Houldsworth Valley Primary Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Houldsworth Valley Primary Academy Rowley Drive, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 0PU

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that the school's work may have improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The executive headteacher of this school is Lisa Tweed. This school is a member of the Unity Schools Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Dr Tim Coulson, and is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Chris Quinn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at this school. They love learning. Pupils treat each other and adults with kindness and courtesy. They look out for and help other pupils. Older pupils help younger pupils at playtime. If pupils are worried or find it hard to focus in lessons, caring staff provide them with the precise support they need. This helps pupils ‘believe, bounce, grow’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has very high expectations of how well all pupils can achieve. Pupils strive to meet these expectations. They work very hard in lessons. Because of the excellent quality of teaching, and the personalised support they receive, pupils achieve very well here. This includes the many pupils who join the school after the start of Reception.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils broaden their interests when they participate in an extensive range of ‘enrichment’ sessions each week. These range from gymnastics to origami and making podcasts. Pupils have many opportunities to develop their self-confidence and oracy. They contribute to important decisions in school, for instance, on rewards for positive behaviour. 21 and 22 January 2025

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Pupils learn how to look after their mental and physical well-being. They learn how to keep themselves safe when they learn about online safety, and the importance of personal space.

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

The school’s ambitious, broad curriculum is precisely designed to help pupils build and remember important knowledge over time. The school identifies what pupils need to learn, including the most important subject specific vocabulary pupils need to know. Teachers introduce new curriculum content clearly, rigorously checking that all pupils have grasped the intended learning curriculum. Pupils practice applying what they learn, discussing their ideas with partners, making predictions and solving complex problems. If pupils have gaps or errors in what they understand, teachers spot these quickly. They adjust the teaching, revisiting key points when necessary. This ensures that pupils’ learning is secure so that they can move onto new learning at an appropriate rate.

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

When pupils need additional support, staff break down key learning with real skill, both in lessons and in ‘keep up’ and ‘catch up’ sessions. Pupils receive clear feedback from teachers. They use this to improve their work. Consequently, pupils make excellent progress from their starting points.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get exceptional support, including in the Apex. The school swiftly and accurately identifies pupils’ needs. It ensures that the teaching they receive, and any additional help, precisely matches these needs. This ensures that all pupils successfully access the curriculum equally as well as their peers.

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

Pupils really enjoy reading here. They are fascinated to learn about other cultures through a range of texts from around the world. Children get a very solid foundation in reading. They learn phonics from the start of Reception, learning to blend sounds into words. ‘Struggling readers’ receive precise support that helps them become increasingly accurate and fluent. As pupils learn to read, they apply this knowledge to letter formation and then onto sentence writing. As pupils move through the school, they learn to express their ideas clearly and accurately. Pupils learn to write very effectively.

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

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They enjoy learning, playing, and taking part in events, such as dressing up as ancient Egyptians. As a result, they attend very well. Staff have very clear, well-understood, expectations for how pupils should conduct themselves. They are relentlessly positive in encouraging and recognising good behaviour. If pupils make mistakes, staff work with them to find ways to improve. Consequently, pupils’ behaviour is exemplary.

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

The school’s personal development programme fully equips pupils to be active citizens and positive role models. Pupils fully understand the importance of their own, and others’ rights. They learn about democracy and the importance of diversity. Pupils develop a strong sense of right and wrong. Pupils and staff form ‘solution circles’ to discuss ways of 21 and 22 January 2025

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further improving the work of the school. This means that pupils are very well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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The school works tirelessly, and with real impact, to ensure that every pupil succeeds academically and personally. The school is always looking for ways to move its practice forward. Governors and trustees rigorously check the work of the school, including that it fulfils its statutory duties.

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Staff are fully valued here. Staff turnover is very low. There are many opportunities for teachers to work together to develop their knowledge and leadership skills. For example, the knowledge gleaned from working with pupils with communication and interaction difficulties in the Apex hub helps develop the school’s support and the curriculum for pupils in the rest of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 on 6 and 7 November 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. 21 and 22 January 2025

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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 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Website www.houldsworthvalleyacademy.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 November 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school’s executive headteacher leads this school and two other schools.  The school has a specially resourced provision on-site called The Apex. This caters for pupils in key stage 2 with education, health and care plans (EHC plans) for communication and interaction needs.  The school offers before and after-school provision for pupils.  The school currently uses three unregistered alternative provisions for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 21 and 22 January 2025

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 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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher and other senior staff, including the special educational needs and/or disabilities co-ordinator.  The inspector spoke with the chief executive officer and director of primary education of the trust. He also spoke to members of the local governing body.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also looked at the work of the school to develop pupils’ knowledge of different faiths and cultures.  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

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interest first.  The inspector spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at break and lunch time.  The inspector considered the responses and free-text comments received during the inspection to Ofsted Parent View. He took account of responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys. The inspector also spoke to parents at the school gate.

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Inspection team

Steve Woodley, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

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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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