Hollin Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this friendly and welcoming school. They are happy to be part of such a warm and caring community. Older pupils enjoy helping children in early years to settle in quickly and make new friends.

The school encourages pupils to have the highest of aspirations for their achievement. Pupils strive to meet these expectations. They work hard and achieve well in most subjects.

Pupils follow the school rules and behave well.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), appreciate the exceptionally wide range of extra-curricular activities and events that the school provides. Pupils spoke with immense pride about r...epresenting the school in an impressive array of sporting events.

These events include cross-country running and pickleball competitions, as well as rugby and table-tennis tournaments.

Pupils learn about fundamental British values, such as democracy and tolerance, in a variety of ways. For example, they vote for their classmates to become school councillors and digital leaders.

Pupils also take part in events and activities to celebrate people from different cultures and communities.

Parents and carers who shared their views with inspectors spoke overwhelmingly positively about the school. They feel proud to be part of the 'Hollin Family'.

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

Reading is at the centre of the school's ambitious curriculum. Children in early years enjoy sharing books and singing nursery rhymes. They enthusiastically embark on the school's phonics programme soon after they join the school.

Skilled staff support struggling readers to keep up with the early reading programme. Pupils read books that are well matched to the sounds that they know with growing confidence.

Older pupils read with expression and clarity.

They spoke enthusiastically about the high-quality texts and books that they learn about in their reading lessons. Pupils enjoy their roles as reading ambassadors.

The school has designed an engaging and rich curriculum that meets the needs of pupils, including those with SEND, well.

Staff explain new learning to pupils clearly.

In most subjects, the school has carefully considered the most important knowledge that pupils will study. In these subjects, new learning is introduced to pupils in a logical order.

Typically, teachers use assessment information successfully to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge and to shape future learning.

In a few subjects, the school has not identified the most important content in the curriculum clearly enough. This means that, from time to time, teachers do not introduce pupils to new learning in a way that supports them to make links with earlier knowledge.

Added to this, some teachers do not use assessment information as well as they could in these curriculums. On occasion, this affects how well some pupils learn.

Overall, pupils achieve well in most subjects.

Nevertheless, some pupils' attainment in writing is below that of other pupils nationally. However, current pupils' work shows that gaps in writing are being rapidly addressed by the school.

The school has ensured that the needs of pupils with SEND are quickly and accurately identified.

Well-trained staff provide effective support for these pupils. As much as possible, pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum content as their peers. Pupils with SEND have many opportunities to play a highly active part in school life.

Pupils enjoy their learning and they listen attentively. They are courteous and well mannered. Children in early years benefit from well-established routines.

They respond positively to their teachers' instructions.

The school acts decisively to understand the reasons why some pupils do not attend school often enough. The school's swift action ensures that these pupils and their families are well supported to improve their rates of attendance.

The work that the school does to promote pupils' personal development is exemplary. Pupils display an exceptionally strong understanding of how to keep themselves healthy, both physically and emotionally. For instance, they bask in the plentiful sporting achievements and accolades that they have gained while representing the school.

Pupils also learn to play a range of musical instruments confidently.

The school has an unwaveringly high ambition for pupils to learn how to be responsible and active citizens. For example, members of the choir regularly perform for elderly people in the local community.

Some pupils work as children's champions, where they work with pupils from other local schools to improve leisure activities in the locality.

Governors share the school's vision to make the school the best it can be. They support and challenge the school effectively.

The school engages very well with staff. It makes sure that decisions taken to improve the quality of education that pupils receive do not impact negatively on staff's well-being or workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the school has not identified the key knowledge that pupils should learn. On occasion, pupils' learning in these subjects is less secure. The school should make sure that these subjects are further developed so that pupils can make deeper connections with earlier learning and remember more in the longer term.

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