Holmleigh Primary School

Inspection of Holmleigh Primary School Dunsmure Road, London N16 5PU

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 January 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 Outstanding

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since March 2015. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 28 and 29 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and well nurtured here. They treat others with respect and celebrate the vibrant diversity of the school, for example through ‘International Day’ festivities. Pupils know they have ‘trusted adults’ who swiftly resolve any worries they may have. The school encourages pupils to become leaders and to contribute to the life of the school. For instance, the ‘curriculum committee’ helps the school to review pupils’ learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of all pupils’ learning. Leaders have recently designed a new curriculum that is broad and enables pupils to build their knowledge over time in most subjects. In some areas, pupils require further opportunities to practise and apply this new learning. Pupils enjoy their lessons and behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils take part in a range of educational visits. For example, children in the Nursery visit an art exhibition. Older pupils can opt to take part in an international trip, including to Spain for a robotics festival and to Turkey for a folk-dance performance. A wide range of activities, including choir and coding, encourage pupils to enjoy a variety of interests. ‘Holmleigh’s Got Talent’ helps pupils to share their talents and interests. Pupils eagerly take part in daily exercise to start each day.

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

The curriculum in all subjects is ambitious and matches what is expected nationally. The school have given careful thought to the knowledge that pupils need to learn from the Nursery onwards. Effective sequencing encourages pupils to build on their learning over time. For example, in mathematics, children in the Nursery use counting as an introduction to numbers. By Reception, children reinforce their number recognition by adding one more to a number. Over time, pupils learn to add larger numbers together with increasing fluency. Similarly, in history, children in the Nursery begin to look at their own history and that of their family. Pupils begin to understand that sources of information tell us about the past. By Year 6, pupils use primary and secondary sources to understand the past, such as photos and letters from the World Wars.

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

The school ensures that teachers receive a range of subject-specific training. In most instances, teachers present information clearly and routinely check pupils’ understanding. Misconceptions are then addressed. On occasion, the planned activities in lessons do not give pupils sufficient time to practise and apply the most important ideas. This means they are less well prepared to tackle more complex subject content later.

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

The school is ambitious for pupils’ reading from the Nursery onwards. A love of reading is encouraged and pupils read widely and often. ‘Reading champions’ recommend books to their peers. Leaders routinely review and update their use of the agreed phonics programme. Staff receive regular training on how to deliver this programme. Pupils are given regular opportunities to practise and revisit the sounds they need to read well. Staff intervene swiftly when pupils need extra help. Pupils have access to texts that are carefully matched to the sounds they are learning. In some instances, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to read these books within their phonics learning. The school is 28 and 29 January 2025

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embedding a consistent approach to the strategies needed when pupils need more help to blend sounds together. Resources and training workshops for parents and carers encourage regular reading at home.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are swiftly identified. The school carefully considers the support needed for these pupils, including help from external agencies. As a result of regular training, the needs of pupils with SEND are well understood by staff. Pupils with SEND are supported to follow the same curriculum as their peers, wherever possible. On occasion, planned activities do not give pupils with SEND sufficient opportunity to fully embed their new learning.

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The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Staff and pupils have a clear understanding of these expectations. As a result, pupils typically behave well in lessons and at playtimes. The school uses personalised interventions for those pupils who may need extra support, including using services available locally. Attendance is high and leaders work with families to tackle any barriers to attendance.

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Pupils follow a well-sequenced personal, social, health and economic education curriculum. This includes a weekly assembly to introduce new themes. Over time, pupils build their knowledge of how to stay safe both physically and when online. External speakers are used to further support pupils to stay healthy and safe. For example, a recent workshop shared important information about misogyny.

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Staff at all levels are proud to work at this school. They feel that leaders consider their workload and well-being. Parents appreciate the school’s caring ethos. Governors are knowledgeable and provide both challenge and support to leaders. Leaders are ambitious and have introduced many changes, including to the curriculum. On occasion, they do not check that these changes are consistently having the desired impact.

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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 some subjects is at an earlier stage of implementation. In these instances, pupils are not given sufficient opportunity to practise and apply the important ideas they need to secure, including in aspects of early reading. As a result, pupils, including some with SEND, do not consistently develop the depth of knowledge they need to be ready for the next stage of their learning. The school should ensure that the curriculum is implemented in a way that provides ample opportunity for pupils to secure their learning.  Oversight of the many new systems and strategies is embedding. At times, the school’s understanding of the impact of recent change is more limited. The school should 28 and 29 January 2025

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ensure that leaders at all levels have sufficient training and opportunity to check the impact of their work with consistent precision.

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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). 28 and 29 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 March 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently make use of alternative provision.  The current headteacher took-up post in January 2023.  The school runs an after-school club.

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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. 28 and 29 January 2025

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 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.  During the inspection, inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspectors met with members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. They met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The curriculum in other subjects was considered as part of 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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors gathered the views of pupils, parents and carers and staff through both discussions and responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Hannah Glossop, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tom Hart Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 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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