Holbrook Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy learning at this welcoming, friendly school. They understand the importance of treating everyone with respect.

Pupils talk positively about how the 'Holbrook highlights' give them the confidence to try new things and to help others.

Since the last inspection, the school has worked hard to improve pupils' behaviour. Despite this, a minority of parents who responded to the Ofsted survey, Parent View, raised concerns about behaviour.

Inspectors saw pupils routinely following the school rules of 'ready, respectful, safe'. Pupils understand how these rules help them to behave well. Lessons are calm.

This starts in the early year...s, where children follow the established routines and are eager to learn.

Pupils feel safe. Staff take time to form respectful and positive relationships with them.

Pupils trust staff to listen and help them with any worries they may have.

Pupils enjoy the range of clubs on offer to them such as cheer leading, dance and arts and craft. They are eager to take on responsibilities within school, such as play leading or becoming members of the school or eco council.

Pupils say that these roles improve their school, promote the environment and help younger pupils to settle in.

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

The school has taken effective action to improve the curriculum following the previous inspection. It has created an ambitious curriculum that is designed well.

This considers what pupils need to learn, including key vocabulary, from the early years to Year 6. In most subjects, pupils build their knowledge and skills well because of this. In physical education (PE), for example, children in the Reception Year develop their body control and understanding of space well when using a range of outdoor equipment.

Older pupils build on this positive start. They show high levels of creativity and control when designing and performing dance routines.

Staff and pupils share a love of reading.

Older pupils read a range of texts with increasing fluency and accuracy. They talk confidently about the books their teachers read to them. Children start learning to read as soon as they join the school.

They learn and remember new sounds well. As pupils move through the school, staff use their expertise to teach the reading programme effectively. If pupils fall behind, they receive the support they need to catch up quickly.

Most pupils read books that match the sounds they know and have learned. However, some books are not matched well enough. Consequently, some pupils find these books either too hard or too easy to read.

This slows the progress these pupils make and prevents some from becoming confident and fluent readers.

In most subjects, teachers check carefully what pupils know. In mathematics, for example, teachers use questioning effectively to check on what pupils remember or have learned about number concepts or weight.

They use this information well to correct any misunderstandings that occur or to deepen pupils' knowledge. However, in some subjects, the checks that teachers make are not yet used well enough to identify gaps in knowledge or to inform future learning. This hampers the progress that some pupils make.

The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Support plans for individual pupils are precise and routinely reviewed. Staff have the expertise needed to support pupils in their learning.

As a result, most pupils with SEND show increasing levels of independence, progress as well as their peers through the curriculum and are fully included in all aspects of school life.

Pupils display positive attitudes to learning and are keen to do well. They work and play cooperatively.

The school provides pupils with a range of outdoor play opportunities. This makes social times enjoyable and purposeful. The school has effective systems to ensure that pupils attend school regularly.

It works closely with families and external agencies to ensure that the attendance of individual pupils improves.

The school's programme for pupils' personal development is an integral part of its work. It promotes positive mental and physical health at every opportunity.

Pupils have a mature understanding of fundamental British values and protected characteristics. They know why it is important to treat everyone equally. Pupils develop their character by supporting a local day centre for adults.

They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Governors understand and fulfil their roles effectively. They know the school well.

Staff feel well supported. They value the support they receive, which gives them confidence to teach the curriculum well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils do not read books that are well matched to the sounds that they know. Consequently, these pupils either find their books too easy or too hard to read. The school needs to ensure that the books that pupils read, particularly those in the younger years, are well matched to the sounds they are learning, to develop pupils' fluency and confidence in reading.

• The checks on pupils' knowledge and understanding across the curriculum are not fully effective. As a result, pupils struggle to recall previous learning and do not build their knowledge well enough. The school needs to ensure that assessment is used effectively so that pupils learn and remember the curriculum successfully in all subjects.

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