Holbrook Primary School

Inspection of Holbrook Primary School Gateside Road, Coventry, West Midlands CV6 6FR

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 25 and 26 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Holbrook Primary school is a welcoming, inclusive school at the heart of the diverse community it serves. The school creates a nurturing environment where pupils are encouraged to ‘work together to be the BEST’. Pupils live up to these high expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A broad curriculum prepares pupils well for life in Coventry and beyond. A range of enrichment opportunities deepen pupils’ understanding of themselves, each other and the world. This includes, for example, whole school theatre trips and extensive pupil leadership roles. After school clubs, such as weaving and ‘surprise club’, help pupils to develop new interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships in the school are rooted in mutual respect. The school ensures that every pupil feels valued and supported. Pupils say that everyone in the ‘Holbrook family’ is treated fairly and equally. ‘Language ambassadors’ help new pupils to settle quickly. Members of the school council have a voice in school improvement, for example by making positive changes to lunchtimes and fundraising for a ‘buddy bench’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from strong pastoral support and appreciate strategies, such as, the ‘worry monster’ and pupil mental health ambassadors. Skilled learning mentors provide personalised support for pupils. As a result, pupils behave well, feel safe and show kindness towards one another.

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

Inspirational new leadership has meant that swift and decisive actions are bringing about necessary school improvement. In subjects where published outcomes are below the national average, the school is taking effective action to strengthen the curriculum and how it is delivered. This means that the current standard of education is not reflected in the school’s published outcomes in 2024.

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

Recent curriculum changes have ensured that the most important things for pupils to learn are clearly identified. This starts in the early years where a careful sequence of learning is based on children’s interests and on developing oracy, confidence and curiosity.

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

Across the curriculum, changes are having a positive impact. For example, in mathematics, learning is structured so that pupils can revisit and build upon what they have learned before. Similarly, in geography and science, pupils remember what they have learned previously and link it to new content. The school has recently introduced strategies to check pupils’ understanding and address any misconceptions they may have. However, the written work in pupils’ books is not always of a high quality. Sometimes, writing activities do not ensure that pupils extend their writing skills across other subjects of the curriculum.

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

Pupils begin learning to read as soon as they start in the early years. Skilful staff ensure that pupils learn letters and the sounds they make. Pupils confidently read books matched 25 and 26 February 2025

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to the sounds they know. Regular checks mean that the school can quickly identify those at risk of falling behind. The school ensures that effective extra help is put in place. Those who join the school at different times, including pupils who speak English as an additional language, are swiftly assessed and receive the support they need to learn to read.

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The school quickly, and accurately, identifies when pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Effective support and adaptations are put in place, where needed. This means that pupils with SEND can access the same learning as their friends. Pupils with more complex needs receive skilful, tailored support to succeed.

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Historically, some pupils have not attended school as regularly as they should. The school has worked closely with parents and carers to identify and overcome potential barriers. This relentless work is improving many pupils’ attendance and punctuality.

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Pupils behave well and value their education. Children who join the Nursery and Reception years, and pupils who are new to other year groups, quickly learn the school’s routines and expectations. As a result, no learning time is lost and pupils relish discovering new things. Pupils are polite; they hold doors, take turns and are kind to one another. Through the curriculum, assemblies and other opportunities, pupils learn about, and celebrate, difference and diversity.

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Pupils deepen their learning across the curriculum, develop character, resilience and an understanding of life in modern Britain through trips and educational visits. Furthermore, leadership roles in school help pupils to learn about democracy and that they can, and do, make a difference. The ‘Holbrook Passport’ has been carefully planned to provide pupils with valuable skills and memories. For example, all pupils get to have a picnic, paddle in the sea and make a meal for £2.

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There is a strong, shared determination for all pupils to ‘be the BEST’. Leaders at all levels have a clear vision for the pupils and the school. Staff value the recent changes and training. Leaders consult effectively with staff and well-being is carefully considered.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are too few high-quality opportunities for pupils to develop their writing across the curriculum. As a result, some pupils do not always produce writing which reflects and extends their writing ability well enough, and which demonstrates their depth of subject knowledge. The school should ensure that there are regular opportunities for 25 and 26 February 2025

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pupils to practise, extend, and develop their writing across the whole curriculum so that all pupils consistently develop their writing ability.

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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 and 12 February 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The headteacher joined the school in June 2024.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school provides on-site before-school care.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 25 and 26 February 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors spoke with the headteacher, deputy headteachers, the special educational needs coordinator and other leaders in school. The lead inspector met with the chair of the board of governors and other representatives from the governing body. The lead inspector also spoke on the telephone with a representative from Coventry local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics,

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history, geography and science. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also discussed the curriculum and looked at pupils’ work in some other subjects.

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Inspection team

Rachel Henrick, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Vanessa Payne Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 February 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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