Hollickwood Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Hollickwood Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that they are proud to be pupils of Hollickwood.

This is a friendly, welcoming and inclusive school that pupils enjoy attending. They are happy and kept safe. Pupils spoken with during the inspection were keen to talk about how their teachers are kind and helpful and how they make learning fun.

The school's values of 'commitment, courage, confidence, compassion, creativity and curiosity' are lived out by pupils here. This is because leaders have high expectations of all, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils learn well and..., in most subjects, benefit from a curriculum that prepares them well for the next stage of their education.

Pupils behave well. They are polite and respectful to adults and are kind and caring towards each other. Pupils behave extremely well in the classroom and are entirely focused on their learning.

Pupils feel safe and are kept safe because they can speak to an adult if they have any concerns or worries. They explained that bullying rarely happens. If it does, adults deal with it quickly.

Leaders are determined that all pupils, including those with SEND, attend activities aimed at developing their interests and talents. For example, pupils take part in music tuition, art, football, and story and newspaper writing.

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

Leaders have designed a broad and balanced curriculum that matches the breadth and ambition of what is expected nationally.

Leaders have identified what they expect pupils to learn and remember in each subject. This is sequenced so that pupils practise and embed important knowledge and are helped to apply what they know to more complex ideas. For example, in mathematics, children in the early years learn to count to 10 and beyond.

They count forwards and backwards with increasing confidence. They develop a deep understanding of relationships between numbers and patterns. Older pupils draw on this knowledge when connecting their understanding of angles, fractions and percentages on a pie chart.

Similarly, in art, pupils practise and improve their drawing, painting and sculpture using a range of materials. These secure foundations in artistic techniques helped older pupils to experiment with brush-strokes and colours to capture moods when they replicated the work of Jimmy Pike and Vincent van Gogh.

However, some subjects are at an earlier stage of development.

In these instances, staff have not received sufficient training on how to implement the intended curriculum. This means that some pupils have a less secure understanding of important concepts in these subjects. Teachers typically check how well pupils remember and understand what they have learned.

However, this is less consistent in areas of the curriculum that are not fully developed.

Leaders are determined that pupils learn to read well. In Reception, children quickly begin to learn letters and the sounds that they make.

Pupils are provided with books that match their current phonic knowledge. Effective support is provided to ensure that pupils who fall behind catch up quickly. As a result, pupils develop as accurate and confident readers.

Teachers model fluent reading to pupils. This practice helps to foster a love for reading. Older pupils enjoy reading and responding to books by authors from different times and backgrounds.

Learning is rarely disrupted, because pupils work hard in lessons.

Pupils with SEND are identified swiftly and supported effectively. Staff ensure that planning and resources are adapted appropriately to enable all pupils to access the same curriculum.

Pupils with SEND are fully included in the wider life of the school.

Opportunities are provided for pupils to learn and celebrate diversity, as well as to understand different cultures, religions, beliefs and values. For instance, pupils learn why 'Shabbat' is important to the Jewish faith.

Similarly, pupils learn about the significance of not discriminating against others. For example, pupils with SEND led a whole-school assembly to highlight the importance of 'Neurodiversity Week'. Thoughtful contributions by these pupils help their peers to understand the importance of respecting protected characteristics, including disability.

Staff, including those in the early stages of their careers, appreciate the steps that leaders have taken to manage their workload and well-being.

Those responsible for governance provide effective challenge and support. Consequently, leaders are held to account appropriately.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders are tenacious in their efforts to ensure that pupils are kept safe. Training ensures that staff understand how to recognise and report any concerns that a pupil may be at risk of harm.

Leaders deal with such referrals seriously. Strong partnerships with outside agencies ensure that families get the support that they need.The curriculum helps pupils to understand how to stay safe, including when online.

For example, pupils learn about the importance of not sharing their personal details. Pupils know to ask for help if they feel unsafe or worried.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some subjects are at an earlier stage of development.

In these areas, teachers' subject knowledge is less well developed. As a result, teachers do not consistently explain subject content clearly. Nor do they systematically check whether pupils have securely learned and remembered important knowledge that has been taught.

This means that pupils' understanding in these areas is less well developed. Leaders should ensure that teachers have sufficient training and support to strengthen their subject expertise to better implement the planned curriculum in these subjects.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2017.