Hollinswood Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Hollinswood Primary School Dale Acre Way, Hollinswood, Telford, Shropshire TF3 2EP

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Outcome

Hollinswood Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Hollinswood is a welcoming and inclusive school. The school’s values of being respectful, resourceful, resilient and responsible are central to the school’s work. Staff are caring and successfully support pupils in preparation for their future. The school has high expectations for pupils, who achieve well in most subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff set clear expectations for how pupils should behave. During lessons, pupils behave well. They listen and follow instructions. The school has recently introduced lots of fun activities to improve playtimes such as role-play games and sports. Most pupils behave well at playtimes. Pupils feel happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A broad range of inclusive extra-curricular and enrichment opportunities are deliberately planned into the curriculum. For example, pupils take part in gardening, cookery and multi-skills sports. Pupils have visited a Stone Age museum to bring the history curriculum to life and a theatre to watch an opera.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Every pupil from Year 2 to Year 6 learns to play an instrument such as the cello, clarinet and trombone. Staff notice pupils’ musical talents and develop them effectively. Some pupils are part of an orchestra at a local secondary school. Pupils have performed in concerts as part of large orchestras, including with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

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

By Year 6, pupils achieve well in reading and writing. Recently, standards in mathematics have been lower than in previous years. The school has introduced a new approach to teaching mathematics. This has improved staff’s expertise. Mathematics is now taught effectively. As a result, standards in mathematics are improving. 11 and 12 March 2025

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The curriculum has been designed carefully with the aim that pupils achieve ambitious outcomes. These aims are being realised in most subjects. Important concepts, knowledge and vocabulary are clearly set out. Subject leaders regularly check how effectively the curriculum is implemented. Staff are well supported so that the delivery of the curriculum continually improves. The school previously identified that existing checks on pupils’ learning needed revising for some subjects. These checks have been implemented for some subjects but not all. In some subjects, checks on pupils’ learning take place, but staff do not use this information to alter the delivery of the curriculum. When this occurs, some pupils do not know and remember the most important knowledge across the whole curriculum.

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Staff teach the requirements of the school’s chosen phonics programme with fidelity. Staff have the right knowledge to teach phonics. They keep a close eye on how well pupils know their sounds when they learn to read so they can support where necessary. Pupils receive daily support with extra phonics lessons if they need it. Staff often listen to pupils read. Books that pupils read are well matched to their phonics knowledge. By the end of Year 6, pupils achieve well in reading.

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The school’s modified writing curriculum is in the early stages of implementation. Pupils have more opportunities to practise early writing skills such as correct letter formation. However, the impact of this is variable. This is because staff are getting to grips with the new approaches to teaching writing. On occasion, for example, they do not spot pupils’ errors and misconceptions readily. This affects how well pupils learn early writing skills.

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The early years is a calm and happy place to learn. Staff are enthusiastic and nurturing. The school has identified that some children need more support with communication and language when they join the school. Staff are well trained to support the development of speech and vocabulary. During visits to lessons, children role-played booking a holiday in the class travel agent shop, packed their suitcase and went on a journey together. Staff skilfully interact with children to successfully develop their vocabulary.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified quickly. Support for pupils with SEND is introduced appropriately. Staff are expert in supporting individual pupils’ needs. The advice of external agencies is sought and followed. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

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Pupils understand fundamental British values such as the meaning of the rule of law and democracy. Pupils know and understand about tolerance and respect. They typically state that everyone is treated equally here. Pupils value leadership roles they can have to develop their sense of responsibility, including as a member of the school council, eco- committee and safeguarding squad. School councillors have recently designed a lunchtime menu to promote healthy eating.

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Governors know their roles and responsibilities. They make appropriate checks on all aspects of the school’s work. Governors hold leaders to account. Staff report that their well-being is well supported, and their workload is appropriately managed. 11 and 12 March 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s new assessment methods have been implemented for most subjects but not all. Some of these checks are not always acted upon. The school should implement its new methods for checking pupils’ learning in all subjects, making sure gaps in pupils’ knowledge are fully addressed.  The school’s new approach to teaching early writing is in its early stages of implementation. Staff deliver the curriculum as it is set out, but there are inconsistencies in how quickly staff correct misconceptions. The school should make sure that staff understand the school’s expectations for how the early writing curriculum should be delivered so that this is consistently implemented.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2015.

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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 11 and 12 March 2025

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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). 11 and 12 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school operates a before-school club.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

n Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. n 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. n The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other leaders. The inspector held a meeting with members of the governing body. The inspector met with a representative from the local authority. Meetings were held with curriculum leaders, teachers and support staff. n The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 11 and 12 March 2025

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n The inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult. n The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour and interactions during lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes and spoke to many pupils during the inspection. n 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.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text comments. The inspector also reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Emma Titchener, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 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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