Holmleigh Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. The strong commitment to ensuring all pupils have an exceptional educational experience is apparent in everything that the school does.

Leaders continually challenge themselves to maintain exemplary standards in academic achievement, physical well-being and personal and social skills. From low starting points, pupils reach average standards at the end of Key Stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. This represents significantly more rapid progress than average.

Teaching is outstanding. Leaders, including governors, ensure teachers get excellent support to maintain the very best practice. Teachers provide activities that meet ...the needs of all learners, so that pupils learn exceptionally well in lessons.

Teachers' explanations are always clear, so pupils know what to do and how to be successful at the tasks they are given. Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. Pupils show high levels of interest in learning and concentrate well in lessons.

Teachers have high expectations of behaviour and of what pupils can achieve academically. Pupils rise to the challenge by being well mannered and thoroughly committed to learning. Governors support and challenge senior leaders effectively to maintain excellence in all areas, including teaching and learning.

Pupils from different groups achieve equally well. For example, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make rapid progress because their needs are well met by skilled teaching assistants. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school: 'The children love their school and are thriving in it.'

This comment is typical of the high regard in which the school is held. Pupils feel very safe at school. They enjoy coming to school and attend regularly.

The school's curriculum is exceptionally rich. Subjects are enhanced by the judicious choice of visitors and trips which help embed learning and generate motivation and excitement. Pupils benefit from a diverse range of sporting opportunities which enhances their physical well-being.

The school promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development particularly well. Consequently, pupils are exceptionally well prepared to start secondary school. Children get off to a good start in the early years provision, which ensures they have the necessary skills to succeed in Year 1.

Leaders do not analyse children's progress in the early years as well as they do in the rest of the school. Consequently, the most-able children do not always make rapid progress.

Information about this school

Holmleigh is an average-sized primary school.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is lower than average, although there is a high number of pupils with statements of special educational needs, given the size of the school. Three quarters of the pupils with statements are also eligible for pupil premium funding. Most pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds, with 14 different groups represented in varying proportions.

Three quarters of pupils speak English as an additional language; some are at the very early stages of learning English. These proportions are far higher than those found nationally. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or children who are looked after by the local authority) is much higher than the national average.

The early years provision comprises of a Nursery class that some children attend part time and some full time, as well as a Reception class that all children attend full time. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. The governing body has recently changed, so a number of members are new, including the Chair of Governors who was appointed in October 2014.