Holy Family Catholic Primary School

Inspection of Holy Family Catholic Primary School Norwood Crescent, Southport, Merseyside PR9 7DU

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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 Good 11 and 12 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being part of this happy and diverse school community. They help everyone to feel welcome and valued in their school. Relationships between adults and pupils are warm and nurturing. Pupils feel safe. They know that staff are there to listen and support them if they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that they are expected to work hard and to do their best. As a result, pupils are keen to learn. They achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are respectful and polite to one another and to staff and visitors. Around the school, pupils are calm and settled. This means that they can learn without disruption. Pupils are proud of their achievements and they enjoy the weekly assemblies where they celebrate success.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of activities beyond the academic curriculum. This helps to develop their talents and interests. For example, pupils take part in music, dance, gardening and sports clubs. Trips and visitors to school support pupils’ learning across the curriculum.

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better?

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum to meet the needs of its pupils. This starts from the early years. Teachers benefit from helpful support and guidance about how to deliver the subject curriculums well. In lessons, teachers select appropriate activities to enable pupils to understand new learning.

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better?

In most subjects, the curriculum sets out clearly the essential knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which this should be taught. Assessment strategies are well established in these subjects. Teachers use a variety of helpful methods to check how well pupils are learning, including how much of the subject content they can remember over time. Teachers support pupils to build on their previous learning in a highly structured and carefully considered way in these subjects.

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better?

In a few subjects, the curriculum content is not identified clearly enough. This hinders teachers from helping pupils to build on what they know already and from checking how well pupils have learned what they should. Consequently, some pupils struggle to remember the important knowledge that they need to be ready for the next stage in their learning.

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better?

Reading is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. Staff prioritise developing children’s vocabulary, language and communication through high-quality interactions. This helps them to make a strong start when they begin to learn phonics. Pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read, or who speak English as an additional language, receive the support that they need to become successful readers. Effective staff training ensures that there is a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. Generally, reading books are matched to the sounds that 11 and 12 June 2024

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children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 know. This means that pupils can practise reading and experience success. Older pupils read books written by a wide range of authors. Most pupils become fluent and confident readers.

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The school accurately identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND as soon as possible. Staff tailor learning activities well to meet pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum content as their peers and achieve well.

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Staff model play and set appropriate challenges for children in the early years. This helps children to develop positive attitudes to learning. Children quickly develop confidence and independence. Pupils across the school behave well. They listen carefully to their teachers.

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The school is committed to broadening pupils’ horizons. It promotes pupils’ personal development well. Pupils learn about different faiths and beliefs. They understand fundamental British values and they know to be tolerant and respectful. Pupils learn important information about online safety, healthy lifestyles and how to keep themselves safe.

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Pupils value the roles and responsibilities that the school provides to develop their leadership skills. These include acting as school ambassadors and eco-councillors. Pupils are proud of their efforts to raise money for charities. These experiences help pupils to understand what it means to be an active citizen in modern Britain.

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The school has a committed and skilled governing body. Governors know the strengths and areas for development of the school. They provide a balance of challenge and support. Most staff feel well supported. They know that their workload and well-being are considered when making changes to the school’s curriculum. As a result, staff are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the school has not been specific enough about the key knowledge that pupils should learn. This sometimes hampers teachers from designing learning that builds on what pupils already know, and from checking how well pupils have remembered important curriculum content. The school should ensure that, in these subjects, teachers are clear about the knowledge that pupils should learn and when this content should be taught. 11 and 12 June 2024

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with SEND; pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 11 and 12 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This Roman Catholic school is part of the Archdiocese of Liverpool. Its most recent section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in February 2019. The next section 48 inspection is scheduled to take place in the 2025/26 academic year.  A new headteacher has been appointed since the school was last inspected. The headteacher took up her post in September 2023.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 11 and 12 June 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, subject leaders and members of staff.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The lead inspector held a conversation with representatives of the archdiocese and of the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record, took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the

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curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector observed pupils read to a familiar adult. Inspectors also spoke to pupils and looked at pupils’ work in some other subjects.  The inspectors spoke with parents and carers and considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. Inspectors also considered the feedback from pupils and staff to the Ofsted online surveys.

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Inspection team

Michelle Beard, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ros Munro Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 June 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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