Holland Park Primary School

Inspection of Holland Park Primary School Holland Road, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex CO15 6NG

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Matthew Moseley. This school is part of SIGMA Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Lyn Wright, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sue Hammond. 19 and 20 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Holland Park. The staff create an environment for all pupils to feel safe. The relationships they build enable this to happen. Pupils know who to talk to if they have a concern. They know that the adults will help them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils look forward to learning and take pride in their work. This is because teachers encourage pupils to work hard and inspire them with interesting lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including children in the early years and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), show respect to each other around school, including in the playground. They enjoy the range of equipment that they can use. Pupils are polite and considerate of others. They hold doors open for their peers and visitors, showing they have learned to respect others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have opportunities for visits relating to their learning, such as to Colchester Zoo and the local fire station. They also have the chance to attend clubs to extend their interests and talents. This includes attending a rock school club, where pupils learn to play instruments, such as the electric guitar and the drums. Having these opportunities helps pupils to widen their horizons, which they appreciate.

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better?

The school has implemented a broad and balanced curriculum that is ambitious and well planned. It clearly identifies the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils need to learn. Teachers know what they are teaching and when. The school provides teachers with the training that they need to be confident in teaching the content of the curriculum.

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better?

Pupils start to learn to read as soon as they join the school. The staff who teach early reading are well trained and ensure that they teach the chosen reading scheme well. Reading lessons help pupils to learn, step by step, the sounds that letters make. Teachers frequently check how well pupils are learning to read. This means they can quickly identify and provide effective, additional support for pupils who need to catch up. Reading lessons continue into key stage 2. Older pupils enjoy the wide selection of books that teachers introduce them to. Pupils in key stage 2 continue to get the support they need to ensure that they are confident readers. This prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education.

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better?

Teachers have effective checks in place to assess how well pupils achieve in English, mathematics and science. They adapt their teaching to meet the needs of all pupils. However, in other subjects, such as geography or physical education (PE), teachers do not assess pupils’ understanding well enough. As a result, teachers do not adapt teaching in these subjects sufficiently well to meet the needs of some pupils. Therefore, gaps in pupils’ learning are not always addressed as well as they are in other areas of the curriculum. 19 and 20 March 2024

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Teachers present information clearly. They often recap on pupils’ previous learning, for example with targeted questioning. This helps pupils to build their knowledge step by step. Teachers make effective use of resources to make lessons interesting and to support pupils’ progress.

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In the early years, children take turns and listen carefully to each other and adults. They talk with increasing confidence. Children are engaged and excited about their learning. They sustain their concentration and build independence, which prepares them well for key stage 1.

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The school supports pupils with their behaviour needs well. Adults model the behaviour that they expect. In most classes, pupils focus on their learning and listen carefully to the teacher. However, in some classes there are instances of low-level disruption, which are not addressed quickly enough. This is because some staff do not follow the behaviour policy consistently.

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Pupils’ personal development is a real strength. There is a strong pastoral system in place, which supports pupils’ learning through the personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) curriculum. PSHE focuses on well-being, being safe and character development. Consequently, pupils learn about healthy relationships, staying safe online and understanding and respecting difference. The curriculum promotes pupils’ resilience and independence as they progress through the school.

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The trust supports and challenges leaders appropriately. All staff, including those in the early stages of their teaching career, feel well supported by leaders and the trust. They enjoy the opportunities for sharing ideas and continued professional development. Staff are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, teachers do not assess pupils’ learning well enough to enable them to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of pupils. As a result, some pupils, including pupils with SEND, do not make the progress that they are capable of. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment to adapt teaching and inform planning in all areas of the curriculum.  There are some instances where staff do not follow the school’s behaviour policy. This results in some pupils not being supported effectively to focus on their learning. When this happens, pupils are frustrated. Sometimes this causes pupils to fall behind in their learning. The school must ensure that all staff understand the high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and follow the school’s behaviour policy consistently. 19 and 20 March 2024

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How can I feed back my views?

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). 19 and 20 March 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the SIGMA Trust and became a member in October 2019.  Holland Park Primary School is a fresh-start school. The school converted to become an academy in October 2019. When its predecessor school, Holland Park Primary, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to require improvement overall.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The 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 education provision. 19 and 20 March 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection 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 of the school.  Inspectors met with a range of leaders, including senior leaders and the special educational needs coordinator.  The lead inspector met with two local board governors, one of whom is also a trustee.  The lead inspector met with the trust director of primary education.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, science and PE. Inspectors looked at a range of books from across all subjects, including religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders and the senior leadership team, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took into account the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which leaders had created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents and policies, including the school improvement plan and minutes of the local governing body minutes.  The inspectors considered the views of parents through responses to Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors gathered the views of pupils through the Ofsted pupil survey. Inspectors gathered the views of staff through Ofsted’s staff survey, as well as interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.  The lead inspector spoke to a representative from the alternative provision.

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Inspection team

Suzanne Thrower, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Bessie Owen His Majesty’s Inspector 19 and 20 March 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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