Holbrook Primary School

Inspection of Holbrook Primary School Wych Lane, Bridgemary, Gosport, Hampshire PO13 0JN

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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 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel welcome and valued at this school. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and caring. The school provides effective pastoral support so that pupils can fully join in with all aspects of school life. This high-quality care contributes to pupils’ positive behaviour. Pupils behave well and feel safe. The school’s inclusive nature is exemplified by the strong provision for pupils in the specially resourced provision for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (specially resourced provision).

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high aspirations for pupils’ learning. These have not always resulted in strong outcomes for pupils in the phonics and end of key stage 2 tests. However, relatively new initiatives and a more precise focus on reading have resulted in current pupils making effective progress through the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ ambitions for pupils extend beyond academic outcomes. The school carefully plans opportunities throughout the curriculum to broaden pupils’ experiences. This helps pupils to understand and develop the school’s values of respect, resilience and aspiration.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value leadership positions, such as house captains and reading champions. These give them a chance to make meaningful contributions to school life. The young governors are proud of their work, which has resulted in an increased number of activities on offer at lunchtime.

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

The school has developed a broad and ambitious curriculum. It has identified the knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn across subjects. Teachers highlight the most important information that pupils must remember. This supports the high proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), with embedding key knowledge. The school has also identified the key vocabulary that pupils should learn throughout the curriculum. However, there is currently inconsistency in how well staff introduce and emphasise this vocabulary and in how pupils use it during lessons. This means that pupils are not always able to recall and apply this language accurately when explaining their learning.

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

Pupils with SEND are quickly identified and receive excellent support. Staff make adaptations to the curriculum so that pupils can learn successfully. This is particularly evident for those with the highest level of need in the specially resourced provision. Staff plan appropriate individual next steps to help pupils reach the targets in their education, health and care plans (EHC plan).

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

Pupils’ work in their books shows they have learned the intended curriculum. However, some of the outcomes in national tests have been lower than the national averages. The school is responding effectively to this. For example, the approach to teaching writing has been reviewed and strengthened this year. 25 and 26 March 2025

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The teaching of phonics is both a priority and a strength. All staff are well trained in the school’s reading programme and use this consistently. In Reception, staff encourage children to use their phonics knowledge across all areas of learning. Expert staff support pupils who find learning to read difficult so that they can catch up.

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The school has implemented a renewed approach towards managing behaviour. Staff have high expectations, and the majority of pupils rise to meet these. When pupils need more support, the strong pastoral team successfully provide it. Children in Reception focus on their learning and work collaboratively. These positive attitudes to learning are seen throughout the school. Leaders recognise that too many pupils are frequently absent from school. They know the barriers that some families face and provide the necessary support. As a result, there has been a significant improvement in attendance for some pupils.

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There is a thoughtful approach to the personal development of pupils, based on their needs. Assemblies explore issues that are happening in the school and the wider world. These discussions help pupils understand fundamental British values such as democracy and tolerance. Pupils feel respected, and they know the importance of treating others with respect. A range of trips, projects and visitors enrich the curriculum. Those in the specially resourced provision receive the same positive experiences. Pupils learn about online safety frequently, and the school ensures families also learn about this.

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Leaders, including governors, have a strong and inclusive vision for the school. They are aspirational for pupils to achieve well across the curriculum and be prepared for life in modern Britain. There has been a rapid pace of change since the new leadership team joined the school. The impact of these changes is evident in many areas, including the reduction in the number of suspensions and the precision in the teaching of reading. However, not all parents and carers fully understand the changes that have been made or the reasoning behind decisions. Some parents and carers do not feel they are always listened to effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In lessons, staff do not consistently use the most effective teaching strategies when introducing new vocabulary to pupils. As a result, some pupils do not have a firm grasp of subject-specific vocabulary and how to apply it in their learning. The school should ensure that its expected pedagogical approaches are embedded across the school so that staff provide opportunities for pupils to use this language consistently.  Some parents do not fully understand the school’s policies, particularly in relation to behaviour and inclusion. This means that they do not have a clear understanding of the 25 and 26 March 2025

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school’s approaches in these areas. The school should continue to communicate clearly the strategies it uses and why these are important.

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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 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Jan Heath and Rebecca Dugan (co-chairs)

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School details

Website www.bedenhamandholbrookfederation.co.u k Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 November 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of a federation with another local school called Bedenham Primary School. The executive headteacher, who joined the federation in January 2024, is responsible for both schools.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. There are 31 pupils with autism and/or speech, language and communication difficulties currently on roll. All pupils in the specially resourced provision have an EHC plan. The provision is due for significant expansion in September 2025.  There is before-school care on the school site, managed by the school.  The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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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 25 and 26 March 2025

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the head of school, the interim head of school of the federated partnership school, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, the manager of the specially resourced provision and subject leaders.  The lead inspector met with three members of the governing body, including one of the co-chairs.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, design and technology and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils

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about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors looked at curriculum information for a range of other subjects. They reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s own evaluation of its effectiveness and priorities for improvement. They also looked at information relating to behaviour, attendance and SEND.  Pupils’ behaviour was observed during playtimes and lunchtimes in the playground.  The views of staff and pupils were gathered through both formal and informal discussions. Staff also completed the Ofsted online survey.  The views of parents were gathered through the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. Inspectors also spoke to parents on the second morning of the inspection and reviewed letters sent in by parents.  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

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Katie Hancock, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Claire Martin-O’Donoghue Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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