The Holy Family Catholic School

The Holy Family Catholic School Spring Gardens Lane, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6LH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The determination of the headteacher, senior leaders and governors in their drive for improvement ensures that teaching is now good and that all students achieve well.  The percentage of students attaining five or more GCSE A*-C grades over the past three years has risen considerably.  The recent restructuring of the senior leadership team ensures the school knows accurately how well it is doing.  The school’s provision for students with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) is highly effective in making sure that they are included in the full life of the school and that they achieve as well as others do.  The Holy Family is a happy, friendly school where behaviour is good and all students achieve well both academically and personally, regardless of their starting points or needs.  A strong Catholic ethos of respect, praise and a good quality curriculum provide thought- provoking experiences both in school and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

overseas ensuring that the students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding.  The sixth form is good. The school has recently taken over responsibility for its own sixth form. Provision is good and consequently outcomes for students are rising sharply and retention rates are high.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The quality of teaching is not yet outstanding. This is because lessons are not always sufficiently well-matched to challenge all students to make very rapid progress and feedback does not always inform them how to improve.  Recently introduced tracking systems give an accurate and up-to-date view of students’ academic and personal progress. However, systems by which it can be analysed are too cumbersome so that senior leaders do not always have the information quickly enough.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 36 part-lessons, some with members of the senior leadership team. They observed tutor group sessions in the morning.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, heads of department, members of the pastoral team, the Chair of the Governing Body, a representative of the local authority, a representative of the Bradford Partnership, the school’s education consultant and several groups of students.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documentation, including the school’s own internal data on students’ current progress, its checks on how well it is doing, monitoring and planning documentation, performance management evaluations, records relating to attendance and behaviour, documents relating to safeguarding, governors’ records and students’ work.  The inspection team considered the views of 25 parents who responded to Parent View and the

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Information about this inspection

school’s own surveys of parents, staff and students.

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Inspection team

James Kilner, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Steven Beverley Additional Inspector Gary Kirkley Additional Inspector Lynne Selkirk Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Holy Family Catholic High School is an average-sized secondary school.  The proportion of students from minority ethnic backgrounds is above average, with Asian British students representing the largest group in the school. Since the previous inspection the proportion of students who speak English as an additional language has declined to below the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion of students supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which includes students in receipt of free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority, is below average.  The governing body manages a local authority designated base on-site for 11 students with

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Information about this school

autistic spectrum disorders (ASD).  Since the previous inspection the school now has its own sixth form provision on site.  The school does not use any off-site provision.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the amount of outstanding teaching that enables more students to exceed expected progress by: - matching work more closely to students’ different abilities through a consistent use of assessment information when planning lessons - telling students both in classroom discussions and through marking how well they are doing and precisely what is required to reach the higher levels.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Streamline the way in which data are recorded and analysed to give a sharper picture of groups and individual students’ progress so that any dips in performance are spotted as soon as possible.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students join the school with attainment which is generally in line with that expected for their age although it was significantly low for the current Year 9 and Year 10 students. In order to tackle this, the school have successfully adapted the curriculum to ensure appropriate courses to interest and challenge students so that they achieve as well as others in the school.  GCSE results improved in 2012 in English and the school consolidated previous, rapid improvements in the proportion of students achieving five or more A*-C grades, including English and mathematics. Students supported at school action and those with special educational needs achieve as well as their peers thanks to accurate identification of what they require to improve and effective support for their personal and academic development. Consequently, an increased number of students made better than expected progress in 2012. Students from the Asian British community make the same rates of progress as their

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The achievement of pupils is good

schoolmates and perform as well as similar students nationally.  Where the school thinks it is appropriate students are entered early for examinations, although this does not lower the final GCSE grades for able students. Should it be required, care is taken to provide targeted intervention for those students identified as requiring support.  Funds available through the allocation of the pupil premium support the learning of eligible students. Support is effective through one-to-one tuition and additional sessions in English and mathematics. Also, the provision of nutritious meals at the breakfast club set the students up well for the day. Consequently, in 2012 the proportion of students eligible for free school meals meeting and exceeding the expected levels of progress in English and mathematics compared favourably with that achieved nationally.  Those who attend the specialist on-site resource for ASD students achieve equally well with a

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The achievement of pupils is good

number continuing in to the sixth form and, in some cases, on to university. They receive specialist support and sharply-focused actions from knowledgeable and caring staff. Students whose circumstances may make them vulnerable also achieve well thanks to the good provision made in the alternative on-site resource, The Bridge, many moving successfully to college or sixth form.  A concerted effort to improve students’ reading and writing is working well. Students make good progress, in some cases from low starting points. They show a good knowledge and enjoyment of a wide variety of authors and different types of books.  Literacy and numeracy are effectively promoted in all subjects throughout the school. Effective use of mathematics was seen in an outstanding English lesson where students used a Venn diagram to identify differences and similarities in texts with `conflict’ as a common theme.

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The quality of teaching is good

 A robust performance management system, linked to salary progression, identifies those teachers who are consistently highly effective in their teaching. They readily accept their role in coaching and developing colleagues so that the profile of good and outstanding teaching has improved greatly since the previous inspection.  Teachers confidently and effectively use information and communication technology to capture students’ interest and stimulate their imagination. A good example was seen using video clips in a successful English lesson where a comedy sketch involving dialect led to students making good progress in developing their understanding of the different purposes of language.  Strengths in teaching include; teachers planning lessons which will get the best out of their students, good subject knowledge and a swift and purposeful pace to lessons as teachers make rapid and accurate assessments. Classrooms are typified by a positive atmosphere which

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The quality of teaching is good

enthuses and engages students to do well. For their part, students readily assess one-another’s work, frequently breaking in to spontaneous applause to reward the efforts of their classmates. Appropriate work and support for disabled students and those with special educational needs ensures they enjoy and succeed at the same level as their classmates.  Good teaching in the ASD unit and The Bridge meet the varying and specialised needs of the students skilfully. Teaching assistants understand thoroughly what students have to learn so that those in their care make good progress.  Teaching in the sixth form is consistently good with some which is outstanding. The small teaching groups and professional and amicable working atmosphere provides good quality individual tuition if and when required.  In a few instances teaching requires improvement because teachers do not take sufficient notice of information about students’ achievements when planning lessons to move them rapidly to the

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The quality of teaching is good

higher levels. Equally, work is not always marked well enough and sometimes feedback does not help some students to improve further.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The overwhelming majority of students have highly positive attitudes towards learning and respond well to the effective systems the school uses to manage behaviour. Consequently, behaviour is good in lessons and when students are moving around the school site. Students are polite, courteous and friendly, offering assistance to visitors and to their peers whenever the occasion arises. It is not yet outstanding because a minority occasionally misbehave, which spoils the learning and enjoyment of others.  Students’ attendance has improved significantly since the previous inspection and is now above average. Strong partnerships with outside agencies such as education welfare and social services ensure productive working with families to reduce the number of students who are persistently absent.  A pleasant and stimulating environment has been created in The Bridge to ensure that those students who experience difficulties in managing their own behaviour remain in school, achieve

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

well and has drastically reduced the need for exclusions.  Sixth-formers play a vital role in ensuring a pleasant family atmosphere where good humour, friendliness and good manners abound. In this calm atmosphere, students feel secure and understand how to keep safe when using social media sites and their mobile phones.  Students have a good understanding of the different forms bullying can take and learning mentors have had training in identifying and dealing with homophobic bullying. This information had been passed on to staff and sixth formers to ensure vigilance throughout school.  Students from varying cultural and religious backgrounds get on well together and appreciate the harmonious climate created within a strong Catholic ethos.  Staff are high profile on the surrounding streets at the end of the school day ensuring a rapid and safe exit from school. The prompt action of staff during the inspection after the end of the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

school day prevented a potential problem with neighbouring communities from escalating. The small number of parents who completed Parent View was largely positive about behaviour but several noted their concerns on Parent View the morning following the incident. Inspectors thoroughly investigated the school’s actions to deal with and resolve the situation and were satisfied that all was being done appropriately to bring the situation to a successful conclusion.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has shown great resilience and determination in leading the school on a successful journey over the past four years so that Holy Family is now good.  An accurate audit of staff skills has ensured the recruitment of a highly efficient senior leadership team, coinciding this term with the appointment of a new deputy. Their dedication, analytical and professional skills combine to ensure that the school knows itself well. The identified strengths and weaknesses are linked to appropriate and challenging development plans, clearly focused on moving the school to outstanding.  Discussions with staff and scrutiny of the school’s questionnaires reveal how proud staff are to work at the school. All have responded well to rigorous performance management which allows them to learn from the strong base of excellent teaching of their colleagues so that teaching is good overall with an increasing number of lessons which are outstanding. However, there are

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The leadership and management are good

some pockets of teaching which require improvement.  Accurate and regular assessment of students’ performance ensures teachers understand their responsibilities to raise achievement further. The data gathered are used meticulously to track progress and deploy staff to those students with the greatest need. The information is accurate and detailed but the systems by which this data are analysed are too complex to allow rapid enough analysis which means senior leaders do not always have the information at their fingertips.  The specialist resourced provision for the ASD students and that for students whose circumstances may make them vulnerable are well managed and ensure students feel safe, enjoy their learning and achieve as well as similar students nationally.  The sixth form is well led and managed. Previous gaps in students’ achievement in comparison with similar students across the country are now declining rapidly. Teaching is good with an

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The leadership and management are good

increasing proportion that is outstanding which is the reason why things are much better all round. The school have appropriate plans to adapt their range of courses to accommodate the changing profile of students’ qualifications and learning needs.  The curriculum is well matched to students’ needs and they enjoy their learning. Students spoke enthusiastically about how they are keen to learn in the ‘vertical curriculum’ groups in Year 9 where they join Key Stage 4 students to study subjects such as Japanese and psychology.  A wide range of subjects which include drama, dance, art, sports activities and music combined with religious based activities, for example assisting on pilgrimages to Lourdes, have an outstanding impact on students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The school has received effective support from their partnerships with the local authority and the Bradford Partnership. As the school are now at a stage where they are providing a good

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The leadership and management are good

standard of education for their students, they now require little support from these partners and are in a strong position to share their undoubted strengths with others. Consequently the school demonstrates that it has a strong ability to carry on making improvements.  The governance of the school: - The governing body effectively and rigorously hold senior leaders to account and manage the ASD provision efficiently. Their individual professional expertise and commitment to the community ensure that they have the necessary skills to consistently challenge all aspects of the school. For example, they are highly knowledgeable about the quality of teaching and personal and academic achievement of all students and understand what needs to improve. They are provided with the necessary information to perform their statutory duties to the fullest through appropriate training in child protection and the recruitment of staff.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 107428 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 400911

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Secondary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 11–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 914 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 170 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Joann Robinson Headteacher Lawrence Bentley Date of previous school inspection 3 February 2010 Telephone number 01535 210212 Fax number 01535 210242 Email address hfcschool@holyfamily.ngfl.ac.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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