Holy Family Catholic Primary School

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The significant improvement that has taken place since the previous inspection has brought about a strong sense of pride across the whole school community.  The excellent leadership of the headteacher, coupled with exceptionally strong governance, has established high expectations in all of the school’s work.  Governors make excellent use of the range of expertise on the governing body to support the school’s leaders and challenge them to do even better.  All pupils make good progress because teaching is at least good across the school. It inspires pupils to do well, not least by encouraging them to challenge themselves to do better at every stage.  Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are exemplary. Their attendance is above average. They want to be at school because they thoroughly enjoy learning.  Pupils care for and respect themselves, each other and adults. They fully subscribe to the school’s principle that ‘Everybody has the responsibility to

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This is a good school

ensure that we all enjoy our rights’.  Pupils feel safe in school because adults look after them well and teach them to look after themselves, including when using the internet. Parents say the school is a safe place for their children.  Good leadership in the early years ensures that children get off to a good start and are prepared well for their work in Year 1.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The roles of subject leaders are not yet fully established in the school.  Systems for assessing pupils’ progress in subjects other than English, mathematics and science are not yet in place.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

giving middle leaders the skills and the time they need to lead and manage their subjects developing manageable systems to assess, track and improve pupils’ progress in the subjects that do not yet have them.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 There has been a relentless trend of improvement across all aspects of the school’s work since the previous inspection. The large number of staff who expressed a view were unanimous in saying that the school is much better now; inspection evidence shows that they are right.  Staff morale is high and teamwork is strong. Staff, parents and pupils fully subscribe to the culture of care and support, respect and tolerance, which, parents say, provides ‘the family feel of a small school’. The responses to the Ofsted questionnaire for parents were almost entirely positive. Many parents had much to say in praise of the school.  The headteacher has made very good use of the advice, guidance and support she received from a national leader of education and from the local authority. She has set high expectations for staff and pupils. Staff and governors share her ambitious vision and they have united to make sure that the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

improvements are secure and sustainable. Parents, too, are very supportive of the school.  Leaders manage teachers’ performance well. They carry out regular reviews of teaching and learning and hold staff to account for their pupils’ progress. Their evaluations are accurate and well founded and they have helped to secure a great deal of consistency throughout the school. There are clear links between the targets set for teachers, the priorities in the school development plan, and the school’s accurate evaluation of its effectiveness.  The curriculum is planned well to include all subjects and to take account of pupils’ interests. Pupils are provided with interesting challenges to complete, to deepen or extend their learning. Vibrant and stimulating displays celebrate pupils’ work across a range of subjects.  Parents report that their children are much more involved in their learning now. Parents know how to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

help them, because communication with the school is good. They appreciate the weekly newsletters that tell them what teachers have planned for the following week, as well as the new reports, which are clear about where their child is in relation to the age-related expectations of the new curriculum.  The breadth and variety of opportunities within the curriculum promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and their understanding of British values and life in modern Britain, exceedingly well. These aspects are threaded through everything the school does, and are particularly evident in, for example, religious education work and personal, social and health education sessions. They help turn the pupils into mature youngsters who can reflect, think for themselves and realise that actions have consequences.  Leaders have established appropriate procedures for assessing pupils’ progress in English, mathematics

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

and, to some extent, in science. In these subjects, teachers track the progress of every pupil as well as of different groups of pupils, checking the accuracy of their assessments within and across the school and with other schools. They also ensure that literacy and numeracy skills are woven into other subjects.  The leadership of other subjects is not yet fully established and there are currently no systematic procedures for measuring pupils’ progress in them. Having improved English and mathematics, senior leaders are now rightly prioritising leadership, provision and progress in other subjects to ensure they are of the same good quality.  The use of the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils (the pupil premium) has ensured that these pupils do at least as well as their classmates or are catching up quickly with them. Leaders check carefully that additional help, such as individual or small-group tuition, makes enough positive difference to pupils’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

learning.  The school has used the additional sports funding for primary schools well to extend the range of sports available and to increase physical activity at breaks and lunchtimes. Pupils are also beginning to take part in competitions. The funding is also helping to improve teachers’ ability to teach physical education.  The governance of the school Governors are dynamic, effective and astute. They understand their roles and responsibilities extremely well and present a high level of challenge for the headteacher, while supporting and contributing to everything the school is doing to improve. Governors use their considerable expertise to maximum effect. They regularly fine-tune their skills by attending all relevant training. There is a real partnership between the governing body, the headteacher, staff and parents that is proving highly beneficial to the pupils. Governors have a strong grasp of performance information and an excellent understanding of their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

strategic role in school improvement. They carry out stringent checks on the use of finances and the impact of spending decisions, including in relation to the pupil premium and the sports funding for primary schools. Governing body minutes provide very strong evidence of the challenge and support that governors now give to the school’s leaders. Governors visit school regularly to check that the comprehensive information they receive from the headteacher is accurate. Systems to manage the performance of staff at all levels, including the headteacher, are rigorous.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Systems are reviewed regularly and training on all safeguarding issues is up to date for all adults. Risk assessments are thorough, staff are checked as to their suitability and everyone knows what procedures to follow should they have any concerns. Staff are extremely vigilant in keeping pupils safe. They work closely with pupils and their families to ensure that

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Classrooms are organised well to set the tone for the purposeful and productive learning that takes place within them. Displays on walls and resources that are carefully prepared on tables encourage pupils to think for themselves and try to improve their own learning before approaching an adult for help. Pupils explained to inspectors how they had become more independent learners; their parents confirmed this view.  Teachers set pupils challenges rather than work. They teach pupils how to gauge where to start within a challenge and how to recognise when the work becomes easy and they need to move on. The challenges enable less able pupils to learn using smaller steps and the most able pupils to start with more demanding work. Thus, both groups make equally good progress as do all other pupils. The challenges deepen or, where relevant, extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding and pupils relish them.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Pupils receive good advice, support and guidance from staff in reading, writing and mathematics, including through marking, to which they respond well. Their work shows that they learn from their mistakes. They describe the process by which they respond to their teachers’ feedback as ‘a good way to learn’.  Teachers make sure that pupils know how to assess their own and each other’s written and mathematical learning. They use a range of ways to check how well pupils are doing during lessons and quickly adjust their teaching to help pupils succeed. In other subjects, teachers are not quite as effective in helping pupils to improve their skills.  Teachers make effective and interesting links between subjects because they have found that this deepens pupils’ thinking. For example, pupils took on the roles of Greek gods and through this role play effectively extended their speaking and listening skills in preparation for descriptive writing.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 In mathematics, teachers constantly encourage pupils to use what they already know to reason their answers, deepen their understanding and find the most efficient way to calculate. For example, in a Year 4 session, pupils were asked to provide a ‘taxing calculation’ that looked more complicated than it actually was, for a partner to solve. Their partners quickly brought different strategies to bear, for example rounding up and partitioning, and confidently explained the reason for their choices.  Relationships between teachers and pupils are excellent. The teachers’ enthusiasm for learning is infectious and pupils quickly pick up on it. Teachers have good subject knowledge and they use it well in questioning that probes and extends pupils’ thinking. This was exemplified powerfully in a Year 1 history session where, as pupils studied British monarchs, the teacher’s questions led them to realise that the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

past, or new inventions, can affect the present and the future.  Teachers brief their teaching assistants well. These assistants help pupils, especially those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make good progress during group or individual work. They make less of a contribution to pupils’ learning during some whole-class sessions.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Leaders and teachers ensure the health, safety and well-being of all pupils is at the heart of the school’s work.  Pupils of all ages give many examples of how the school teaches them to look after themselves. This includes training them to use all equipment, including electronic equipment, safely and, when using the internet, to look for security settings to stay secure and safe online.  Relationships between pupils and adults are excellent. Pupils and their parents are consistent in saying that all staff, including leaders, are approachable and very helpful. Pupils are confident, self-assured and self-disciplined. Parents recognise how well the school instils these qualities in their children.  Pupils are immensely proud of their school and what they do there. They wear their uniform with pride and take great pride in their work. High standards of presentation are evident throughout the school and

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Personal development and welfare

in all subjects.  Pupils understand bullying, the different forms it can take and what to do about it. They are adamant that there is no bullying but, should there be, it would be quickly sorted.  Pupils discuss and debate issues in a considered way. For example, in their writing, they argued whether or not there should be school uniform, and they showed consideration for others as they wrote about the plight of Syrian refugees. They understand right from wrong, the importance of fairness and justice and the right to be free from harassment and coercion of any sort.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are exemplary. They talk about the ‘power of yet’ (the state of being unable to do something … yet) and add to it the ‘power of fun’ as they explain how teachers make learning fun for them through the challenges they set.  Pupils explain how they have to ‘go into the pit’ and dig deep to meet the challenges and, therefore,

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Personal development and welfare

increase their learning. They know not to choose the easiest option to get out, but the one that causes them to ‘wobble’; that is, be a bit uncertain so that they have to persevere or ‘stick at it’ to succeed. They apply these principles to both their academic and personal development, with great success.  There are many opportunities for pupils to take responsibility for themselves and others. Pupils have a strong voice in the school, for example through the school council. Older pupils readily look after younger ones, play leaders help pupils in the playground and pupils have jobs to do in class. Pupils learn to think of others, for example raising money for various charities and contributing to the community.  As part of teaching pupils to keep themselves fit and healthy, staff emphasise the importance of healthy eating and the need to take regular exercise. Pupils have also been trained to use a defibrillator and how

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Personal development and welfare

to deal with an emergency.  Pupils very much enjoy the sports activities available to them at lunchtimes. They feel these activities contribute greatly to their excellent behaviour out of doors. While pupils feel there should be more clubs, parents say that there are plenty of clubs across sports and the arts for their children after school. In response to the pupils’ comment, the school is looking to expand the number of clubs from September.  Pupils’ confidence and self-esteem blossoms as they move through the school. They leave it as mature youngsters, well prepared to take their place at secondary school and, ultimately, in the wider world.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils work industriously. They have produced a considerable amount of increasingly good-quality work throughout the year. They are rightly proud of their achievements and they understand how their excellent behaviour enables everyone to learn well, and the school to improve.  Attendance has improved considerably since the previous inspection, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils want to be at school because they want to learn. Very few are persistently absent now.  Pupils are proud of the fact that the school, in their words, ‘is much better than it was’. Parents with whom inspectors spoke say that there are no issues around behaviour and, if there is a problem, staff always sort it out quickly and to their satisfaction. This view mirrored the opinion of almost all parents who responded to Ofsted’s questionnaire, Parent View.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Across the school, pupils make good progress. Standards have risen securely since the previous inspection. The proportions of pupils in Year 6 who reached age-related expectations in the national tests this year are higher than those found nationally except in reading, where they are slightly below. Leaders very quickly analysed why this happened. They have already taken steps to ensure that the situation is not repeated next year.  The majority of pupils have reached age-related expectations in all other year groups, including in Year 2. Here, the weakest area is grammar, spelling and punctuation. Information comparing pupils’ starting points last September with where they are now confirms their good progress.  The outcomes of the phonics (letters and the sounds they make) screening for pupils in Year 1 were above average this year and much improved on previous years. Pupils have a secure grasp of basic

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Outcomes for pupils are good

phonics skills and they use them well to help them read and spell new words. Pupils enjoy reading and they use their reading skills well in different subjects.  Pupils’ writing is often imaginative and easily engages the reader. Pupils know how to improve their writing because teachers teach them the importance of drafting and editing their work, step by step. They follow the same model, often using a dictionary or thesaurus to improve their vocabulary. For example, ‘I am a tree’ becomes ‘I am a big tree’, then ‘I am a colossal tree that never stops growing in the dark wood’.  Mathematics books show good progress over time because pupils cover a good range of concepts and have many opportunities to use their good number skills to solve problems that deepen their understanding. Pupils have good mental arithmetical skills, which they use well as they justify the calculation method they use, double check their answers and explain why they think their particular

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Outcomes for pupils are good

method is the most efficient one.  The pupils’ good progress in English and mathematics is easy to see over time, and pupils use their literacy and numeracy skills well in other subjects. Progress in other subjects is not as easy to find because there is much less recorded work available. Practical work in science has enthused pupils and resulted in them making good progress in acquiring scientific knowledge, understanding and skills. Discussions with pupils show that they are gaining knowledge and understanding in all subjects and developing important skills that will stand them in good stead for the next stage in their education.  Pupils respond well to the challenges set for them. They thoroughly enjoy going into the ‘learning pit’ and finding success strategies to cure their ‘wobbles’. There are no limits to what pupils can now learn as the school lives out its mission statement – to grow, learn and succeed.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Strong leadership of the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the effective use of well-briefed teaching assistants, mean that these pupils make good progress. Their learning is broken down into the smaller steps they need to take to succeed.  There are too few disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 to make meaningful comparisons with other pupils nationally. Nevertheless, the gaps between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils are closing throughout the school. The good progress disadvantaged pupils are making sometimes exceeds that of other pupils.  The most able pupils also make good progress. Staff understand the way the new curriculum works to deepen these pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills. Through the challenges, they provide the pupils with increasingly difficult work to do. The pupils are skilled at finding their own ‘wobble’ points from

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Early years provision is good

 The good provision for children in the early years prepares them well for their work in Year 1. Early indications are that this year the proportion of children reaching a good level of development has risen again and is above the national average for last year. Children make good progress from their varying starting points, which are below those typical for their age, especially in literacy and mathematics.  Staff are vigilant in promoting children’s health, safety and well-being. As a result, children settle quickly and develop good social skills. They listen to adults and to each other, respond to instructions and follow well-established routines. They readily share equipment, take turns and help each other. Their behaviour is exemplary and they are eager to learn.  Teaching is good. Teachers plan activities that have a clear learning purpose, stimulate children’s curiosity and spur them on to find out more. They create a calm and purposeful learning atmosphere, indoors and

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Early years provision is good

out, although the outdoor area is relatively underused. The school plans to develop it further next year.  Good emphasis is placed on developing early reading, writing and number skills. Staff help children to use the correct mathematical language as they count or explore different shapes. They teach phonics well, so that children begin to develop a good ability to sound and read simple words and to write and spell.  Staff assess children’s learning accurately and record it carefully so that all have a good understanding of where each child is up to. Comments in children’s books show that children become increasingly independent as the year progresses. As staff correct the work in the books, however, they miss opportunities to correct letter or number reversal.  Links with home and pre-school settings are strong. They help to identify children who might need additional help. Careful planning then helps the children get off to a good start in their learning and catch

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Early years provision is good

up with their classmates.  Parents who spoke with inspectors are very happy with how their children are doing. They support the school well in its work. Overall, the early years’ provision is led and managed well. The temporary leadership has sustained good teaching and good progress.

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School details

Unique reference number 106345 Local authority Trafford Inspection number 10012175 This inspection 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 217 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gary Nuttall Headteacher Linda Davison Telephone number 0161 962 5397 Website www.holyfamilysalemoor.co.uk Email address holyfamily.admin@trafford.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 1–2 July 2014

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school. The number of pupils on roll has increased since the previous inspection.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium (additional funding for disadvantaged pupils) is below average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is average.  The proportion of pupils who come from minority ethnic backgrounds, although increasing, is below average.  In the early years, Nursery-aged children attend part-time and Reception-aged children attend full-time.  The school meets the government’s current floor targets, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The school meets requirements for the publication of specified information on its website.  Following the previous inspection, the school received support from the headteacher of Tyntesfield

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Information about this school

Primary School, who is a national leader in education. That support ended in December 2015.  The ‘Alphabets Children’s Club’ runs before- and after-school clubs on the school premises. These clubs are inspected separately.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in a range of sessions. One visit was made jointly with the headteacher.  Inspectors also analysed the work in the books of all groups of pupils currently in the school, as well as the school’s most recent information about pupils’ progress.  Inspectors listened to pupils in Year 1 read and observed sessions where staff were teaching phonics.  Discussions were held with key leaders, three members of the governing body, a representative from the local authority and the national leader for education who had been supporting the school prior to December 2015.  Inspectors spoke with pupils, formally and informally, and took account of the 31 responses to the online questionnaire for pupils.  A range of documents relating to school improvement was examined, along with policies and procedures relating to teaching, safeguarding pupils, and provision for disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have

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Information about this inspection

special educational needs or disabilities.  Inspectors gained the views of a number of parents at first hand as they brought their children to school. They also took account of the views of the 64 parents who completed the online Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View.  Inspectors spoke to staff to gain their views. They also took account of the 16 responses to the Ofsted questionnaire for staff.

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Inspection team

Doris Bell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Doreen Davenport, team inspector Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Inspection team

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

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