adults provide excellent role models, and rigorously monitor pupils’ conduct and well-being.
• Pupils conduct themselves impeccably around school. They are exceptionally polite and can regularly be heard asking adults and each other how they are, and opening doors for each other. They are courteous when speaking to adults and their peers, politely asking to challenge what someone has said in a lesson and waiting patiently until it is their turn to speak.
• There is a very productive atmosphere in classrooms. Pupils are encouraged and confident to work without the constant attention of an adult. They are attentive and eager to participate in lessons, and they visibly enjoy activities. They view learning as very important, valuing it highly, which shows in their excellent attitude to learning.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• Leaders and governors are passionate about ensuring the highest possible standards for every pupil. Consequently, the progress of pupils currently in school and over time is consistently high in reading, writing, mathematics and across a wide range of subjects. Similarly, attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is well above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check has exceeded the national average for the past three years. Current pupils are well on track to achieve similar high standards.
• Pupils enjoy reading widely and hold sophisticated, rich discussions about the books they read. They receive excellent support to read to a high standard and develop their comprehension skills. Pupils are very proud of the progress they make and show a keen interest in the wide variety of texts they read. One pupil said: ‘We really look forward to visiting our school library; there are always new and exciting books to choose from.’
• Pupils with SEND make at least good, and often outstanding, progress from their starting points. The excellent and well-planned support offered by teachers and support staff is very effective and ensures that pupils succeed in their learning.
• Pupil premium funding is used efficiently to support disadvantaged pupils. As a result, these pupils make excellent progress and achieve above the national average at the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics in key stage 1 and key stage 2. Leaders have identified further actions to ensure that a greater proportion of most-able disadvantaged pupils achieve the higher standards at the end of key stage 2.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Leadership in the early years is outstanding, as is the quality of teaching, curriculum, work with parents and the behaviour and progress of children. The early years leader has an incisive and sharp understanding of the strengths and areas for improvements in the provision. The early years leader has worked hard to ensure that children prosper and achieve their full potential.
• Children make strong progress in the early years and achieve well from their relatively low starting points. The curriculum is of an excellent quality. Children are challenged and supported well to help them build on their creative and imaginative ideas. Staff plan activities to meet children’s interests and inspire their natural curiosity. For example, inspectors observed children describe bugs in the nature area and carefully consider ingredients they could use from the ‘mud kitchen’ to write recipes and make bug smoothies.
• Children respond with great enthusiasm to the high-quality teaching. Teachers and support staff plan imaginative activities and use the indoor and outdoor resources skilfully. Teachers know the personalities and abilities of the children extremely well. As a result, they assess and respond to the children’s exact needs in reading, writing and communication skills.
• Staff model excellent relationships and have high expectations of the children. As a result, children’s social skills are of a high order. Adults are quick to establish rules and routines and set high expectations. Therefore, personal, social and emotional skills are outstanding.
• Children work exceptionally well together, wait their turn and talk eagerly with each other. During the inspection, a number of children working in the ‘activity area’ were diligently helping each other choose equipment to set up an obstacle course. Collaboration was excellent, and the adults fully supported the children’s language development by asking challenging questions.
• Parents are regularly invited to contribute to their child’s ongoing assessments. For example, parents include comments in the ‘learning journal’ which is shared with them on a regular basis. Their feedback is used to plan for the children’s emerging needs in reading, writing and mathematics. Staff also provide parents with activities and games to further support their child in the home environment.
• The environment offers children opportunities to read and discuss a range of interesting age-appropriate texts. Children enjoy stories and use the reading corners to share books. They are well supported and expected to use their phonics knowledge to help them read. Children are well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• The safety of the children is of paramount importance for all staff. The children are supervised in safe and secure learning areas. Safeguarding is effective, and all statutory health and safety checks are met in the early years. Children told an inspector: ‘We make sure we stay with our grown-ups when outside of school and tell a grown up straight way if we are worried about something.’

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 116397 Southampton 10058156 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary aided 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 414 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Wood Executive Headteacher Gerida Montague Telephone number 023 8077 3264 Website Email address www.holyfamilylive.net info@holyfamilylive.net Date of previous inspection 27 March 2018

Information about this school

• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. As a school with a distinctive religious ethos, the school was subject to an inspection under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in March 2015.
• Over a quarter of pupils are eligible for the pupil premium. This figure is above average.
• The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above average. Similarly, the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average, while the proportion of pupils who have an education health and care plan is below average.
• The school provides a breakfast and after school club on-site. The clubs are run by school staff.
• The school is in partnership with three other primary schools. The executive headteacher leads all four schools.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in all classes, jointly with members of the senior leadership team.
• Inspectors observed phonics lessons in Reception, Years 1 and 2.
• Together with leaders, inspectors scrutinised pupils’ books from all year groups and across a range of subjects, including English, mathematics, science, history and the topic being studied. Inspectors discussed and analysed a range of information about pupils’ progress.
• Inspectors listened to pupils from across the school read. They spoke to pupils while visiting classrooms, in the dining hall and at playtimes. In addition, inspectors met with a group of pupils formally to find out their views of the school.
• The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body and a parent governor.
• Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher, senior leaders, middle leaders and teachers.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, at playtimes and at lunchtimes.
• Inspectors reviewed various documents provided by the school. These included: the school’s self-evaluation; the school improvement plan; the pupil premium statement; information about sports funding; external reviews of the school; and governing body minutes.
• Inspectors reviewed documents relating to safeguarding, attendance and behaviour. These included the school’s single central record, records of all behavioural incidents, exclusion records, and child protection and safeguarding files.
• The views of parents were collected at the beginning and end of the school day. Inspectors took account of 16 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. They also considered 37 responses to the staff survey.
• Inspectors visited the after-school club, spoke to staff and observed some activities.

Inspection team

Shazia Akram, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Christopher Crouch Tracey Bowen

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector