Holgate Primary and Nursery School

Inspection of Holgate Primary and Nursery School High Leys Road, Hucknall, Nottinghamshire NG15 6EZ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 8–9 October 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They know that their teachers expect them to behave well and work hard. Pupils told us they can talk to any adult if they have a worry. They say that if any bullying does happen, teachers deal with it fairly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the trips and events that staff organise, such as going to the theatre or visiting a farm. They attend clubs and take part in performances with the choir or drama club.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils said that mathematics was their favourite subject. They also enjoy physical education (PE) lessons and are proud of their improving skills. In some subjects, pupils do not get enough opportunities to build on what they already know. Some pupils are slow to develop the skills that help them become fluent readers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides many opportunities for parents and carers to involve themselves with their child’s learning. One parent commented: ‘They provide a lot of parental involvement, such as reading mornings and attending forest school.’

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better?

The school has improved since the last inspection. Leaders have clear plans for further improvement. Some subjects, such as mathematics and PE, are taught well. Other subjects, including history, geography and science, are not planned well enough. It is not clear how lessons link together to help pupils know more and remember important facts. Pupils are sometimes not sure which subject they are learning. They do not always remember the important information. Older pupils’ skills and knowledge have improved in English and mathematics. In other subjects, not all pupils do as well as they should.

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better?

The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) and reading is well organised. Teachers ensure that all groups of pupils are learning in the same way. However, some pupils start key stage 2 still needing to catch up. These pupils need support to use the sounds they know when they read new words.

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better?

Leaders and governors are ambitious for pupils to do well so that they are ready for their next school and for adult life. They make sure that pupils are taught about healthy lifestyles and the skills they need to keep trying when things get difficult.

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better?

Staff have worked hard to improve pupils’ attendance. It is much better than it was. However, some pupils still do not attend often enough. The school is working with these families to reduce pupils’ absences.

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better?

Leaders have high expectations for behaviour. Staff say that behaviour is much better than it used to be. Pupils have good attitudes to their learning. They behave well in lessons and are keen to take part in activities. Disruption in lessons is rare. 8–9 October 2019

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Leaders place pupils’ personal development at the centre of learning. Pupils learn about values such as democracy, tolerance and respect. They find out about different beliefs and cultures. There is a new programme of learning for pupils’ personal, social, health and relationships education. Pupils discuss issues that they may meet at some time in their lives. For example, they learn about managing money.

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Teachers provide extra support for pupils who find their work hard. Pupils who need more help with their reading have extra phonics lessons to help them catch up. The curriculum is adapted for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils also have extra support in lessons to help them complete the work teachers set them.

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Plans for what children will learn in the early years are clearer than in the rest of the school. Teachers provide activities that help children make links across all areas of their learning. Children in the Reception class were keen to tell me what they had been learning about in their forest school lesson. They showed me a large fungus but told me that I must not eat it because ‘you’ll get poorly’.

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Teachers receive the training they need to carry out their responsibilities. Staff support each other and feel valued as part of the team. They work well with colleagues from their partner school to share ideas. Staff said that leaders consider their workload and well-being.

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Governors give strong support to school leaders. They visit the school regularly and check on its work. Governors have attended training to help them carry out their roles. They understand their duties around safeguarding and equalities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding leaders and all staff are well trained. They know how to spot signs of neglect and abuse. They know the pupils well and are quick to notice signs that there may be a problem. Leaders respond to any concerns quickly and thoroughly. They record all concerns comprehensively and store this information securely. Leaders work well with other agencies so that pupils get the support they need to keep them safe and well.

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Safeguarding

Senior leaders carry out all the necessary checks on adults before they begin to work or volunteer at the school. 8–9 October 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The plans for many of the foundation subjects are not coherently sequenced. They do not provide enough detail to help teachers know what pupils need to learn and when. Leaders should ensure that plans clearly set out how pupils will build on key knowledge and skills each year.  A significant proportion of pupils begin key stage 2 not able to read fluently, relative to their age. Pupils’ reading books are not always fully accessible to them. On occasion, books contain words that pupils cannot read. Leaders should ensure that the teaching of early reading enables pupils to read fluently. This will enable them to be ready for the next stage of their education, including when they move into key stage 2.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 8–9 October 2019

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Inspection number 10110052 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body James Biddlestone

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School details

Headteacher Nicola Davies (Executive headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9–10 May 2017

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Information about this school

 The head of school took up her substantive role in September 2019.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the executive headteacher and the head of school. Inspectors also met with leaders who have responsibility for phonics, mathematics, English, history, pupils with SEND, and the early years. Inspectors met with a number of teachers, four members of the governing body, including the chair, and a representative of the local authority.  During the inspection, inspectors carried out deep dives into early reading, mathematics, writing and PE. These included visits to lessons, talking with pupils and teachers, and reviewing pupils’ books in each subject. Inspectors also reviewed books that contained work from a range of subjects and visited lessons for science, art and design technology.  When inspecting safeguarding, inspectors met with the designated safeguarding leaders and the attendance officer. A range of documentation relating to safeguarding was scrutinised. 8–9 October 2019

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 The inspection team reviewed a range of documentation, including curriculum plans, the school improvement plan and records on attendance and behaviour.

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Inspection team

Jane Salt, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Kate Nash Ofsted Inspector 8–9 October 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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