Hollymount School

Hollymount Primary School Cambridge Road, London, SW20 0SQ

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

p.1

This is school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 While pupils generally make the expected progress from their starting points, too few make strong progress, and this reflects the quality of the teaching.  The quality of teaching is inconsistent from class to class, even within the same year group, when the same topic is being covered.  Pupils in Years 1 and 2 learn less well than they should because they complete too many worksheets instead of writing their thoughts and ideas for themselves.  In the tests taken at the end of Year 6, pupils consistently do well in mathematics, but English results have fallen behind mathematics in the last two years.  In some lessons, teachers do not set work that matches the abilities of the pupils in their class.  Teachers sometimes take too long explaining tasks and do not always give pupils enough chances to work things out for themselves.  Lessons are sometimes too slow moving, particularly for children in Reception, Year 1

p.1

This is school that requires improvement. It is not good because

and Year 2.  School leaders, including the governing body, are not sufficiently rigorous in how they evaluate the school’s performance, to ensure that all pupils make good progress.  Leaders are sometimes overgenerous in appraising the quality of teaching, and this is because they tend to look primarily at teaching styles, instead of judging how well the pupils are learning.

p.1

The school has the following strengths

 This is a much-loved and popular school. Parents value its community ethos. Pupils are happy and report that they love their school.  The school’s leaders have kept the school on an even keel through a long period of expansion, involving considerable new building works.  Teachers throughout the school mark pupils’ work thoroughly and helpfully.  Pupils are articulate, confident, polite young people. They feel safe, behave well and attend school regularly.  Pupils are confident in using computers and produce high-quality work on them.  The school develops pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural qualities strongly, ensuring that they are respectful towards others.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 26 part-lessons, taught by 12 class teachers, across a range of subjects, nearly all observed jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors listened to pupils read, looked at samples of work and attended assemblies.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body, accompanied by the Vice-Chair and a parent governor, a representative from the local authority, and groups of pupils. Inspectors took account of the views of staff in 30 questionnaires.  There were 86 responses to the online Parent View questionnaire. Inspectors spoke to several parents during the course of the inspection and received one letter.  Inspectors observed the school’s work, and looked at a range of documents, including development plans, the self-evaluation report, local authority evaluation reports, monitoring files, the data on pupils’ attainment and progress, safeguarding information, records relating to

p.2

Information about this inspection

behaviour and safety, and minutes of meetings of the governing body.  The school does not have alternative provision, for example, any resource unit for pupils with special educational needs.  The after-school club is independently run and is subject to separate inspection.

p.2

Inspection team

Natalia Power, Lead inspector Additional inspector John Viner Additional inspector Mina Drever Additional inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Hollymount is larger than the average-sized primary school. It is expanding from one-form to two-form entry, and currently has a Nursery, two classes in Reception and in Years 1 to 3, and one class in each of Years 4, 5 and 6.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in the care of the local authority and for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, is much lower than the national average.  Almost half of pupils come from a wide range of minority ethnic heritages. A slightly higher proportion of pupils than is typical speak English as an additional language, but few are at an early stage of learning the language.  A lower-than-average proportion of pupils are on the special needs register, both at school action and school action plus, including those with statements of special educational needs.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

p.3

Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has just completed a programme of considerable building works.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Teachers should make sure, particularly in English lessons, that: – they match work accurately to pupils’ abilities, and do not set work which is too easy or too difficult for individual pupils – they provide pupils with more opportunities to learn independently – they keep up a brisk pace in lessons, especially for the younger pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, so that they do not sit on the carpet for long periods.  School leaders should check the quality of teaching carefully, making sure when they visit lessons that they concentrate on how successfully the pupils are learning, rather than on how the teacher is teaching.  Leaders and governors should improve the quality of their self-evaluation, to make sure that they are always ambitious enough in their drive to improve the progress of all pupils, and rigorous enough in expecting the best of themselves and their teachers, and guard against being

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

overgenerous in their evaluation.  To improve the quality of their learning, pupils in Years 1 and 2 should be encouraged to write down their own ideas as much as possible, rather than to complete printed worksheets.

p.3

Inspection judgements

The achievement of pupils requires improvement.

p.4

Inspection judgements

 Pupils do not make rapid enough progress from their starting points, which is why achievement requires improvement. Their rates of progress vary too much between classes, even within the same year group, and this reflects unevenness in the quality of teaching.  Children enter the Nursery and Reception classes with language, number and social skill levels which are generally above those expected for their age. Children who speak English as an additional language are given effective support in the Early Years Foundation Stage, and this helps them settle quickly into the new environment and use language confidently. The teachers and other adults make sure that the children have interesting and inviting activities, with a focus on learning new skills and getting on with one another. This provides the children with a secure start to their education.  Pupils’ results in the national tests taken at the end of Year 6 are consistently above average in

p.4

Inspection judgements

mathematics, and this reflects pupils’ keenness to learn new skills in a structured way. English results have fallen behind mathematics results for the past two years, and this reflects lower expectations by teachers of what pupils can accomplish. Pupils’ discussions show that they can use language in sophisticated and articulate ways, but the work set often fails to take advantage of these qualities.  Over recent years there has been a decline in pupils’ overall results in the national tests taken at the end of Year 2, so that results are now in line with the national average. This reflects some unambitious teaching in Years 1 and 2, with pupils spending too long filling in worksheets, which limits their learning, instead of finding things out for themselves.  Pupils do better than average in phonics (letter and their sounds) tests taken in Year 1. Pupils from Year 2 who read to inspectors spoke of their love of reading. By the time they leave Year 6,

p.4

Inspection judgements

pupils have made the expected progress in reading.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language in Key Stages 1 and 2 are helped by trained staff who quickly identify what support they need, and give them effective extra help, so that they quickly catch up with the others.  The small number of disabled pupils and those on school action or school action plus make similar progress to their peers, because their needs are quickly identified, and they receive effective support from teachers and from the dedicated team of teaching assistants.  The pupil premium funding is used effectively to benefit the small proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals, for example to enable them to join school trips abroad.

p.4

Inspection judgements

The quality of teaching requires improvement.

p.4

Inspection judgements

 Inspectors saw some good and occasionally outstanding teaching, but, overall, teaching is of inconsistent quality and, particularly in English, lacks ambition and does not stimulate pupils to make the best progress they can. This is why teaching requires improvement.  In mathematics lessons most teachers make sure that the work set has a demanding level of challenge, appropriate to pupils’ abilities. In some English lessons, however, the work set is too easy for many pupils and too little is expected of them.  Teachers sometimes keep pupils sitting for too long listening to them, instead of making full use of the pupils’ eagerness to learn for themselves. This is particularly true of younger pupils in the Reception classes and in Years 1 and 2, where the pace of learning is sometimes too slow.  Teachers mark pupils’ work thoroughly, giving praise where praise is due and offering helpful suggestions as to how they can improve. This consistently good-quality marking ensures that

p.4

Inspection judgements

pupils do not fall behind in their learning.  Activities in the Nursery and Reception classes are generally inviting and adults give the children suitable opportunities to choose stimulating activities for themselves, as well as helping them to use language and number skills wherever possible. The outdoor play areas are attractive and well used for learning, but a little small for the numbers of children sharing them.  Support staff make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning. Inspectors saw effective small- group teaching taking place which resulted in pupils who are in danger of falling behind making improved progress.

p.4

Inspection judgements

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good.

p.5

Inspection judgements

 Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They are polite and welcoming to visitors, and are proud of their school. One pupil went so far as to write, unbidden, a letter to inspectors, saying, ‘I have learnt so much that my mind could blow up having all the facts and equations fighting for space in my brain cells.’  Pupils have good attitudes to learning and are attentive in class and school events. They respond well to the school’s reward systems.  From the earliest years, children in the Nursery and Reception classes play nicely together and are ready to share and take turns. Pupils continue to be sociable and considerate throughout the school.  Because the school places a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural qualities, pupils have a good understanding of the world around them and respect one another’s faiths and cultures. Pupils from a wide variety of backgrounds and heritages get on

p.5

Inspection judgements

well with one another.  Pupils feel safe at school. They report that there are hardly any instances of pupils being unkind to one another and that there is no bullying, such as racial bullying or name-calling.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. They understand the nature of various dangers such as cyber-bullying through hostile computer messages, and are taught how to combat such threats.

p.5

Inspection judgements

The leadership and management require improvement.

p.5

Inspection judgements

 Leadership and management require improvement because teaching and pupils’ achievement are not yet good.  School leaders do not ensure that the quality of learning and the progress pupils make throughout the school are consistently good. For example, inspectors and school leaders noticed that pupils within the same year group, learning the same topic, sometimes made weaker progress in one class than the other.  The main reason for this lack of consistency is that school leaders do not always look rigorously at how and what the pupils are learning, and tend to be swayed in their evaluations of teaching by how the lessons are delivered. As a result, they sometimes do not notice that some pupils are not doing as well as they should.  School leaders and governors are too generous in their evaluation of the school’s performance, for example grading all teaching as good or outstanding, and pupils’ achievement as good. This

p.5

Inspection judgements

lack of rigour means that some of their efforts, for example, to improve pupils’ attainment in Years 1 and 2, have not been entirely successful.  School leaders and governors are ensuring through a lengthy period of expansion in numbers involving considerable building works that the school runs smoothly and that the community ethos of the school is undisturbed.  School leaders work harmoniously with parents and staff, who show through their overwhelmingly positive responses to the questionnaires that they are proud of the school and that it is a happy community.  The curriculum is varied and there are many opportunities for pupils to take part in exciting activities, both in school and on trips and visits. Pupils are proficient in the use of computers, for example creating sophisticated animations in Year 3. Pupils throughout the school make the expected progress overall in reading, writing and mathematics and are adequately prepared for

p.5

Inspection judgements

the next stage of school.  The governance of the school:  The governing body works supportively with school leaders and staff, but shares their somewhat overgenerous view of pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching. As a result, they have not held school leaders sufficiently to account for weaker areas of the school’s performance. Governors understand the data on pupils’ achievement and how it compares with national data. They are aware, for example, that pupils make steady progress but that not enough make more-than-expected progress. Nevertheless, they still maintain that pupils’ achievement is good overall and place considerable reliance on the somewhat generous evaluation of the school’s performance by the local authority. Governors visit the school to observe lessons and meet staff, and ensure that teachers are sent on courses to improve their performance, but at present do not do enough to challenge underperformance by some

p.6

Inspection judgements

teachers. Governors are aware of teachers’ salaries and the procedures involved in ensuring that the best teachers are appropriately rewarded, but, as the teaching force is relatively new, these procedures are still at an early stage. Governors maintain strong control of the school’s budget and have steered the school effectively through a considerable period of expansion. They fully understand the uses to which the relatively small amount of pupil premium funding is put, and ensure it goes to benefit the pupils it is intended for. Governors are well trained and highly committed to the school and are careful to ensure that procedures to keep pupils safe meet requirements and are effective.

p.6

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

p.7

Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 102633 Local authority Merton Inspection number 402894

p.8

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.8

School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 355 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ian Pickard Headteacher Philippa Jackson Date of previous school inspection 15 September 2010 Telephone number 020 8946 0454 Fax number 020 8946 0454 Email address info@hollymount.org guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

p.9

School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.9

School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

p.9

School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.9

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.9