Schools & FE · Report card

Hollington Primary School

Inspected 9 Sept 2026 · published 2 Oct 2026 · URN 150267

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Luke Graham (lead), Louise Walker, Michelle Payne

What we read, and from where

Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.

Achievement verified
Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour verified
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching verified
Expected standard
Early years verified
Expected standard
Inclusion verified
Expected standard
Leadership and governance verified
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing verified
Expected standard
Framework verified
Report card
Inspection datesingle source
9 Sept 2026
Inspectors verified
Louise Walker, Luke Graham, Michelle Payne
Postcode verified
TN38 9DS
Name on report verified
Hollington Primary School
Safeguarding verified
Met
URN verified
150267

Page 15 of 15

Page 15 of the report with the evidence highlighted

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

very positive

Hollington Primary School is a calm, inclusive school where pupils achieve well and feel safe.

Inspectors found the school meets the expected standard across its work. Pupils achieve well from their starting points, reading is a clear priority from the start, and attendance and behaviour have improved. Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils say they feel safe and that staff listen to them.

Going well

Safeguarding standards are met and pupils feel safe
Pupils typically achieve well from their starting points
Reading and phonics are prioritised from the start of school
Attendance and behaviour have improved, with fewer suspensions
Early years children settle quickly and are well cared for

To improve

Adaptations teachers make to learning are sometimes not precise enough
Handwriting needs continued priority to improve pupils' written work

Summary written by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the report text. It can miss nuance: the report itself is the record.

Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

AchievementExpected
Attendance and behaviourExpected
Curriculum and teachingExpected
Early yearsExpected
InclusionExpected
Leadership and governanceExpected
Personal development and wellbeingExpected

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+83Very positivemore positive than 73% of reports of this type

In line with other reports of this type.

Praisehigh expectationspositiveenjoyfeel safesuccessfuleffectiveimprovedeffectively

Criticismpersistent absenceconcernssuspensionsabsencenot precise

How the report reads, start to finish

Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.

FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspectionLeadershipWhat needs to improve positive critical

Findings1575w+89
Leadership221w+74
Safeguarding51w−11
What needs to improve68w+17

Strengths

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

Concerns

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

No strong criticism found.

Next steps

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What the report dwells on

Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.

Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages: 15
Words of findings: 1,915; about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level: Hard; Flesch 46, typical 43
Average sentence: 15 words
Next steps: 3; typical 3
Hedged sentences: 2%; “some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 56%Leadership 8%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 2%About the inspection 32%

Full report text

Hollington Primary School

Address: Hollington Old Lane, St. Leonards-on-Sea, TN38 9DS Unique reference number (URN): 150267

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

p.1

Achievement Expected standard

Pupils typically achieve well from their starting points. Overall, they acquire the knowledge and skills that they need to be well prepared for their next stages in education. While this is not reflected in published outcomes data from previous years, in 2026, pupils’ outcomes at the end of key stage 2 had improved greatly, reflecting the improved achievement over time across the school. Current pupils across all year groups develop the core skills they need in reading, writing and mathematics.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Leaders prioritise reading from the moment pupils begin at the school. This work is successful and, by the end of Year 1, pupils have the phonics knowledge that they need to become increasingly successful readers.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils who need additional support, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who face other barriers to learning, receive this at the right time. This helps them to make suitable progress from their starting points.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Attendance is a high priority for the school. It is everyone’s responsibility. Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ attendance and communicate these effectively to parents and carers, pupils and staff. Leaders monitor attendance closely, and this enables them to identify pupils who may need help to overcome barriers to attending school as often as they could. They work closely with external agencies and families to ensure these pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive the support they need. Leaders’ actions to reduce absence, including persistent absence, are having a positive impact.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. They ensure that all staff understand the school’s approach to managing pupils’ behaviour. This means that the school feels calm and settled. Typically, pupils behave well in school. They respect each other and the adults they work with. They feel safe and do not worry about unkindness or bullying. In lessons, pupils show positive attitudes to learning and take pride in the work they produce. Staff know pupils well, and pupils who require additional support receive this quickly. As a result of the actions leaders have taken, the number of suspensions has reduced.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed a broad curriculum that is well planned. It ensures that pupils build their knowledge and skills in a range of subject areas.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate and informed understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching within the school. They keep the curriculum under careful review and prioritise improvements. Leaders ensure they support staff to develop their expertise. As a result, teachers deliver the curriculum well. Teachers have secure subject knowledge of the curriculum areas they teach and typically check pupils’ understanding carefully during lessons. By doing so, teachers quickly identify pupils who need additional help, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Occasionally, the adaptations that teachers make to learning are not as precise as they could be. Therefore, some pupils do not access learning as well as they could.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders prioritise the core skills that pupils need to access the broad curriculum. They ensure that pupils learn to read from the moment they begin school and that staff teach phonics effectively. Recently, leaders have reviewed their approach to handwriting. This is helping pupils to improve their written work, although leaders recognise they need to continue to prioritise this area of the school’s work.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

Children make an effective start to their education in the early years. This is because leaders are determined for all children to develop a love of learning from the moment they begin school.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

Leaders have carefully designed the curriculum considering the developmental needs of children and their individual starting points. Overall, staff deliver the curriculum well. This means that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or those who are disadvantaged, typically achieve well from their starting points.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

Reading is prioritised from the moment children start in the early years. In Nursery, children learn to recognise different sounds. In Reception, skilled staff teach children phonics. Staff ensure that the environment is language-rich. They use stories and rhymes well to help children to develop their enjoyment of books and early speaking and language skills. Children also learn key knowledge in writing and mathematics.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

Leaders ensure that staff work closely with parents and carers to support transition. This ensures that staff get to know children well. This helps school staff to know how best to support children who may have additional barriers to learning, including pupils with SEND.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

Staff establish warm and nurturing relationships with children. They help them to successfully settle into school. They care for their wellbeing and know how to keep children safe.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

This is an inclusive school where leaders and staff know their pupils well. Leaders and staff share the same high ambitions for all pupils to achieve well. They have clear processes in place to identify pupils’ barriers to learning and/or wellbeing when they join the school.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure that pupils’ needs are identified quickly and accurately, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who have other additional barriers or vulnerabilities.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure that pupils typically receive the support they need to reduce barriers to learning and/or wellbeing. ‘The Bridge’ provides carefully thought-out support for pupils with SEND, while the nurture provision provides targeted support for pupils with social, emotional and/or mental health needs. This helps these pupils progress through the curriculum from their individual starting points.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders take proactive steps to develop positive relationships with parents and carers. This is central to the school’s approach. This means that parents feel included in decisions about their child's education. Leaders also work with external professionals when required.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure that additional funding is well targeted to support pupils’ progress, including attendance and participation in wider opportunities. This has a positive impact on these pupils.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders know their pupils and the community they serve well. They have an accurate understanding of their school and have identified the correct priorities to work on with the support of the trust. For example, leaders have taken effective steps to reduce the number of suspensions and improve pupils’ attendance.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Those responsible for governance are knowledgeable about their statutory responsibilities. The trust has ensured that across its governance structure, there are effective processes in place to enable governors and trustees to make the checks they need to so they can assure themselves about the school’s performance. This means that they support and challenge leaders constructively.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders ensure that staff are well supported. Alongside those with governance responsibilities, leaders consider the wellbeing and workload of staff. Leaders ensure that members of staff have access to a learning programme that supports their ongoing professional development. Leaders ensure that this is well matched to the school’s priorities. Staff speak highly of leaders’ support for their wellbeing and workload.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents generally speak positively about the school. They value the work that leaders have done to strengthen the school community and engage with them. Leaders maintain a proactive approach to working with external agencies to ensure that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those with other vulnerabilities, receive the support they need.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders implement a well-designed and age-appropriate personal, social and health education programme. Generally, this develops pupils’ knowledge of how to stay safe, maintain healthy relationships and make positive lifestyle choices well. Pupils also learn about hygiene, healthy eating, physical fitness and the risks associated with modern technology, including artificial intelligence.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils have a suitable awareness of the fundamental British values. Pupils discuss and debate their ideas with an appreciation of and respect for different views. They have a well- developed sense of right and wrong. They learn about challenging themes, for example racism. The religious education curriculum ensures that pupils learn about the faiths and beliefs of others. This develops their understanding of equality and cultural diversity.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders are committed to ensuring that pupils benefit from a broad range of experiences and have introduced ‘The Pioneer Passport’. This enables pupils to gain experiences they may not otherwise get, for example attending an art gallery or museum or visiting the theatre.

p.5

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders ensure that pupils have access to a range of extra-curricular opportunities. They carefully track participation rates to ensure that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those with other barriers, have access. Leaders seek pupils’ input to find out the types of clubs that would spark their interest, and they act on this where possible. For example, pupils now have access to a 3-D model making club.

p.5

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils value the opportunities to hold leadership roles. They enjoy representing the school council or being a peer mentor, head pupil or play leader.

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