Holy Rood Catholic Primary School

Inspection of Holy Rood Catholic Primary School Shaw Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 6JL

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 27–28 November 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school motto ‘live, love, learn’ is at the heart of this school. Pupils enjoy attending. They are keen to learn and achieve well. Pupils behave well. They are polite and courteous to visitors. Children settle in well to Nursery and Reception. They are well cared for and nurtured.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a wide range of clubs. Pupils relish taking on leadership responsibilities. They talk enthusiastically about being members of the school council and the eco- council. Pupils have respectful and tolerant attitudes towards those with different faiths and cultural backgrounds.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is rare. When it does happen, staff deal with this well. The vast majority of parents who made their views known to inspectors believe that bullying is dealt with well. A few parents do not share this view.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy reading and they read often. They particularly enjoy story time at the end of the day. Leaders have reviewed the curriculum to ensure that it is broad and balanced. However, curriculum plans in some subjects, such as history and science, are not developed well enough. Leaders are addressing this.

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better?

Leaders have high aspirations and ambitions for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff have high expectations of what pupils can and should achieve. Pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics has improved since the last inspection.

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better?

Teachers have good subject knowledge. They use assessment increasingly well to check pupils’ understanding. Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to revisit previous learning so that they remember more over time.

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better?

Leaders have reviewed the curriculum and introduced new curriculum plans in every subject. These plans outline what pupils should learn and when. The plans are well developed in reading, writing and mathematics. In some of the foundation subjects, and in the early years, there is variability in the quality of curriculum plans. For example, in history, most topics are in a logical order but links between topics have not been fully considered. Some curriculum leaders have not received enough subject-specific training so that they can develop these plans further and check on the implementation of these plans. Leaders are taking action to address this.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading. Children get off to a good start with reading in the early years. Staff are trained so that they can deliver the school’s phonics programme well. The weakest readers receive support so that they catch up quickly. The school provides workshops for parents so that they can support their children to read at 27–28 November 2019

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home. From the early years to Year 6, staff read to pupils at the end of each day. Class stories are selected to develop pupils’ vocabulary and interests.

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Children in the early years get off to a positive start with their learning. Staff ensure that activities stimulate children’s interest. Children enjoy listening to and repeating familiar rhymes and stories. The environment is well organised and resourced. Children are encouraged to be independent. They are confident in their learning. Some adults are new to supporting children in the early years. Some staff do not check children’s understanding of what they have learned well enough. Leaders have already planned training to improve this.

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Pupils are keen to contribute to discussions and debates. They show positive attitudes towards their learning. Pupils enjoy writing for different audiences and purposes. In English lessons, pupils used their class text as a stimulus to help them with their writing. They work hard to edit and improve their writing.

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Pupils with SEND are generally well supported. However, targets on the plans to support some pupils with SEND are not as precise as they should be so that adults can support pupils’ learning to best effect.

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There is a well-considered curriculum for pupils’ personal development. There is a strong focus on supporting pupils to be resilient. An inspector saw pupils putting this into action in mathematics lessons. Pupils were confident to try more difficult problems and learn from their mistakes.

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Pupils’ attendance dipped last year. This year attendance has improved and is in line with the national average. Leaders understand the need to continue to work with families to improve the attendance of pupils who are regularly absent from school.

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Staff who made their views known to inspectors enjoy working at the school. They feel well supported by senior leaders and governors. Staff morale is high.

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Leaders and governors value the support they receive from the local authority. This has helped the school to make the necessary improvements since the last inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors ensure that all staff receive appropriate and regular safeguarding training. Staff understand the crucial role they play in keeping pupils safe. Staff pass on any concerns they may have about pupils, no matter how small. Pupils say there is always someone in school they can talk to if they have any concerns. There is a ‘worry box’ in each classroom. Pupils are encouraged to share their feelings.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. Pupils have a good 27–28 November 2019

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understanding of how to keep themselves safe online. Pupils told inspectors that a recent visit from the local police helped them to understand how to keep safe on bonfire night.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Curriculum plans have been developed in all foundation subjects. However, in some, the links between the curriculum offered in early years and key stage 1 are not explicit enough. Occasionally, the links between topics in different subject areas have not been defined clearly enough. Leaders are well into the process of bringing this about. Senior leaders should ensure that curriculum leaders develop the curriculum plans further so that pupils can benefit from a coherent, well- sequenced curriculum across every subject.  Targets set for pupils with SEND are not consistently precise. Leaders need to ensure that targets are clear and specific so that staff can support this group of pupils to make the best progress possible.  A higher than average proportion of pupils are persistently absent from school. While overall attendance has improved, leaders should continue to work with families to improve attendance further.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 27–28 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110551 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21–22 June 2017

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, a number of new staff have joined the school. Two assistant headteachers have also been appointed.  This is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school.  Children attend Nursery part-time.  There are a higher proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language than found nationally.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is below the national average.  The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in December 2016.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with the headteacher and the two assistant headteachers. We also met with curriculum leaders. The lead inspector held a discussion with three members of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair of the governing body. The lead inspector also met with a representative from the local authority and the 27–28 November 2019

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Diocese of Hallam.  We scrutinised a wide range of documentation relating to the school’s work to safeguard pupils. These included: pupils’ case files, behaviour records, and attendance trends. We talked to staff about their role in keeping pupils safe. An inspector reviewed the school’s central record, which includes the checks made on staff to ensure that they are safe to work with children.  We observed pupils’ behaviour and conduct in lessons and during playtimes.  We took account of the views of parents who responded to Ofsted’s parent survey, Ofsted Parent View. We also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. An inspector spoke to parents at the start of the school day.  The inspection focused in-depth on reading, science, mathematics and geography. Other subjects were also considered as part of the inspection, such as history and writing. We visited lessons, scrutinised pupils’ books, and spoke to pupils about

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their work. The lead inspector listened to a number of pupils read and visited story time at the end of the school day.

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Inspection team

Michele Costello, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Suzette Garland-Grimes Ofsted Inspector 27–28 November 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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