Holbeton Primary School

Inspection of Holbeton Primary School The Square, Holbeton, Plymouth, Devon PL8 1LT

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 November 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 17 and 18 November 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Holbeton Primary School are happy, safe and enjoy learning. Pupils learn about the world around them through doing experiments at the beach and creating art in the forest. Pupils’ physical and emotional health is prioritised by staff. For example, pupils are enthused by cross country running and gymnastics. Children in the early years foundation stage walk through the village, splash in puddles and clamber up the bank to the forest with enormous enthusiasm.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in early years flourish. Nursery and Reception children learn the routines of school exceptionally well. Pupils are kind, polite and helpful to each other. Pupils state that bullying is not an issue at the school. Relationships between pupils and staff are very positive. Pupils feel well supported. Consequently, pupils’ attendance is strong.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very well prepared for life in the wider world. They learn about democracy through voting for the school council. Year 6 pupils are given many responsibilities to support younger pupils, such as being house captains. Pupils and parents care deeply about their school. One pupil’s view echoed that of others, ‘I love my school. I love my life.’

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better?

The headteacher’s vision and enthusiasm for the academic, social and emotional success of all pupils is shared by staff. Their commitment to ensuring that every pupil receives a good education is valued highly by parents. Leaders develop pupils’ love and understanding of the natural world and life in a community very well. Pupils, including children in early years, develop a strong connection to the world around them. For example, they learn about the importance of protecting the sea through the ‘beach school’. Through the curriculum, pupils learn to be informed, caring citizens.

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better?

Reading is a priority across the school. From Nursery to key stage 2, pupils learn to read well. Leaders have established a well-planned early reading programme. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive support that enables them to prosper. Children in the early years are highly enthused about reading. Through expert teaching, they learn how sounds correspond to letters. Pupils love reading. They particularly love listening to their teachers read at the end of the day.

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better?

Leaders and staff have worked hard to develop the curriculum. In many subjects, pupils review prior learning to help them learn new concepts. For example, teachers ensure that pupils have secure knowledge in geography and mathematics before learning new topics. Through well-structured talk, staff enable pupils to extend and enrich their thinking. For example, Year 5 and Year 6 pupils were observed reflecting on the definition of a politician in response to a text they had read. However, the 17 and 18 November 2022

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curriculum in some subjects is not as well designed. Although pupils read confidently, they do not develop their writing knowledge as well. Pupils do not always consider their language choices when writing for specific audiences, purposes and text types.

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Leaders have embedded effective strategies for pupils with SEND. Staff use the information about pupils’ additional needs to inform how they teach the curriculum. As a result, pupils with SEND receive effective support that enables them to learn with success and confidence.

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Nursery and Reception children learn an exceptional curriculum. They are highly enthused by learning in all areas of the curriculum. Through well-planned activities, children develop very strong imaginative interpretations of the world. Children are immersed in a breadth of stories, which further extends the ways in which children’s language is developed and extended. Through a language-rich curriculum, children learn how to describe the world they live in extremely well. For example, children can accurately identify the leaves and seeds of sycamore, oak and beech trees. Children learn to be confident learners, curious about the world around them. For instance, children were observed discussing in detail the life cycle of a caterpillar on a garden wall.

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Leaders have used the nearby forest to create excellent learning opportunities for pupils. They learn about the flora and fauna of the forest, cooking skills and physical agility. Pupils are enthused about their learning in the forest school.

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The trust enables school leaders to share strategies and resources with other local schools. The role of governance has also been strengthened, to challenge school leaders more effectively. However, it is too early to judge the full impact of this work. Staff are unanimously positive. They are proud to work at the school. Early career teachers receive strong support.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established clear systems with which to safeguard pupils. Leaders ensure that the physical and emotional safety of all pupils is prioritised. Staff receive training, alongside regular, pertinent updates to ensure that they can identify when a pupil is at risk. Staff record any concerns in a timely manner, so that pupils and families receive the help required. The single central record of checks on staff is diligently maintained.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding. Leaders are vigilant about the physical and emotional safety of pupils. Trustees check the effectiveness of the school’s safeguarding arrangements, including safer recruitment procedures.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe through the curriculum. They learn about online safety and the importance of keeping physically healthy. 17 and 18 November 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some areas of the curriculum are not as coherently structured as others. As a result, pupils do not learn some areas of the curriculum as effectively as others. Leaders must ensure that all subjects in the curriculum are consistently well structured, enabling pupils to develop complex knowledge incrementally.

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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. 17 and 18 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10260394 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Westcountry Schools Trust. The school converted to an academy in 2018.  The school has a Nursery.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher and members of the leadership team.  Inspectors held discussions with the director of education and assistant director of education from the trust. 17 and 18 November 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, early reading, mathematics and geography. In each subject, inspectors met with senior and curriculum leaders, talked to pupils, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and looked at pupils’ books.  An inspector listened to pupils from Years 1 and 2 read to an adult.  An inspector met with the special educational needs coordinator to consider the quality of education for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors reviewed behaviour in lessons and around the school.  Inspectors met with staff to consider their views.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding records, including the single central record of recruitment checks on staff.  Inspectors considered the views of parents who responded to the confidential questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View. They evaluated the views of staff and pupils from Ofsted’s online questionnaires for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Susan Aykin, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Mark Lees Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 November 2022

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