Hollybush Primary

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Hollybush Primary School is a happy and welcoming school.

Pupils feel safe here. Their chosen values of 'nurture, respect, aspire' promote a sense of caring for others and prioritise mental well-being.

Teachers' expectations of what pupils can do have risen in key stages 1 and 2.

Pupils are now beginning to remember more in all subjects. However, there are still some gaps in their knowledge in some subjects. Children feel safe and happy in early years.

Teachers develop strong relationships with children and have taken time to ensure that they are settled and happy in school. There is still, however, much to do to develop the curriculum. Staff are not... aligning it in early years to ensure that children are ready for further learning in key stage 1.

Behaviour has been transformed at Hollybush. The school environment is calm and purposeful. Teachers have high expectations of pupils' behaviour.

Pupils are polite and respectful. Pupils have a clear understanding of bullying as happening 'Several Times On Purpose' (STOP). Leaders respond to any incidents quickly and appropriately.

Leaders work hard to ensure that pupils are in school and on time. Despite this, the attendance of a very small number of pupils is still not good enough. Leaders have built good relationships with the wider school community.

They have a pastoral team that offers support to families when it is needed. Parents and carers are keen to help their children with learning and would value more information about the curriculum. Leaders know that this is important and recognise that there is more work to do to help pupils to share their learning at home.

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

Leaders have made significant improvements in a wide range of areas since the previous inspection. They have embarked on a journey to rewrite the curriculum in all subjects. Leaders use visits to places such as Kirkstall Abbey or the River Aire to develop pupils' knowledge and a sense of pride and belonging to Leeds.

Teachers encourage pupils to build on this knowledge when learning about other locations in the wider world.

Leaders are passionate about ensuring that each child at Hollybush learns to read. Phonics teaching is at the heart of the reading curriculum.

As a result of this, the number of pupils achieving success in the phonics screening check is improving. Leaders identify those pupils who are not on track with reading. Additional daily phonics lessons, alongside extra group and individual reading opportunities, are helping those pupils to catch up.

Books closely match the sounds that pupils are learning. Pupils have opportunities to read them often within the school day. Pupils who can read fluently have lessons that develop their vocabulary and understanding of texts over time.

They are encouraged to read widely to build their understanding of texts and widen their vocabulary. In Year 6, pupils can identify a range of authors, such as David Walliams, Roald Dahl and Jacqueline Wilson. They especially enjoy taking part in the termly reading challenges.

Subject leaders are clear about what they want pupils to know and learn about in most subjects. This is particularly the case in mathematics and science. They ensure that learning builds progressively across the school from Year 1 to Year 6.

Leaders have identified the key vocabulary that they expect pupils to know and use in lessons. In a few subjects, for example art, this detail of knowledge and planned learning is in its early stages of development.

Staffing in early years has been turbulent since the previous inspection.

Much has been done to organise an effective learning environment both in Nursery and Reception. The children are settled and happy. However, they are not benefiting from the same curriculum thought and development as pupils in the rest of the school, except in science and mathematics.

Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum starts in early years, and is built on throughout the school. This means that some children are not fully prepared to start Year 1.

The school supports most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well.

Pupils with identified speech, language and communication needs benefit greatly from the individual programmes of support planned for them. Leaders ensure that pupils with complex needs have their needs identified and met through carefully planned support and help. However, this is not always accompanied by an appropriate and timely statutory assessment, which may be needed for future support.

Leaders have worked tirelessly to improve the behaviour of pupils in the school. They use their 'RESTORE' curriculum well to support the mental health and well-being of pupils and staff. Values such as respect, friendship and kindness are taught through this curriculum.

Pupils learn about equality, discrimination and democracy in weekly assemblies and through the wider school curriculum. This learning can be seen in pupils' actions and behaviour towards others. They are kind, considerate and mature.

Staff understand the behaviour systems well and use them consistently. Consequently, pupils' behaviour, both in lessons and at other less structured times of the day, is good.

Prior to COVID-19 restrictions, the pupils enjoyed a wide range of trips and visits linked to learning in subjects such as geography, history and religious education.

All pupils could also attend a wide range of after-school activities, such as art, fencing and golf. Leaders are keen to reintroduce these and have plans to develop them further in the future.

Opportunities for pupils to learn about managing their emotions are many and varied.

Leaders have developed a curriculum that helps pupils to become confident and resilient, and to build positive relationships. This is known in school as the RESTORE curriculum. It is proving very effective in helping pupils to develop emotional well-being, and to empathise with others and resolve any conflicts.

Leaders have improved links with parents since the previous inspection. Parents are positive about the school. Governors are supportive of the school.

They have clearly defined roles. They ensure that information received from leaders is accurate through careful monitoring of improvement plans and visits to the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders put safeguarding central to the school's work. They have a good understanding of the risks that pupils may face both online and in the wider community. Staff are well trained and there are effective systems in place to report any concerns.

Leaders are swift to support families who need help. They work closely with outside agencies, such as social care, police community support officers or family support workers. Families say that they value the work that the school does.

A carefully planned curriculum and programme of assemblies help pupils to stay safe and understand risks both online and in the wider community.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teachers in early years do not yet have a detailed curriculum to enable them to plan for learning that will build cumulative knowledge and skills for the future. Many pupils are not well enough prepared for the next stage of education.

Leaders now need to plan and sequence the curriculum more effectively across all the seven key areas of learning in early years. ? Not all subjects in the curriculum take into account learning in early years. Subjects such as mathematics and science have started to have the knowledge to be covered across all year groups mapped out; however, this is not the case for other subjects, such as geography and history.

In these subjects, teachers do not have the guidance they need to plan lessons that build upon prior learning. For this reason, the transition arrangements have been applied. Leaders must ensure that teachers have a clear understanding of the knowledge that is being taught in early years to ensure that all learning is well sequenced and progressive.