Holyhead School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Holyhead School Milestone Lane, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands B21 0HN

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Outcome

Holyhead School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of the school is David Knox. This school is part of the Central Region Schools Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Guy Shears, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Orla MacSherry.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Holyhead School is a place where everyone is valued and included. The school’s work to support all pupils’ development, especially disadvantaged pupils, is a strength. Pupils understand and follow the school values of ‘respect, responsibility, excellence and courage’. Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and respectful. Pupils, parents and carers, and staff commonly talk about the school as a ‘family’ where ‘everyone supports and looks out for each other’. All pupils who spoke to inspectors agree that this is a positive environment to learn in. Pupils are safe and happy here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ academic and wider achievements. Pupils focus on their learning well and are rewarded for their positive achievements. Teachers calmly support any pupils who lose concentration and successfully help them regain focus. During social times, pupils mix with others thoughtfully. Pupils know who to talk to about any concerns they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school places a strong emphasis on pupils’ personal development. This includes mental health and well-being. Pupils explain their understanding of diversity and equality in society maturely. They relish leadership opportunities, including as sixth-form student ‘reading mentors’ or as ‘teaching support’ in lessons such as science and mathematics, helping younger pupils. Pupils regularly take part in activities such as film clubs, anime and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. 20 and 21 May 2025

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

The school has developed a highly ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum. It has also revised its approaches to curriculum implementation to bring further improvements in how pupils learn. Overall, pupils achieve well. In the past, in some subjects, some pupils have not achieved as well as they could. The school’s work to address this is effective.

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

Students in the sixth form are highly positive about their learning experiences and the wider opportunities they experience. The school has rapidly developed its broad and ambitious curriculum in this part. Sixth-form teachers engage students in challenging and independent learning. This enables students to achieve well. Their success is also reflected by the wide range of high-quality destinations students move on to. Students make a significant contribution through their ‘student leadership’ roles. These include duties at break and lunchtime as well as mentoring and supporting younger pupils. Students benefit greatly from this strong provision.

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

Most teachers use assessments well to check what pupils know and ensure that pupils understand what they have to secure. Teachers use activities at the start of lessons to help pupils recall and build on their learning. Pupils agree that this helps them to remember the most important information. However, sometimes teaching does not check pupils’ understanding well enough and misunderstandings or key gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not addressed consistently. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

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

Additionally, in some areas, teaching is not adapted effectively enough to support pupils or to challenge them to deepen their understanding of the key knowledge they need to secure. This means that some pupils do not develop a greater understanding of their work.

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

The school identifies and supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Most teachers use information well and make adaptations to meet those needs. This ensures that pupils with SEND access the same, ambitious curriculum. The school has effectively developed strategies to support pupils who are not confident readers. Specialist teaching rapidly addresses weaknesses in pupils’ understanding of phonics, grammar and comprehension. Alongside this, the school continues to effectively promote pupils’ reading widely and often.

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

The work to help pupils improve their attendance is a strength. Pupils understand the importance of attending school regularly and told inspectors that the school provides a welcoming and ambitious environment in which to learn. Most pupils display excellent self-control and highly positive attitudes to learning. Where a small number of pupils do not always follow the school’s high behaviour expectations, staff support those pupils to re-engage with their learning well.

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

Pupils’ well-being and character development, as well as promoting their independence and resilience, are strengths at this school. Pupils, and students in the sixth form, receive extensive information on next steps through high-quality careers guidance. The personal, 20 and 21 May 2025

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social, health and economic education curriculum is well designed and sequenced. Pupils learn about topics such as healthy relationships and online safety well.

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School leaders, including those responsible for governance, understand deeply how the school’s local context impacts pupils’ learning and attendance. The trust holds the school to account effectively for all aspects of the provision, including safeguarding and the quality of the sixth form. The school has implemented a comprehensive and well-thought- out professional development programme for staff, which they welcome. Staff feel very well supported and value that the school consults them about any policy changes.

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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, some teaching is not consistently effective. This means that, sometimes, teachers do not check and help pupils to fully understand the necessary knowledge as securely in some subjects as others. The school should ensure that teachers are equipped to check and act on key gaps in pupils’ understanding well, so that pupils understand and remember the key knowledge they need.  In some subjects, sometimes teaching is not adapted effectively to ensure that all pupils are both supported and challenged in their learning. As a result, some pupils do not deepen their knowledge and embed key skills in some subjects. The school should ensure that all teachers have the support to adapt their teaching to enable all pupils to receive the support and challenge needed to deepen their knowledge and key skills.

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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 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 date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, 20 and 21 May 2025

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behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the first 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). 20 and 21 May 2025

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,278

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form

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Central Region Schools Trust.  The school uses three registered alternative provisions.  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. 20 and 21 May 2025

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, looked at samples of pupils’ work and talked with some pupils about their learning.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents. These included information about pupils’ behaviour, attendance, the school’s curriculum and improvement planning. They also checked the school’s website.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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

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Information about this inspection

safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed informal times of the day as part of their evaluation of safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors held meetings with trustees, including the chair of the education and standards committee as the delegated person, and the CEO; the chair of the local governing board; the trust director of education and the headteacher; and other school leaders, teachers and pupils.  Inspectors also spoke informally to pupils and staff to gather information about school life.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View and the free-text comments. The inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey and pupil questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Stuart Clarkson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Washbourne His Majesty’s Inspector 20 and 21 May 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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