The Holy Family Catholic School

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

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 20–21 July 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ experience of school varies widely. This is because pupils’ behaviour varies widely, from the respectful and polite to the defiant and, at times, dangerous. Which classes you are in, who else is in them, which teachers you have, and who else is moving around school at the same time as you go a long way to determining whether your day is good or not.

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What is it like to attend this school?

For some pupils, their day is spoiled by frequent low-level disruption, defiance of some pupils towards staff and derogatory language. For others, much less so.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Some pupils feel unsafe in school because they feel intimidated by the behaviour of a minority. Some pupils do not think that staff will help them if they share a worry. Such is the variability, though, many pupils feel happy and safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a mixed picture about how staff deal with bullying. Some pupils told inspectors that it does not happen very much and, if it does, it is dealt with. Other pupils do not believe it is well handled.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Expectations of what pupils can achieve vary widely. In some classes there is a noticeable zip and energy, with staff pushing pupils to do well. Elsewhere, the mood is flat, with much lower expectations of what pupils can achieve.

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better?

The school is in transition. A new headteacher and other senior leaders have been appointed recently. Over time, however, leaders have not done enough to prevent serious weaknesses building up in pupils’ behaviour and in the wider safeguarding culture of the school. The recently formed senior leadership team knows what needs to be done and has started to get on with it. They have taken steps to engage with the staff, such as through working groups. Governors, the local authority, the diocese and the multi-academy trust (MAT) which the school expects to join are all supporting leaders in the task of school improvement. The current leadership has the capacity to improve the school.

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better?

Leaders have created a new curriculum for key stages 3 and 4, which will be introduced in September 2021. Their aspiration is that the new curriculum will help pupils achieve the best possible outcomes. Subject leaders are clear about what is to be taught, when, and why. Senior leaders have been working with subject leaders to plan the assessments that will be used. These are a work in progress. Leaders have identified a need to strengthen and improve the quality of teaching in some areas. Consequently, a substantial amount of planning is taking place to ensure that the quality of teaching of the new curriculum will be up to the required high standard.

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better?

Leaders have acted to help some of the pupils who struggle with their reading. However, there is more work to do to ensure that all of the very weakest readers are 20–21 July 2021

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supported. Leaders are working on improving the culture of reading within the school through the ‘form time’ reading activity, for example.

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Careful thought has been put into how best to adapt the new curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND have access to a full curriculum, including in the sixth form.

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In the sixth form, the ‘foundation six’ curriculum is effective in helping students access advanced level qualifications. Sixth-form students are positive about their studies, especially the ‘wider reading’ guidance they receive.

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While many pupils behave well, a substantial minority do not. Leaders have taken action to address this, which pupils and most staff think is having a positive effect. However, there remains much work to do. Learning is frequently interrupted by low- level disruption. Some pupils are openly defiant towards staff. Not all staff apply the school’s new behaviour policy consistently. Some pupils do not feel safe moving around the school site because of the poor behaviour of some pupils. A small number of staff and pupils have been injured recently as the direct result of some pupils’ poor behaviour.

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Leaders have acted to strengthen the personal, social, health and economics (PSHE) curriculum from September 2021, including the appointment of a new leader to take responsibility for it. In PSHE, pupils are taught about keeping themselves safe when online, healthy lifestyles and healthy relationships. The school has a range of initiatives in place to support pupils with their mental health. Pupils speak positively about these. The ‘virtues’ curriculum teaches pupils about important values. However, some pupils found it difficult to explain to inspectors what they have learned about fundamental British values such as respect and tolerance. Sixth-form students speak positively about wider enrichment opportunities, such as virtual work experience.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

There are serious weaknesses in the wider safeguarding culture of the school. Some pupils and staff do not feel safe in school. This is typically because of poor behaviour. Some pupils told inspectors that they do not tell an adult if they are worried or have concerns, because they do not think it will be dealt with. There is variability in staff understanding of what to do should they have concerns about the conduct of an adult in school.

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Safeguarding

However, safeguarding leaders have a sound understanding of what action to take to support pupils who have disclosed safeguarding concerns, or who are at risk. 20–21 July 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The new policy, system, routines and expectations for behaviour are not securely or consistently established across the school. As a result, too often lessons are disrupted, pupils defy staff and disrespect staff and peers, and there is poor conduct around the site. Leaders should take steps to ensure that all pupils understand and follow the expected code of conduct, and that all staff apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently.  Caused to a substantial degree by leaders’ failure over time to establish an acceptable standard of behaviour, the wider culture of safeguarding in school is weak. Additionally, the training of staff in the correct process to follow for making a whistle-blowing alert, and how to respond should a pupil express a worry, has not cut through to all staff. The consequence of these weaknesses is that: some pupils, and some staff, do not feel safe in school; some pupils do not think it is

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

worth disclosing a worry because they do not have confidence that it will be dealt with correctly; and some staff are not clear on what to do if they are concerned about another adult’s conduct. Leaders should take action to ensure that all members of the school community feel safe, by, in addition to bullet one above, remedying weaknesses in staff understanding of their responsibilities under ‘Keeping children safe in education’.  Leaders had already identified that the legacy curriculum was not fit for purpose and have developed a new curriculum for September 2021. They have plans for ensuring that assessment of pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding within the curriculum is effective. Leaders also have plans for ensuring that teachers’ subject knowledge and pedagogical skills are effectively developed. Leaders should ensure that they proceed with these intentions as planned.  Leaders have recently acted to address weaknesses in the legacy personal

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

development curriculum, including those noted in the recent section 8 inspection. As a result of the weaknesses in the current provision, some pupils have gaps in their understanding of aspects of fundamental British values. Leaders should ensure that this particular strand of pupils’ personal development is foregrounded when the new curriculum is introduced in September 2021.

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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. 20–21 July 2021

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If you are the school and you are 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 here .

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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. 20–21 July 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10202452 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 9 October 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the interim headteacher has been appointed as the substantive headteacher (as of 1 September 2021). An interim deputy headteacher joined the school after the previous inspection, and has also been appointed substantively as of 1 September 2021.  The school is a voluntary aided school with a religious character (RC). The most recent section 48 inspection of the school was in March 2018. The next section 48 inspection is due by March 2023.  The school has a resourced SEND provision for up to 20 pupils with autism spectrum disorder.  The school makes use of one provider of alternative provision, the local authority’s hospital education service, Tracks. 20–21 July 2021

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. Inspectors deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. They also met: the chair of governors and other governors; a representative of the local authority; a representative of the Diocese of Leeds (RC); and the chief executive officer of the MAT which the school is expected to join.  To evaluate the quality of education, inspectors did deep dives in English, mathematics, modern foreign languages and geography. This entailed meeting with subject leaders, including for reading; scrutinising pupils’ work; talking to pupils about their work; and talking to subject teachers.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors met the leaders with particular responsibility for safeguarding. They reviewed several case files of pupils who leaders are supporting for safeguarding reasons. An inspector scrutinised the records of the checks made on adults who work at the school. Inspectors talked to a wide range of pupils and staff about safeguarding.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documentation, including policies for behaviour, safeguarding and pupils’ personal development. They reviewed the school’s records of behaviour incidents, bullying incidents, accidents and injuries.  Inspectors took into account the 11 new responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View.  The inspection was carried out following complaints made to Ofsted that raised serious concerns. Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector decided that an inspection of the school should take place to follow up the whole-school issues that were raised. Inspectors sought to establish whether leaders were taking effective action to improve behaviour and to secure a robust safeguarding culture.

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Inspection team

Steve Shaw, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Graham Findlay Her Majesty’s Inspector 20–21 July 2021

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James Duncan Her Majesty’s Inspector 20–21 July 2021

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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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