Holy Cross Catholic Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 30 March 2023

Pupils are proud and happy to attend this welcoming and harmonious school. A comment typical of those that pupils made to the inspector was 'Every day, everyone comes in with a smile.' The whole school community celebrates diversity of every kind, especially the rich variety of race, culture and religion represented in the school population. Some pupils join this school at other than the usual time of year. Some arrive with little or no knowledge of English and some with no experience of school. All receive a warm welcome from pupils and staff and soon become a valued part of the Holy Cross family. Staff, including leaders, have high expectations of how pupils should behave and what they should achieve. Pupils fulfil these expectations. They are polite, courteous and enthusiastic. They work hard and achieve well. Pupils told the inspector that they feel safe because staff are always close by to look after them. From the Nursery Year, children learn about 'kind hands, kind feet, kind words'. Leaders do not tolerate any name-calling or bullying. They deal with these very quickly, so that they do not escalate or happen again. Pupils enjoy the wide range of cultural, sporting and artistic activities which staff organise. For example, they spoke excitedly to the inspector about performing in a city centre theatre and about visits to see Roman roads.

What the school should improve

• At times, teaching of the recently introduced curriculums does not help some pupils to remember the essential knowledge that they have acquired or to integrate it into larger ideas. Leaders should ensure that, in all subjects, teachers develop effective strategies to help pupils to make connections between learning within and across subjects and to embed key knowledge into their memory.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)