Holywell Green Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this inclusive and welcoming school. Adults and pupils build warm and supportive relationships with each other. Pupils say that school is a safe place to be and that there is no bullying.

They know that adults will help to resolve any problems they may have.

Leaders have developed an aspirational curriculum that demonstrates their high expectations of what pupils can achieve.

Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour.

As a result, pupils behave well throughout the school. In lessons, they are attentive and engaged. They move around school calmly and sensibly.

They are polite and welcoming to visitors and are re...spectful towards one another and adults.

Older pupils have leadership roles, such as school councillors and house captains and vice captains. They appreciate the sense of responsibility that these roles bring.

School councillors are elected democratically, and they know that they have a positive influence over decisions about their school.

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

Leaders are ambitious for what pupils can achieve, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders know their school well.

They have made improvements to the curriculum in recent years and know what further improvements are necessary.

In most areas, leaders have developed a curriculum that identifies the important knowledge they want pupils to know and remember. In subjects such as mathematics and religious education, pupils benefit from sequences of lessons that help them to know more and remember more.

This is not the case in all areas of the curriculum, however. In art and design, the curriculum is less well developed. It is not always clear how what pupils are learning builds on what they have learned before.

Leaders acknowledge this, and there are plans in place to improve the consistency of the curriculum.

Reading is a priority at the school. Books are celebrated and enjoyed.

Topics in early years are often themed around favourite books and stories. Leaders have recently introduced a phonic scheme that teachers use consistently and effectively in the teaching of reading. Pupils' reading books are well matched to the sounds they have learned.

Teachers regularly check on pupils' progress in reading and provide support to help them keep up if they slip behind.

Pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers. They are well supported through adaptations, such as the use of coloured paper and writing slopes, which aids them with their writing.

However, pupils' support plans do not always break down the targets that pupils should achieve into small enough steps. This makes it hard for teachers and leaders to check how well they are learning.

Children get off to an excellent start in early years.

Leaders have planned a curriculum that prepares children well for the next phase of their education. They develop in all areas of learning through access to well-planned provision. Children behave well because of high expectations and well-established routines.

There are strong relationships between adults and children and an atmosphere of cooperation. The children develop independence and confidence. For example, teachers give children opportunities to perform and role play.

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about their experience of working at the school. Leaders are mindful of their workload. Subject leaders are passionate about their subjects but do not have sufficient opportunities to check the impact of the curriculum in their subjects.

Leaders have developed a highly inclusive environment. Pupils are tolerant and understanding of difference. When asked how they would react to a new pupil joining the school from a different country or culture, they said that they would 'welcome them with kindness'.

Pupils are less clear about wider fundamental British values such as democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law.

Leaders ensure that there is a range of additional opportunities for pupils to develop beyond the academic curriculum. Over the summer, pupils produce scrap books that they return to school in the autumn, which is celebrated.

Pupils are directly involved in improving the school environment through activities such as developing the wildlife area. Staff provide pupils access to trips, educational visits and after-school sports clubs. The older pupils visited the science department of a sixth-form college.

This was an exciting opportunity for pupils to see how their experience and knowledge of science could develop.

Governors are passionate and committed in their support of the school. They have a clear vision and ambition for the school to continue to improve.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding. They have ensured that all staff are well trained and up to date with safeguarding issues.

Robust systems and record-keeping ensure that, when concerns are raised, they are recorded in a timely way. Leaders work with external agencies, when necessary, to secure help for pupils.

Pupils feel safe in school.

They trust adults. They know how to keep themselves safe, including when using technology.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some foundation subjects, the precise knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn is not clearly defined.

Leaders should work with staff to help pupils learn the most important knowledge that they need to remember. ? Leaders do not provide staff with sufficiently precise guidance on how to best support pupils with SEND. They should work with staff to develop better support plans and provide clearer guidance to enable pupils with SEND to make better progress through the curriculum.

• In some subjects, there is limited oversight of how well the intended curriculum is being implemented. This means that, in some subjects, leaders are less clear about what pupils know and can remember. Leaders should establish better ways to check how well the curriculum is being implemented.