Holy Family Catholic High School, Carlton Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • leaders continue to respond to the recent pupil premium review and implement successfully strategies to improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils
  • leaders address the remaining inconsistencies in teaching, especially at key stage 3
  • the less confident middle leaders learn from the most effective leadership in the school
  • governance is strengthened, so that governors act as a body which robustly challenges and supports school leaders about their work
  • leaders provide more opportunities for extra-curricular sport, particularly activities which appeal to boys.
• Improve teaching, learning and assessment so that all pupils, including the disadvantaged, make at least good progress by ensuring that:
  • teachers learn from the most effective practice in the school
  • all pupils regardless of their ability are provided with work that challenges them
  • all teachers have high expectations of the standard of work pupils can produce
  • teaching in modern foreign languages improves and the proportion of pupils taking the subject increases
  • all teachers use the new policies and procedures consistently, especially in science. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• The frequent change of headteacher since the previous inspection has led to a failure to build on the strengths highlighted in that report. There has not been the continuity of leadership to ensure that all pupils make good progress.
• Leaders have not used the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils effectively. Leaders' strategies to improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils have not been successful. Even though overall attendance in the school is in line with the national average, the figure for disadvantaged pupils is still significantly below.
• The arrival of the new headteacher in September 2016 has brought about rapid improvements. Her relentless drive for pupils to achieve the highest possible standards is having a positive impact. Her determination to enable senior and middle leaders to develop their skills is increasing the pace of change in most areas of the school.
• Improvements since the arrival of the new headteacher in the quality of teaching and the increasing gains in pupils' learning are not sufficiently embedded to secure good outcomes for all pupils.
• There are now effective systems in place to monitor the quality of teaching and learning. Performance management has been strengthened this academic year and there is now a rigorous system in place with appropriately challenging and measurable targets.
• Middle leaders now have greater responsibility and they are rising to the challenge. Some confidently use the new processes to monitor the quality of teaching and pupils' progress. Others are at a different stage in their development and need to learn from the more confident middle and senior leaders.
• Leaders use the Year 7 catch-up funding effectively to drive up standards for those pupils not yet ready for the demands of secondary school English and mathematics. However, pupils make more significant gains in mathematics than they do in English.
• Work to develop literacy and numeracy across the curriculum is very much in its infancy. Teachers have been appointed to lead this work and plans are in place, but it is too early to judge the impact.
• The curriculum caters well for the needs of the pupils. It offers, for a small school, a wide range of option subjects in key stage 4. Leaders review the curriculum regularly to ensure that it remains appropriate. There is also a range of extra-curricular activities to enhance the curriculum. However, leaders accept that there are not enough possibilities for boys to participate in sport outside lesson times.
• Leaders are outward-looking and work with a range of schools from the diocese, the local authority and beyond. This collaboration has been effective in ensuring that their assessment is as accurate as it can be.
• Leaders have used funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. This area of the school's work is well led. Both the identification and the support of these pupils are robust and ensure that they make good progress.
• Leaders work closely with the local authority. They requested, for example, a pupil premium review and this has proved to be a useful document. They are acting on recommendations and have joined a local authority project focusing on provision for the disadvantaged. Early signs are that this link is having a positive impact.

Governance of the school

• Despite governors' increasing knowledge, skills and continuing commitment to the school, they have not ensured that leaders spend the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils effectively.
• Governors have not challenged leaders robustly enough to ensure that all pupils make at least good progress. Governors work closely with the local authority and school leaders to evaluate examination data and internal progress information. However, governors need to improve their skills in analysing such information, so that they can question leaders more rigorously.
• Governors are extremely committed to the school and its Catholic ethos. They are proud of the family atmosphere in the school and the way school life helps pupils' personal development and prepares them for adult life in modern Britain.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. There is a clear ethos about the school which sets the safety of pupils as a high priority. Staff are vigilant, and where concerns are identified, leaders deal with them promptly. Record-keeping shows that referrals are followed up in a robust manner. Leaders work closely with external agencies to keep the most vulnerable pupils safe.
• Leaders ensure that all the necessary checks are made on staff before they start to work at the school. Detailed records of these checks are maintained.
• Pupils have a clear understanding of how to keep safe and the risks which might affect them.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teaching is not consistently strong enough to ensure that all groups of pupils make good progress across all year groups. Despite recent improvements, there is still too much variability between and within subjects.
• Teaching in modern foreign languages has not engaged all pupils well enough. As a result, pupils, overall, are not making acceptable progress. A detailed scrutiny of pupils' workbooks showed the focus to be largely on the writing skill and the work set to be repetitive. As a consequence, a wide range of pupils from various year groups in both key stages talked to inspectors in a very negative way about learning a foreign language. These feelings are also reflected in the declining number of pupils who choose to study a modern foreign language in key stage 4.
• Teaching in English has also led to pupils making slower progress than they should. A recent change in middle leadership has had a very positive early impact. A detailed scrutiny of pupils' workbooks across both key stages showed a marked contrast between the expectations of teachers before and after the change of leadership. As a result, pupils are now making better progress.
• Teaching in science is variable. Teaching is stronger in key stage 4 and for middle- and high-ability pupils. Lower-ability pupils are not clear about the next steps in their learning. Implementation of new school policies is not consistent.
• Since the arrival of the new headteacher, leaders have implemented a series of procedures to improve teaching. They have developed an approach to planning that ensures that teachers consider the different needs of pupils, and a 'bronze, silver and gold' system to challenge pupils across the ability range. They have also set up a whole-school approach to giving verbal and written feedback to pupils. Where teachers consistently and creatively use the procedures, teaching is effective. However, these new systems are not firmly embedded across all teachers.
• Teaching in mathematics is stronger and, as a consequence, pupils make good progress. In lessons, inspectors saw the school's 'bronze, silver and gold' approach working very effectively to ensure that work was challenging for all groups of pupils. Clear communication between the teacher and teaching assistants as regards expectations also led to very effective support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• The school is becoming increasingly popular with parents of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities within travelling distance of the school. As a result, the proportion of these pupils has increased over the last few years. The special educational needs coordinator, a member of the senior leadership team, is a passionate advocate for these pupils. They receive effective support and, as a result, make good progress. Teaching in the resource provision linked to pupils' social communication needs is effective. This is clear from the personal development of the pupils and the academic progress they make.
• Pupils understand how the school is developing their reading and they give examples of quiet reading and charity events such as 'Readathon'. The most able read with fluency, even when faced with challenging texts. Lower-ability readers have effective techniques to tackle words they find more difficult.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school's work to promote pupils' personal development and welfare is good. Pupils learn to respect each other's differences and tolerate other people's views that are different from their own.
• Pupils have responded well to the changes in teaching and are increasingly reflecting on their learning and making improvements.
• Pupils are proud of their school and feel part of a close school community.
• Pupils are knowledgeable about the different types of bullying and speak very highly of the effective way school staff deal with the few incidents of bullying. The strong curriculum for personal development has ensured that they do not tolerate racism or homophobia.
• Pupils are knowledgeable about how to keep themselves safe online.
• Pupils enjoy excellent opportunities to develop their personal views and understanding of world affairs, especially during form time and personal, social and health education lessons. To cite just one example, inspectors observed a form period where pupils were considering the situation in Syria in response to the fact that Catholic bishops have designated a day of prayer for peace in Syria.
• Pupils appreciate the valuable advice and guidance they receive throughout the school to help them make good choices for their key stage 4 options and for what they do after GCSE. As a result of this effective guidance, pupils move on to appropriate further education, employment or training.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• The school is a calm and orderly place. Pupils are polite and welcoming to visitors. During lunch and breaktimes, pupils respond well to the visible presence of staff. Despite crowded conditions in the dining area and long queues, pupils behave very sensibly.
• Pupils' behaviour in lessons is good. There are very few incidents where lessons are interrupted by pupils' poor behaviour. Pupils also show an increasing pride in their work.
• This is an inclusive school and leaders do not take the decision to exclude pupils lightly. There have been no permanent exclusions since the previous inspection and fixed-term exclusions are lower than the national average.
• Leaders use alternative provision to cater for the needs of a small number of pupils whose needs cannot be met in school. School staff communicate frequently with the provider to ensure that pupils attend regularly, are kept safe and make appropriate progress.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• In 2016, Year 11 pupils' progress was below average. Progress in English was significantly below that of pupils nationally with the same starting points. The progress of current pupils is accelerating, but is still not consistently good.
• In 2016, the progress of disadvantaged pupils overall was significantly below the national average and in the bottom 10%, when compared to other schools across the rest of the country. This was also the case in English and science specifically. Underachievement was particularly noticeable with middle-ability disadvantaged pupils. Leaders' information about pupil progress, confirmed by a detailed scrutiny of pupils' workbooks across all year groups, shows that disadvantaged pupils are making better progress currently. However, the improvements are more evident in key stage 4 and there is still work to do in key stage 3.
• Pupils in modern foreign languages and humanities made progress in line with the national figure. However, the progress of present pupils in modern foreign languages contrasts starkly with the results for that subject in 2016. Pupils are not making acceptable progress in key stage 3, and very few pupils are choosing to study modern foreign languages in key stage 4.
• Leaders' information about current pupils' progress and inspectors' detailed analysis of pupils' workbooks show that progress overall is improving across the school. However, there remains too much variation across different subjects, year groups and different groups of pupils.
• Disadvantaged pupils are now making better progress in key stage 4, but they still make less rapid progress than their non-disadvantaged peers in key stage 3.
• Progress in science is stronger in chemistry and physics than biology and more noticeable in key stage 4. Middle- and high-ability pupils make more rapid progress than lower-ability pupils.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 121718 North Yorkshire 10032157 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 Secondary comprehensive School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained voluntary aided 11 to 16 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 480 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Mr Peter A O'Neill Mrs Louise Wilson Telephone number 01405 860276 Website Email address www.holyfamilycarlton.org admin@holyfamilycarlton.org Date of previous inspection 11–12 June 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is smaller than the average-sized secondary school.
• The school uses alternative provision for a small number of pupils. Four pupils attend the Rubicon centre.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is lower than the national average.
• A higher-than-average proportion of pupils have statements of special educational needs or education, health and care plans. This includes six pupils on the school's roll who have places in the local authority’s enhanced mainstream provision for pupils on the autistic spectrum.
• The proportion of pupils with special educational needs support is twice the national average.
• The school meets the current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 11.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed a range of teaching and learning in parts of lessons, with eight sessions observed with senior leaders.
• Throughout the two days of the inspection, inspectors spoke with pupils, both informally and formally, about their learning and safety.
• Inspectors listened to pupils reading. Inspectors reviewed pupils' work in lessons and scrutinised samples of work in pupils' books.
• The lead inspector held meetings with two governors and a representative of the local authority. The lead inspector had a telephone conversation with the director of education of the Leeds Diocese and an inspector had a telephone conversation with the assistant manager of the main off-site provision. Inspectors also held meetings with senior and middle leaders and other staff.
• Inspectors reviewed leaders' evaluation of the performance of the school, the school improvement plan, records of local authority visits and minutes of governing body meetings. They also considered a range of documentation in relation to child protection, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.
• Inspectors analysed 34 responses to Ofsted's online questionnaire for parents (Parent View). There were no responses to the pupil and staff questionnaires.

Inspection team

David Pridding, lead inspector Peter McKenzie Graham Crerar Stephen Crossley

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector