Holy Family Catholic Primary School

Holy Family Catholic Primary School Old Hall Road, Sale, Cheshire, M33 2JA

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 The standards pupils achieve at the end of Key Stage 2 are variable. Standards in writing in 2013 were well below average.  Progress is not consistently good in reading, writing and mathematics for all pupils. Not enough pupils make better than the expected rate of progress in writing and mathematics.  The quality of teaching requires improvement across Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.  Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not always high enough.  Teachers do not always use assessment information effectively to plan lessons which are well matched to the pupils’ abilities.  Teachers’ feedback and marking do not always give pupils clear advice about how to improve their work.  Pupils have too few opportunities to develop their mathematical skills through other subjects.  School leaders have not monitored the quality of teaching effectively enough to ensure that it is consistently good or better.

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Senior leaders have not analysed assessment data in enough detail to identify weaknesses in achievement for groups of pupils.  Governors have not held the school to account over its performance robustly enough.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children often make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage because the quality of teaching is good.  The proportion of pupils now making better than expected progress is increasing in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and they feel safe in school.  Senior leaders have identified weaknesses in the quality of teaching and achievement and have worked with external support to ensure that improvements are made quickly and can be sustained over time.  School leaders have managed a period of significant staffing turbulence and have made appointments which are intended to bring increased stability in the new school year.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 13 lessons or part lessons, including one joint observation with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, members of staff, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of 51 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and looked at the school’s latest parental survey. Two letters were also received from parents at the school.  They observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation including: assessment data, the school’s evaluation of its work, minutes of governing body meetings, safeguarding documentation, reports from School Improvement Partners, information about the management of teachers’ performance, monitoring records and the school’s improvement plan.  They listened to pupils read and also reviewed samples of their work.  Inspectors reviewed 18 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Information about this inspection

 They observed pupils’ behaviour at playtime, lunchtime, around the school and in lessons.  Inspectors also observed a class assembly led by Year 3 pupils.

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Inspection team

Clare Daniel, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Maureen Coleman Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is below average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority.)  A below average proportion of pupils is supported through school action.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  There has been a significant amount of staffing turbulence this year, including the absence of some senior leaders.  The school provides a breakfast club during term time which is managed by the governing body.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better by:  making sure that all teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and that this is communicated to pupils and parents  ensuring that teachers always have an accurate view of where pupils are up to in their learning so that all lessons build on their existing skills, knowledge and understanding  making sure that teachers plan lessons that effectively challenge all pupils, particularly in mathematics  checking that the feedback teachers give in lessons and the marking in pupils’ books consistently evaluate the progress they have made, and give them very clear guidance about how to improve their work  providing pupils with regular opportunities to respond to teachers’ comments.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve leadership and management in order to raise achievement by:  developing the school’s systems for monitoring the quality of teaching so that improvements are rapid and sustained  making sure that the school uses the assessment data it already has to monitor the performance of groups more effectively, so that all pupils achieve as well as they can and school leaders have a more accurate view of progress and attainment  ensure that pupils have more opportunities to develop their mathematical skills through other subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The achievement of pupils in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 is not consistently good across the school.  Children join the Nursery with skills which are usually below those typical for their age, especially in communication and language, although there is some variation between classes. Most make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and enter Year 1 with broadly average skills. The proportion of children who achieved a good level of development in 2013 was above the national proportion.  The proportion of pupils who achieved the expected standard in the check of Year 1 pupils’ understanding of the links between letters and sounds (phonics) is above average.  Most pupils read regularly at home and at school, and use their phonics skills well to read unfamiliar words. They can talk about their books with enthusiasm and describe the type of book they enjoy.  Standards reached by pupils in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 have

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

been average for the last five years.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 has been broadly average in English and mathematics until 2013, when it dipped to well below average in writing. In 2013, not enough pupils made the expected amount of progress in writing. The proportions of pupils making better than expected progress in writing and mathematics were low. This year, teachers’ assessments of the standards achieved by pupils in Year 6 indicate that attainment is likely once again to be broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics.  Current assessment data and work in pupils’ books indicate that more pupils in the school are now working at the expected level; however, there are variations in the progress that pupils make, especially in Key Stage 2. For example, pupils in Year 3 and Year 4 make slower progress, particularly in writing and mathematics but this improves as pupils move through Year 5 and is

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

good in Year 6.  The achievement of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs requires improvement. While the standards they achieve are closer to their peers than previously, the progress that they make is inconsistent in reading, writing and mathematics.  In 2013, most able pupils made the expected amount of progress in reading and mathematics but not in writing. However, this year the proportion of pupils on track to reach the higher levels has increased.  Pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium make variable progress across the school. In 2013 at the end of Year 6, the achievement of pupils entitled to free school meals was approximately two years behind their peers in reading, writing and mathematics. This year the school’s assessments indicate that the standards they attain will be in line with their peers in reading and writing and approximately two terms behind them in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school does not yet ensure that all pupils have an equal opportunity to succeed because progress and attainment vary between groups.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because not enough is good or better. Consequently, too few pupils make consistently better than expected progress, particularly in mathematics.  The quality of teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Adults plan and lead learning activities which are well matched to the needs of the children. As a result of high quality questioning and support, most children achieve well and are motivated to be enthusiastic and inquisitive learners.  Although there are some examples of good teaching in Key Stages 1 and 2, too much teaching does not build on pupils’ current skills or challenge them enough so that they all consistently make better than expected progress.  The feedback given to pupils in lessons does not always help them to move forward in their learning because it is not focused enough. Similarly, although some marking accurately evaluates pupils’ progress and provides clear steps for improvement, this is not always the case

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

as not all staff are following the school’s agreed marking policy.  Where teaching is not yet good, teachers do not have sufficiently high expectations of what the pupils can achieve. The activities that pupils complete are sometimes not focused enough on moving their learning on at a good pace.  In a Year 2 writing lesson, where pupils were learning how to use exciting vocabulary to write about settings, a minority of the class spent their independent time drawing rather than using the high-quality words they had generated. As a result, their progress slowed and they did not move on in their writing skills.  Where teaching is good, pupils are engaged in their work because it is well planned so that pupils of all abilities are challenged and motivated to do well. Their progress is good and they maintain their focus for a significant period of time.  Children in the Reception class demonstrated determination and enthusiasm when writing about

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

The Gingerbread Man and the adult working with them sensitively judged when to intervene and offer support so that the writing they produced was of a good quality.  Additional adults often support pupils well in lessons. When their work is clearly directed and organised by the teacher and appropriate resources are provided, pupils’ progress is usually good. When teaching assistants are not clear about the expected outcomes of the lesson and their role in the organisation of the lesson, then pupils’ achievement is often weaker.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. In lessons pupils listen to staff and to each other and, once engaged in activities, their attitude to learning is good. There are many opportunities for pupils to work together, which they say they enjoy.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage demonstrate good attitudes to learning. They are keen to work together, collaborate well and positive relationships abound in the Nursery and Reception classes.  Pupils say that they think behaviour is not as good at playtime as it is in lesson time but that it is still good overall. Inspectors observed the children’s behaviour at playtime and lunchtime and judged that it was good. Staff dealt appropriately with any small incidents and pupils played well together, using equipment appropriately and sensibly.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Relationships between pupils and adults are positive and pupils say that they could rely on the support of staff members if they

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

had a problem. The school’s ‘helping hand’ initiative is valued by pupils who say that it gives them strategies to help themselves if they are feeling worried or anxious.  Pupils said that they feel safe in school; there are few incidents of bullying. They demonstrate a good awareness of how to keep themselves safe both physically and, for example when using the internet.  The overwhelming majority of parents who responded via Parent View said that they felt pupils were well behaved, and that bullying was effectively dealt with.  Good procedures are in place to keep vulnerable pupils safe and the school works with a range of agencies to support pupils and their families.  Pupils say they enjoy being members of the school council and welcome the opportunity to have extra responsibility in the school.  The breakfast club offers pupils a range of activities and encourages punctuality.  Pupils enjoying coming to this friendly and caring school, are rarely late and their attendance is

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders have managed a turbulent period in the school’s staffing recently. As a consequence of this instability, the quality of teaching has declined since the last inspection, and this has led to inconsistencies in pupils’ achievement.  There is now evidence of an improvement in the proportion of pupils making and exceeding the progress expected of them. This demonstrates the positive impact of leaders in improving previous weaknesses in performance.  The monitoring of teaching is regular although not always effective enough to provide teachers with clear steps for improvement. As a result, much teaching still requires improvement in order to ensure that pupils make consistently good progress.  As a number of senior and middle leaders have been absent from school recently, the responsibility for monitoring activity has fallen mainly on the headteacher and deputy headteacher. They have also taken on the middle leadership role of driving improvements in

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The leadership and management requires improvement

English and mathematics to provide stability and a focus for the school’s work to raise standards.  Senior leaders have identified some groups that need additional support, such as disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. However, they are not yet monitoring the quality of teaching these pupils receive effectively enough to ensure that they are all achieving well.  All teachers have targets based on improving pupils’ progress in writing and assessment in religious education (RE) as well as some additional targets which are linked to their curriculum responsibilities. Some staff have targets which are linked to improving the quality of teaching.  Meetings take place to review and monitor the progress of all pupils, although these are not always linked closely to the quality of teaching. The school does not yet use the assessment data it already has to robustly analyse the performance of groups of pupils and as a result, has not

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The leadership and management requires improvement

been fully aware of underachievement in some classes.  The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and is enriched with clubs and visits. Pupils of all ages are able to attend a range of activities after school and during the school day, including a cookery club and ukulele lessons. However, pupils do not have as many opportunities to develop their mathematical skills through other subjects as they do in reading and writing.  The school is spending new primary sport funding on increasing participation in physical education, improving the quality of teaching through the use of sports coaches and delivering further professional development to teaching staff. An increasing number of pupils are already attending the wide range of sporting after-school clubs on offer.  The local authority has recognised that the school currently requires improvement as the quality

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The leadership and management requires improvement

of teaching has been inconsistent. They have arranged support for Year 5 and 6 teachers from another local school and the impact of this is clearly evident in the accelerated progress that Year 6 pupils have made this year.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is very supportive of the work of the school and has an awareness of the weaknesses in achievement and the quality of teaching. However, it has not previously held the school to account robustly for weaknesses in its performance. Governors are confident that information given to them is accurate and they are beginning to challenge the school more effectively but still do not have robust enough focus on the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ progress. Governors understand how to use performance management to improve the quality of teaching; however, they have not ensured that improvements have been swift and sustained. They have a good understanding of how the school spends pupil

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The leadership and management requires improvement

premium funding and the impact on pupils’ achievement but have not challenged underperformance of this group previously. Governors make sure that safeguarding requirements are met.

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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 106345 Local authority Trafford Inspection number 443866

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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 Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 214 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mary Riches Headteacher Linda Davison Date of previous school inspection 10 May 2010 Telephone number 0161 962 5397 Fax number 0161 969 9560 Email address holyfamily.admin@trafford.gov.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 and 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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