Holymead Primary School

Hollywood Road, Brislington, Bristol, BS4 4LE

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Senior leaders and governors have made rapid progress in bringing two former schools together to form an effective new school.  The headteacher and other senior leaders check regularly on the quality of teaching. They give feedback that is helping staff to improve their teaching.  Teaching is consistently good across the school. Staff plan work at the right level of difficulty for their pupils and help them to learn quickly.  All pupils, including the most able, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make good progress overall in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and pupils have good attitudes to learning. They have confidence in staff to deal with any bullying that might happen.  Pupils say they feel safe in school. Regular lessons and activities help pupils to understand how to keep themselves safe in different situations.  The governing body questions senior leaders

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

thoroughly about the work of the school, especially regarding pupils’ progress and attainment.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough teaching is outstanding. Marking in mathematics is not as good as that in other subjects, so pupils know less about how to improve their work.  Leaders in charge of subjects are not fully involved in checking on the quality of teaching across the whole school.  Boys’ progress in writing slows across Years 1 and 2.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 31 lessons and part lessons and observed 22 teachers. Senior leaders and inspectors observed eight part lessons together.  Meetings were held with teachers and senior leaders, members of the governing body, a representative from the local authority, groups of pupils and several parents and carers.  Inspectors looked at: pupils’ work; the school’s own judgements about the quality of teaching; school assessments showing pupils’ progress; and the school’s procedures to safeguard pupils.  Inspectors heard a number of pupils read.  Inspectors analysed 153 parent and carer responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey.  Inspectors took account of 38 staff questionnaires completed by teachers and other staff during the inspection.

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Inspection team

James Henry, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Hazel Callaghan Additional Inspector Christopher Crouch Additional Inspector Robert Arnold Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Holymead is much larger than the average-sized primary school. The school opened in April 2013 following the merger of Holymead Infant School and Holymead Junior School.  This is the school’s first inspection since opening as a primary school.  The school is housed on two separate sites with pupils aged four to six years taught on one site and pupils aged seven to 11 years taught on the other.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below the national average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care or pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, is below the national 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 in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by:  improving the quality of marking in mathematics so that pupils are given regular guidance in how to improve their work and have consistent opportunities to respond to the advice given  involving subject leaders more fully in checking on the quality of teaching to help share the outstanding practice that exists in the school.  Increase boys’ progress in writing across Years 1 and 2 by:  providing topics that meet boys’ interests and making sure that boys produce more extended pieces of writing in different styles  improving boys’ spelling.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter school with the skills and abilities that are expected for their age. They make good progress across the Early Years Foundation Stage. By the time they leave the Reception class they are ready to learn the different subjects taught in Year 1.  Different groups of pupils, make good progress overall across Key Stages 1 and 2 in reading, writing and mathematics.  Although overall progress in mathematics is good, pupils do not always make the rapid progress in mathematics they are capable of. This is because teachers’ marking at times does not give pupils the precise guidance they need to move on quickly.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress, partly because they are supported well by teaching assistants in lessons and small groups.  The school’s own assessments, pupils’ work and the learning observed in lessons show that the most able pupils make good progress. For example, the proportion of pupils currently in Year 6

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The achievement of pupils is good

who are on track to achieve the higher levels in the national tests is above the 2013 national average, especially in writing.  Pupils supported by the pupil premium funding make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. School assessments show these pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics in the different year groups is similar to that of their peers. More able pupils in Year 6 supported by additional funding are working at the higher levels in English and mathematics.  Progress in reading is good because the school has an effective way of teaching early reading skills. This enables pupils, especially in Years 1 and 2, to mix different sounding letters together to read unfamiliar words. This approach is continued for older pupils who may need extra support with reading.  Boys’ progress in writing across Years 1 and 2 is not as quick as in reading. This is due to weaknesses in spelling and topics not consistently stimulating boys’ imaginations to encourage

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The achievement of pupils is good

boys to produce longer pieces of writing in different styles.  Assessments show that pupils’ attainment across the school has risen, especially in Key Stage 2. The attainment of pupils in Year 6 and Year 2 is on track to be above the 2013 national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers check pupils’ progress regularly and accurately. They use assessments to identify pupils who may be falling behind and provide extra support to help them catch up quickly.  Staff question pupils effectively in lessons to check they understand what they are learning, enhancing their progress. They use their good knowledge of the subjects they teach to provide clear explanations to correct misunderstandings and help pupils grasp new ideas.  Teaching assistants are used well to support pupils’ learning. They are especially effective in ensuring disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are fully involved in lessons and make good progress.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly. However, at times, marking in mathematics does not give pupils sufficient guidance on how to improve and give them the chance to practise the guidance given.  Pupils’ work over time shows that teachers plan activities to meet the abilities of different groups

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The quality of teaching is good

of pupils. Tasks are set that stretch the most able pupils, especially in mathematics. Consequently, different groups of pupils, including the most able, learn and achieve well. Nevertheless, progress in writing slows for some boys across Key Stage 1 because they do not always find the topics for writing interesting or stimulating. Not enough attention is paid to correcting spelling mistakes.  Most parents who responded to the Parent View questionnaire thought that their child is taught well. This view was supported by pupils who felt that teaching is good in the school.  Relationships in lessons are good. Teachers work well to develop pupils’ personal qualities as well as their academic learning. Consequently, pupils respond enthusiastically to different activities. For example, pupils enjoy learning to play the recorder, or learning about the world through taking part in practical activities in an inflated dome.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils say that behaviour in the dinner hall, in the playground and around school is generally good. Pupils are polite and courteous to one another and to adults in the school.  Pupils are keen to learn. Pupils’ books show pupils have pride in the presentation of their work and persevere to finish tasks.  Attendance is above the national average and shows pupils’ positive attitudes and enjoyment of school.  Staff manage pupils’ behaviour well. The school has good systems for recording incidents of inappropriate behaviour, especially on the Early Years Foundation and Key Stage 1 site where records are particularly detailed.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Almost all the parents who responded to the Parent View questionnaire felt that the school keeps their children safe.  Pupils say they feel safe. They say although there was some bullying in the past, this is now

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

rare. If it does occur they are happy that staff will deal with it quickly.  The school helps pupils to keep themselves safe through regular activities such as ‘e-safety days’, learning about being a good citizen, anti-bullying lessons and cycling courses.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, supported by other senior leaders and the governing body, has successfully led the school through a challenging time of change. She provides this recently-opened primary school with clear and motivated leadership.  The headteacher and senior leaders have ensured that teaching is consistently good by observing lessons, looking at pupils’ work and checking on assessments that track pupils’ progress over time. They then make sure that effective feedback to teachers is supported by well-focused professional training to help them improve further.  Leaders in charge of subjects do not regularly check on the quality of teaching across all year groups. This limits their impact in providing effective feedback to teachers and helping to share the outstanding practice that exists in the school.  The school has clear systems for assessing pupils. Through regular meetings, senior leaders hold

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The leadership and management are good

teachers to account for the progress of pupils they teach. This is linked to appropriate targets for teachers and enables senior leaders to manage the performance of staff well.  The range of subjects that pupils are taught is well balanced and subjects are often linked together through chosen topics. Pupils are motivated by different events and visits, for example a trip to Bristol docks. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage were fascinated by watching chicks hatch.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered well through the different subjects taught and extra activities. Pupils take part in dance and sporting activities and the choirs perform at different venues and in school for the local residents. This is an example of how the school fosters good relationships within the local community.  The government’s additional sport funding is used to hire external sports coaches who work with

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The leadership and management are good

staff to develop their skills in teaching physical education. Sports coaches provide pupils with opportunities to take part and be successful in different sporting competitions in football and netball. This is having a positive impact on pupils enjoying sport. However, the school has not yet checked on the difference this is making to pupils’ health and well-being.  The school has robust safeguarding procedures to help keep pupils safe. Adults are appropriately checked before being allowed to work in school. Staff are regularly trained in child protection procedures.  The local authority provides light touch support for the school, responding to requests as appropriate.  The governance of the school:  Members of the governing body visit the school regularly to support senior leaders and gain an independent view of the school. They undertake training that helps them fulfil their roles and responsibilities. Governors know how the additional pupil premium and sport funding are spent

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The leadership and management are good

and check on the difference this is making to the progress of pupils. Governors have a clear understanding of the overall quality of teaching. They know that targets for staff, linked to their own performance, need to be met before agreeing any promotion or increases in salary. The performance of the headteacher is managed well. Governors regularly question senior leaders about pupils’ attainment and progress and understand how well the school is doing in comparison to other schools. Governors manage the finances of the school well. They ensure that all their legal responsibilities are carried out, including checking that safeguarding procedures are rigorous and reviewed regularly.

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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 108975 Local authority Bristol City of Inspection number 439925

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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 608 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Adrian Hunter Headteacher Kathryn Slatcher Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 0117 3772381 Fax number 0117 9030378 Email address office@holymeadprimary.co.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 and 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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