Hollin Primary School

Inspection of Hollin Primary School Waverley Road, Middleton, Manchester M24 6JG

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 February 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

The school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 12 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 13 and 14 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this friendly and welcoming school. They are happy to be part of such a warm and caring community. Older pupils enjoy helping children in early years to settle in quickly and make new friends.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school encourages pupils to have the highest of aspirations for their achievement. Pupils strive to meet these expectations. They work hard and achieve well in most subjects. Pupils follow the school rules and behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), appreciate the exceptionally wide range of extra-curricular activities and events that the school provides. Pupils spoke with immense pride about representing the school in an impressive array of sporting events. These events include cross-country running and pickleball competitions, as well as rugby and table-tennis tournaments.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about fundamental British values, such as democracy and tolerance, in a variety of ways. For example, they vote for their classmates to become school councillors and digital leaders. Pupils also take part in events and activities to celebrate people from different cultures and communities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers who shared their views with inspectors spoke overwhelmingly positively about the school. They feel proud to be part of the ‘Hollin Family’.

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better?

Reading is at the centre of the school’s ambitious curriculum. Children in early years enjoy sharing books and singing nursery rhymes. They enthusiastically embark on the school’s phonics programme soon after they join the school. Skilled staff support struggling readers to keep up with the early reading programme. Pupils read books that are well matched to the sounds that they know with growing confidence.

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better?

Older pupils read with expression and clarity. They spoke enthusiastically about the high-quality texts and books that they learn about in their reading lessons. Pupils enjoy their roles as reading ambassadors.

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better?

The school has designed an engaging and rich curriculum that meets the needs of pupils, including those with SEND, well. Staff explain new learning to pupils clearly.

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better?

In most subjects, the school has carefully considered the most important knowledge that pupils will study. In these subjects, new learning is introduced to pupils in a logical order. Typically, teachers use assessment information successfully to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and to shape future learning.

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better?

In a few subjects, the school has not identified the most important content in the curriculum clearly enough. This means that, from time to time, teachers do not introduce pupils to new learning in a way that supports them to make links with 13 and 14 February 2024

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earlier knowledge. Added to this, some teachers do not use assessment information as well as they could in these curriculums. On occasion, this affects how well some pupils learn.

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Overall, pupils achieve well in most subjects. Nevertheless, some pupils’ attainment in writing is below that of other pupils nationally. However, current pupils’ work shows that gaps in writing are being rapidly addressed by the school.

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The school has ensured that the needs of pupils with SEND are quickly and accurately identified. Well-trained staff provide effective support for these pupils. As much as possible, pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum content as their peers. Pupils with SEND have many opportunities to play a highly active part in school life.

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Pupils enjoy their learning and they listen attentively. They are courteous and well mannered. Children in early years benefit from well-established routines. They respond positively to their teachers’ instructions.

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The school acts decisively to understand the reasons why some pupils do not attend school often enough. The school’s swift action ensures that these pupils and their families are well supported to improve their rates of attendance.

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The work that the school does to promote pupils’ personal development is exemplary. Pupils display an exceptionally strong understanding of how to keep themselves healthy, both physically and emotionally. For instance, they bask in the plentiful sporting achievements and accolades that they have gained while representing the school. Pupils also learn to play a range of musical instruments confidently.

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The school has an unwaveringly high ambition for pupils to learn how to be responsible and active citizens. For example, members of the choir regularly perform for elderly people in the local community. Some pupils work as children’s champions, where they work with pupils from other local schools to improve leisure activities in the locality.

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Governors share the school’s vision to make the school the best it can be. They support and challenge the school effectively. The school engages very well with staff. It makes sure that decisions taken to improve the quality of education that pupils receive do not impact negatively on staff’s well-being or workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 13 and 14 February 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the school has not identified the key knowledge that pupils should learn. On occasion, pupils’ learning in these subjects is less secure. The school should make sure that these subjects are further developed so that pupils can make deeper connections with earlier learning and remember more in the longer term.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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). 13 and 14 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 29 May 2012, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.  A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.  Some new governors have been appointed since the previous inspection, including the chair of governors.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other leaders in school. An inspector met with members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors. 13 and 14 February 2024

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 An inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science, geography and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in other subjects. They spoke to some pupils about their learning in these subjects and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector observed pupils from Years 1 to 3 reading to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: 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.

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 Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  Inspectors spoke with parents as they dropped their children off at school. They considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Louise McArdle, lead inspector Senior His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Donna Thorpe Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 February 2024

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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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