Hollingworth Primary School

HOLLINGWORTH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 17 th -19 th January 2000

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HOLLINGWORTH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 190600 Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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HOLLINGWORTH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Hollingworth Primary - 3 January 2000

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and Junior, with nursery

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Market Street Hollingworth Via Hyde Cheshire Postcode: SK14 8LP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: November 1996 Hollingworth Primary - 4 January 2000

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Team members

E Jackson Registered inspector W Walker Lay inspector C Cressey Team inspector

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Team members

Nord Anglia School Inspection Services Strathblane House Ashfield Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 1BB

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Team members

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Hollingworth Primary - 5 January 2000

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

The pupils achieve high standards in their work, reflected in the results they achieve by eleven in National Curriculum tests in English, mathematics and science Overall, teaching is very good, with almost nine out of tem lessons observed being good or very good The pupils love the school, and respond very well to the opportunities for learning provided for them by their teachers The pupils develop very good social skills, and have a very good understanding of the difference between right and wrong. The leadership and management of the school are very good, and the school is very ably led by the headteacher with the support of the governors and staff Parents overwhelmingly support the school

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 15

Teachers’ expectations of the pupils’ presentation of their work The consistency of the setting of homework across the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Number of full-time pupils 277 pupils, including 44 part-time children in the nursery (slightly above average) Pupils with English as an additional language 1 pupil Pupils entitled to free school meals 20.4% (about average) Pupils on the register of special educational needs 49 Average class size 25.2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The attainment of the four-year-olds when they start school is about average

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very effective school, which continues to improve under the skilled leadership of its experienced headteacher. The pupils achieve good standards in almost all aspects of their work. The many strengths of the school far outweigh its minor weaknesses.

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What the school does well

• The pupils achieve high standards in their work, reflected in the results they achieve by eleven in National Curriculum tests in English, mathematics and science. • Teaching is very good, with almost nine out of ten lessons observed being good or very good. • The pupils love the school, and respond very well to the opportunities for learning provided for them by their teachers. • The pupils develop very good social skills, and have a very good understanding of the difference between right and wrong. • The leadership and management of the school are very good, and the school is very ably led by the headteacher with the support of the governors and staff. • Parents overwhelmingly support the school.

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What could be improved

• Teachers' expectations of the pupils' presentation of their work. • The consistency of the setting of homework across the school. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

There have been great improvements in the school since the last inspection in 1996, which have raised standards in many areas of the school's life. The headteacher has successfully encouraged the rest of the staff to adopt significant responsibility for aspects of the school's work, including importantly the coordination of the work of the three key stages, Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. This has led to greater accountability and monitoring of the work of the staff by those in key posts, and also to a greater sense of ownership of the work of the school by all staff. There has been a concurrent development of the role of the subject coordinator, which has had tremendous success in key curriculum areas such as English, mathematics, science, and information and communications technology. It has also allowed the school to maintain a broad and balanced curriculum, particularly in history, geography

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

and physical education. This wider responsibility is seen best in the school development plan, which has become the staffs' and governors' chief focus for daily, termly and annual improvement and school-wide review. It is now the vehicle for planning, monitoring and evaluating such major innovations as the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, which have been very well implemented in the school. Governors, guided skilfully by the headteacher, have also made very good appointments, leading to improved teaching in key areas such as the nursery and lower Key Stage 2. Support for a recently appointed newly qualified member of staff, for instance, has ensured that she is already making a good contribution to the overall quality of education in the school. The impact of improved monitoring and evaluation procedures is seen best, however, in the increased opportunities pupils have for independent learning, and the

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

acquisition of a full range of basic skills in literacy, numeracy and information technology. Hollingworth Primary - 7 January 2000

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

English C C B A well above average above average A B mathematics C C A A* average below average C D science C D B A well below average E

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Key

The attainment of five-year-olds is generally about average, although many children in this year's nursery intake are making very good progress, and are on track to attain above average levels by five. At seven years of age, standards in mathematics were well above average in 1999, above average in science, average in writing, but slightly below average in reading, based on an average points score. However, the number of pupils attaining the expected Level 2 overall was just above the national average. Compared to similar schools, results in the national tests were above average in reading and writing, and well above them in mathematics. Pupils' attainment by eleven in 1999 showed very good improvement on the previous year, and accelerated the improving trend, which had matched the steady rise in the national results over the last three years. Attainment in mathematics was both well above the national average,

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Key

and very high in comparison to results in similar schools. The work pupils were doing across the school during the inspection confirmed the overall progressive improvement of these standards. Although the school's targets for this year's end of Key Stage 2 test results are rightly lower than those achieved last year, they are much higher for the following year, based on the prior attainment of the respective cohorts.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils love the school, and value the efforts of their teachers and other staff on their behalf. They work hard and enthusiastically, bringing a sense of pleasure and purpose to all that they do.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour in lessons is generally very good, and it is good during other activities such as playtime, lunchtime or assembly.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Personal development is very good, and pupils take good advantage of the many opportunities provided to work independently of the teacher. Relationships throughout the school are very good, leading to very good cooperation between all members of the school community.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good; in line with the national average. Hollingworth Primary - 8 January 2000

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Lessons seen overall Very good. Good Very good. Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Almost nine out of ten lessons observed were good or very good, with four out of ten of these being very good. All teaching seen was at least satisfactory. The teachers have adopted the national literacy and numeracy strategies very well, apply their principles with intelligence and flexibility, and successfully encourage the pupils to use the skills learned effectively across the curriculum. They also teach information and communications technology very well, a big improvement since the last inspection. The school is assiduous in meeting the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs, and is developing systems to improve its practice even further. Teachers' expectations of pupils' presentation of their work are not as high as their expectations of pupils' general attainment, however, and homework, although set by all teachers, is not consistent across the school. The high quality of teaching leads to good

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

and often very good progress in pupils' learning.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school has maintained a broad and relevant curriculum whilst adapting it well to national initiatives in literacy and numeracy. Information technology is a particular strength, although music is no better than at the last inspection. The curriculum enrichment provided by educational visits, visitors, links with other countries, and excellent use of the local area , is outstanding.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Pupils with special educational needs are included in all activities . W ork planned directly for them, with regular support from teachers and other adults, helps them to make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good provision is made for pupils' social and moral development, leading to good cooperative group work, and a good understanding of how to behave responsibly. Spiritual and cultural development are good, and the pupils are encouraged well to become independent in their learning . This is an improvement since the last inspection.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school looks after its pupils well, and child protection procedures are sound. However, there are safety concerns, recognised by the governors, regarding a semi-derelict building in the playground, and the poor quality of the playground surface itself. Hollingworth Primary - 9 January 2000

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff There is an excellent ethos for learning, promoted very well by the headteacher with the support of all staff and governors. Good procedures are in place to monitor and evaluate teaching and learning, which feed into a very good process of school improvement, well captured in the school development plan.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is closely involved in the work of the school, and is strongly supportive of the headteacher, who is rightly trusted to keep them well informed. Recent high quality appointments to the staff show the skilled judgement governors bring to this crucial task.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Under the guidance of the headteacher, the school is self-critical, recognising its strengths and building on them, such as in its real book approach to reading meshed with the detailed phonic and linguistic approach of the literacy hour. It also recognises developmental priorities well, adapting national initiatives well, and keeping its own individual needs in focus.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good use is made of staff, both teaching and non-teaching, with very good impact on pupils' learning. Scarce financial resources are carefully allocated, with a view to the principles of best value, and the effectiveness of spending decisions is monitored by the headteacher and governors. The hall and ICT suite are not in use often enough during the mornings, however.

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Aspect Comment

Given the average socio-economic circumstances locally, the pupils' average level of attainment at entry, and the broadly average unit cost, set against the very effective education achieved, the school gives very good value for money, reflecting its improvement since the last inspection.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children love the school. • The school is very well led and managed. • The quality of teaching is high, based on high expectations of children's work and achievement. • Their children make good progress in their learning. • The school keeps them well informed, and they find the staff friendly and approachable. • It helps their children to become mature and responsible. • The consistency of the setting of homework across the school. • The amount of extra-curricular activities.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection endorses the parents' very positive views of the school, and finds also that their concerns about the inconsistency of homework provision, shared by the school, are justified. Hollingworth Primary - 10 January 2000

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The pupils achieve high standards in their work, reflected in the results they achieve by eleven in

National Curriculum tests in English, mathematics and science.

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The pupils achieve high standards in their work, reflected in the results they achieve by eleven in

1 Attainment in mathematics was well above the national average in the national tests in 1999 at the end of Key Stage 2, and it was above average in English and science. Compared to similar schools, pupils' attainment in English and science at the end of Key Stage 2 in 1999 was well above average, and it was very high in mathematics.

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The pupils achieve high standards in their work, reflected in the results they achieve by eleven in

2 In the nursery and reception class, pupils carry out a range of tasks and activities which promote their speaking and listening skills well. The group cooperative activity encouraged across the school consolidates and improves these skills, so that by eleven pupils discuss their work confidently, using appropriate subject specific language.

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The pupils achieve high standards in their work, reflected in the results they achieve by eleven in

3 This is clearly seen in mathematics, where the very good model set by teachers helps the pupils to develop good oral skills in describing the mental calculations they perform. For instance, in a Year 3 lesson, pupils repeated their tables at a fast pace as a class activity, but could then answer specific exploratory questions promptly and accurately.

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The pupils achieve high standards in their work, reflected in the results they achieve by eleven in

4 By eleven, pupils have a very good grasp of mathematical principles. Although the current cohort is not expected to achieve the very high levels of last year, high attaining pupils have highly developed problem-solving skills, and almost all pupils apply their mathematical understanding well in other subjects, for instance in accurately reading scientific instruments calibrated in decimals.

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The pupils achieve high standards in their work, reflected in the results they achieve by eleven in

5 Pupils develop a love of reading from an early age, and teachers ensure that the pupils read good texts, to extend the whole range of their English skills. They are introduced to good stories in the nursery, and use the ideas well in their own play. For instance, a group of children using people figures in the sand tray invented their own stories about them, and exchanged and elaborated their ideas in discussion with other children. In a Year 2 class, as part of their work on characterisation in stories, six and seven-year-olds wrote passports for Cinderella, an imaginative approach from the teacher which inspired the pupils. A group of pupils with special educational needs made good progress here, with very good, sensitive support from the teacher. In the other Year 2 class, doing parallel work, the teacher helped the pupils to focus on character very well by asking, for instance, "Do we hear a lot about that character - is it a main character?" In response

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The pupils achieve high standards in their work, reflected in the results they achieve by eleven in

to the teacher's searching questions, the pupils used good vocabulary to illustrate their thinking. The courtiers were "astounded", the sisters were "spiteful", and Cinderella was "young and sweet".

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The pupils achieve high standards in their work, reflected in the results they achieve by eleven in

6 Year 5 pupils confidently make up fables for an infant class to read, and follow the teacher's very good guidance in improving the quality and complexity of their sentences. They work at high levels for their age, and explain competently how the changes they have made make the sentences more interesting for the reader.

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The pupils achieve high standards in their work, reflected in the results they achieve by eleven in

7 Strong emphasis is placed by teachers on interactive and practical work in science, leading to good progress in pupils' understanding of fair testing procedures. In a Year 2 lesson to consider change in materials, the pupils accepted the teacher's requirement for order and care, whilst also handling and discussing the substances available excitedly. They described their own experiments to the rest of the class well, and the group specifically helped by the teacher showed how well prepared they had been for this aspect through her guidance. Hollingworth Primary - 11 January 2000

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Overall, teaching is very good, with almost nine out of ten lessons observed being good or very

8 Between them, the staff have very good knowledge of the subjects they teach, and share this very well with their colleagues to help each other offer well-prepared lessons for the pupils. They have well-developed skills in teaching literacy and numeracy, leading the whole-class sessions very well through direct teaching, demonstration, or in using searching questions. Teachers arrange a good variety of activities to inspire the pupils to work at the set tasks, move lessons along appropriately using close observation and assessment of pupils' progress in their learning, and encourage independent working well whilst they concentrate on particular groups and individuals. Good use is made of support staff and learning resources, particularly to support pupils with special educational needs. Specialist teaching in information technology, science and religious education has strong impact on pupils' learning and progress in these subjects.

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Overall, teaching is very good, with almost nine out of ten lessons observed being good or very

9 For instance, the science coordinator teaches the Year 6 alongside their class teacher, engaging them in high level science work, where her very good subject knowledge is effective in teaching complex aspects, such as the interaction of forces like gravity and air resistance on objects of different shape, mass and construction. She explained succinctly and clearly the common usage of the term "weight", and its confusion with "mass", illustrated by practical work using forcemeters.

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Overall, teaching is very good, with almost nine out of ten lessons observed being good or very

10 The IT coordinator has had a dramatic impact on standards of teaching and learning in her subject. Through demonstration lessons, and teaching different groups of pupils, she has helped to raise pupils' standards of attainment, and the whole school's expectations of what pupils can achieve. For instance, children in the reception class, many of them four years old, were helped by a nursery nurse and parent helper in the ICT suite to follow instructions through headphones to manipulate characters and objects on screen. Working very well in pairs, they could guide the cursor skilfully with the mouse to achieve results such as safe passage of a character through a maze. The class teacher meanwhile, having demonstrated the focus activity to the whole class in the classroom, worked with pairs of children in turn, allowing them to successfully program a floor robot to perform a sequence of actions.

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Overall, teaching is very good, with almost nine out of ten lessons observed being good or very

11 The IT coordinator showed her Year 4 class, again making very good use of the ICT suite, how to use a paint program to create an artwork in the style of the pointillists being studied in art lessons. This the pupils did excellently, applying the new skill of highlighting one prepared section of the screen to fill in the rest. The resultant working display of a variety of pointillist-effect screens, saved for further editing, had the effect of a gallery of themed contemporary art.

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Overall, teaching is very good, with almost nine out of ten lessons observed being good or very

12 The teaching of the under-fives in the nursery and reception classes is very good, and helps the children learn the routines of school very well, so that they settle to their activities, and make good and often very good progress in their learning. The teachers use activities such as clapping patterns to gain the children's attention, and then explain very clearly what is required and expected in the next session. This is a very good feature of the teaching throughout the school: teachers make it very clear to the pupils what the learning objectives are in each lesson, or sequence of lessons.

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Overall, teaching is very good, with almost nine out of ten lessons observed being good or very

13 In the nursery, the learning environment is carefully structured by the staff, to promote learning across the recommended areas of experience. For instance, the play area simulates a child's bedroom to reinforce the children's understanding of night and day, and a display celebrating Chinese New Year supports their growing knowledge of the wider world and its cultures and traditions. Hollingworth Primary - 12 January 2000 14 In a Year 6 literacy lesson, two special needs support staff worked closely with pupils who had recently returned to the school, skilfully helping them to make good progress in their learning of sentence structure, and in their ability to work successfully alongside other pupils. This made a very good contribution to the school's efficient use of its resources, as the staff also helped other pupils working near them. In a Year 1 science lesson, a temporary teacher who often works in the

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Overall, teaching is very good, with almost nine out of ten lessons observed being good or very

school, used the school's very good links with its parents to seek and receive very useful help from three of them during a complex lesson on the senses.

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Overall, teaching is very good, with almost nine out of ten lessons observed being good or very

15 A religious education lesson with a Year 5 class demonstrated the depth of the teacher's understanding of the locally Agreed Syllabus, and of her sensitive interpretation of the introduction of the pupils to the Qur'an. By showing respect to the Islamic faith through its holiest book, she helped the pupils to develop their understanding of belief in sacred artefacts, and skilfully drew parallels between the teachings of Islam and Christianity, as well as noting key differences.

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The pupils love the school, and respond very well to the opportunities for learning provided for

16 It is clear that the school's ethos for learning is understood and accepted by the pupils throughout the school, and it is promoted successfully by the staff from the earliest age. The children in the nursery and reception classes have quickly learned the required routines, and work within them with no feeling of restriction, but of shared and purposeful activity. This approach permeates the school. For instance, the Year 3 pupils returning from assembly entered the classroom bright and eager, talking quietly but animatedly, went to their places, took out their books and pencils, and as soon as the teacher spoke quietly to them, were silent and closely attentive. Similarly, the interest, enjoyment and concentration of the Year 4 pupils during an ICT session were exemplary.

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The pupils love the school, and respond very well to the opportunities for learning provided for

17 In all that they do, the pupils demonstrate great respect for the staff. A group of Year 5 pupils being interviewed about the school, asked what they liked best about it, replied unanimously, "The teachers." This in effect covers all the adults employed to work in classrooms. The same pupils, in a literacy lesson, became very involved in the creation of stories for younger pupils, and responded very well to the teacher's prompting, taking part eagerly in all the prepared activities, confirming their earlier comments.

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The pupils love the school, and respond very well to the opportunities for learning provided for

18 Year 6 pupils enjoy the challenges set for them, and their interaction with the teacher is full of good humour, but underscored the whole time with improving their performance. This was well illustrated in a maths lesson, where the pupils built well on their previous understanding of division to become increasingly competent in working out mentally such problems as 458 divided by 8.

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The pupils love the school, and respond very well to the opportunities for learning provided for

19 In a maths lesson, Year 2 pupils readily worked with relatively unfamiliar apparatus to support their learning, helping one another to set it out accurately to represent the appropriate numerical values. Whilst the teacher worked with one group to push them further, almost all the rest of the pupils worked independently with great success. When one boy began to lose interest, the other pupils in his group were annoyed with his off-task behaviour, and he quickly settled to his task after a prompt, quiet word from his teacher. This again illustrates well the quality of the school routines, its strong learning ethos, and the expectations generated in pupils by staff that they are in school to work with enjoyment in order to make progress. Hollingworth Primary - 13 January 2000

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The pupils develop very good social skills, and have a very good understanding of the difference

20 The pupils behave well in and around the school, and behave particularly well in lessons, responding appropriately and with understanding to the teachers' high expectations. The headteacher's presence is a useful support for staff and pupils here, and his prompt intervention defuses potential difficulties swiftly and skilfully.

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The pupils develop very good social skills, and have a very good understanding of the difference

21 When working in pairs and groups, the pupils show concern for others, as well as for themselves. For instance, when asked why he was not using the mouse to control the computer when he evidently knew what to do overcome a difficulty, one boy explained patiently that it was his partner's turn to use it, and it was important for him to develop his skills. Pupils queue sensibly at lunchtime, enter the hall calmly for assembly, and generally play with respect for others in the playground. Asked why they were not playing football in the playground, older boys explained that football was only allowed on alternate weeks, to give others chance to play without restriction: they all felt that this was fair.

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The pupils develop very good social skills, and have a very good understanding of the difference

22 A good example of the promotion of moral responsibility was provided when the headteacher asked a boy to explain why his behaviour in the playground was unacceptable. He did this with reference to the school's rules, and to the effects of his behaviour on others. All staff work in this way, with the result that pupils know from an early age that they must learn to take responsibility for the consequences of their actions.

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The leadership and management of the school are very good, and the school is very ably led by

the headteacher with the support of the governors and staff.

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The leadership and management of the school are very good, and the school is very ably led by

23 The headteacher provides skilled and dedicated leadership, creating a rich ethos for learning and shared endeavour with the full support of staff, pupils, governors and parents.

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The leadership and management of the school are very good, and the school is very ably led by

24 Since the last inspection he has made important and very effective changes to his own management style and organisation. This has led to much wider delegation of responsibilities to other key members of staff, with a consequent greater shared ownership of the overall running of the school. It has also freed him to increase his overall monitoring and evaluation of the work of the whole school, which has had a significant impact on pupils' standards of achievement, and on raising teachers' expectations of the pupils' potential. Through closer monitoring of teaching during initiatives such as the literacy and numeracy hours, he has also raised the profile of the quality of teaching.

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The leadership and management of the school are very good, and the school is very ably led by

25 Subject coordinators and key stage leaders are also more involved in monitoring and evaluating the work of the school, through scrutiny of their colleagues' planning, discussion, and work sampling across the classes. During discussions with the senior management team, subject coordinators, and with staff in their role as class teachers, it was clear that all staff value and contribute strongly to the overall management of the school, both strategically and on a day-to- day basis.

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The leadership and management of the school are very good, and the school is very ably led by

26 The governors are closely involved in the work of the school, and are knowledgeable about its progress and development. Recent appointments made by the governors have added further strength to an already strong teaching team. They rightly place great trust in the leadership skills of the headteacher, but also monitor the work of the school closely through a range of committees, and individually as named governor for different aspects of its work, such as literacy, numeracy and special educational needs.

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The leadership and management of the school are very good, and the school is very ably led by

27 The school's resources are used very well in the main to support pupils' learning. There are times, however, when the hall and the ICT suite are insufficiently used. Hollingworth Primary - 14 January 2000 Parents overwhelmingly support the school.

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The leadership and management of the school are very good, and the school is very ably led by

28 Both at the meeting held to hear their views about the school, and through the questionnaire, parents overwhelmingly support almost all that the school tries to do for their children. This support is soundly based in the very good experience the local community has had in recent years of using the school, and is clear in the relaxed but purposeful working relationships that exist between the staff, pupils, parents and the community.

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The leadership and management of the school are very good, and the school is very ably led by

29 The high quality of the parent-school partnership is founded in mutual respect, and in the trust built up over a number of years between the headteacher and other senior staff and members of the local community, including parents, grandparents and friends.

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The leadership and management of the school are very good, and the school is very ably led by

30 There were, however, some concerns expressed about the consistency of the setting of homework between classes, and the number of extra-curricular activities provided by the school for its pupils. Hollingworth Primary - 15 January 2000

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Teachers' expectations of the pupils' presentation of their work.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

31 There are three aspects to this. They are the expectations of pupils' handwriting, surprisingly different to the expectations of finish evident in the high quality work displayed across the school; the use of worksheets; and the use of marking to set the tone for high quality presentation.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

32 Handwriting is of variable quality throughout the school. There are examples in every class of very neat, controlled work, with letters accurately formed. There are also, however, many examples of slipshod work uncorrected by the teacher, and of poor habits of posture, pen and pencil grip, and general address to the writing task. Some of this is allied to the poor quality of some of the furniture available, particularly where it is of inappropriate size for the pupil.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

33 Worksheets are of mixed quality. There are many, both commercially and teacher-produced, which are of high quality, and support the pupils well in their learning. However, there are some produced commercially and by staff which are of poor quality, give wrong information, or are confusing. Others are apparently helpful, but actually restrict the pupils' opportunities to decide for themselves how to record their ideas, and illustrate their thinking. Also, pupils often develop poor habits, seeing the worksheet as rough work, so that they become careless in filling them in.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

34 There is guidance available for teachers' marking of pupils' work, and there are examples of thoughtful marking which prompts pupils to develop their thinking further. Much of the marking seen, however, whilst up-to-date in all cases, seldom referred to the quality of presentation of the pupils' work.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The consistency of the setting of homework across the school.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

35 Parents were concerned about this and it was explored thoroughly by the inspection team. There are very good examples of homework being set across the school which supports and extends pupils' learning, and which show a great deal of preparation on the part of the teacher. Work set for pupils in Year 3 illustrates this well.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

36 It should not be forgotten that reading is a strong component of homework in the school, particularly for the younger pupils, and this aids their progress well with the strong support of parents. The setting of homework is inconsistent, however, and parents are unsure in many cases quite what the school's expectations for them and their children are in this regard. Hollingworth Primary - 16 January 2000

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Key Issues for action

1 In order to raise teachers' expectations of the quality of pupils' presentation of their work, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

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Key Issues for action

a. reconsider the school's approach to the teaching of handwriting, the use of worksheets, and the marking of pupils' work; b. after due consideration, implement revised procedures to raise the standards of pupils' presentation.

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Key Issues for action

2 Consult with parents about homework provision, and agree a revised procedure to ensure that appropriate homework is set, taking account of pupils' ages and particular needs, with reference to recent national guidance on this issue. Hollingworth Primary - 17 January 2000

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 9

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0 35 55 10 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 22 255

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals NA 42 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 8 49

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 15

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8

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Attendance

National comparative data 6.7% National comparative data 0.5% Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Hollingworth Primary - 18 January 2000

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 19 17 36

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 14 16 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 16 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 83 (69) 89 (78) 94 (78) at NC level 2 or above National 82 83 87

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 16 18 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 17 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 89 (76) 97 (88) 92 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 82 86 87

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 19 16 35

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 15 17 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 13 11 12

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 80 (68) 80 (53) 83 (59) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (63) 69 (62) 78 (68)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 15 17 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 13 11

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 86 (49) 86 (55) 80 (54) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (63) 69 (64) 75 (69) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Hollingworth Primary - 19 January 2000

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

No of pupils None Fixed period Permanent

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group Other minority ethnic groups This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 11.6 Financial year 98/99

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR– Y6 Total expenditure 453120

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Expenditure per pupil 1607

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 108 Balance brought forward from previous year 28660

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 18020

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 35

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 11 FTE means full-time equivalent. Hollingworth Primary - 20 January 2000

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Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 49 46 5 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 38 56 0 0 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 32 41 19 4 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 32 59 6 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 53 46 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 50 47 0 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 26 60 10 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 42 50 4 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 50 46 0 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 19 42 21 4 14

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Percentage of responses in each category

Percentage of responses are rounded to the nearest integer, the sum may not = 100%

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