Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School Selkirk Drive, Holmes Chapel, Crewe, Cheshire CW4 7DX

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 January 2025

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Outcome

Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Nigel Bielby. The school is part of the Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School and Sixth Form College Trust, which means that other people also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Nigel Bielby, and overseen by a Board of Trustees, chaired by Tracey Goodwin.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and students in the sixth form are proud to be part of this inclusive community. They feel safe when they are in school. They know who to speak to if they are worried or upset. Pupils enjoy good, honest relationships with senior staff and teachers. Most pupils live up to the school’s high expectations about behaviour. In lessons, they listen respectfully to their teachers and to each other. During social times, many pupils enjoy meeting up with their friends at one of the many picnic benches around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils. Staff are determined that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), gain the knowledge and skills that they need to thrive in their future lives. Overall, pupils in key stage 4 and in the sixth form achieve well in public examinations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils gain the knowledge they need to live safe and happy lives. They learn about a wide range of topics in form periods, assemblies and personal development lessons. Recently, the school has begun to rebuild the programme of extra-curricular opportunities and school visits, which lapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic. 28 and 29 January 2025

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

The school’s curriculum is broad and ambitious. In order to increase uptake of the English Baccalaureate, the school has reviewed aspects of its key stage 3 curriculum to promote more opportunity for pupils to study history, geography and modern foreign languages in greater depth. As a result, more pupils are taking these subjects at key stage 4. Across all subjects, the school has considered carefully what pupils need to know and when this content should be taught. In each subject, including those taught in the sixth form, the curriculum sets out clearly for staff the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn.

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

Teachers are knowledgeable about their subjects. Most teachers explain concepts clearly. However, in a small number of subjects at key stages 3 and 4, some teachers do not consistently use strategies that help pupils to learn key knowledge well. As a result, some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge and understanding. This prevents them from progressing as well as they should in these subjects.

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

In most subjects, teachers make effective checks on pupils’ learning. They identify and remedy misconceptions swiftly. However, in a few subjects, there is more variability in how well these checks are made. Gaps in pupils’ learning are not consistently identified and addressed. This means that some pupils fall behind in their learning. This is particularly the case for those pupils who are disadvantaged.

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

The school identifies pupils with additional needs accurately. Staff are trained well to be able to support pupils with SEND in their learning. This helps pupils with SEND to progress through the same ambitious subject curriculums as their peers.

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

The school accurately identifies pupils who have gaps in their reading knowledge. Recently, it has strengthened its systems to support pupils whose reading is especially weak. Most pupils become more confident readers due to the support they receive. Many pupils enjoy reading. Lessons for younger pupils begin with an opportunity to read a selected fiction text for a few minutes. The school library is well stocked with inviting fiction and non-fiction books.

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

Generally, pupils behave well around the large school site. Some younger pupils said that, occasionally, there was some pushing and shoving from older pupils in some of the narrow corridors. Lessons across the school typically take place without disruption. Sixth- form students enjoy their own spacious study and social areas. They set a good example to younger pupils with their mature attitudes.

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

The school has prioritised raising attendance and, as a result, overall attendance has improved over the past two years. Pastoral leaders work closely with those pupils, and their families, who struggle to attend school regularly, engaging with other agencies if necessary. A group of older pupils told an inspector how they appreciated the efforts the school had made to get them into school regularly.

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

Pupils follow a well-planned programme of lessons and activities that promote their personal development. As a result, pupils develop their knowledge about a wide range of 28 and 29 January 2025

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matters, including relationships and sex education. Pupils’ understanding of the opportunities and dangers of the world beyond school is enriched by many speakers from different backgrounds in assemblies. Sixth-form students and younger pupils told inspectors that they receive age-appropriate careers education, information, advice and guidance.

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Trustees know the school very well. They are strategic and committed to further school improvement. Trustees and leaders at all levels are considerate of staff’s workload and well-being when making policy decisions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, in key stages 3 and 4, some teachers do not consistently use the most effective strategies to help pupils understand subject content. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and understanding. This hinders how well they progress through the curriculum. The school should ensure that all teachers are fully equipped to deliver the curriculum content consistently well so that pupils know and remember important knowledge.  In a few subjects, teachers do not routinely check pupils’ understanding well enough. This means that some pupils’ misconceptions go unchecked. Some pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, develop gaps in their knowledge. The school should ensure that in all subjects, teachers identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge so that pupils can build on what they know.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the 28 and 29 January 2025

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date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2020.

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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). 28 and 29 January 2025

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,321

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form

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 October 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses one registered alternative provision for a very 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

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 28 and 29 January 2025

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other senior leaders and members of staff.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors observed behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes and spoke to pupils about their experiences at school.  An inspector spoke to representatives of the local authority. He also spoke with representatives of the trust, including the chair of the trust.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took into account 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 considered the responses to Ofsted’s Parent View, including the free-text

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comments and the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils.

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Inspection team

Timothy Gartside, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

David Roberts Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 January 2025

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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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