Holyoakes Field First School

Inspection of Holyoakes Field First School Cookridge Close, Redditch, Worcestershire B97 6HF

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

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The headteacher of this school is Tasnim Koser. This school is part of the Bordesley Multi- Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Adrian Ward, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Deborah Andrews. 8 and 9 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

A culture of nurture and care permeates all areas of everyday life at Holyoakes Field First School. Staff have the highest expectations for every child and want them to have the best possible start to education. Children flourish and do well. This includes disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is strong. They love their school and attend regularly. Pupils are a delight to speak to. They are friendly, welcoming and proud of their school. Lessons are calm, orderly and generally free from disruption. The warm, purposeful and positive relationships between staff and pupils are a joy to observe. Pupils say that their teachers are the best thing about their school. Staff care about pupils and help them to learn. Pupils are confident that their teachers will deal swiftly with any issues if they ever happen.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff pay careful attention to pupils’ well-being. Adults are nurturing and kind. The school’s motto of ‘Empowering young minds to become great minds’ underpins the offer to promote pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn about different cultures and beliefs, as well as personal and online safety. They say that everyone is welcome at their school, regardless of their background. Pupils are very well prepared for their next steps.

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

The school sets ambitious goals for every pupil. The main tool for achieving these goals is the school’s curriculum. It outlines the knowledge and skills pupils should learn over time, including in the early years. Learning builds in a logical order. This helps pupils to achieve well. However, in a small number of subjects, this work is not yet well developed. Some subject leaders do not yet have the required skills and expertise to improve their curriculums effectively. Where this happens, the precise knowledge pupils should learn, and in what order, is not identified as clearly as it could be. As a result, pupils do not learn as well as they could in these subjects.

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

The reading curriculum has been strengthened since the last inspection and is now effective. Strong and consistent teaching of phonics ensures that pupils become fluent readers. Pupils enjoy reading and do so daily. Staff quickly spot any pupils who need extra support. Effective help and interventions ensure that these pupils catch up quickly. In addition, there is a strong reading culture across the school. Pupils love reading and many now read at a level appropriate for their age.

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

Pupils with SEND are supported effectively. They receive targeted help at every stage. This includes in their lessons and in individual intervention sessions. Staff are highly skilled at identifying pupils’ educational needs, and leaders ensure pupils get the help they need quickly. All of this means that pupils with SEND overcome their learning barriers, flourish and achieve well.

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

Staff, including additional adults, have strong subject knowledge. Staff provide pupils with engaging learning tasks that deepen their knowledge. Teachers check effectively what 8 and 9 October 2024

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pupils learn and understand. Staff skilfully adapt their teaching to address any misconceptions. Pupils, including those with SEND, receive work that is well matched to their learning needs. Consequently, pupils achieve well.

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The early years provision is excellent. Staff work highly effectively to help children settle quickly and begin learning as soon as possible. Strong care and nurture ensure that children swiftly learn the routines and expected behaviours of daily school life. Adults model language and speech very skilfully. Children are safe and happy. They love learning in the engaging classrooms and outside spaces. The curriculum is highly effective in ensuring that children are very well prepared for Year 1.

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Pupils behave well. They conduct themselves in line with the high behaviour expectations that all understand. Strong relationships between adults and pupils effectively underpin this work. Where pupils need help, the school acts swiftly and fairly. Because of this, the school is a calm and orderly environment.

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The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development is strong. This work includes trips, residentials, visits and after-school activities which pupils keenly attend. The curriculum to support this work is effective. Pupils talk knowledgeably about values such as respect, tolerance and kindness. As a result, pupils are very well prepared for their next steps in life and education.

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The trust and governors have a strong understanding of the school’s strengths and what needs to improve. Since the last inspection, together with the trust, school leaders have addressed the identified areas for improvement. Staff speak highly of the support they receive, including for their well-being and workload. They are proud to work here.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum in a few subjects does not always clearly identify the precise knowledge and skills that pupils should know. As a result, in these subjects, staff are not always clear about the most important knowledge pupils need to be taught and in what order. The school should ensure that staff members have a clear understanding of the precise key knowledge and skills pupils are expected to learn in all subjects.  Some subject leaders are learning how to discharge their role successfully. This means that they do not yet have a clear oversight of the impact of the curriculums in their areas of responsibility. The school should ensure that all subject leaders develop their knowledge and understanding so they can fulfil their roles effectively. 8 and 9 October 2024

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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). 8 and 9 October 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 24 and 25 October 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school is a larger-than-average-size first school. It is part of the Bordesley Multi- Academy Trust.  There is a daily wraparound-care club at the school which is run by an external organisation.  The school does not currently 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. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 8 and 9 October 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the assistant headteachers and other senior leaders. The lead inspector held a meeting with some local governors, including the chair and vice-chair of governors. Meetings were held with representatives from the trust, including the CEO and deputy CEO. Inspectors met with curriculum leaders, early career teachers and the special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, music, history and science. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors visited the early years

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for each of the deep dives.  An inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour and interactions during lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They also spoke to many pupils during the inspection.  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 spoke to parents at the school gate to gain their views about the school.  Inspectors took account of the parent free-text comments and the responses on Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also considered the responses to the pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Bianka Zemke, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Maggie Spence Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 October 2024

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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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