Holland Park Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Holland Park.

The staff create an environment for all pupils to feel safe. The relationships they build enable this to happen. Pupils know who to talk to if they have a concern.

They know that the adults will help them.

Pupils look forward to learning and take pride in their work. This is because teachers encourage pupils to work hard and inspire them with interesting lessons.

Pupils, including children in the early years and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), show respect to each other around school, including in the playground. They enjoy the range of equipment that they can use. Pupils are poli...te and considerate of others.

They hold doors open for their peers and visitors, showing they have learned to respect others.

Pupils have opportunities for visits relating to their learning, such as to Colchester Zoo and the local fire station. They also have the chance to attend clubs to extend their interests and talents.

This includes attending a rock school club, where pupils learn to play instruments, such as the electric guitar and the drums. Having these opportunities helps pupils to widen their horizons, which they appreciate.

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

The school has implemented a broad and balanced curriculum that is ambitious and well planned.

It clearly identifies the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils need to learn. Teachers know what they are teaching and when. The school provides teachers with the training that they need to be confident in teaching the content of the curriculum.

Pupils start to learn to read as soon as they join the school. The staff who teach early reading are well trained and ensure that they teach the chosen reading scheme well. Reading lessons help pupils to learn, step by step, the sounds that letters make.

Teachers frequently check how well pupils are learning to read. This means they can quickly identify and provide effective, additional support for pupils who need to catch up. Reading lessons continue into key stage 2.

Older pupils enjoy the wide selection of books that teachers introduce them to. Pupils in key stage 2 continue to get the support they need to ensure that they are confident readers. This prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education.

Teachers have effective checks in place to assess how well pupils achieve in English, mathematics and science. They adapt their teaching to meet the needs of all pupils. However, in other subjects, such as geography or physical education (PE), teachers do not assess pupils' understanding well enough.

As a result, teachers do not adapt teaching in these subjects sufficiently well to meet the needs of some pupils. Therefore, gaps in pupils' learning are not always addressed as well as they are in other areas of the curriculum.

Teachers present information clearly.

They often recap on pupils' previous learning, for example with targeted questioning. This helps pupils to build their knowledge step by step. Teachers make effective use of resources to make lessons interesting and to support pupils' progress.

In the early years, children take turns and listen carefully to each other and adults. They talk with increasing confidence. Children are engaged and excited about their learning.

They sustain their concentration and build independence, which prepares them well for key stage 1.

The school supports pupils with their behaviour needs well. Adults model the behaviour that they expect.

In most classes, pupils focus on their learning and listen carefully to the teacher. However, in some classes there are instances of low-level disruption, which are not addressed quickly enough. This is because some staff do not follow the behaviour policy consistently.

Pupils' personal development is a real strength. There is a strong pastoral system in place, which supports pupils' learning through the personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) curriculum. PSHE focuses on well-being, being safe and character development.

Consequently, pupils learn about healthy relationships, staying safe online and understanding and respecting difference. The curriculum promotes pupils' resilience and independence as they progress through the school.

The trust supports and challenges leaders appropriately.

All staff, including those in the early stages of their teaching career, feel well supported by leaders and the trust. They enjoy the opportunities for sharing ideas and continued professional development. Staff are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some foundation subjects, teachers do not assess pupils' learning well enough to enable them to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of pupils. As a result, some pupils, including pupils with SEND, do not make the progress that they are capable of.

The school should ensure that teachers use assessment to adapt teaching and inform planning in all areas of the curriculum. ? There are some instances where staff do not follow the school's behaviour policy. This results in some pupils not being supported effectively to focus on their learning.

When this happens, pupils are frustrated. Sometimes this causes pupils to fall behind in their learning. The school must ensure that all staff understand the high expectations of pupils' behaviour and follow the school's behaviour policy consistently.

Also at this postcode