Holly Hill Primary and Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Holly Hill Primary and Nursery School School Road, Off Portland Road, Selston, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG16 6AW

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 November 2023

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Outcome

Holly Hill Primary and Nursery School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and thriving school. Pupils say that care and respect are the school’s most important values. They know these values are central to everyone following, ‘The Holly Hill Way’. Pupils demonstrate these values in their sensible behaviour and considerate manner. They work well together in lessons to support each other’s learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is passionate about diversity and inclusion for all pupils. It works hard to ensure that the curriculum reflects this ethos and uses assemblies to remind pupils why these things matter. The school provides books for pupils to read that promote equality. As one pupil put it, ‘Everyone is welcome here.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Almost all parents and carers are positive about the school. They value the school’s inclusive approach. Some parents highlight the school’s caring ‘family feel’. They appreciate how the school goes above and beyond to give pupils the support they need. Parents value the celebrations that staff plan for big events and how they recognise pupils’ successes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy opportunities to develop academically and personally. As a result, they flourish as individuals and as part of the school community. Pupils like taking part in wider opportunities that are provided beyond their taught lessons.

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

Holly Hill Primary and Nursery School has ambitious aims for its pupils through its curriculum. The school works hard to ensure that all subjects prepare the way for the pupils’ next stage of education. Pupils show good attitudes because planned learning is interesting and challenging. They take pride in presentation. They like the wide range of subjects they study and enjoy learning new vocabulary.

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

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils start learning letter sounds as soon as they begin school. They develop their reading fluency from expert staff, who teach them 21 and 22 November 2023

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well. Pupils who need more help benefit from extra practise. This means they can catch up. Teachers often read stories aloud to pupils from a choice of high-quality books. They make sure that the books they share with pupils tell stories from different cultures. Teachers encourage pupils to read a variety of books written by different authors.

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The school is tenacious in ensuring that pupils, including children in the early years, remember new knowledge. Staff use effective strategies to break this knowledge down into small steps to help this. They check that pupils can say new knowledge out loud. This helps pupils remember more. In a small number of lessons, staff don’t give pupils enough opportunities to do this well. This means that pupils do not always remember what they have been taught.

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The school has the same ambition for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), as it does for all pupils. It adapts the curriculum so that these pupils achieve as well as they can. Staff support pupils with SEND effectively. They provide extra help so that these pupils can revisit key knowledge. This means that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum as their peers.

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The school is working hard to improve pupils’ attendance. Staff check on any pupil who does not attend school every day. They keep very close records of any groups of pupils who miss too much school. They send letters to parents to remind them about good attendance. Staff’s hard work is beginning to improve how often some pupils come to school.

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There is a large range of enrichment activities for pupils to engage with. Parents and pupils value these. Pupils can take part in sports, cookery and art clubs. There has been a large rise in the number of pupils who want to sing in the choir. This is, in part, due to their love of the exciting music curriculum. The school council collects pupils’ views about school life. They engage with the local community, for example, by writing to local residents at Christmas. Pupils learn about different cultures and beliefs. They talk with confidence about why equality matters.

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Leaders keep staff well-being high on the agenda. They listen to staff’s views and work hard to reduce workload. Staff value the school’s positive working environment. They are a supportive team.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 21 and 22 November 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not always ensure that teachers use effective teaching strategies to help pupils rehearse their new knowledge orally. This means that pupils, including children in the early years, sometimes struggle to recall the important information they need to remember. The school should make sure that staff choose suitable strategies to help pupils recall what they have learned.

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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 2014.

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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’ 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). 21 and 22 November 2023

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website https://hollyhillnotts.secure-primarysite.net/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been some changes to the governing body since the previous inspection. The current chair of governors has been in post since June 2023.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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.  The inspector met with the headteacher, senior leaders and teachers in the school. She also met with members of the governing body.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and 21 and 22 November 2023

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looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also discussed the curriculum for science and religious education and looked at a range of books in other subjects.  The inspector met with leaders responsible for the provision for pupils with SEND, behaviour, pupil premium, sports premium, attendance and pupils’ personal development.  The inspector considered the views of staff, pupils and parents through responses to Ofsted’s online surveys and spoke with parents at the school gate.  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. The inspector also considered the views of parents.

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Inspection team

Donna Moulds, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 November 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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