Holy Rood Catholic Primary School

Inspection of Holy Rood Catholic Primary School Groundwell Road, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 2LU

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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 Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 4 and 5 May 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend Holy Rood Catholic Primary School. They flourish in the school’s warm and inclusive ethos. Pupils’ attitudes reflect the school’s well- established values of fairness, compassion and loyalty. They believe that everyone is ‘completely welcomed’ and treated equally. Pupils enjoy each other’s company and build trusting relationships with adults. They feel happy and safe at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults’ expectations of pupils’ behaviour are consistently high. In lessons, pupils are attentive and work hard. Everyone follows the rules for good conduct around the school. Pupils are considerate and polite to others. Breaktimes are happy and harmonious. Pupils say that bullying is not a concern. They are confident that, if it were to happen, staff would sort it out quickly. Leaders provide strong pastoral care. Pupils know that they can talk to a trusted adult or use the ‘worry box’ if they have a problem.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a range of opportunities to develop their interests outside the classroom. For example, leaders have devised the ‘Holy Rood 42’ programme. This includes extra-curricular sports, singing and team activities. Pupils enjoy taking on leadership responsibilities. They are proud to become librarians, chaplains and mental health ambassadors.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. They have redesigned the curriculum since the previous inspection. Subject leaders have carefully considered what pupils need to learn and when in each subject. Teachers deliver this challenging curriculum with a strong focus on pupils’ vocabulary and language. As a result, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn the curriculum well.

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better?

In most subjects, leaders make sure that the curriculum is carefully planned from early years to Year 6. However, in a small number of foundation subjects, curriculum leaders are unclear about the learning that takes place in early years. This means that, in these subjects, the curriculum in key stage 1 does not build on what pupils have learned before.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading. In early years, children join in with songs, stories and rhymes. This builds their understanding of texts and new vocabulary. The school’s phonics programme is well planned. Staff teach phonics skilfully. They make detailed checks on pupils’ progress. If pupils fall behind, staff act quickly to give them extra support. The focus on reading continues as pupils move through the school. Older pupils talk enthusiastically about the books they read for pleasure. Pupils enjoy reading and discussing texts about interesting themes in their reading lessons.

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better?

Most subject leaders have received extensive training. This helps them to make sure that teachers deliver the curriculum well. Staff have secure subject knowledge. 4 and 5 May 2022

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During lessons, staff check on how well pupils are learning. They address errors and misconceptions quickly. Teachers usually revisit previous learning as a matter of routine. For example, pupils revisit historical periods to build their understanding of chronology. They recall their mathematical knowledge in their ‘maths MOT’ sessions. This ensures that pupils’ earlier learning is secure and their understanding deepens over time.

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In a few foundation subjects, teachers’ checks on what pupils know and remember are not consistently effective. Pupils sometimes struggle to remember what they have learned before. In these subjects, subject leaders have not checked how well pupils learn the curriculum over time.

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Leaders have ensured that there are systems in place to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. They seek advice from experts outside school. Staff are clear about pupils’ needs and how to help them. Pupils with SEND access the full curriculum and achieve well.

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Leaders have developed a well-thought-out programme for pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn about other families, faiths and cultures. They learn how to keep physically and mentally healthy. There are many opportunities for pupils to contribute to school life, for example by leading collective worship.

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Children settle into early years quickly and happily. They learn to listen, share and take turns. Strong classroom routines and expectations are taught throughout the school. This helps pupils to focus on their learning and behave well. Effective support is in place for those pupils with specific emotional and behavioural needs.

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Governors are well informed about leaders’ actions and the quality of provision. They support and challenge leaders in all aspects of their work to improve the school. Staff are unanimously positive about the support leaders provide. They are proud to be part of the team.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Procedures to keep pupils safe from harm are strong. Leaders know pupils and their families well. Staff are vigilant to signs of abuse and neglect. Leaders’ records are detailed. Records show the proactive measures taken to support vulnerable pupils and their families. Staff are trained well and are knowledgeable about the risks pupils may face.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to stay safe through the curriculum. They learn about how to stay safe when online and when using social media. They learn about risks to their health and how to resist peer pressure. 4 and 5 May 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of foundation subjects, subject leaders are not clear about what children learn in early years. This means that children are not building on their prior learning as they enter key stage 1. Leaders should ensure that the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that children learn in early years are communicated to staff and built on successfully in key stage 1.  In a few foundation subjects, assessment is not always effective in identifying what pupils know and remember. This means that some pupils do not learn and remember the curriculum well enough. Subject leaders should ensure that assessment is effective across all subjects.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 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.

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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. 4 and 5 May 2022

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School details

Website www.holyroodcatholicprimary.co.uk

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Date of previous inspection

27 and 28 June 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a voluntary-controlled Catholic primary school. The school had its most recent section 48 inspection in October 2016.  The school is a single academy trust.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, art and science. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. An inspector observed some pupils reading to a familiar adult. 4 and 5 May 2022

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 Inspectors spoke with pupils and leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors met with school leaders, including the headteacher, deputy headteacher, SEND coordinator, early years leader and curriculum leaders, and teaching and support staff.  Inspectors reviewed documentation and spoke with leaders, staff and pupils to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding. An inspector reviewed attendance records and the school’s behaviour and bullying records.  The lead inspector met with governors.  The lead inspector spoke with an external adviser and a representative of the Diocese of Clifton.  The lead inspector considered 12 responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. The inspector also took into account the 32 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Claire Mirams, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Richard Vaughan Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 May 2022

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