Holymead Primary School

Holymead Infant School Inspection report

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108975 Unique Reference Number Bristol, City of Local Authority 324872 Inspection number 8–9 July 2009 Inspection dates Christine Huard Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Infant Type of school Community School category 4–7 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 270 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mark Carew Chair Kathryn Slatcher Headteacher 3 May 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Hollywood Road School address Brislington Bristol BS4 4LE 01173 772381 Telephone number 01173 772382 Fax number

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4–7 Age group 8–9 July 2009 Inspection dates 324872 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Holymead Infant School, 8–9 July 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is an average-sized infant school on the outskirts of Bristol. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds and there are small, but increasing, proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and of those who are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is slightly below average, although the school has an average proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs. Most of these difficulties relate to speech, language and communication. The school provides for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage in its Reception classes. The school has achieved both Healthy Schools status and Activemark and the Green Flag Eco-award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Holymead Infant School, 8–9 July 2009

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. It provides an effective education for its pupils in an exciting and stimulating learning environment. The school is successful because the leadership and management are effective. The headteacher provides exceptional leadership and a clear direction for the school. Staff, governors and parents all subscribe to the school's aims and values which can be summed up in one key sentence from the aims, 'to develop the whole child, encouraging them to reach their full potential'. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. The following comment was typical of many: 'There is an inspirational headteacher with caring and motivated staff throughout the school.' Children get a good start in the Reception classes. The good progress they make continues through Years 1 and 2. By the end of Year 2, standards are broadly average and pupils' achievement is good. Actions taken to improve the quality of boys' writing and girls' mathematics

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Grade: 2

have generally been successful because the curriculum has been made more flexible and themes are now more closely related to pupils' own interests. However, in mathematics more able pupils are not always challenged sufficiently and do not have enough opportunities to practise the skills they have learned in the more challenging problem-solving tasks that they relish. Consequently, progress slows a little. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress because the support they receive both in class and in small groups is very well focused and successfully motivates them. The small, but increasing, proportion of pupils at an early stage of learning English make outstanding progress because of the exceptionally good support provided. Lessons are well structured and the animated responses and excitement generated in lessons illustrate how much pupils enjoy their learning. Pupils often bubble with enthusiasm.

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Grade: 2

Nevertheless, sometimes, teachers talk for too long at the start of lessons and this leaves less time for children to get on with their own activities. The school is always striving to improve the provision made for its pupils. The inspiring curriculum is based around creative and practical themes. The care and support provided for pupils, and their families, are excellent. Pupils receive outstanding support for both their personal and academic development and their efforts are valued and celebrated, particularly in the displays of outstanding artwork around the school. Teachers regularly give time to review pupils' learning with them, and all the pupils spoken to by inspectors both knew and understood their targets. Pupils are lively and responsive in class, and thoughtful and reflective in assembly. They understand how to care for each other and the playground is a safe and happy place. Pupils have an excellent understanding of the need to stay safe and the importance of a healthy

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Grade: 2

lifestyle. The eco-committee are committed to conservation and are, rightfully, extremely proud of their varied recycling projects. Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities in school and eagerly raise funds for national and international charities, such as an orphanage in India. They have instigated several improvements in school, such as designing a quiet area outside with an inspiring mural. Pupils' good competence in numeracy and literacy and their excellent personal and social skills provide a good preparation for their future lives. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Holymead Infant School, 8–9 July 2009

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Grade: 2

Children join the Reception class with skills below those expected for their age, particularly in writing and calculating. The exciting and stimulating provision ensures they make good progress and reach broadly average standards by the time they join Year 1. Children's personal, social and emotional development is outstanding, and the sensitive encouragement and guidance they receive helps them to become happy and independent learners. Children behave exceptionally well and learn to play with and help each other. Teaching is lively and stimulating and generally enables the children to learn effectively. The curriculum is exciting and provides activities across all the areas of learning. Role play areas, such as the vet's surgery and the police station, successfully motivate boys to write. There is a good balance between those activities led by the teacher and those that children choose for themselves. A wide range of

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Grade: 2

activities is provided in the outside area. The provision is led and managed well. Staff have a clear understanding of how well the provision meets children's needs and how it can be improved. The care and attention given to children's welfare are excellent. Children's progress is carefully monitored and recorded and their Learning Diaries are an excellent record of their time in Reception. However, parents do not currently have the opportunity to contribute to these so children's achievements at home are missing from this otherwise comprehensive record.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that more able pupils in mathematics are consistently provided with more challenging opportunities to apply the skills they have learned. ■ Keep the pace of lessons brisk so that pupils have sufficient time to be able to complete their tasks.

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Grade: 2

Standards are broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics. There has been a significant improvement since the last inspection in the pupils' knowledge and use of information and communication technology (ICT) and this is now above expectations. Performance in science, art and music is also above that expected and overall, pupils' achievement is good. The school is always seeking to improve pupils' learning further and to this end small focus groups or one-to-one help provide very good support. As a result, pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve well. The progress of pupils who are gifted or talented is monitored rigorously and great care is taken to ensure they too are fully challenged. More able pupils are not always sufficiently challenged in mathematics. The school is aware of this and has already initiated plans to remedy the situation.

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Grade: 1

The school is a happy and harmonious community where pupils thoroughly enjoy their learning and get on exceptionally well with each other. Relationships are extremely positive and behaviour is exemplary. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. They work together to respect the feelings of others and have a well developed sense of fair play. Pupils are highly safety conscious and have a well developed understanding of the importance of healthy eating and enjoy a wide range of physical activities. The school has achieved both 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Holymead Infant School, 8–9 July 2009 Healthy Schools status and Activemark. Pupils enjoy growing their own vegetables and make their own compost from recycled materials and appreciate the wonder of the natural world. The school has achieved the Green Flag Eco-award. Pupils have a strong social and community awareness and are keen fundraisers for charity. Their ability to work constructively with others

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Grade: 1

and their good attendance help them to be well prepared for the future.

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Grade: 2

Teachers are imaginative in their planning and make learning relevant and fun for pupils. Good subject knowledge gives them the confidence to be adventurous. Strong relationships and high expectations ensure that pupils behave very well and work hard. They are eager to learn because they find the teaching inspiring and exciting. Pupils respond to questions thoughtfully and are encouraged to explore and share ideas with their groups or partners. Teachers usually keep the pace of learning brisk but in a few lessons they talk for too long during the introduction to the lesson, thus shortening the time available for pupils to be able to carry out their own tasks. Marking is outstanding, and teachers give pupils regular opportunities to assess their own learning. Support staff offer good support to pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities so they make the same good progress as their classmates.

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Grade: 1

The excellent curriculum is designed to promote great enjoyment of learning and enables pupils to develop skills in all areas. Plans are already under way to further improve mathematics next year. As well as a strong focus on the development of numeracy and literacy skills, there is a strong emphasis on developing the creative arts and ensuring that the pupils have a really broad education. The school has worked particularly hard to develop ideas and strategies to motivate boys to write, and has been extremely successful in doing so. There is an excellent programme to promote pupils' personal and social education, and the wide variety of visits and visitors enable pupils to improve their understanding and skills. The school makes excellent use of its outside area and the eco-committee is full of ideas as to how this can be further developed. There is an excellent range of extra-curricular activities which excite pupils and

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Grade: 1

further enhance their learning experiences. Care is taken to ensure that pupils who are gifted and talented and those who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well provided for.

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Grade: 1

The quality of pastoral care is very high and stems from the constructive relationships that exist across the school. The supportive family atmosphere helps pupils to grow in confidence and to develop into well-rounded young citizens with good self-esteem. Parents are justifiably confident that their children are well looked after at school. Child protection and safeguarding procedures are robust and were fully in place at the time of the inspection. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are extremely well provided for, and very strong links are established with outside agencies to ensure that support is provided if this is required. As one parent wrote, 'The school has been fantastic in integrating our child, he has flourished.' Support for pupils' academic development is excellent. Pupils receive very well focused feedback, know 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Holymead Infant School, 8–9 July 2009

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Grade: 1

what they need to do to improve and are beginning to make informed evaluations of their own achievements.

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Grade: 2

The school's good leadership and management are characterised by shared values and a clear vision for further improvement. The excellent leadership of the headteacher is supported effectively by the leadership team and subject leaders. They analyse data carefully and identify where intervention, support or more challenge is required in order to meet pupils' needs. This is evident in the way plans are already in place to provide additional challenge for more able pupils in mathematics next year. Rigorous monitoring helps to ensure that the school continues to improve. All leaders monitor lessons relevant to their subjects. However, areas for development are not always sufficiently sharply identified which means that opportunities are missed to help teachers raise the quality of their teaching from good to outstanding. Targets for development are regularly set and reviewed. As a result, the school has a good picture of how well it is doing

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Grade: 2

and its self-evaluation is accurate. However, there is no complacency and the school's drive to improve further is illustrated by the good improvements made in boys' writing. The school has a good capacity to further improve. The governors monitor the work of the school closely and effectively. They promote community cohesion well but recognise that there is more to be done in establishing greater links nationally. Links with the community closer to home and abroad are strong and pupils have a good understanding of other faiths and cultures. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Holymead Infant School, 8–9 July 2009 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Holymead Infant School, 8–9 July 2009

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Holymead Infant School, 8–9 July 2009

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Holymead Infant School, 8–9 July 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Children Inspection of Holymead Infant School, Brislington BS4 4LE. Thank you for the very warm welcome you gave us when we visited your school. You certainly seem to be very happy and it was good to hear how you really enjoy your work and all the extra activities in which you are involved. Your school gives you a good education and is working hard to make it even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your behaviour is excellent and you are really keen and enthusiastic about your learning.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are doing well in English, mathematics and science, and in many other subjects as well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You take very seriously the importance of eating healthily at school and taking physical exercise. ■ Teachers make learning interesting and fun for you, and you know how to improve your work from marking and target setting. ■ You have an outstanding and varied curriculum and the special activities arranged to enhance it are excellent. Your work in art is stunning. ■ The teachers and staff take excellent care of you while you are in school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your headteacher and governors lead the school well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

So that you can do even better, we have asked your teachers to do two things:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Some of you who find learning in mathematics easier than others need to be given more challenging tasks to do. ■ We have asked that your teachers don't spend too long on the introduction to your lessons so that you have plenty of time to learn and discover for yourselves. I am glad you enjoy your school so much and hope you will continue to work hard. Very best wishes Mrs Christine Huard Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Holymead Infant School, 8–9 July 2009

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