Holland Moor Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Holland Moor Primary School Cornbrook, Skelmersdale, Lancashire WN8 9AG

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Outcome

Holland Moor 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?

Pupils thoroughly enjoy attending this nurturing and vibrant school. From the early years, they rise admirably to the school’s high expectations of how they should behave. Taking their lead from staff, pupils are unfailingly courteous and respectful. During playtimes, staff help them to develop social and physical skills. Pupils get along well together and enjoy being active. They are helpful and caring towards those younger than themselves and classmates who sometimes need patience and understanding. Pupils know that the school expects them to pay attention to teachers, concentrate well and produce their best work. They work hard and in the majority of subjects most achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take full advantage of the school’s vast array of extra activities, designed to develop their talents and interests. They are proud to perform in the school choir, play musical instruments and participate in sports. They are curious about other cultures and religions. Pupils enjoy learning about traditions that are different from their own, for example by performing Greek ‘throat music’ and the Maori Haka dance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish undertaking leadership roles, such as helping to run charity events and sports clubs. They enjoy taking on responsibilities, including being trained playtime buddies and energy monitors.

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

Strong and stable leadership of this school has ensured that pupils continue to thrive, academically and personally. 25 and 26 March 2025

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The school has developed an ambitious curriculum. It flows from the early years to the end of Year 6 and prepares pupils well for each stage in their education. For each subject, it is clear what pupils will learn and how they will build their knowledge over time.

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Teachers have good knowledge of the subjects that they teach. Staff present new information clearly and model tasks effectively so that pupils know exactly how to undertake their work. They regularly check how well pupils have learned key content. They use this information to address gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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Teachers frequently revisit previous work to help pupils to remember prior learning. In most subjects, including in English and mathematics, pupils remember and use this knowledge when learning something new. However, in some subjects, the school’s approaches to helping pupils to remember long-term what they have been taught are not so effective. When this happens, some pupils struggle to recall previous learning and do not achieve as well as they could.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is highly effective. The school identifies needs and puts in place well-considered support. This ensures that pupils with SEND can follow the school’s curriculum alongside their peers with enjoyment and success.

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From when children join the early years, including the provision for two-year-olds, enthusiastic staff help them to enjoy stories and rhymes. They immerse children in an environment rich in language. Staff are skilled in teaching early reading. They make sure that pupils who have difficulty receive the help that they need to keep up. By the end of Year 2, most pupils read accurately and fluently. In key stage 2, pupils continue to develop reading skills, including fluency and comprehension. The school helps them to develop a love of reading. Most can talk confidently about books that they have enjoyed.

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Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable. An ethos of mutual respect permeates the school. Staff carefully analyse the needs of those pupils who struggle to manage their own behaviour and emotions. They use this information well to ensure that these pupils have the help that they need to learn and play calmly alongside their classmates. Staff lay the foundations for the school’s orderly and purposeful atmosphere in the early years. Children learn to listen, follow instructions, take turns and share.

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The school’s provision for pupils’ broader development is effective. Pupils take full advantage of many opportunities for responsibility, such as being young interpreters and well-being champions. They understand their role as responsible citizens who care for the environment. They make local politicians aware of their concerns about issues such as parking and proposed closures of local facilities. The school helps pupils to develop character traits such as resilience and confidence. They learn enthusiastically about people who are different from themselves, including in religion and culture. The school makes sure that pupils with SEND participate fully in its extensive range of activities.

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Staff enjoy working in this school and are proud to do so. They appreciate that their hard work and achievements are recognised and celebrated. They welcome the school’s efforts 25 and 26 March 2025

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to keep their workload manageable. The school ensures that parents and carers are well- informed partners in their children’s education. Experienced governors use their detailed knowledge of the school to contribute significantly to its development.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the approaches that the school uses to help pupils to retain previous knowledge are not as effective as they could be. As a result, some pupils find it difficult to recall and build on prior learning when they encounter new content. The school should refine its approaches to this aspect of its work.

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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 in February 2020.

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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. 25 and 26 March 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). 25 and 26 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use alternative provision for any pupils.  The school has provision for two-year-old children.

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Information about this inspection

 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  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 visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 25 and 26 March 2025

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 The inspector held discussions with the headteacher, other members of the leadership team and the leaders for special educational needs.  The inspector had a discussion with governors, including the chair of governors.  The inspector held discussions with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector had discussions with groups of pupils about their experience of school. She observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at social times.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted Parent View and Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys. She spoke to a cross-section of staff about their experience of working in the school, including their view about workload and their well-being.

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Inspection team

Liz Kelly, lead inspector 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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