Harrytown Catholic High School

Inspection of Harrytown Catholic High School Harrytown, Romiley, Stockport, Cheshire SK6 3BU

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 December 2024

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 17 and 18 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils relish the positive relationships that they have with their peers and staff. They appreciate the school’s friendly and safe atmosphere. In recent times, the school has renewed its behaviour management systems. This is beginning to help some pupils to improve their behaviour choices. Even so, some staff do not address the poor behaviour of a small number of pupils effectively enough. As a result, some pupils disrupt the learning experiences of others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has raised its expectations of pupils’ achievement. To this end, it is developing the curriculum so that it is broader and more ambitious. Nonetheless, this improvement work is less well developed in some subjects than it is in others. Furthermore, older pupils do not receive effective support to remedy the gaps in their reading knowledge. Such weaknesses result in pupils’ variable achievement across the curriculum. Some pupils do not gain the knowledge that they need to achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils benefit from the school’s ‘HarrytownExtra’ enrichment programme. For instance, pupils enjoy taking part in clubs, such as animation, trampolining, eco council and choir. Pupils appreciate getting actively involved in charitable work, such as fundraising for homeless shelters. Through these opportunities, pupils are encouraged to become resilient and well-rounded individuals. Older pupils value their roles as members of the peace council and sport ambassadors. Such positions of responsibility help pupils to build their confidence in leading events and supporting their peers.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has begun to reshape its curriculum so that pupils can access a broad range of subjects. In those subjects where the curriculum is less developed, the school has not identified the essential knowledge that pupils should learn. This limits how well pupils build on their prior knowledge as they progress through the curriculum.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Many staff have strong subject knowledge. They design activities that engage pupils in their learning. In some subjects, content is clearly presented. However, in other subjects, staff do not check well enough that pupils have understood the subject content before they move on to new learning. This means that gaps and misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge are not identified and addressed quickly enough. As a result, some pupils do not achieve well.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school is quick to identify the additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school liaises with external specialists to ensure that pupils receive the support that they need. Even so, limitations in the curriculum design and delivery hinders some pupils with SEND from achieving as well as they should.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

In recent times, the school has prioritised reading. Pupils in key stage 3 who have difficulty with reading receive the support that they need to develop their reading fluency and confidence. However, pupils in Year 10 and 11 do not benefit from the same level of 17 and 18 December 2024

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help. As a result, they do not develop the reading expertise that they need to access the curriculum sufficiently well.

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The school has recently strengthened its strategies to support pupils to manage their behaviour. For instance, it has developed calming spaces and behaviour correction areas to meet pupils’ behavioural and emotional needs. Despite these improvements, some staff do not apply the new behaviour management policy consistently well. As a result, a small proportion of pupils do not behave well enough. This interrupts the learning of others. At times, this hampers some pupils’ enjoyment of school. The school supports pupils and their families to promote regular attendance. Most pupils’ attendance rates are high.

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The school has refreshed its personal, social, health and economic education curriculum so that it is comprehensive and age-appropriate. Pupils learn about keeping safe, such as around fireworks, online or in the community. Some pupils benefit from various trips, such as skiing, visiting landmarks, watching theatre productions and exploring museums. These activities help pupils to expand their understanding of the wider world. Pupils learn about different career pathways and receive impartial careers guidance. As a result, most pupils are typically well prepared to make decisions about their next stage in education.

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Most staff value the support that they receive to help them to manage their workload and well-being. Governors routinely review policies and practices to ensure that changes are carefully implemented. Recent changes to leadership have accelerated the pace of the school’s improvement work. However, some staff do not have high enough expectations of pupils’ behaviour and achievement. At times, this hampers the school’s efforts to address weaknesses in behaviour and the quality of education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school has not identified the essential knowledge that pupils should learn. At times, this means that pupils do not learn what they need to achieve well. The school should ensure that the curriculum in all subjects is fully developed so that pupils can make successful progress through the curriculum.  The school has not fully developed its programme of support for older pupils who struggle to read. This means that some pupils do not develop fluency or confidence. This hinders these pupils from accessing the wider curriculum with ease. The school should ensure that pupils who find reading difficult receive the support that they need to overcome the gaps in their reading knowledge.  Some staff do not check and remedy gaps in pupils’ knowledge sufficiently well. As a result, some pupils do not have the prior knowledge that they need to build on their learning successfully over time. The school should ensure that staff routinely check that

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pupils have learned and understood what they have been taught so that they are ready to learn new content.  Some staff do not address the poor behaviour of some pupils as well as they should. As a result, some pupils disrupt the learning experiences of other pupils due to their poor conduct. The school should ensure that staff apply the behaviour management systems consistently well so that learning is not disrupted by poor behaviour.  Some staff do not have high enough expectations for pupils’ conduct and academic achievement. This means that they do not make sure that new initiatives to improve pupils’ achievement and behaviour are implemented as well as intended. The school should ensure that all staff understand the importance of maintaining high expectations of pupils’ conduct and academic success so that they are better supported to achieve the best that they can.

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How can I feed back my views?

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 special educational needs and/or disabilities (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). 17 and 18 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 June 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This Roman Catholic school is in the Diocese of Shrewsbury. The most recent section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in December 2024. The next section 48 inspection is due by December 2029.  The current headteacher was appointed in September 2024.  The school uses four registered alternative providers and two unregistered alternative providers of alternative provision for a small number of pupils.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 17 and 18 December 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders and subject leaders. Inspectors met with a range of other staff and leaders during the inspection.  Inspectors spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. Inspectors spoke with a representative of the local authority. Inspectors also met with a representative of the diocese.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour across the school, including at social times.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, science, English, design and technology, history and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive,

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inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders and teachers, visited a sample of lessons, reviewed samples of pupils’ work and spoke with some pupils.  Inspectors met with leaders to review other areas of the curriculum.  Inspectors spoke with the leaders responsible for pupils’ personal development, behaviour and attendance, alternative provision, careers, the provision for SEND and reading.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and records relating to pupils’ attendance and behaviour.  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.  The inspectors considered the responses of parents and carers to the online survey,

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Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils.

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Inspection team

Amina Modan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Roberts Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 December 2024

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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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