Holyport CofE Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Holyport C of E Primary School Stroud Farm Road, Holyport, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 2LP

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Outcome

Holyport C of E Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Amanda Featherstone. This school is part of the Oxford Diocesan Schools 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), Anne Dellar, and is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Kathy Winrow MBE.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in this tolerant, compassionate and inclusive environment. Their gifts and talents are specifically recognised and celebrated, reflecting the school’s strong ethos to focus on and nurture each individual pupil. Pupils work hard to live out the school’s values, such as friendship, trust and respect. The youngest children settle, follow consistent routines and make friends quickly. Pupils feel safe in school because they trust the adults who look after them. They can always find an adult to listen to them if they are worried or concerned. The school celebrates diversity, which was reflected on by one pupil, who said, ‘Everybody brings their own unique thing to school, and that is good for everyone.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard to reach the high expectations of behaviour and learning set by their teachers. This, together with their positive attitudes to learning, helps pupils of all abilities achieve. Parents and carers agree. One commented, ‘The school has a nurturing environment that allows any child to thrive.’ Pupils are happy at school, reflected in their above-average attendance. Right from the start in the Reception class, children are taught to behave well. This is clearly seen in the strong relationships that are apparent throughout the school. Instances of bullying are rare, but adults deal with it swiftly and effectively if it does happen. 8 and 9 October 2024

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

The school has high ambitions for its pupils, wanting them to achieve their best. The recently updated curriculum focuses on challenging pupils well. ‘Busy’ learning in Reception sees young children having ‘hands on’ experiences. This develops their vocabulary while they learn skills such as taking turns, and these experiences are effectively built on in subsequent year groups. Most subjects, including English and mathematics, are well embedded. Pupils are able to build on what they already know and understand. There are a few other subjects, such as history and geography, where this is not yet the case. The school recognises the importance of identifying the skills and knowledge pupils need to learn clearly in these areas. The school’s aim is that achievement in these subjects matches the high standards pupils reach in subjects like physical education and music.

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

The school has established a solid foundation for the learning of English and mathematics. Phonics is delivered skilfully and consistently across infant classes by well- trained teachers. As a result, reading is well taught. Pupils achieve higher-than-average scores in the Year 1 phonics screening check. Pupils who are struggling to read are quickly identified and given extra help so that they catch up. The school has a structured approach to developing pupils’ writing skills. Children in the early years practise their letter formation often and quickly move on to writing words.

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

Teachers plan interesting lessons to stimulate learning and capture pupils’ imaginations. Pupils enjoy lessons. They behave well because they want to learn. Teachers adapt tasks skilfully so that all pupils can access the learning and do their best. As a result, pupils of all abilities achieve well, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers regularly check on pupils’ understanding. They act swiftly if pupils need extra help. Teaching assistants, known as ‘helping hands’, provide pupils with emotional support during lessons. This ensures they access learning effectively and achieve. As a result, low-level disruption is rare and loss of learning time is minimised. This illustrates the school’s commitment to improving all pupils’ achievement.

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

The school is rightly proud of the extensive opportunities it provides for pupils’ personal development within the curriculum. Pupils appreciate their opportunities to learn and develop. They are proud of their school and the part they play in it. There are many leadership positions that pupils hold. Roles such as ‘religious education ambassadors’ and ‘healthy eating ambassadors’ enable pupils to develop their characters and social skills. Pupils want to give back to the school. Older pupils who are ‘primary young ambassadors’ act as role models to younger pupils. Pupils are tolerant, respectful and accepting. This helps prepare them for when they meet the challenges of secondary school.

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

The trust has worked effectively with the school’s governing body, offering good-quality support, especially around curriculum. Staff at all levels appreciate the training opportunities they have to develop their expertise. Staff trust school leaders. They feel consulted when changes are being made and supported in balancing their workload and well-being. Staff are particularly positive about the trust’s new appraisal process, ‘Growing Great People’. It is viewed as a commitment of investment by the school and trust. 8 and 9 October 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the knowledge and skills the school wants pupils to learn is not identified precisely enough. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. The school should ensure that the curriculum in these subjects sets out the sequence of learning clearly, including opportunities for pupils to practise what they have learned so that their achievement improves further.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2019.

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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. 8 and 9 October 2024

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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 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 30 April and 1 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Holyport Church of England Primary School Joined the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust in 2016.  Since the previous inspection, the school has reduced its capacity, becoming a one form entry school.  The school manages before- and after-school child care provision.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the lead inspector met with the headteacher, both assistant headteachers and the special educational needs coordinator. He met with the CEO and 8 and 9 October 2024

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deputy CEO and other leaders from the trust and a representative from the Oxford Diocese. He also met local governors, including the chair of the local governing body.  The inspector focused inspection activity on the following groups of subjects: early English and mathematics, and geography, history, art and design technology. For each group of subjects, the inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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.  Throughout the inspection, the lead inspector met with groups of staff. He also considered the opinions expressed through the staff survey. Responses to the pupils’

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survey were also taken into account.  The lead inspector took into account the responses from the parents’ survey expressed through Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Bill James, lead inspector 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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