Hollesley Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy at Hollesley Primary School.

Everybody really does know everybody here. Pupils play happily in mixed-age groups. They have access to a wide range of outdoor facilities.

They enjoy playing on the climbing equipment, playing football, digging in the two huge sandpits and role playing in the various playhouses and kitchen areas. Opportunities to learn outside, including pond dipping and learning about wildlife in the nature areas, are popular activities. Pupils love swimming in the school's pool during the summer months.

Pupils could be experiencing a better education overall. Action is in place to secure this. Improvements so far enable pu...pils to learn well in some subjects, for example in phonics and reading.

However, pupils' writing is not yet good enough. Pupils enjoy the curriculum as a whole and are enthusiastic about the topics they learn about.

Expectations of pupils' behaviour are high and so they behave well.

They are taught about being respectful and polite. Older pupils model this effectively for the younger children.

There is very little bullying.

When it does happen, or pupils fall out with each other, they are clear that adults sort out problems quickly.

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

Pupils do not learn to write well enough at this school. Children in the early years have better experiences of early writing so they achieve well, but this is not sustained through the school.

A new scheme for teaching writing has been introduced, but it is at an early stage of implementation. Too many pupils do not know how to structure or improve their writing. Their spelling and use of punctuation is often weak.

At the previous inspection, reading was an area for the school to improve. Leaders have made substantial progress with this. The teaching of phonics is now consistently effective.

As a result, pupils become confident readers. They enjoy reading and like listening to their teachers read to them.

Leaders have ensured that plans for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are highly focused.

Plans are reviewed with both pupils and parents, so they feel informed. When working with an adult, or when work is appropriately adapted to match identified needs, pupils with SEND achieve well. However, some of the work that these pupils are given is poorly matched to what they need to practise or learn.

The curriculum has detailed subject information, supporting teachers to understand what they will teach. Subject leadership is mainly held by a few senior staff. This restricts their capacity to improve some subjects quickly.

A large proportion of teachers in the school are early in their career. They attend subject networks as part of their training to prepare them to lead subjects in the future.

Leaders are ambitious for pupils and know what is needed to continue to improve their education further.

Staff feel well supported and part of the school's improvement journey.

Teachers check on pupils' understanding both during and after lessons. Pupils who have not grasped key concepts or who are at risk of falling behind get additional support from adults.

Pupils are well behaved and work hard. They are motivated by the different awards for showing the 'Six Rs', such as resilience. Pupils learn to be collaborative and respectful.

Leaders have ensured that resources used in learning and children's play reflect a wide range of cultures and backgrounds. Regular activities in house teams help pupils get to know others across the school.

Leaders have invested in the early years provision.

Children are well supported by the adults who work with them. Activities focus on language and fine motor skills at the start of the year. It is clear, from pupils' work in Year 1, that they become confident readers and writers by the end of the Reception class.

Children settle quickly into school and join in with all the activities on offer.

The school is close to the sea and so it is a priority that all pupils can swim well. Pupils have excellent understanding of the dangers that different tides and conditions may pose.

They would know what to do if they were to get into difficulty. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about the whole-school walks down to the sea and beach games.

The governing body has successfully merged with governors of the partner school.

Some governors are very well trained, but others have not yet accessed training on how to fulfil the requirements of their roles.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that all staff training is up to date.

Policies are implemented effectively, ensuring that safeguarding records are comprehensive and centrally stored.

Leaders know the pupils in their care well. Staff are clear about the risks that pupils face.

Risks are identified and leaders make sure that pupils and their families get the support they need.

Pupils know how to keep safe in and out of school and online. They can explain confidently what to do if they see something that makes them feel unsure.

The support pupils get from adults is a positive feature of their school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Too many pupils cannot write at an appropriate standard for their age. The new scheme for teaching writing is at an early stage of implementation.

Pupils do not yet understand how to improve their writing. Leaders need to ensure that staff have the training they need to implement the new scheme and check that the teaching of writing is consistently effective across year groups. ? Some activities that pupils are given to do independently are not matched closely enough to what they need to practise and learn.

In some cases, for example for some pupils with SEND, these activities are not broken down into smaller steps that would allow them to access the intended curriculum. When this happens, pupils do not learn well. Leaders should make sure that teachers understand how to adapt learning effectively so that all pupils achieve as well as they should.

• Subject leadership is held by a small number of staff because a large proportion of teachers are in the early stages of their careers. This limits leaders' capacity to improve the curriculum across all subjects. Leaders need to ensure that the early career teachers get enough opportunities to develop their subject leadership skills quickly so that they are ready to lead subjects of their own.