Holsworthy Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Holsworthy Church of England Primary School Sanders Lane, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 6HD

p.1

Inspection dates: 15 and 16 November 2023

p.1

Outcome

Holsworthy Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They are happy and feel safe. Pupils treat each other and adults with respect. This is a result of the school’s focus on building positive relationships. Pupils behave well. Their conduct reflects the school’s value of kindness.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning. The school is committed to helping pupils become respectful and responsible citizens of the future. Pupils learn about the lives of others outside of their immediate community. Visiting speakers teach pupils about first-hand experiences, such as the Windrush generation.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know what it means to stay safe, both online and in the community. Pupils are confident that if they have any worries, they know there are trusted adults with whom they can speak.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the wider experiences the school provides for them. The ethos group leads worship at the local church. The school choir has the opportunity to sing at Exeter Cathedral. These experiences help pupils to build confidence.

p.1

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

The school has high expectations for pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It has strengthened the curriculum in the light of published outcomes in key stage 1. A well-sequenced reading curriculum starts in Nursery and progresses through to Year 6. Pupils learn to love books from the time they start school. The school ensures that all staff know how to teach phonics systematically. Children who are at risk of falling behind in phonics receive appropriate support. However, sometimes, adults do not model language effectively. When this occurs, pupils do not develop their vocabulary as securely as they could.

p.1

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

The curriculum is well planned, and pupils’ learning builds progressively. The school has ensured that staff are trained well to deliver the curriculum. This is particularly evident in 15 and 16 November 2023

p.1

2

recent improvements to the teaching of mathematics. Pupils enjoy learning mathematics, and they relish the opportunity to complete mathematical challenges. In the wider curriculum, the school has set out the essential knowledge and skills it wants pupils to know and remember. Pupils learn from a rich curriculum, building their knowledge of the wider world. They talk confidently about what they have learned, for example historic civilisations such as Ancient Sumer and Ancient Greece. However, sometimes, activities do not match the intention of the curriculum. They do not always help pupils to follow the curriculum as well as they could.

p.2

2

Pupils with SEND are well supported. The school is proud of the close relationships it has with families. They work together to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. As a result, pupils with SEND are supported from an early stage. For example, teachers skilfully adapt teaching or provide appropriate support to ensure that pupils with SEND follow the curriculum well.

p.2

2

Children in the early years are keen to learn. Children respond well to engaging activities that reflect their interests. The curriculum is well structured so that children build knowledge well. This ensures they are ready to move on to the next stage of their education.

p.2

2

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They engage well in lessons. Pupils are patient and listen while others share their ideas.

p.2

2

The school provides a range of educational opportunities beyond the formal curriculum that support pupils’ personal development. Pupils use the ‘Wild Tribe’ area to learn skills such as fire lighting and to develop confidence and resilience. Pupils appreciate the ‘Time to Flourish’, which provides the opportunity to celebrate their achievements with their friends.

p.2

2

Governors understand the school’s strengths and areas for development. They provide school leaders with appropriate challenge. Governors check the impact of any decisions taken by the school on staff well-being. As a result, staff feel supported by governors and the school.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Learning activities do not always enable pupils to follow the curriculum as effectively as they could. This results in some pupils not fully developing the knowledge and skills intended. The school needs to ensure that the design of tasks consistently matches the intention of the curriculum and enables all pupils to achieve the ambition of the curriculum. 15 and 16 November 2023

p.2

3

 When reading with pupils, staff do not always model language effectively. As a result, pupils do not develop their vocabulary as well as they could. The school should ensure that all staff have the knowledge and skills needed to support children’s language development.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2018.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 15 and 16 November 2023

p.3

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.4

School details

Website www.holsworthy-primary.devon.sch.uk

p.4

School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 June 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.4

Information about this school

 Holsworthy Church of England School is a voluntary controlled school with a Christian character. The last Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools was in June 2019.  The school does not use alternative provision.

p.4

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first. 15 and 16 November 2023

p.4

5

 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with teachers, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  The inspector gathered parents’ views by considering the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and by talking to parents before school. The inspector also evaluated responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

p.5

Inspection team

James Gentile, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 15 and 16 November 2023

p.5

6

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.

p.6

6

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

6

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

6

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

6

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6