Hollins Grundy Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Hollins Grundy Primary School The Hags, Off Hollins Lane, Hollins, Bury, Lancashire BL9 8AY

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Outcome

Hollins Grundy Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told the inspector that they feel safe and happy at school. They know that staff care about them. If pupils are worried or concerned about anything, they are confident to talk to any adult. On the rare occasions when bullying occurs, leaders take effective action to deal with it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff expect pupils to achieve highly and behave well. Pupils respond positively to these high expectations. This ensures that the school is calm and that most pupils, and children in the early years, gain a strong body of knowledge across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a good appreciation of fundamental British values, including the rule of law and democratic principles. They enjoy sharing their views. Pupils produce thoughtful manifestos to support their applications for various leadership positions. They learn about cultural and religious diversity and they like to visit different places of worship.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are active citizens. They enjoy singing in the community and keeping the local area litter free. Pupils, and children in the early years, recently made bird boxes as gifts for residents in a local care home. Pupils visit different places of interest, including museums, an observatory and a bird sanctuary.

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

Leaders, governors and staff want pupils to be happy, healthy, respectful, confident and creative learners. In most subjects, leaders have carefully constructed a cohesive curriculum which identifies what pupils will learn and when this will happen. Leaders’ well- conceived curriculum engages pupils and supports their learning effectively.

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

In most subjects, teachers deliver the curriculum consistently well. This helps to ensure that pupils, and children in the reception class, build on what they already know and develop their understanding over time. 21 and 22 March 2023

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Teachers typically check how well pupils are learning the curriculum. Teachers address misconceptions and provide support when pupils are not learning securely. However, this is not the case in all subjects. In a few areas of the curriculum, teachers do not know how well pupils are learning the subject content. In addition, in a small number of subjects, some teachers do not make sure that all of the subject content is taught. This means that pupils’ understanding is not as secure as it should be.

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Leaders prioritise reading. Many opportunities are provided for pupils to develop their reading knowledge across the curriculum. Pupils enjoy reading biographies, poems and different types of fiction books. In the Reception class and in key stage 1, skilled teachers and teaching assistants ensure that the phonics programme is delivered well. Leaders make sure that the books that pupils read match the letters and sounds that they know. Most pupils read confidently and fluently. Pupils who were heard to read, did so clearly and with good comprehension. Pupils who find reading difficult, and require additional support, are developing their reading confidence well.

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Leaders identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly. When necessary, leaders work with different external specialists to make sure that pupils with SEND get the support that they need. In addition, teachers are careful to ensure that pupils with SEND receive the help necessary to enable them to learn alongside their peers in class. The careful attention that leaders pay to meeting the needs of pupils with SEND helps to make certain that pupils fully engage in learning and achieve well across the curriculum.

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Children in the early years become resilient and confident learners. Older pupils play their part in helping to ensure that the school is a calm and orderly environment. Pupils’ and children’s positive attitudes help to ensure that the orderliness of lessons is rarely disrupted.

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Leaders offer a rich range of extra-curricular activities and experiences. Pupils show that they are mature and responsible. For example, pupils enjoy demonstrating their leadership skills as anti-bullying ambassadors and school council members. As happy mind champions, they discuss mental health matters with their peers.

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Pupils develop their talents and interests in different ways. They often participate in school clubs, including Technola (computing) multi-skills, cricket and bench-ball clubs. Year 6 pupils enjoy an array of outdoor learning activities during their annual residential retreat. Pupils are conscientious and caring. They have raised funds for different disaster appeals and children’s charities. Pupils learn about the importance of healthy eating, regular exercise and healthy relationships.

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Staff enjoy working at the school. They believe that leaders are mindful of their well- being, workload and mental health. Governors know the school well. They understand which areas of the curriculum are working well and which are being developed further. Parents and carers are positive about the school. They told the inspector that their children are happy, safe and learning well. 21 and 22 March 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Governors and leaders ensure that comprehensive safeguarding policies and procedures are in place. They make certain that all staff are aware of their responsibilities to protect pupils from harm. Staff are familiar with the government’s latest guidance on keeping pupils safe in education. They record and report any concerns that they have about pupils promptly.

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Safeguarding

When necessary, leaders consult with external professionals to make sure that pupils get the support that they need. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe through different areas of the curriculum.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, checks on pupils’ learning are not as effective as they should be. As a result, in these subjects, staff do not have an accurate understanding of how well pupils are learning. Leaders should ensure that assessment procedures are in place so that staff know how well pupils are learning the content of the curriculum.  In a small number of subjects, some subject content is not covered. This hinders pupils’ progress and their ability to build on their existing knowledge and skills. Leaders should ensure that teachers deliver the full content of the curriculum.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2017. 21 and 22 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. 21 and 22 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256129 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 Darren Thomas-Stanley

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 and 4 October 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not make use of alternative provision.  A new chair of the governing body has been appointed since the previous inspection.

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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 his evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. He also held meetings with other leaders, including those responsible for SEND, attendance and pupils’ behaviour, welfare and personal development.  The inspector met with members of the governing body. He held a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives into these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke to some pupils about 21 and 22 March 2023

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their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also listened to pupils read.  The inspector met with pupils to discuss their learning in some other subjects. He spoke with staff about their workload and well-being.  The inspector met with parents and reviewed the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.  The inspector spoke to safeguarding leaders about the reporting and recording of any safeguarding incidents. He talked with pupils about their safety and welfare. The inspector examined a range of policies and documents. He also scrutinised safeguarding information, including the school’s safeguarding policy.

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Inspection team

Lenford White, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 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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