Hollinswood Primary School

Hollinswood Primary School and Nursery Dale Acre Way, Hollinswood, Telford, TF3 2EP

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 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

 This school is improving rapidly under the determined leadership of the headteacher.  Leaders and managers have taken effective action to steer the school through a period of significant staff and leadership changes since the last inspection.  Leaders have appointed skilful teachers and this is ensuring better teaching through the school.  The school’s leaders work effectively as a team and display a secure capacity to improve further.  Pupils enjoy school and share very supportive relationships with each other and staff.  Pupils behave well and their attendance is above average.  Teaching is good. This ensures that all groups of pupils make good progress.  Teachers’ assessments are used to identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind and carefully structured support programmes are put in place to move these pupils’ learning on. As a result, pupils’ achievement is good.  The school’s work in keeping pupils safe is good.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Governors keep themselves well informed about pupils’ progress and hold the school to account for the standards achieved.  Staff morale is high and very close links with parents further support the strong drive for improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There are too few opportunities for pupils to practise their extended writing skills across the curriculum.  Teachers do not fully develop pupils’ reasoning skills in mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 18 lessons and they were accompanied by the headteacher and deputy headteacher for eight of these. In addition, the inspectors listened to pupils reading and analysed a wide range of pupils’ workbooks.  Inspectors held meetings with staff, pupils, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 27 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors also spoke to parents informally during the inspection to gather their views.  Inspectors took account of the results of 25 questionnaires completed by staff.  Inspectors observed the school’s work, including arrangements for keeping pupils safe. They looked at a number of documents including: the school’s own information on pupils’ progress; the school’s evaluation of its own performance; records relating to attendance and behaviour and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Information about this inspection

 Records of checks on the quality of teaching were examined, along with records of visits to the school made by the local authority.  Inspectors considered the school’s primary sport funding action plan.  Inspectors also examined the school’s work in updating procedures for checking pupils’ progress within the new National Curriculum.

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Inspection team

David Evans, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The school became a primary school in September 2013 as a result of a merger between Hollinswood Junior and Hollinswood Infant and Nursery Schools.  The school has experienced very significant changes in staffing and leadership since the last inspection. New appointments have included new teaching staff, a new non-teaching deputy headteacher, early years, inclusion and middle leaders.  The large majority of pupils attending the school are of White British heritage. The remainder come from many different ethnic groups. Most pupils speak English as their first language.  The proportion of disabled pupils or those who have special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported through the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils currently known to be eligible for free school meals, those who have been eligible for free school

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Information about this school

meals at any time in the last six years and children in the care of the local authority) is above average.  Pupils attend on a part-time basis in the Nursery, and attend full-time from Reception onwards.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations 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?

 Further improve the quality of teaching by:  providing more opportunities for pupils to practise their extended writing skills across the curriculum  developing pupils’ mathematical reasoning skills.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher responded very positively to the issues raised at the last inspection and, as a result, leadership is now far more effective. The school has dealt successfully with the identified weaknesses and the pace of change has accelerated considerably. Swift and highly effective action has been taken to bring about strong improvements in all areas. The merger of the two schools has been successful, and staff work together well to improve teaching and to raise standards.

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The leadership and management are good

 The leadership team has been strengthened following the appointment of key middle leaders who check on the quality of teaching and the standards achieved rigorously. Senior leaders promote positive attitudes and strong values. The current leadership team is in a good position to secure further improvement and the self-evaluative culture leaders have created is promoting good teaching.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders at all levels know the school extremely well. They demonstrate a strong commitment for further improvement. The headteacher and leadership team have a very accurate picture of how well the school is doing and what needs to happen to improve it further. There is a clear emphasis within the school on carefully evaluating which interventions and initiatives will work best. An example of this is the enhanced investment in mathematics which has made mathematics more interesting and engaging.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders check teachers’ performance regularly and they are quick to provide support and training where it is needed. Significant improvements have been made to the quality of teaching which have accelerated pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers know the quality of teaching required and the rates of progress set for pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 There are effective systems for checking on pupils’ progress and, as a result, any pupil who is at risk of falling behind is quickly identified and appropriate support provided so that they can catch up. This information is used to set challenging targets for teachers and to advise governors about teachers’ pay awards. Senior leaders ensure that the best examples of teaching in school are being shared in order to improve teaching and pupils’ learning further.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school uses extra funding for disadvantaged pupils, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs to provide well-planned programmes in basic skills. The school is strongly committed to providing equality of opportunity, fostering good relationships and discouraging discrimination. Additional funding is used effectively to employ additional staff or purchase special resources, and its effectiveness is evident in disadvantaged pupils’ commitment to school and their good achievement. As a result, these pupils demonstrate increased confidence, motivation and good attendance.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s rich curriculum engages pupils’ interests well and pupils enjoy their learning. They speak enthusiastically of the topics they have studied and the visits they have been on. For example, they benefit greatly from the teaching of French, from the monthly emphasis on different languages and from the links that they have with a school in Kenya. The links with Kenya, for example, make an invaluable contribution to pupils’ academic and personal development.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school successfully develops pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. This fosters good relationships across the school. Activities in religious education help to develop pupils’ understanding of the beliefs and cultures of other people in the United Kingdom.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils have a good awareness of fundamental British values and attitudes of respect and tolerance. They are given first-hand experiences that promote British values well. For example, the school council is democratically elected, listens to the views of all pupils and works with staff to improve the learning environment for all. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education and life in modern democratic Britain.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has maintained its existing assessment system to provide detailed information about pupils’ progress. It has already reviewed potential new systems to secure a manageable approach to evaluating pupils’ progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The primary school sport funding is used effectively. As a result, the school is able to offer a wider range of sports, including athletics, football, tag rugby, cricket and multi-sports clubs. Pupils are able to take part in a greater number of sporting competitions and festivals. Effective professional development has been provided for teachers and the quality of teaching in physical education lessons has improved as a result.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided very effective support for the school since the previous inspection; for example, through guidance for governors, teachers and middle leaders. The local authority has confidence in the senior leaders’ ability to maintain the school’s good performance.

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The leadership and management are good

 Policies and procedures for the safeguarding of pupils are regularly reviewed by leaders and governors and fulfil all requirements. All staff and governors strictly adhere to these well-developed systems, ensuring that pupils are safe at all times, whether in school or out of school on visits or trips. Leaders make sure that all staff are vigilant in looking for any signs of extremist views or behaviour. Parents fully support the view that pupils are safe and well cared for.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governance is good. The governing body has been reconstituted recently and governors have carried out an audit of their skills. This revealed a wide range of expertise that is used to support the school well. They have reviewed their effectiveness thoroughly.  Governors are aware of the quality of teaching and of the comparisons to be made between their school and other similar schools. Governors have a clear grasp of information on pupils’ progress and how it is being used to set targets. Governors ensure that the management of teachers’ pay is effective and that teachers are suitably rewarded. The governing body is also rigorous in following procedures if teachers do not meet performance targets.  Governors review the school’s finances to ensure that the budget is managed effectively. They check to ensure that grants, such as the pupil premium and the additional funding for sport, are used well and

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The leadership and management are good

they measure the impact on pupils’ outcomes.  A designated governor carries out regular health and safety checks of the school building and grounds.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Most pupils show enthusiasm for learning . They participate well in lessons and want to do their best.

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Behaviour

 Very positive relationships exist between adults and pupils. Pupils are always polite and respectful. Older pupils pride themselves on being good role models for younger children.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are involved in discussions about the school’s behaviour policy and were able to explain the systems clearly to inspectors. They know what is expected of them and strive to achieve this.

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Behaviour

 Pupils show respect, courtesy and have good manners. They are very welcoming to visitors. They enjoy taking on different types of leadership roles such as being representatives of the school council.

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Behaviour

 There is effective provision in place to support the most vulnerable pupils and the very small number who find managing their own behaviour difficult.

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Behaviour

 Around the school and in the playground, pupils behave well. Incidents of inappropriate behaviour are extremely rare and these are dealt with swiftly.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. There are rigorous systems for checking on the suitability of all adults coming into school. Many detailed checks are carried out. Risk assessments are thorough and pupils are very aware of how to keep themselves safe.

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Safety

 Pupils say that they feel very safe in school and the vast majority of their parents agree. Pupils are extremely confident in being able to share problems with an adult if necessary.

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Safety

 Staff training about how to keep pupils safe is up to date. All risk assessments are in place and undertaken regularly to ensure that pupils are kept safe.

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Safety

 Pupils’ respect for others from different backgrounds, cultures or religions is good. The school is a happy and harmonious place as a result.

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Safety

 Pupils have extremely good knowledge of different forms of bullying. For instance, they are well aware of the possibilities of using the internet for bullying and know how to minimise these risks to themselves. They are also confident in their views that other forms of abuse, such as racist or homophobic language, are unacceptable.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved rapidly. This is because of effective action by senior leaders to improve teaching practices and raise expectations of what is acceptable. As a result, pupils’ progress is improving quickly.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use their subject knowledge well and confidently teach lessons that engage, motivate and interest pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers promote pupils’ speaking and listening skills very well. They use challenging questioning very skilfully to ensure that pupils have understood what is being taught. This also helps teachers to make accurate assessments of pupils’ attainment and to develop pupils’ thinking skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of early reading skills to younger children has improved and is now good. Pupils are making faster progress in developing their phonic skills (letters and sounds). They read frequently and are able to choose what they read.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Staff actively encourage pupils to share their ideas and to explain their thinking. Teachers value pupils’ responses and this significantly advances pupils’ learning and progress. In Year 6, for example, pupils’ considered responses to the teacher’s searching questions extended their knowledge and understanding of mathematical problems well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants make an invaluable contribution to the quality of teaching and learning. They liaise closely with teachers and provide a good level of support for small groups and individual pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good relationships are a strong feature of all lessons. Pupils work well together and listen attentively to adults. There is very little time wasted and no learning time is lost through inappropriate behaviour.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of reading is good. Pupils have extremely positive attitudes to reading and are keen to read. They do this with confidence and fluency. When appropriate, pupils use a range of methods to work out the meaning of unfamiliar words. They have access to a wide range of reading materials in classrooms and in the library.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Writing skills are improving well, but pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise and extend their writing in subjects other than English.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers provide clear advice when marking pupils’ books about what they have done well and how they can improve. These comments are linked to the pupils’ learning targets and success criteria. Teachers expect pupils to respond to their comments and check that they have done so. This contributes to the good progress that pupils make. A comparison of pupils’ books over time shows that marking has improved greatly since the last inspection.  Disadvantaged pupils, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive good support. These pupils are given carefully planned tasks that are designed to meet their specific learning needs. Teachers monitor pupils’ progress carefully so that they know what is working well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of mathematics has improved markedly and teachers are skilled at showing pupils how they should approach their work. For example, pupils are taught how to break down the stages of a problem and this contributes to good progress in mathematics lessons. However, pupils do not always make the progress they should because they do not regularly use and apply their mathematical reasoning skills, especially in other subjects across the curriculum.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Strong leadership and significantly improved teaching have accelerated pupils’ progress. Previous gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding are being successfully closed so that pupils are making up for lost time caused by weaker teaching in the past. Consequently, the progress of pupils from their individual starting points is good overall.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Improved teaching of phonics is resulting in more children reaching the standards expected for their age. In the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2014, the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard was slightly above the national average. The school’s records show an increase in the proportion of pupils set to reach expected levels in 2015.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 At the end of Years 2 and 6 in 2014, pupils’ attainment was broadly in line with the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The school is working to address a legacy of underperformance which affects the work of pupils. The assessment of many older pupils’ work when they were in Key Stage 1 was not sufficiently robust. Standards are now rising across the school, with the most rapid improvements currently in reading and mathematics. Standards in reading are rising because of the better teaching of phonics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils also make good progress in writing. They make use of their well-developed speaking and listening skills to share ideas and their extensive vocabulary to write imaginatively and descriptively. They do not always have sufficient opportunities to extend their writing skills successfully in subjects across the curriculum.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school’s assessment records and the quality of work in pupils’ books show that pupils currently in Years 1 to 6 are making consistently good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Many pupils are exceeding this, particularly in reading and mathematics. Good-quality teaching is having a significant impact on achievement for all pupils throughout the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils are challenged appropriately and achieve to their potential. High-quality teaching has led to an increasing proportion of pupils, in every class, working at the higher levels, particularly in reading and mathematics. At the end of Year 6 in 2014, the proportion of pupils attaining Level 5 in reading and mathematics was higher than that found nationally. This was a notable improvement on the previous year.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress from their different starting points. This is because there are robust systems in place for identifying pupils’ particular learning needs quickly. Teachers and teaching assistants provide pupils with effective support and make sure that pupils have appropriate resources to help their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 was four and a half terms behind other pupils in the school in mathematics, around half a term behind in reading and two and a half terms behind in writing. Compared with other pupils nationally, disadvantaged pupils were two and half terms behind in mathematics, around half a term behind in reading and a term and a half behind in writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school is effectively closing the gap between disadvantaged pupils and others in the school. Inspection evidence shows that, in relation to their differing starting points, disadvantaged pupils now make good progress throughout the school. This is because they had their various needs addressed at an earlier stage this year and this has quickened their progress. This reflects improvements in pupils’ attainment throughout the school because of the successful work of staff to improve the quality of pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical skills.

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The early years provision is good

 Children’s starting points are largely below those typical for their age, particularly in speech and language, reading and writing. Children of all abilities make good progress overall in the Nursery and Reception, and progress is particularly rapid in their personal, social and emotional development. Achievement through the Nursery and Reception is good and, by the end of the Reception Year, most children have reached a good level of development across the areas of learning and are ready for Year 1.

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The early years provision is good

 Children behave extremely well. They are self-confident, care for each other and play and work co- operatively. They listen attentively when the teacher is explaining their work to them. They answer questions and talk confidently in teacher-led groups. They show pride in their work.

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The early years provision is good

 Teaching is good. All adults, including teaching assistants, encourage children to share their ideas and develop their speaking skills. Resources are used well by staff to plan activities that cover all the areas of learning. Children mix readily with each other, learn to share and follow routines successfully. This helps them to achieve well from their individual starting points.

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The early years provision is good

 Disabled children and those who have special educational needs are included fully. They enjoy talking and playing with other children, and are well supported. They make the same rate of progress as their peers.

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The early years provision is good

 Children’s development is meticulously assessed and monitored. Staff observe and check how well children are doing on a regular basis. Parents are kept closely informed about the progress their child is making through informal daily exchanges, regular meetings and well-documented shared records.

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The early years provision is good

 Leadership and management of the early years are good. The new staff team is building on previous success and strengthening further the curriculum. Facilities, both in and out of doors, are well maintained, and safeguarding arrangements are implemented highly effectively to keep pupils very safe. Staff maintain a happy, purposeful atmosphere where children grow in self-confidence and develop a love of learning together.

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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 123456 Local authority Telford and Wrekin Inspection number 462545

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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 370 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Thomas Headteacher Glenn Atkinson Date of previous school inspection 04 June 2013 Telephone number 01952 386920 Fax number Not applicable Email address a2200@telford.gov.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. 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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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