Hollingworth Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Hollingworth Primary School Market Street, Hollingworth, Hyde, Cheshire SK14 8LP

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Outcome

Hollingworth Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are proud to attend this warm and welcoming community school. They are happy and feel safe. Pupils learn in calm and orderly classrooms and enjoy active play times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils are familiar with the school rules and follow them well. Leaders expect pupils to behave well, and most do. Pupils move around the school sensibly. Leaders deal with any instances of bullying effectively. They know that adults are there to help them if they have any worries or concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils academically. Pupils live up to these expectations, and most are motivated to work hard. Leaders have improved the curriculum to help pupils know more and remember more. Most pupils, including children in the early years, achieve well across a range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils speak enthusiastically about the different clubs and opportunities available to them. These activities help to develop their interest and talents. They take their leadership roles seriously. For example, reading ambassadors enjoy promoting a love of reading for pleasure across the school. Older pupils are proud of their weekly newsletter, ‘Y6 Weekly’, which contains useful information for parents, carers and pupils.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders, governors and staff want all pupils, including those with SEND, to achieve to their best. They have designed a well-thought-out curriculum in many subjects. These curriculums build children’s knowledge from the early years as they progress through key stage 1 and beyond. Leaders have thought carefully about the essential knowledge and 13 and 14 March 2023

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key vocabulary that they want pupils to learn and the order in which this content should be taught.

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Some subject leaders make detailed checks on how well the curriculum is helping pupils know more and remember more. However, in few subjects, leaders are less knowledgeable about how the curriculum is making a difference to pupils’ achievement. This is because these subject leaders are in the early stages of gaining the expertise that they need to lead their subjects with confidence.

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In lessons, teachers explain new learning well. They routinely check on what pupils know and can remember. For the most part, pupils can recall prior learning confidently across a range of subjects, including mathematics and history. In classrooms, poor behaviour rarely disrupts learning.

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Staff teach early reading well. Children begin their reading journey as soon as they enter the early years. Staff take every opportunity to develop children’s language skills, both in Nursery and Reception. There is a real buzz of conversation in the early years as children learn and play.

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Pupils, including children in the early years, are familiar with the school’s phonics programme and respond to it well. Staff carefully match the books that pupils, including those with SEND, read to the letters, sounds and words they know. Those pupils who fall behind receive extra support to help them catch up quickly. Older pupils enjoy reading. They confidently talk about their favourite authors. Pupils read widely and have access to a well-stocked library. However, there are inconsistencies in the teaching of spelling, most notably in key stage 2. For some pupils, words that are misspelt, at times, go unchallenged by staff. This hinders pupils progress in writing across subjects.

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Pupils with SEND have their needs identified early. Curriculums are carefully adapted through additional support and resources. This ensures that, as far as possible, pupils with SEND learn alongside their friends in class.

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Leaders provide a varied range of opportunities for pupils’ wider development. Pupils think of others by raising money for charitable causes. They consider how their choices and actions impact on the environment. Pupils understand the importance of maintaining healthy relationships. Through the curriculum, they gain an appreciation of our diverse society. Leaders pay due regard to pupils’ mental health.

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Governance is effective. They challenge all aspects of the school’s work, including their efforts to improve the quality of education.

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Staff thoroughly enjoy working at the school. They appreciate the way their well-being is valued and considered by leaders.

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Most parents and carers hold the school in high regard, with a typical comment being, ‘The school is a credit to the community’. 13 and 14 March 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding at this school. Staff are well trained and alert to the subtle changes in a pupil’s demeanour that may indicate they need help and support. They are also aware of the potential safeguarding risks in the local area.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that pupils and families facing challenging circumstances receive the help and support they need. Safeguarding is woven through the curriculum. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in different situations. For example, they recognise the dangers of disclosing personal information or talking to strangers when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A few staff are very new to subject leadership and do not have the confidence or expertise to lead their areas of responsibility effectively. This means that they are less able to check how well the curriculum is being implemented or how well pupils are remembering their learning. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders are supported to lead their curriculum areas well.  There are inconsistencies in the teaching of spelling, which is most noticeable in key stage 2 and across different subjects. This mean that some pupils go through school with misconceptions in their spellings, which are not addressed. Leaders should ensure that the teaching of spelling is effective and that the recent staff training is having the desired impact.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually, this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged, the school to be good in November 2013. 13 and 14 March 2023

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 13 and 14 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268776 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, a new chair of governors has been appointed.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with governors, the headteacher and staff.  The inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, she discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, and spoke to teachers and with some pupils about their learning. 13 and 14 March 2023

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She also looked at a sample of pupils’ work. The inspector listened to pupils read with a familiar adult. She also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documentation, including that relating to safeguarding. She spoke to staff about safeguarding, their workload and well-being.  The inspector observed behaviour as pupils moved around the school, in class, the dinner hall and the outdoor play area.  The inspector considered the views expressed by parents in their responses to Ofsted’s parent questionnaire, Parent View. This included free-text comments. She also chatted to parents as they brought their children to school at the start of the school day.  The inspector took account of the responses to the Ofsted online survey for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Sheila Iwaskow, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 March 2023

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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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