Holywell Church of England School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher and governors have provided determined leadership to bring the school through a challenging period of change. Leaders, including governors, have rectified the areas identified for development in the previous inspection and are now sustaining a rapid pace of improvement. The school is an inclusive community.

Parents value the school's supportive atmosphere for learning and the strong promotion of the pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Leaders ensure that safeguarding and welfare procedures are fully implemented and keep pupils safe. Relatively recent strengthening of some middle leadership roles has not yet h...ad time to have a full positive impact on pupils' academic outcomes.

Leaders have forged productive links within a cooperative of schools to develop staff skills, re-establish good teaching across the school and enhance pupils' learning experiences. Holywell is a school of choice for a significant number of parents because of the high-quality care and attention that pupils receive. Leaders ensure that additional funds to support disadvantaged pupils and to enrich pupils' sporting experiences are used well.

Teachers plan their teaching and support well to meet pupils' different learning needs. On occasion, when pupils clearly show their mathematical understanding, teachers do not adjust the challenge quickly enough to promote even faster progress. The pupils greatly value their supportive relationships with staff and other pupils.

These help them to behave and work well. Consequently, their attendance is above average. Pupils are making rapid progress in this academic year, but attainment in writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 still requires improvement.

Pupils develop good speaking and listening skills and use them well to enrich their learning. Provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities or emotional and behavioural needs is a strength of the school. Children typically make rapid progress in all aspects of their learning in the pre-school and during their time in Reception.

Information about this school

The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website. Holywell Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school and has grown considerably in size since the previous inspection. The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds and a well-below-average proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds.

The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is average. However, it is very high in some year groups. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well below average.

Children experience early years provision in a combined pre-school, Reception and Year 1 class. The other pupils across the school are also taught in three mixed year-group classes across Years 1 to 6. Holywell is federated with Bratton Fleming Primary School as a member of the Gateway Federation.

The two schools share the same executive headteacher and governing body. In April 2013, the federation joined up with eight other local primary schools to become the Three Valleys Learning Partnership, a cooperative trust. There have been several changes in staff since the previous inspection.