The Holbeach St Mark's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of The Holbeach St Mark’s Church of England Primary School St Marks Road, Holbeach St Mark’s, Spalding, Lincolnshire PE12 8DZ

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 17 and 18 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This small, rural school fosters a strong sense of community. Pupils value the close-knit environment and enjoy knowing their peers and the staff. This helps them to feel safe and happy. Parents and carers speak positively about the school’s nurturing ethos. They are confident that their children are known, supported and well cared for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

During social times, pupils play together happily and make good use of the well- considered outdoor spaces. In lessons, they follow routines well. However, pupils do not become independent learners because they are over-reliant on adults in lessons. As a result, sometimes they struggle to take the lead on tasks or apply what they already know with confidence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high aspirations for its pupils. However, its expectations for the curriculum, behaviour and the early years provision are not realised fully. This is because the school’s vision and aims are not implemented consistently by all staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the opportunities to take part in clubs and educational visits. Key stage 2 pupils are looking forward to their upcoming residential trip to Norfolk. Pupils appreciate the awards they receive in assemblies. These are linked to the school’s values and help to promote a culture of recognition and achievement.

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

Since its previous inspection, the school has reconsidered its curriculum. Staff have carefully mapped out the essential knowledge that pupils in mixed-age classes need to know and remember. The school has made good use of support from the federation. Staff welcome the training and coaching available to develop their expertise. However, the systems and routines that support the delivery of the curriculum are not implemented with consistency. Sometimes, staff do not make the checks necessary during lessons to resolve pupils’ misconceptions and errors.

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

The school has reviewed its early reading programme. Staff focus closely on pupils’ recall of sounds and words, helping to identify those at risk of falling behind. These pupils usually receive timely help. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported to access the programme. However, other aspects of the reading curriculum, particularly at key stage 2, remain underdeveloped. Some pupils are given texts that are too challenging, and staff do not always check how well pupils can access and read them. This affects early readers and pupils with SEND in particular, since it limits their ability to read fluently and independently.

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

Developments in the early years provision have improved children’s learning across all areas of the curriculum. Children enjoy planting and growing their own produce. For example, they gather berries and vegetables in self-chosen containers, using vocabulary like ‘ripe, full,’ and ‘seeds’. However, some children do not become increasingly independent in the knowledge they gain or develop their problem-solving abilities. On 17 and 18 June 2025

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occasions, staff step in prematurely during learning and play. This limits opportunities for children to develop deeper thinking.

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The school has refined its processes to identify pupils with additional needs. Pupils with an education, health and care plan benefit from appropriate curriculum adaptations to meet their needs. However, some of the learning adaptations made for pupils with SEND are not suitable. This limits the effectiveness of support for some of these pupils. Planned activities and learning resources do not always help these pupils to succeed. Pupils who need extra help to access learning, as well as those with SEND, are overly dependent on adult support. This does not build their independence or develop their resilience.

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Pupils enjoy their lessons. They are kind and work well together. They interact positively with each other and are well mannered as they move around the school.

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The school promotes strong attendance habits for pupils. It offers full-time nursery placements to help establish these routines early on. Staff work closely with families to identify and overcome barriers to pupils’ attendance and punctuality.

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The school ensures that its personal development programme is broad and rich. Pupils have opportunities to visit and learn about communities that are different from their own. As a result, pupils show respect and tolerance for diversity and understand the values of modern British society. They also know how to stay safe online and in the wider world. They are confident as to how to look after their physical and mental health.

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Staff are motivated and positive about working at this school. They appreciate the support they receive to manage their workload.

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Governors have a clear vision for the school and fulfil their responsibilities well. They utilise resources from across the federation to ensure that the school can continue to improve.

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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 renewed approaches to the curriculum and the early years are not embedded fully. As a result, its aspirations for pupils are not fully realised. The school should ensure that its expectations for the curriculum and the early years are firmly established and applied consistently across the school.  Sometimes, the activities that pupils complete, especially as part of the reading curriculum at key stage 2, are not matched well to their needs. This impacts the weakest readers in particular, who are less able to access some learning as a result. 17 and 18 June 2025

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The school must ensure that the tasks pupils complete are aligned closely to their stage of development. It should ensure that all pupils read with increasing fluency, comprehension and independence.  Staff do not use assessment consistently enough to adapt the curriculum or resolve pupils’ misconceptions. This can lead to pupils, including pupils with SEND, having gaps in their understanding and this slows their progression through the curriculum. The school should ensure that staff make effective use of assessment to support pupils’ learning and respond to pupils’ needs as they arise.  Staff, including in early years, do not support pupils routinely to develop effective habits and attitudes that prepare them for future learning. This hinders pupils from becoming independent learners. The school should ensure that staff actively promote positive learning behaviours and implement strategies consistently that encourage

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pupils to become independent and take ownership of their learning.

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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). 17 and 18 June 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 May 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Griffin Federation. The executive headteacher and the governing body have oversight of the three schools in the federation. Several staff provide leadership across the three schools.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  This is a voluntary controlled Church of England school within the Diocese of Lincoln. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place in March 2025. This is an inspection of the school’s religious character.

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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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 17 and 18 June 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. 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.  Inspectors also sampled aspects of the school’s geography, science and art and design curriculums.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, and leaders from the school and the wider federation, including those who have oversight of the early years, curriculum leadership and the provision for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, around the school and at social

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times.  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 safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the local governing board and the local authority.  Inspectors spoke with parents, staff and pupils on site. Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Shaheen Hussain, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tim Leah Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 June 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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