Holt House Infant School

Inspection of Holt House Infant School Bannerdale Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S7 2EW

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 October 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding 18 and 19 October 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming and highly inclusive school. The wide-ranging extra-curricular activities include swimming, learning French or yoga. All pupils are encouraged to participate in after-school clubs. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils understand why adults have high expectations of them to work hard and behave well. Pupils play harmoniously at breaktimes and lunchtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish their roles and responsibilities. The school councillors develop their leadership qualities. All pupils fundraise for a range of charities. Many pupils access a healthy start to the day in breakfast club. Relationships between adults and pupils are extremely positive. Diversity of people and cultures is woven through the curriculum, including through stories.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They say that there is always a trusted adult to talk to if they have a concern. Pupils learn how to recognise different types of bullying. They say that bullying does not happen, but that if it did staff would act swiftly to resolve it. Adults support pupils with friendship issues. Pupils know when to try to sort things out when they disagree with friends and when to seek adults’ help.

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better?

Senior leaders are determined that all pupils will access a high quality of education and extra-curricular opportunities. This includes pupils with SEND. Since September, leaders have made further adjustments to their established curriculum. Leaders check on how well these are being implemented. These refinements have not been in place long enough to measure the impact on outcomes for pupils.

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better?

Early reading is a strength of the school. Teachers and teaching assistants are knowledgeable and consistent when they deliver phonics. Pupils’ reading books match the letters and sounds they have learned in class. This helps pupils in the earliest stages of reading to be confident readers. Pupils learn new vocabulary through high-quality stories.

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better?

Children in early years learn in a number-rich environment. Children use mathematical vocabulary to count, describe shapes and measure real-life objects. In key stage 1, pupils apply their mathematical knowledge to investigate, reason and solve mathematical problems.

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better?

In geography, pupils recall key facts, for example the names of the world’s five oceans and seven continents. Pupils compare the United Kingdom in relation to the world, the equator and countries with hot and cold climates. Leaders bring learning ‘alive’ through educational visits across the curriculum.

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better?

The curriculum for art and design builds across each year, from early years to Year 2. Children learn about primary colours, then secondary colours and finally tertiary 18 and 19 October 2022

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colours through colour mixing and exploration. Teachers adjust the resources to meet pupils’ needs. For example, pupils with fine motor difficulties have specific brushes enabling them to colour mix and paint.

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Children benefit from positive relationships and well-established routines in early years. Adults organise the learning activities carefully in the pre-school outdoor learning environment. Adults ask incisive questions to maximise children’s learning. In Reception outdoor space, the quality of activities is not as well developed. There are fewer opportunities for adults to check what children know and to decide how to move their learning forward.

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Pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers. Teachers adapt lessons for these pupils through resources, breaking the learning into smaller steps, or through additional adult support. Pupils with SEND achieve in line with other pupils. Most parents of pupils with SEND who shared their views are appreciative of the support their children receive.

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The curriculum to promote pupils’ personal development is exceptional. Leaders promote important values, such as democracy, rule of law, tolerance and mutual respect. Leaders at all levels ensure that extensive enrichment opportunities are an integral part of developing the ‘whole child’. Pupils learn in an age-appropriate way to recognise healthy and unhealthy relationships. Adults support pupils to learn how to recognise and manage their feelings and their behaviour. This contributes to pupils being prepared to transfer from Reception to key stage 1 and from Year 2 to the junior school.

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Leaders have strong links with the partner junior school. Leaders share their expertise and best practice by working together. Governors are committed to their roles and have accessed a wide range of governor training. They understand the importance of a high-quality curriculum and of being inclusive to all pupils. Governors know the school’s strengths, but they are overly positive in their evaluation of how well the school is performing. They know the precise areas for improvement but do not check these sufficiently to assure themselves of how well leaders’ actions are making a difference.

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Staff in a variety of roles say that they feel valued and developed professionally. Teachers say that they are trusted to take risks and innovate in ways that are right for the pupils. They say that leaders do not create unnecessary workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and the deputy DSLs have extensive and regular training. They ensure that staff have a wide range of training relating to safeguarding. This helps staff to recognise any safeguarding concerns, including any issues which may be relevant in the local area. They are knowledgeable about how to protect pupils from radicalisation, harmful sexual behaviour or exploitation. 18 and 19 October 2022

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The deputy DSL works closely with families to provide the right support at the right time. Parents appreciate this support and say that it makes a positive difference to their child’s welfare.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The outdoor learning environment for pupils in Reception is not as well developed as the outdoor area for pre-school children. As a result, there are limited opportunities for staff to intervene, encourage and direct children when they are learning outdoors in Reception. Leaders should further develop the Reception outdoor learning environment so that children’s development is not restricted.  Governors are overly positive about how well the school is performing. This means that governors do not check sufficiently on how effective leaders’ actions are in making a difference to school improvement. Governors should ensure that they accurately evaluate the performance of the school and its pupils, to assure themselves of the effectiveness of leaders’ actions on school improvement.

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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.

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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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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. 18 and 19 October 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 February 2009

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Information about this school

 Leaders have set up a pre-school provision since the last inspection. This is for pupils aged three and four years old.  The school provides a breakfast club, which is open to all pupils.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the DSL and the deputy DSL, the special educational needs coordinator, the early years leader and subject curriculum leaders. Inspectors also met with a representative on behalf of the local authority and the members and chairperson of the governing body. 18 and 19 October 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, art and design and geography. This included visiting lessons, looking at pupils’ work with leaders, examining curriculum documents, listening to pupils read to a familiar adult and talking with pupils and staff. The inspectors also looked at work from a sample of other curriculum subjects. Inspectors considered information on the school’s website.  Inspectors discussed with leaders, governors, pupils and staff how pupils are safeguarded. Inspectors looked at documents, policies and records related to safeguarding. This included the single central record to check pre-employment checks on staff.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils formally and informally. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes.  The inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, and Ofsted’s pupil survey and staff survey.

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Inspection team

Alison Aitchison, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Dave Barber Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 October 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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