Hollyfast Primary School

Hollyfast Primary School Hollyfast Road, Coundon, Coventry, CV6 2AH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Children in Reception classes make good progress and pupils reach high standards in English and mathematics by the end of Key Stage 1.  In Key Stage 2, pupils continue to reach above-average standards in English and mathematics.  Teaching is typically good and a growing proportion is outstanding.  Teachers and other adults have high expectations of what pupils can achieve.  Attendance is above average because pupils enjoy coming to school. They feel safe, behave exceptionally well and are very proud of their school.  Pupils have many enjoyable and memorable learning experiences and opportunities which prepare them well for their future.  Parents and carers are fully involved in their children’s education and speak highly of the school.  School leaders frequently check the quality of teaching and learning. They have an accurate view of strengths and areas to be developed further.  The school provides effective training and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

support for its staff, which is resulting in the rising level of achievement throughout the school.  The headteacher is a highly effective leader with a clear plan for the school’s future. There is a strong team approach. Senior and subject leaders are effective and, along with all staff, support her fully.  Governors are knowledgeable, involve themselves fully in the life of the school, provide support and ask challenging questions.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough teaching is outstanding. Pupils are not always given more challenging work quickly enough.  Until recently, progress across Key Stage 2 has not been as consistently strong as it has in Key Stage 1.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 22 lessons, three of which were observed with the headteacher, one with the deputy headteacher and four with the assistant headteachers. In addition, the inspectors listened to pupils read and observed a number of groups receiving support from teaching assistants. Work in pupils’ books was also analysed.  Meetings were held with pupils, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors, a representative of the local authority and a range of staff.  The inspectors took account of the 49 responses from parents and carers to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and responses to the school’s own questionnaire for parents and carers. The inspectors met with a number of parents informally.

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Inspection team

Elaine Long, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Geof Timms Additional Inspector David West Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Hollyfast Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are White British. A small proportion come from minority ethnic groups.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or in the care of the local authority, for which the school receives additional funding from the government (the pupil premium), is below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. An above-average proportion is supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The headteacher is a local leader of education and the school business manager is a specialist leader of education.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by making sure that teachers more consistently:  provide the right amount of difficulty and challenge for each pupil  check pupils’ progress in class regularly and give them more difficult tasks as soon as they are ready.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportions of pupils exceeding expected progress in Key Stage 2 by ensuring that teachers use information about pupils’ progress with even greater precision in order to set more challenging work which stretches pupils and enables them to make faster progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children’s attainment on entry varies from year to year but most children start Reception with skills in line with those expected for their age. Children make good progress and an above- average proportion reach a good level of development by the time they join Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 This good progress continues throughout Key Stage 1, where the proportion of pupils reaching high standards in English and mathematics has been above average for a number of years.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Although standards at the end of Key Stage 2 have fluctuated, they have been typically above average in most of the last few years. In 2013, almost half of the pupils achieved Level 5, which is above the nationally expected level, in reading, writing and mathematics. Most pupils make the progress expected from Year 2 to Year 6, but the proportion making more than expected progress has not always matched national figures.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school’s data indicate that standards are above average in all subjects across Key Stage 2, and progress is improving strongly. Recent training for staff in mathematics is having a positive impact on the number of pupils reaching higher levels of attainment in this subject.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress towards challenging individual targets. Their progress benefits from identifying their needs promptly and ensuring that effective, timely support is in place.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school’s tracking of pupils’ progress, across all groups, is good, but teachers do not always use this information with enough precision to make sure that the work they set is sufficiently challenging, stretches pupils and leads to more rapid progress. Current data on groups within the school show that this is now improving.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In the 2013 national screening of pupils’ knowledge of the sounds that letters make (phonics) at the end of Year 1, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard was similar to the national average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2013, the pupils in Year 2 who were supported with pupil premium funding achieved better results than other pupils in the school. In Year 6, eligible pupils were half a term behind their classmates in writing, around six months behind in reading and more than a year behind in mathematics. Current data show that the school’s use of specialist mathematics support is ensuring that the gap in mathematics is narrowing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In all year groups, teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Relationships are outstanding, pupils are happy, confident and excited to learn. As a result, pupils work well together but also on their own. They show high levels of concentration and perseverance.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Classroom displays support the learning of pupils extremely well. The rooms celebrate pupils’ work and achievements. The positive environment provides a welcoming atmosphere for pupils, which allows them to achieve well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Effectively managed guided reading sessions help pupils to make rapid progress in learning to read. They acquire knowledge and skills quickly and are able to apply these to their learning in other subjects.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Skills of numeracy, reading, writing, use of information and communication technology and problem solving are taught well throughout the school. Careful planning and regular review of what is taught mean that pupils are given many opportunities to develop and improve their skills, and this prepares them well for the next stage of their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school’s clear marking policy, which is adjusted for each key stage and applied consistently, is playing a significant part in the growing levels of achievement throughout the school. Teachers’ comments inform pupils what they need to do in order to improve and they respond well to the advice. They know what level they are working at and what they need to do to improve further.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ questioning is outstanding and requires pupils to think hard. Pupils are given time to think about their answers and reflect. In a mathematics lesson on coordinates, the teacher raised questions and gave pupils five minutes to arrive at a way forward. In the discussion which followed, pupils arrived at answers through their own investigation and learnt independently.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants are well trained and skilful at questioning pupils who find learning more difficult. They encourage them to work things out for themselves rather than giving them too much help or giving them clues too quickly

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The quality of teaching is good

 In some lessons, there is not always the right amount of challenge and difficulty for each pupil. Once pupils have grasped an idea they are not always moved on quickly enough to more difficult work. This can sometimes slow their progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils have very positive attitudes to their learning throughout the school. They work hard and are fully involved in their lessons, asking questions, solving problems and supporting one another well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils want to do well. They appreciate the help they are given. They do not give up when the work becomes more difficult; instead they try harder.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour around the school is exemplary. They are polite, friendly and courteous. They feel a part of the school and are proud to belong to it. Pupils are given many opportunities to be involved in making decisions and they like this. They support a number of projects locally and nationally, and know the importance of being responsible citizens.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Participation in assemblies is exemplary. Pupils listen carefully and show an ability to reflect on what they hear and see. The school is a very caring community with everyone playing their part.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Attendance is consistently above average and punctuality is good. The school has clear systems in place to encourage high attendance, and school leaders ensure that parents are engaged and supported fully to help their children attend school regularly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 In lessons and assemblies, pupils learn the skills they need to manage everyday risks for themselves. These cover, for example, road safety, fire safety and keeping safe while using the internet. Pupils know about different forms of bullying and that there is always an adult they can speak to if they have any worries.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils know the school’s rules and enjoy the rewards they are given. Parents enjoy the opportunities the school gives them to come into assemblies and classrooms in order to share the work and progress their children are making.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Staff know their pupils well and manage behaviour successfully. Parents support this view. The school’s effective approaches to responding to pupils’ emotional needs and development have made a significant impact on behaviour. Instances of bad behaviour are rare and there have been no exclusions in the past few years.

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The leadership and management are good

 Attainment is above average and continuing to rise as a result of strong leadership and teamwork. The headteacher is relentless in her drive to improve teaching and raise achievement further. Staff support her fully in this. There is a common sense of purpose, and staff morale is high.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders’ regular lesson observations, followed by detailed feedback, have ensured that all teaching is now typically good and an increasing proportion is outstanding. The headteacher manages the performance of staff well. Processes for managing teachers’ performance are detailed and rigorous, and the governing body has ensured that there are clear links between pay increases and pupils’ progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders have a strong team approach and are committed to ensuring that pupils at the school enjoy their learning and achieve their best. Regular monitoring of lesson planning and the marking of pupils’ work ensures that there is a clear consistency of approach throughout the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior and subject leaders make rigorous checks to find out how well pupils are achieving. All staff use data to track the progress pupils make and to ensure that they are meeting their challenging targets, but this information is not always used effectively to ensure that the work they set challenges pupils, stretches them and enables them to make the most rapid progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has a wealth of partnerships within the local community and beyond. Their contribution provides pupils with opportunities to deepen their social, moral, cultural and spiritual education. An exciting programme of lessons provides pupils with many opportunities to explore and learn about the world, what others believe and why. The school encourages them to investigate and to find answers for themselves. Pupils enjoy this challenge and respond well.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has clear plans to use the primary sport funding to develop staff skills in certain areas of the physical education curriculum, linked to specific need. The ‘forest school’ is to be extended in order to encourage the physical, emotional, and problem-solving skills of specific identified pupils. The outdoor play area is to be developed further to create more structured play opportunities which are intended to engage pupils but also to develop life-skills such as team building, social skills and the importance of living healthy lifestyles.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has an ‘open-door policy’ which parents like, and the headteacher and governors seek parents’ views about a range of issues; for example, the latest questionnaire on bullying. Effective home-school communication is greatly valued by staff and parents alike. Parents talk of the growing confidence of their children and the ways in which they are determined to do well.  The local authority provides light-touch support to this good school, believes the leadership to be strong and effective, and uses the headteacher’s and other senior leaders’ expertise to work alongside another school at risk.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body takes a full and active role in the life of the school. Governors make regular visits to lessons and meet with staff. They are well qualified to check that the headteacher is setting appropriate performance targets for teachers, rewarding good teachers and challenging underperformance. They have a strong understanding of what the data on pupils’ progress are showing them, and they ask challenging questions. They make sure that the funds available through the pupil premium are used well to improve achievement. They make sure that all statutory requirements are met, including those for safeguarding pupils.

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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 103639 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 428825

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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 Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 400 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Neil Gowling Headteacher Elizabeth Hayes-Jones Date of previous school inspection 20 January 2009 Telephone number 024 76332521 Fax number 024 76338902 Email address admin@hollyfast.coventry.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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