Hollydale Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Hollydale Primary School Hollydale Road, Nunhead, London SE15 2AR

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Outcome

Hollydale Primary School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a graded (section 5) inspection now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, staff, parents and carers are very proud to be a part of the Hollydale family. There is a strong spirit of community here. Many parents describe the school as being like a second home, speaking highly of the commitment of school leaders.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high aspirations for pupils’ academic and personal development. They want pupils to enjoy their learning and to contribute actively to their community. For example, pupils take part in fundraising events each year and learn about the importance of ‘giving back’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a broad range of visits and additional activities. For example, everyone learns to play chess from Year 3 onwards. Pupils learn a variety of musical instruments, from piano and guitar to percussion and brass. They enjoy performing with the school’s band and singing in the choir.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils are kind to one another, respectful of staff and polite to visitors. They focus on their learning in lessons and enjoy their playtimes. They make good use of the space and wide range of activities outside. Pupils are safe here. When incidents of bullying occur, staff deal with them quickly and effectively.

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

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils, from Reception to Year 6. They have thought about the key knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember at each stage of their education and in each subject area. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and check that pupils understand ideas before moving on. 14 and 15 June 2023

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Leaders structure learning with care and precision. They ensure that pupils revisit and build up their knowledge over time. This prepares them well for the more complex ideas they learn later. For example, in mathematics, pupils secure their multiplication and division facts. They apply this knowledge when calculating the internal angles in different shapes.

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Reading is at the heart of the school’s work. Pupils learn to read with confidence and fluency. Leaders promote a love of reading from the moment children start school. Pupils listen intently as their teachers read to them from carefully chosen books each day. Staff follow a structured phonics programme to teach pupils to read from the beginning of Reception. Pupils have books that match the sounds they know. They take these home so that they can practise and learn to read them fluently. Pupils also choose books from the library to take home to read with their families. When pupils find learning to read difficult, they are identified quickly. These pupils receive extra support to help them catch up.

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Leaders have established helpful approaches for assessing what pupils know and remember. Teachers identify and address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge swiftly. This helps pupils to progress to deepen their understanding. Leaders identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) accurately. They make sure that teachers know how to support these pupils, by, for example, adapting tasks and activities. This helps pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers.

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Pupils consistently demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning. They are confident to contribute their ideas during class discussions and work respectfully alongside their peers. Pupils’ personal development is well considered. The curriculum is designed to help pupils understand important themes. For example, they learn how to stay healthy through competing in a range of sports and learning how to ride a bicycle safely.

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Staff enjoy working in the school. They say that leaders are approachable and speak highly of the consideration leaders show for their well-being. Leaders make sure that staff have the training they need to do their jobs effectively. The governing body is ambitious for pupils at the school. Its members know the school well and provide support and challenge to leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a culture of safeguarding. They prioritise staff training and fulfil their statutory duties thoroughly. All staff know to report any concerns they have, no matter how small. Leaders take seriously any concerns raised.

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Safeguarding

Staff work closely with external agencies so that pupils and their families receive the support they need. 14 and 15 June 2023

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Pupils feel safe in school and know that they can talk to a trusted adult if they feel worried or unsafe. They learn about online safety and positive relationships through a well-designed 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 February 2018.

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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. 14 and 15 June 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Co-chairs of governing body Chiz Nwaosu and Daniel Stern

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 February 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school operates a breakfast and after-school club.  The school uses Summerhouse, which is Southwark’s local authority behaviour support service and 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 her evaluation of the school.  The inspector held discussions with the headteacher and other senior leaders.  The inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and with a local authority representative.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, history and mathematics. For each deep dive, she spoke with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The curriculum in other subjects was also considered. 14 and 15 June 2023

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 To evaluate safeguarding, the inspector carried out a scrutiny of the school’s single central record of pre-employment checks and reviewed other documentation.  The inspector considered the views of pupils, parents and staff through discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Jo Franklin, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 June 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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