Holywell Primary School

Inspection of Holywell Primary School Berkeley Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3SJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Ed Petrie. This school is a single-academy trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Rob Seager.

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 11 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. 17 and 18 April 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to school because they feel safe and happy. They know the staff will care for them and help them learn. Staff model the kindness and respect they expect the pupils to show. Pupils respond by being kind, caring and wonderfully inclusive of each other. They show the utmost respect towards each other and adults. Their behaviour is exemplary.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between staff and pupils are very positive. One parent, reflecting the views of many said: ‘The school is a wonderful community of support, filled with staff who have real acceptance, compassion and care.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of all pupils. The staff are passionate that the school’s values drive everything they do. Their determination to ensure that pupils develop a life-long love of learning is evident throughout the school. Pupils are supported to become confident and resilient learners. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported by expert staff who carefully include them in the school community. Pupils are encouraged to make the most of the personal development opportunities available to them. They enjoy the many activities, clubs and events that help to develop their interests and talents.

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better?

The school provides pupils with a rich variety of experiences through a ‘cultural capital journey’ for each year group. Pupils discuss and debate important issues with great skill, and have won debating competitions. They work on charitable projects and contribute strongly to both the school and local communities. All of this carefully planned activity develops wonderfully well-rounded pupils who are very well equipped for their next steps in education. The school’s values of inclusion and respect are owned and practised by all pupils. They benefit from carefully planned lessons and discussions about different faiths, beliefs and cultures. These experiences prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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better?

Pupils carefully follow the school’s simple and effective rules. They look after each other well. They are extremely polite and go ‘above and beyond’ to welcome visitors and those who are new to the school.

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better?

The school is ambitious for all pupils. Staff know individual pupils well. They are quick to identify any pupils who may be struggling. The school has effective systems in place to identify and assess pupils with SEND. Staff receive effective support and regular training to ensure that they can meet the needs of all pupils and help pupils access the full curriculum.

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better?

There is a secure and ambitious curriculum in place for most subjects. In the subjects that are well developed, there is careful thought given to what important knowledge and skills pupils need to learn and when. For example, in computing, pupils develop their understanding of programming through regular practice and 17 and 18 April 2024

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apply previously learned knowledge to complete more complicated tasks. However, in some subjects, pupils are not always given work that helps them develop the important knowledge they need to achieve the ambitious aims of the curriculum. In these subjects, pupils do not always remember the main thing that they should have learned. Children in the early years are well cared for and nurtured as they develop new learning skills. However, at times, activities do not always help children develop the skills and knowledge as teachers intend.

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Teachers recap previous learning at the start of lessons and use questions to check that pupils understand what they are learning. This helps teachers to identify what pupils know and what they still need to learn. Teachers use their good subject knowledge to present information clearly and engage pupils in interesting learning activities. Pupils work hard, with increasing independence, to complete the tasks teachers give them. As a result, in most subjects, pupils are remembering more and growing in confidence as learners.

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Reading is a priority. Younger pupils have daily phonics lessons taught by well- trained staff. This helps pupils to become accurate and fluent readers quickly. The school promotes a love of reading. Pupils read regularly and enthusiastically with support from volunteers, ‘mystery readers’ and from each other as older pupils read with younger ones.

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The school is very well led. All staff are passionate about continually improving the school. Governors understand their role and carry out their duties effectively. Staff say that they feel valued and cared for and that their workload is carefully considered throughout the year. They are happy and 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 subjects, and in the early years provision, the ambitious intent of the curriculum is not always matched by purposeful learning opportunities that fully develop the intended knowledge and skills the school has identified. Pupils do not always develop and demonstrate their knowledge and skills in these areas. Pupils do not always remember the main thing that they should have learned. The school needs to ensure that in the early years provision, and in all subjects, pupils are provided with clear and ambitious learning activities that help them develop the precisely identified knowledge and skills they need to be successful in these curriculums. 17 and 18 April 2024

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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). 17 and 18 April 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 April 2013

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Information about this school

 Holywell Primary School Trust operates Holywell Primary School as a single- academy trust.  There have been significant changes to the senior leadership of the school since the last inspection.  The school does not use any 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.  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 held various meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the curriculum leader and the special educational needs coordinator. The lead 17 and 18 April 2024

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inspector also met with a group of trustees, which included the chair.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into reading, mathematics, science, computing and religious education. Inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered two other foundation subjects, geography and history. They discussed the curriculum with leaders and looked at pupils’ work.  The lead inspector looked at pupils’ education, health and care plans and other pupils’ individual education plans, as well as discussing the provision for selected individuals when considering the support for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors considered a wide variety of school documents, including the school’s self-evaluation document and development plans.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single

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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 took note of the responses received on Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and considered the results of the staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors met with pupils to gather their views.

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Inspection team

Dave Gilkerson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ceri Hathaway Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 April 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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