Holme Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Holme Primary School North Road, Holme, Carnforth, Lancashire LA6 1QA

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Outcome

Holme Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, and their parents and carers, are proud to be part of this welcoming school community. Staff offer strong support, which pupils value. This helps pupils to feel happy and listened to by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including children in the early years, relish coming to school each day. The school’s motto of ‘happy children succeed’ underpins everything that they do. Pupils know that staff are conscious of their well-being. For example, staff support pupils to develop an understanding of how to look after their mental and physical health.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has ambitious expectations for pupils’ achievement and behaviour. Pupils work hard and they enjoy discovering new knowledge in lessons. Pupils take pleasure in learning, and they are curious to know more. Pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is noteworthy. They treat each other with respect. Pupils have a strong understanding of the differences between people. This includes an awareness of cultures and lifestyles different to their own.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils described the wide range of opportunities available to them beyond the academic curriculum. For example, pupils take part in regular visits linked to what they are learning. Pupils readily take on a wide range of responsibilities to help prepare for the next stage in their education and development, for instance, by representing the school in sports or as part of the school council.

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

The school has taken an ambitious approach to the design of the curriculum. It has thought carefully about the organisation of the knowledge in the curriculum from the early years to Year 6. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), experience a wide range of learning opportunities which meet their needs well. 21 February 2024

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Teachers are highly knowledgeable about the subjects that they teach. In the main, they deliver the curriculum successfully. However, occasionally, in a few subjects, teachers do not choose activities that best support pupils to learn the knowledge in the curriculum. This hinders some pupils from learning as deeply as they could.

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The school has thorough processes to quickly identify the additional needs of any pupils who may have SEND. Teachers are suitably equipped to provide any early support needed by pupils and to make any necessary adaptions to the delivery of the curriculum. The school has clear systems in place to provide external support for pupils with SEND when needed. Pupils with SEND learn well alongside their peers.

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The school prioritises pupils learning to read. The curriculum in the Nursery Year starts with children learning sounds and rhythms through songs and games. This creates a strong foundation for children in readiness for learning phonics in the Reception Year. Staff throughout the early years and key stage 1 deliver the phonics programme consistently well. The school assesses pupils’ phonics knowledge systematically. This ensures that teachers can quickly address any gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge. As a result, most pupils learn to read confidently and fluently.

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The school has ensured that there are clear systems in place to maintain high standards of behaviour. Pupils’ conduct reflects these high standards. They help to regulate each other to ensure that their actions are appropriate. The school’s attendance systems are equally effective. Most pupils attend school regularly.

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The school places a strong emphasis on pupils’ wider development. Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. Teachers consult pupils about the activities that they would most enjoy. Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, including the miniatures club and a variety of sports. They make effective use of all that the school has to offer.

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There have been considerable changes to this school since the last inspection. This has included the appointment of a new headteacher and changes to staffing. The school has reviewed policy and practice to support the workload and well-being of staff. Added to this, the school has ensured that staff have received a wide range of appropriate training to support them to fulfil their roles effectively.

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Governors are highly skilled. They have a secure understanding of the strengths of the school and the priorities for improvement. This helps governors to challenge and support the school in equal measure.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 21 February 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, from time to time, the activities that teachers select do not support pupils to learn the knowledge defined in the curriculum sufficiently well. This means that, on occasion, some pupils do not learn as deeply as they could. The school should ensure that, in these subjects, teachers are fully equipped to design learning that supports pupils to develop a rich body of subject knowledge.

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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 remain 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 February 2015.

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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 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher and chair of governors have both been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  The school runs before- and after-school childcare, including for nursery children.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s educational provision.  This was the first routine inspection that the school 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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, subject leaders and staff. The lead inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair of governing body. 21 February 2024

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read 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.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in a range of situations, including in corridors, at breaktimes, at lunchtimes and during lessons. Inspectors also spoke to pupils about behaviour and bullying.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation

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document, leaders’ improvement plans, minutes of governing body meetings and records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their programme of wider personal development.  Inspectors considered the responses from parents to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text comments. Inspectors also spoke to parents.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey. Inspectors also spoke with staff about the school’s support for their workload and well-being.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey. They also spoke to a range of pupils during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Elaine Mawson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Cleo Cunningham Ofsted Inspector 21 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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