Holly Hill Primary and Nursery School

Holly Hill Primary and Nursery School Off Portland Road, Selston, Nottingham, NG16 6AW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Since the previous inspection the headteacher, senior leaders and governors have taken concerted action which has resulted in good teaching and vastly improved outcomes for pupils.  All pupils, from their different starting points, achieve well.  Good and outstanding teaching is resulting in pupils making faster progress, so that standards are rising and are now average at the end of Year 6.  Children see themselves as learners from the moment they start school. The colourful environment, awash with enticing images and books, immediately engages pupils so that they want to explore and find out more.  Pupils’ behaviour is consistently good and often outstanding in lessons. Pupils report that they feel safe in school and are free from bullying and any form of unpleasantness.  The school puts the promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development at the heart of all that it does. The subjects and topics taught

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

follow pupils’ enthusiasms and interests, and open their eyes to the world around them.  Teamwork among the staff is strong. Everyone has pulled together to accelerate pupils’ progress and provide a rich education for all pupils which prepares them well for the future.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage, not all areas of learning are represented outdoors.  In Key Stage 1, pupils do not always have enough opportunities to develop their writing skills in other subjects, such as mathematics.  In Key Stage 2, there are fewer opportunities for problem solving and investigations in science than there are in mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed lessons in all classes, some jointly with senior leaders. They heard pupils read, visited short sessions which teach letters and sounds, and attended two school assemblies. They looked at the work in pupils’ books, especially at mathematics, writing, science and ‘learning journey’ topic books.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body, groups of pupils, including members of the school council, and a School Improvement Partner from the local authority.  Inspectors gained the views of parents from the 29 responses to Parent View, the online questionnaire and from the 79 responses to the school’s own questionnaire conducted in July.  The views of staff were gained from the 14 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors looked at a range of school documents. This included information relating to safeguarding and child protection, development planning, subject planning, tracking information on pupils’ progress, the

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Information about this inspection

minutes of meetings of the governing body, performance management systems and procedures for checking on the quality of teaching and learning.

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Inspection team

Judith Straw, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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Information about this school

 Holly Hill is a larger than average-sized primary school. Children start in the Nursery in the term after their third birthday and attend for morning or afternoon sessions.  Most pupils are White British and very few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium, additional funding given to schools for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children in the care of the local authority, is 33%, which is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is 12%, which is above average, but the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs in just below average, at 6%.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve teaching and thereby further accelerate pupils’ progress by:  making better use of the outdoor areas in the Early Years Foundation Stage to promote children’s learning in all aspects of learning, including reading, writing and numeracy  maximising the opportunities for pupils in Key Stage 1 to practice their writing across a range of subjects, including mathematics  making sure that all classes have opportunities for problem solving and investigations in science.

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The leadership and management are good

 Following the last inspection, the headteacher, senior leaders and governors immediately set about driving improvements. The main focus has been on improving teaching and making sure that the tracking of pupils’ progress is accurate and leads to appropriate individual support for any pupil who is falling behind. The tracking of pupils’ progress has been greatly improved. School leaders know exactly how well pupils are achieving.

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The leadership and management are good

 The deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher provide excellent role models, and, together with the headteacher, they have led the way in increasing the quality of teaching and eliminating teaching which was inadequate.

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The leadership and management are good

 All staff have risen to the challenge of higher expectations for their work and that of their pupils. Staff feel fully supported but also challenged and accountable. They make a genuine difference to the lives of the children and families of the community they serve. Many teachers commented in the staff questionnaire on how proud they were of the improvement made.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff know pupils individually and value their differences. Equality and aspiration are promoted strongly, and discrimination is not tolerated. All pupils have equal opportunities to access all that the school has to offer. There is still a difference in the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and others but it is gradually being reduced in all classes.

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The leadership and management are good

 Additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils is being spent on a range of strategies to improve the learning experience for these pupils and to give them some extra individual staff time. The gap in their achievement and that of others is gradually narrowing. In 2014, disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 made better progress than others in the school in reading, similar progress in writing but slower progress in mathematics. Detailed tracking shows that progress is now at least as good for disadvantaged pupils in all areas and is above that of other pupils in some classes.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders have written their action plans to improve the areas in which they lead and have set themselves challenging targets. Along with senior staff, subject leaders are all fully involved in checking on how well their plans are being implemented and checking on progress towards targets. As a result, leadership skills have developed rapidly across all the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The special educational needs coordinator has reorganised the school’s provision for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs so that the school now has clear agreed policies for which pupils should be on the register and how they should be supported. All staff now have a clear understanding of how to support these pupils so that they are making good and better progress. The co- ordinator checks how effective different strategies are to make sure that the right ones are in place for each pupil.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s self-evaluation is completely accurate. The judgements of the inspection fully supported the school’s own judgements. This is a school which now knows itself well and is determined to keep up the focus on improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The subjects taught are carefully planned. All staff have been involved in developing and shaping the new curriculum. They have ensured a specific focus on developing a level of reading to improve literacy. There is an agreed calculation policy shared with parents. ‘Learning journey’ topic work is designed to follow pupils’ interests and provide challenge and excitement for pupils of all abilities. Most topic work includes a visit or visitor; for example, members of the fire service visited during work on the Great Fire of London. Other memorable events have recently included celebrating Shakespeare’s birthday, the London Marathon and St David’s Day.

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The leadership and management are good

 Additional funding to promote pupils’ sporting activity, health and well-being has been used to provide specialist physical education teaching for all classes. Teachers take part in lessons as well so that they can develop their own expertise. As a result, the school’s participation in local inter-school sporting activities has increased from three competitions per year to 15 in the last academic year. There are more after- school clubs and more pupils attend.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school works well with parents, providing advice and training in how to support their children’s learning. There is plenty of useful advice on the website, parents can come into school and sample lessons, and they receive full reports of the progress their children are making at consultation sessions and in writing. This is becoming a major strength as the school works towards gaining the national Parent Partnership Award.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided strong support in the recent past and recognises that the school has now demonstrated its ability to drive its own improvement and even share expertise with others in the local family of schools. The rapidity with which the school has improved indicates a good capacity to go further.

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The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding matters are carefully and frequently checked and all statutory requirements are met.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have been a driving force behind the school’s rapid improvement. They set the headteacher and senior leaders challenging targets and make sure that these are met. Before each governing body meeting, governors pose ‘challenge’ questions for the headteacher which are derived from his report, sent to governors in advance. This means that meetings are effective in seeing which issues need to be addressed and what is being done.  Governors keep up to date with training and are well equipped to compare the school’s performance with that of others. They have been involved in developing the new curriculum and in ensuring that traditional British values of tolerance and respect are enshrined in their policies and underpin what the school stands for.  Governors keep a firm handle on the budget and have an agreed system to make sure that the performance of all staff is taken into consideration before salary increases can be agreed. Governors are

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The leadership and management are good

adamant that spending on disadvantaged pupils must ensure that the progress of all pupils is accelerated and that high-ability pupils reach their potential.  Governors ensure absolute transparency in their activities. The school website publishes regular ‘impact statements’ showing what governors have done and what difference it has made.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. The pupils clearly enjoy learning and say how much they appreciate their teachers. As a result, attitudes to learning are always good and sometimes excellent.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are respectful of their school, polite to all adults and display good manners most of the time. This contributes to the calm atmosphere which pervades the school. Pupils like the new ‘house’ system which allows them to gain credit points for their houses as rewards for good behaviour.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are consulted about school rules and improvements that they would like to see. The school council can point to several improvements and developments they have led; for example, the installation of water fountains, ideas about fundraising such as a sponsored Christmas jumper day, and the introduction of new clubs such as cheerleading and dance.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say that they feel safe in school and can explain why. They trust the adults in school and say that help is always there if they need it.

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Safety

 Pupils say with conviction that there is no bullying in school, though there is occasional name-calling. Pupils are less confident about how they might deal with cyber-bullying and what the dangers are of some social media. The school is addressing this through the personal, social and emotional curriculum and through information and communication technology lessons.  Pupils are aware of different forms of prejudice-based bullying which might occur relating to race, gender or religion. School records confirm that there are few instances but that these were dealt with effectively by the school.

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Safety

 Although attendance has improved over the last year to average, the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent remains just above the national average. School leaders have already reduced the number of persistently absent pupils considerably by working effectively with families and pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Relationships are excellent between pupils and adults across the school. Adults’ consistent and calm role- modelling of high-level personal and social skills relentlessly reaffirms the values of respect and tolerance which are prevalent throughout the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 As a result of the example set by staff, and the interesting work they set, pupils’ attitudes to learning are good and it is evident that they enjoy learning. Success builds their confidence and self-esteem so that pupils take pride in their work and want to do their best. Teachers set high expectations and regularly add extra challenges for different groups or individuals as lessons progress, so maximising the progress made in lessons. Homework is used well in all classes. This ranges from learning weekly spellings and multiplication tables to half termly projects which develop pupils’ research skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 High-quality teaching of letters and sounds (phonics), and a new and consistent approach, have resulted in a vast increase of the proportion of pupils reaching the expected level in the Year 1 national screening check; as a result, this now exceeds national figures. Pupils practise letters and sounds every day, including in their reading schemes and, as a result, pupils in all year groups are making good and sometimes outstanding progress in reading.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are developing confidence and great enjoyment in their work in mathematics. In response to the previous inspection, teachers have placed a very strong focus on problem-solving skills and many pupils speak about how much they enjoy mathematics, especially in Key Stage 2.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Work in science topic books shows the quality of teaching is more variable in this subject. There are some examples of very good science work with a clear focus on practical investigation, ensuring experiments and tests are fair and accurately recording data. One example was seen in Year 3 books, where pupils’ work on plants and the scientific processes of seed germination had been made enjoyable and interesting. However, this approach is not consistent across all years groups and, in some classes, pupils are given fewer opportunities to develop problem-solving skills and carry out investigations.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ books show teachers have put a good emphasis on the importance of accurate spelling and grammar, and this has had a marked impact in improving pupils’ attainment and progress in writing. Pupils in Key Stage 2 are writing at length, taking care and effort to first draft, and then improve, their work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school has excellent strategies to promote and engender a love of reading. The library is very well stocked with appealing books. There is a reading club for pupils who need extra practice every morning and trained lunchtime supervisors read with children for half an hour after lunch. This works well. Key Stage 1 story time assembly is a highlight of the week, looked forward to by staff and pupils alike. Teachers read aloud often to pupils in all classes and pupils demonstrate their enjoyment of books and poetry in their work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants make an important and valuable contribution to small groups of students, including disadvantaged pupils and disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. They work well with class teachers and competently lead some sessions on their own.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark pupils work very thoroughly and provide useful comments to help them to improve their work and do even better. There are plenty of examples of pupils responding to comments from teachers and complying with requests to finish work, rewrite or extend their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Progress is accelerating in Key Stage 1, particularly in reading. Sometimes there is an over-reliance on worksheets, particularly in mathematics. Although some pre-printed information allows pupils to quickly get on with their work and make sure it is recorded accurately, it sometimes leads to fewer opportunities for pupils to write and so limits progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, pupils made good progress in Year 6 to reach average standards in reading, writing and mathematics from mainly low starting points. A higher proportion of pupils than is found nationally made accelerated progress and achieved beyond expectations.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils in Year 2 did not reach national standards at the end of Key Stage 1 but nevertheless made good progress from their entry into Year 1. One reason for lower standards is that, in the past, progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage was not strong and the proportion of children who achieved a good level of development in 2013 was well below average. However, children made rapid progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage in 2014 so that an above-average proportion of pupils reached a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The proportion of pupils reaching the nationally expected level in phonics rose from well below average in 2013 to well above average in 2014 as a result of staff training and new, expert teaching.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 There is sometimes a difference in the achievement of girls and boys but there is no consistent pattern. In 2013, boys did better than girls in writing but, in 2014, girls did better.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils achieve well, not only in reaching the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics but also in their work across topics. The topic approach encourages pupils to follow their interest and find out more. For example, a project in science which began on forces and pulley systems led eventually to some excellent work on volcanoes, their causes and effects and the building of some high-quality models.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disadvantaged pupils in Key Stage 1 made the same progress as other pupils in 2014. In Key Stage 2, they lagged behind other pupils in the school by almost three terms in mathematics, two terms in reading and four terms in writing. Disadvantaged pupils lagged behind other pupils nationally to the same extent in mathematics and reading but by three terms in writing. The gap is narrowing over time in mathematics and reading. The gap in writing was wider in 2014 but, when compared with the performance of all pupils nationally, it reduced. Teachers and governors are working to close this gap still further as quickly as possible. Disadvantaged pupils’ progress is tracked in every year group and the school carefully checks their progress every half term.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make the same good progress as other pupils because they receive good support matched to their individual needs. The special needs coordinator keeps a detailed record of all small steps in progress, shared with parents, and all staff are very well informed about what strategies work best for each child.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ good writing skills are well illustrated in their work on Victorian London, Pompeii, Macbeth, ‘fear poems’ and ‘spooky stories’.

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The early years provision is good

 Children start in the Nursery (Foundation 1) with low skills, particularly in communication and language development. They settle quickly, enjoy the stimulating learning environment and make good progress. This good progress is built on in the Reception Year (Foundation 2), and records now show that, by the end of the year in 2014, the majority of children were prepared well for Year 1.  Adults have devised a comprehensive and effective system to check on the progress of all children so that each can be provided with the right level of challenge to make good progress.

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The early years provision is good

 Excellent relationships are seen throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage so that children develop confidence, behave well and develop a love of learning. Children are inspired by the many new experiences they enjoy. For example, Nursery children had been on a ‘bear hunt’ during the inspection and immediately wanted to do the hunt again to show the visitor how exciting it had been. Children want to talk about their memorable moments, such as the recent visit by someone who brought a snowy owl to show the children.

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The early years provision is good

 Good teaching promotes children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very effectively. Children work and play happily together.

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The early years provision is good

 Good planning ensures that children enjoy experiences across all aspects of learning. Classrooms are well equipped with resources to develop each of the areas of learning. However, although the outside area is used regularly, there are fewer opportunities for children to practice reading, writing and numeracy skills outdoors. The school is aware of this and leaders have appropriate plans in place to further develop the outdoor area.

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The early years provision is good

 Leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Children are safe and secure. Children know their ‘key worker’ and this is effective because each child is able to build a good relationship with a single adult. Parents appreciate this system because they know who to talk to if their child has a problem.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 122579 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 447716

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 389 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sarah Brand Headteacher Mark Eadon Date of previous school inspection 9 May 2013 Telephone number 01773 783909 Fax number 01773 783909 Email address office@hollyhill.notts.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 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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