Hollington Primary Academy

Inspection of Hollington Primary Academy Hollington Old Lane, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex TN38 9DS

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 19 and 20 July 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Too many pupils do not show respect for others at Hollington Primary Academy. Some pupils frequently disrupt the learning of others and remove themselves from lessons. Too often, they demonstrate violent and anti-social behaviours towards staff and their peers. Leaders do not deal with serious incidents effectively. Leaders do not have high enough expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Consequently, some pupils and staff do not feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Some pupils want to learn and look forward to lessons. They enjoy positive relationships with their teachers. For instance, children in the early years focus well on their lesson activities and explore their environment enthusiastically. Pupils in the younger year groups demonstrate positive behaviour by lining up sensibly for their lunch. However, a number of pupils in key stage 2 cooperate poorly and use abusive language towards others during social times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have some opportunities to explore what is important about their town. For instance, they take trips to Battle Abbey and the local seaside. Visits from the police and fire service enhance pupils’ understanding of personal safety. There are a small number of clubs on offer. However, many pupils do not take part in this provision.

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better?

Pupils study a broad range of subjects at this school. Leaders have ensured that the curriculum overall is well ordered and identifies key knowledge that pupils should learn, including in the early years. Leaders are ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to access the same curriculum as their peers. However, the continued poor behaviour of some pupils impacts others’ curriculum learning opportunities.

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better?

In most subjects, the curriculum is organised to help pupils build on their learning. For example, in history, pupils in Year 2 described with accuracy how changes in design made castles stronger and more secure over time. However, in some foundation subjects, such as design and technology, pupils’ work is less well developed. This is because leaders have recently implemented the curriculum and it is not yet fully embedded.

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better?

Pupils have regular opportunities to revisit their learning through ‘do now’ tasks. Teachers identify what pupils know and need to do next to get better. They change learning activities to ensure that there are no gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Pupils with SEND are supported to access the full curriculum by staff who know their needs well.

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better?

The school’s current approach to teaching reading is not effective. As a result, most of the weakest readers do not learn to read quickly and fluently. The phonics programme does not systematically allow pupils to practise their phonics knowledge. Staff are not expertly trained to ensure that the books pupils read are matched 19 and 20 July 2022

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appropriately to sounds that they have learned. In the early years, phonics learning does not sufficiently challenge and engage children, so they are not fully ready to move to the next stage. Leaders have acted slowly but are now addressing this by implementing a new phonics programme from September.

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Children in the early years enjoy learning in an interesting environment that promotes understanding of language and number. Children in Reception and Nursery benefit from high-quality conversations to develop their vocabulary. Children with SEND receive additional support through the high number of adults who work with them. Nevertheless, a small number of children in the early years demonstrate disruptive behaviour which affects the learning and well-being of others.

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Nearly a third of pupils do not attend school regularly. Leaders’ actions have not yet improved this. Too many pupils miss out on essential learning and enrichment experiences due to persistent absence.

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Leaders have recently put in place a new personal, social, health and education (PSHE) curriculum. Pupils learn about healthy relationships in an age-appropriate way. Pupil parliament members contribute to school life by producing a friendship and anti-bullying policy. Awareness of diversity and inclusion is promoted through the reading curriculum and assemblies. However, despite this, many pupils do not demonstrate respect and care for others.

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Pupils join each other to celebrate some events such as the Queen’s platinum jubilee. A limited number of clubs, such as dance and football, are on offer. However, additional funding has not been used to ensure that the most disadvantaged pupils have opportunities to take part in these.

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Members of the local governing body and trustees do not fully understand the weaknesses of the school. They have not engaged effectively with staff to know the extent and impact of poor pupil behaviour. Members of the local governing body and trustees are unaware of areas of inadequate safeguarding practice in the school. Senior leaders have invested in training to improve staff’s knowledge and teaching of the curriculum. However, they have not supported staff sufficiently to tackle ongoing anti-social behaviour in the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders’ actions have not protected all staff and pupils from the risk of physical harm and/or verbal abuse from some pupils. This means that pupils are at continued risk of potential harm.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding records about pupils at risk of harm are well kept. Staff receive regular safeguarding training and know how to identify and report concerns. Leaders work with outside agencies to ensure that the most vulnerable pupils and their families receive the help that they might need. However, safeguarding concerns about staff 19 and 20 July 2022

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are not always referred quickly enough to the local authority designated officer (LADO) by leaders.

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Although pupils know who to report concerns about their safety to, they do not all feel safe in school. Through the PSHE and computing curriculums, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe on- and offline.

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(Information for the school and appropriate

 Behaviour management strategies are not effective. This means that staff and pupils are at continued risk of physical and verbal abuse from other pupils. Leaders need to ensure that the behaviour policy is fit for purpose, and consistently applied by all, so that the school becomes a calm and orderly environment for everyone.  Some pupils do not attend school as much as they should. These pupils miss out on important learning and enrichment opportunities. Leaders need to review strategies to improve attendance of pupils, with a particular focus on those who are persistently absent and/or from disadvantaged backgrounds.  Leaders have not had sufficient capacity to address areas of weakness in the school. They have not done enough to improve the school. The trust needs to ensure that planned additions to the senior leadership and pastoral teams result in rapid improvement in the areas that they already know are not as strong as

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(Information for the school and appropriate

they could be.  Pupils in key stage 1 do not have sufficient opportunities to practise the phonics knowledge they have learned. This means that pupils do not get better at reading as quickly as they should. Leaders need to ensure that staff are well trained to embed the school’s new phonics programme swiftly.  Leaders have not ensured that the personal development programme is successful in developing pupils who show respect for others and the school environment. Leaders need to ensure that pupils’ personal development offer is improved so that pupils become responsible and respectful citizens who play an active role in the school and wider society.  Leaders do not make timely referrals to the LADO. This means that too often pupils remain at risk of potential harm. Leaders need to improve systems to safeguard pupils by ensuring that timely referrals are made to the LADO when there are concerns. Leaders must follow up referrals adequately so that pupils are

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection. 19 and 20 July 2022

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

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If you are the school and you are 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. 19 and 20 July 2022

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School details

Website www.hollingtonprimaryacademy.org.uk Date of previous inspection 27 April 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There is an on-site breakfast club which is run by the school.  There is Nursery provision at the school for children from the age of two.  The school currently uses one alternative provision within the trust for a small number of pupils.  The school is one of 15 schools which are part of the University of Brighton Academies Trust.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspection team completed deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, design and technology and history. To do this, they met with 19 and 20 July 2022

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subject leaders, had discussions with staff and pupils, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for improvement.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, a selection of subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  Inspectors spoke with a representative from the trust and the chair of the local governing body. The lead inspector also met with the executive director of school improvement and the school improvement adviser.  The inspection team reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising records and through discussions with staff and pupils.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were considered through discussions and a review of Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Zoë Harris, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Debbie Bennett Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 July 2022

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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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