Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Paul Husken Headteacher Holme Hall Primary School Taddington Road Chesterfield Derbyshire S40 4RL

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School

Following my visit to your school on 3 May 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave me and for the time you made available to discuss the actions you are taking to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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School

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in May 2016. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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School

Senior leaders and governors are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection in order to become a good school.

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School

The school should take further action to:

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School

 ensure that all statutory requirements for publishing information on the school’s website are met  regularly audit the school’s website to maintain current and up-to-date information for parents.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I held meetings with you, the other senior leader and the leader of the early years, members of the governing body, a group of pupils and a representative of the local authority. We conducted a tour of the school. I evaluated your arrangements for safeguarding and the plans for improvement, and I considered documentation relating to your checks on the quality of teaching. I reviewed the school’s provision for the early years, including the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. I observed pupils learning in all classes and looked at a range of pupils’ work. I scrutinised minutes of meetings of the governing body.

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Context

Since the last inspection, one new teacher has been appointed to teach children in the Reception class and a temporary teacher has been reassigned to teach pupils in Year 3. A senior leader has moved classes to teach pupils in Year 1 but is currently on maternity leave, so the governing body has appointed a temporary teacher in her absence. Members of the governing body have changed and a new chair of the governing body has recently been appointed.

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Main findings

Your determination to improve the quality of teaching and learning throughout the school is clear. You have successfully used a combination of external support, peer coaching and checks on teachers’ assessment of pupils’ work to tackle areas in need of development.

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Main findings

You have taken swift action to improve the quality of teaching and learning in Year 1 and the Reception Year. Staff changes and the appointment of a new teacher for the Reception class have been effective. Children in the early years now benefit from better provision. Specific training and specialist support have ensured that teaching, learning and assessment for children in the Reception class are rapidly improving. The teacher and teaching assistant work closely together to provide interesting experiences and challenges for children. You have developed the role of the leader of the early years so that she works closely with the Reception class teacher to track children’s progress carefully and plan effectively their next steps in learning.

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Main findings

You have taken appropriate actions to ensure that pupils who did not previously achieve a good level of development in the Reception Year are well supported in Year 1 and Year 2. This has been achieved by more effective use of bespoke interventions to support pupils. You have brought about improvements in teaching, learning and assessment. Pupils’ work is increasingly well matched to their abilities and pupils are now given opportunities for challenge and to extend their learning.

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Main findings

You have secured improvements in the leadership of the early years by enabling the leader and teacher of the early years to review outdoor provision and take swift action to improve it. The environment is safe and activities are carefully planned. Children have more opportunities to extend their learning experiences in different areas of learning, including reading, writing and mathematics. You have wisely appointed a middle leader for the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education. A comprehensive plan is now in place and the leader closely checks on how effectively it is used. There are now detailed links to the curriculum in each subject and specific days are themed to make topics explicit and memorable for pupils. The involvement of governors and consultation with pupils have ensured that these initiatives are sustainable into the future. You have shrewdly targeted money awarded from grants to enhance and enrich the

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Main findings

environment for pupils’ spiritual development and pupils appreciate this.

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Main findings

You are closely evaluating the impact of additional government funding for disadvantaged pupils and the governing body ensures that its use is precisely monitored and reported on the school’s website. You have also evaluated the impact of the primary physical education and sport premium funding but have not yet formulated this into a report for publication on the school’s website that demonstrates the effectiveness of its use.

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Main findings

Information for parents on the school’s website does not always provide them with what they need, is sometimes out of date and does not meet the government’s current requirements. You acknowledge that the school’s website is an area for development and have already begun work to ensure that the required statutory elements are fully in place.

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External support

Since the last section 5 inspection, the local authority has provided support to the school through direct training for staff and governors. As a result of this support, teachers and middle leaders have refined their skills in checking that their assessment of pupils’ attainment is accurate. Targeted support for adults working in the early years through a lead practitioner from another school has meant that teaching, learning and assessment have improved in the early years. Governors have benefited from specific ongoing training to improve their understanding of the school, including interpreting assessment data relating to the school’s performance.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Derbyshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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