Hollyfield Primary School

Hollyfield Primary School Hollyfield Road, Sutton Coldfield, B75 7SG

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a good school

 Effective leadership by leaders, managers and governors have led to significant improvements since the previous inspection, particularly in relation to achievement and teaching.  All pupils make good progress across the school. By the time they leave Year 6 they reach standards which are above average.  Reception children make outstanding progress in reading and writing.  Teaching is good in all classes and there are some examples of outstanding teaching. All staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and provide good levels of challenge and support.  Pupils behave well both in lessons and around school and are proud of their school. They feel safe and well looked after by staff.  The headteacher provides clear and strong leadership. She is ably supported by her deputy head and other leaders. All staff work well together as a team.  Careful checks are made on the quality of teaching. Pupils’ progress is followed closely to

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This is a good school

make sure all pupils are making good progress.  Governors have an excellent knowledge of how well the school is doing and provide high levels of challenge and support to all leaders.  The school is improving at a good pace and indications are clear that this is set to continue.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Progress in mathematics is not as strong as in reading and writing. Not enough practical activities are used to help pupils reinforce their skills or link these to real-life situations.  Pupils do not have many opportunities to plan their own activities or use their own ideas.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in all classes. They saw 24 lessons or parts of lessons, six of which were jointly observed with members of the leadership team.  Discussions were held with pupils, teachers, the headteacher, a representative from the local authority and the Chair of the Governing Body.  Inspectors took account of the 76 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) together with other survey information collected by the school. They also spoke informally to parents as they brought their children to school and responded by telephone to requests made for inspectors to contact them. Emails were also received during the inspection from parents who wanted to provide additional information.  Questionnaires from 30 staff were received and their views taken into account.  The inspection team listened to pupils read, spoke with them about their learning and looked at the work in their books.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors looked at a number of documents, including the school’s checks on how well it is doing, the school improvement plan, data on pupils’ current progress, leaders’ reports of lesson observations, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Heather Simpson, Lead inspector Additional inspector David Westall Additional inspector Sue Calvert Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Hollyfield Primary is larger than other primary schools.  The large majority of pupils are White British and speak English. However there are a small number who come from minority ethnic backgrounds and speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils known to be supported by the pupil premium, which provides additional funding to schools for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those in local authority care and children whose parents are in the armed forces, is above average. At Hollyfield, those who qualify for this funding are pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school is part of a formal Primary Co-operative Learning Trust with six other schools in the area.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the amount of outstanding teaching and so speed up the rate of progress in mathematics by making sure that teachers:  provide regular, practical activities for pupils to use and apply their mathematical skills to real- life situations  plan activities which encourage pupils to think and develop their own ideas and become confident, independent learners.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children join Reception Year with skills that are below those typically expected for their age, especially in reading and writing. They make good progress overall and excellent progress in reading and writing. This is due to the highly skilled support and teaching they receive. As a result, they enter Year 1 with skills and knowledge which are in line with others nationally.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Since the previous inspection, achievement has increased in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and all pupils now achieve well as they progress through the school. In 2012, all pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 reached levels of attainment that were above average in both English and mathematics. The numbers reaching the higher levels also increased in reading, writing and mathematics in Year 6.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 School data and work in books show that current year groups are on track to achieve results at the end of Key Stage 2 which are above average in English, but average in mathematics. This is because progress rates are slower in mathematics than in reading and writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The strong emphasis placed on daily reading means that all pupils achieve well. The proportion reaching the required level in the Year 1 reading check in 2012 was above the national average. This is because a structured programme for teaching reading is used effectively and gives pupils a good basis on which to build. Younger pupils use their knowledge of letters and sounds successfully to tackle new words. Older pupils read books by their favourite authors and many enjoy reading for pleasure. Reading areas feature in every classroom to promote a love of books.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress and on occasion, outstanding progress. This is as a result of the targeted support they are given in lessons and the excellent additional one-to-one support they receive outside lessons. Pupils from other minority ethnic backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language achieve well and make similar progress to other pupils in the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils eligible for the pupil premium make good progress along with their classmates and as a result, the gaps in their attainment are closing. In the 2012 national tests eligible pupils were one term behind the others in English and three terms behind in mathematics. The funding received by the school is used very effectively. It provides additional time with adults in lessons and also extra help outside lessons for those who find reading, writing or mathematics difficult.

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The quality of teaching Is good

 Teaching has improved since the previous inspection and good teaching in all classes is now the norm, and on occasion, teaching is outstanding. This improved teaching is enabling pupils to make good progress. Teachers’ commitment and enthusiasm shine through in lessons. Their planning is good and builds on pupils’ previous learning. This is especially strong in English.

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The quality of teaching Is good

 Teachers know just what they expect pupils to learn and their explanations are clear so that pupils are confident about tackling their work. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and a thorough awareness of the needs of individuals. They check pupils’ work during the lesson and pinpoint areas for improvement - providing support as necessary.

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The quality of teaching Is good

 Good use is made of time and teachers generally capture pupils’ interests well.  All staff develop positive relationships with pupils. As a result, pupils feel secure and are confident to share their findings – even if they have made mistakes. Pupils understand that they learn from making mistakes and are not embarrassed to share these.

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The quality of teaching Is good

 Some teaching is outstanding. It is lively and precisely matched to the needs of different groups of pupils. In the most successful lessons seen, teachers intervened with pupils at just the right point. They knew when to provide pupils with support and when to let them work things out for themselves.

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The quality of teaching Is good

 Good teaching in Reception means that children make good progress and outstanding progress in reading and writing. This is because teachers plan a wide range of interesting activities both indoors and outdoors. Early reading, writing and number skills are reinforced at every opportunity and provide a solid foundation for children to build on.

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The quality of teaching Is good

 Teachers do not give enough opportunities for pupils to become independent learners. Too few lessons allow pupils to plan their own activities or develop their own ideas without help from adults. Additionally, in mathematics, pupils are not given enough practical tasks to help reinforce or practise their numeracy skills or relate these to real-life situations.

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The quality of teaching Is good

 The teaching of pupils who have special educational needs is particularly effective, including those who have one-to-one help or small-group support outside lessons with teaching assistants. The high quality support they receive enables individuals to make outstanding progress.

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The quality of teaching Is good

 Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and effectively. They check pupils’ understanding and give advice on how their work can be improved. Pupils respond to these comments and complete the additional tasks set. This means that they constantly improve their work and learn from errors made.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 All parents, staff and pupils who expressed their views agree that behaviour is good and pupils are safe. Pupils know and follow the school rules. They particularly like the ‘Good to be Green’ initiative which rewards them with privilege cards for good achievement or behaviour.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well in most lessons and around school. Very occasionally, pupils’ behaviour requires improvement, but this tends to be when they are not being taught by their own class teacher. On the whole, they are polite and respectful and older pupils readily take on responsibilities to look after the younger children or help with duties at lunchtime as ‘buddies’.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are aware of the different forms bullying can take, for example, verbal or cyber-bullying. They are adamant however, that there is no bullying at Hollyfield and that if there are any incidents, adults deal with these swiftly and effectively.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say they feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe. They are aware of safety procedures and recognise that using the internet has dangers and are taught how to avoid these dangers.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted extremely well. Pupils have time for reflection in assemblies and their moral and social development is reinforced by everyone focusing on a different value each week, for example, perseverance, caring and honesty. This leads to pupils knowing the difference between right and wrong and respecting and working well together.  Pupils have a good understanding about different cultures and beliefs. They learn about different countries around the world and have a link with a school in India.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is average and improving. Leaders take decisive and effective action to make sure that pupils’ attend school regularly and arrive on time.

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The leadership and management are good

 Clear and determined action taken by the headteacher and other leaders has led to significant improvements since the previous inspection. Teaching and achievement are now consistently good.

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The leadership and management are good

 Challenging targets are set for both teachers and pupils to make sure that achievement continues to rise. All leaders know the school’s strengths and areas for development. Detailed action plans have been drawn up to see that continual improvement takes place, based on the right priorities.

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The leadership and management are good

 Regular and rigorous checks are carried out to make sure that pupils are achieving well. Leaders make excellent use of the information gathered to identify pupils who need additional support. This is then swiftly arranged.

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The leadership and management are good

 Challenging targets are set for both the headteacher and other staff based on the school’s improvement priorities. Pay awards are not agreed unless these targets are met and there is clear evidence that all pupils are making good progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 All staff have benefited from high quality training from leaders and this is helping to raise achievement and improve the quality of teaching. Strong partnerships exist with other local primary schools and the Primary Co-operative Learning Trust.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders promote equality of opportunity well so that no groups are disadvantaged or discriminated against.

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The leadership and management are good

 A wide range of subjects are taught and links made to develop pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. Visits, visitors and school clubs also provide memorable experiences and help promote pupils’ personal and social development.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides ‘light-touch’ support for this good school. They have noted the improvements over time and rightly have confidence in the leadership team.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are highly effective due to their active involvement in school life. Together with the headteacher and staff, they compile action plans to drive improvement. They know about the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. They know how well the school is doing compared to other schools nationally as they have a good understanding of data and use this information to ask school leaders challenging questions.  They are fully aware what the pupil premium is used for and know what impact this has on the progress of eligible pupils. Governors monitor the use of the budget extremely carefully and only approve spending once they are convinced that it will benefit pupils educationally. For example, governors attended the introduction to the new literacy scheme to make sure it was suitable, before approving its purchase.  Governors set targets for the headteacher and check that salary increases for staff are only

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The leadership and management are good

awarded where there is clear evidence that pupils are making good progress. They know what the school is doing to reward good teaching and to tackle any underperformance. Training is regularly undertaken to help governors fulfil their statutory duties effectively, for example in relation to safeguarding and finance. As a result, these aspects are fully met.

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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

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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.

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School details

Unique reference number 131672 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 402494

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 402 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gill Shilton Headteacher Catherine Lewis Date of previous school inspection 26 January 2010 Telephone number 0121 378 0672 Fax number 0121 311 1283 Email address enquiry@hollyfield.bham.sch.uk 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 .

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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.

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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

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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

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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’.

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School details

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

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