Impact19th February 2025

Holy Spirit Catholic Academy’s journey to Good rating

Holy Spirit Catholic Academy is a smaller than average primary school with high levels of need in Bootle, Liverpool. It is among the most deprived two percent of primary schools in the country.

Ark Curriculum Plus

170 children currently attend, of which 106 (65 percent) are eligible for free school meals. There are also high levels of children with special educational needs. Forty-two percent of pupils require additional support, nearly three times the national average of 14 percent.

In 2014, the school (then Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School) was judged Requires Improvement by Ofsted, and in 2019 it was judged Inadequate. Several years of instability followed and it became an academy in 2022. The trust, St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust, chose Ark Curriculum Plus to provide a fully resourced curriculum to support the school on its improvement journey.  

Changes with English Mastery

Headteacher Michelle Forrest describes the changes so far.

“Our school went through a very hard period of constant change. I was the fifth headteacher within two years.

“Every headteacher had brought a curriculum scheme, but staff didn’t receive any in-person training. There were some online courses, but teachers interpreted them differently.

“With the Mastery programmes, there are so many resources for staff and then on top of that we have advisor visits, training videos, follow ups, and development days. All of that has come together to embed it and achieve a massive impact.”

When I walk around the classrooms now, it’s a completely different school.

“Before, there was no structure. No stability for the children. But now, if it’s a Wednesday they will come to us and say ‘Are we doing closed reading today?’ The predictability has changed their behaviour. When I walk around the classrooms now, it’s a completely different school. Every child, regardless of their ability level, is engaged in the lesson.

“The teachers also feel much better supported because they don’t have to go and find resources. Instead, they can focus on how to make the lessons work best for each child.”

Impact

In November 2024, Holy Spirit was rated Good in all areas by Ofsted.

Feedback from Ofsted included that:

• Pupils are eager to learn and are attentive in lessons. Ongoing improvements to the curriculum mean that current pupils achieve well across a broad range of subjects.
• The school has significantly improved the way that the curriculum is designed and delivered. Its well-crafted curriculum meets the different needs of pupils successfully. Staff benefit from high-quality support and resources to help them to deliver new subject curriculums successfully.

Children’s outcomes are starting to improve. Although not yet reaching the national average standard, there was a nine percentage point increase in children reaching the expected standard between 2023 and 2024.