Holy Family RC Primary School, New Springs, Wigan

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, New Springs, Wigan Longfield Street, New Springs, Wigan, Lancashire WN2 1EL

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Outcome

Holy Family Catholic Primary School, New Springs, Wigan has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a welcoming, family-like atmosphere in which pupils flourish, both personally and academically. Pupils are nurtured by caring staff who know them well. There are strong relationships between all members of the school community, and they rightly feel privileged to be a part of this school. Pupils are happy and safe here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school maintains the highest of standards for what pupils can achieve. As a result, pupils routinely attain well above national averages in end of key stage 2 assessments. Pupils also conduct themselves to an exemplary level. They are respectful and impeccably behaved throughout the day.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils consistently benefit from a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. This offer includes a rich variety of sporting, curriculum and art clubs. Pupils also have other opportunities to pursue their talents in the likes of music, where they can perform at regional music concerts.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is particularly committed to developing pupils’ leadership skills and their sense of responsibility. As such, there is a wide range of roles that pupils can undertake. For example, pupils can become faith leaders, ambassadors and school councillors. Pupils also engage well in charitable activities. They support local foodbanks and homeless charities as part of this work. 25 March 2025

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

Holy Family provides pupils with an excellent start to their educational journey. Pupils experience a broad and balanced curriculum through which they develop a strong body of knowledge across a range of subjects. Leaders have taken effective actions to maintain the standards identified at the last inspection. This has led to pupils continuing to attain remarkably well in subjects such as reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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

In the majority of subjects, the school provides teachers with precise guidance on what knowledge pupils need to learn and how best this can be taught. These curriculums are implemented consistently well across the school. However, in one or two subjects, the school’s curriculum is less clear, so teachers are not provided with the same level of curriculum information. Occasionally, this hinders teachers from delivering these subjects as well as they otherwise could.

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

School staff are adept at checking on pupils’ learning. They provide immediate, effective support to help pupils correct their errors and misconceptions quickly. The school identifies pupils with SEND early. It adapts the delivery of the curriculum well for pupils with SEND and ensures that they achieve the best possible outcomes.

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

Children in the early years quickly learn the classroom routines and develop positive behaviours for learning. They have a thirst for knowledge. Children show high levels of self-control and considerable focus in their lessons.

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

The school ensures that pupils quickly acquire the skills that they need to become fluent, confident readers. Staff deliver the chosen phonics programme effectively. They ensure that pupils read books that are well suited to their current knowledge of sounds. The school has a sharp focus on quickly intervening when pupils begin to struggle with a new sound so that these pupils do not fall behind. As a result, almost all pupils meet the standards of the phonics screening check in Year 1.

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

Pupils’ personal development is catered for in a wide range of ways. The school promotes fundamental British values and concepts of diversity effectively. This contributes to pupils developing a genuine respect for the different backgrounds and beliefs of other people. The school ensures that pupils gain a full understanding of how to look after their physical health and mental well-being. It helps pupils begin to form their aspirations for the future. For example, the school organises careers events and business enterprise activities for older pupils. Pupils are active in their local community through initiatives such as litter picking.

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

Pupils value their education. They do not disrupt the learning of others and are rarely absent from school. Leaders take effective actions to ensure that attendance remains a high priority for everybody. 25 March 2025

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Governors fulfil their statutory duties effectively. They provide appropriate challenge and strategic direction. Governors are also fully engaged in the day-to-day life of the school. Many of them volunteer to help in classes, listen to pupils read and support different school events. Leaders, including governors, have created an environment in which staff feel valued and supported. Leaders ensure that staff have sufficient time to carry out additional duties so that their workload is manageable.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In one or two subjects, the school has not clearly identified the components of knowledge that it intends for pupils to learn. At times, this hampers teachers from delivering some content as well as they could, which occasionally hinders pupils from knowing and remembering more. The school should ensure that teachers have the curriculum guidance that they need to deliver these subjects consistently well.

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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 to be outstanding 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 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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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in February 2020. 25 March 2025

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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). 25 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school operates a before-school club.  The school is a Roman Catholic school within the Diocese of Salford. The last section 48 inspection for schools with a religious character took place in July 2018.

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Information about this inspection

 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 have taken that into consideration in their evaluation of the school.  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. 25 March 2025

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 The inspectors met with the headteacher, the SEND coordinator, some subject leaders and other staff during the inspection.  The lead inspector spoke with representatives of the local authority and the diocese.  The lead inspector spoke with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also considered documents and spoke to some staff about the curriculum, SEND, attendance, safeguarding, personal development and behaviour.  The inspectors considered the responses to the online staff survey and the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspectors also spoke to pupils about their experiences of school and considered their responses to the online survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

David Spruce, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sally Aspinwall Ofsted Inspector 25 March 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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