Holbrook Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that there is a consistent approach to the teaching of reading across the school so that:
  • pupils, particularly in key stage 2, achieve as well as they are able
  • teachers provide pupils with regular opportunities to widen their reading experience
  • pupils, particularly in upper key stage 2, regularly and for sustained periods of time, read texts that challenge their thinking.
• Strengthen leadership and management further by:
  • ensuring that leaders at all levels regularly and rigorously monitor the impact of actions they have taken to improve pupils’ outcomes
  • ensuring that leaders check the accuracy of teachers’ assessments and use assessment information well to identify emerging priorities and plan actions that are to be taken
  • developing the role of leaders new to their posts so that they fully understand the part they play in whole-school improvement, and thus have greater impact on pupils’ outcomes
  • ensuring that the wide range of actions that the school takes to safeguard pupils is carefully recorded to give a clearer overview, and regularly monitored.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The school has undergone many changes in leadership since the previous inspection. The headteacher has not always had other senior leaders during this time. Regardless of this, the strong leadership of the headteacher has ensured that the school continues to provide a good standard of education.
• Since January, a full leadership team has been in place which has ensured that roles and responsibilities are beginning to be more evenly distributed across the school. Although these new leaders have not yet had time to evidence the impact of their actions, they are keen, able and have hit the ground running. They are aware of what needs to be done and where they still need to develop as individuals and as a cohesive leadership team; for example, in the monitoring of their areas of responsibility so that the school can not only celebrate its successes but also accurately highlight emerging priorities.
• Middle leaders are clear about the action they need to take to strengthen teaching in their areas of responsibility. For example, in physical education, teachers have had additional support to ensure that they are able to teach a wide variety of activities and skills. Likewise, teachers’ and pupils’ skills and expertise in information and communication technology (ICT) have been developed considerably, resulting in the school successfully taking part in competitions with other countries.
• The headteacher, now supported by the special educational needs coordinator, carefully evaluates how to make the best use of additional funding to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Consequently, these pupils make progress similar to and sometimes better than their classmates.
• Leaders’ use of the pupil premium funding is effective. Disadvantaged pupils receive well-targeted support during lessons or in additional, small-group teaching sessions. Frequently, individual pupils are highlighted for specific support in, for example, music, additional enrichment visits or specialised external support. As a consequence, the majority of these pupils attain well over time and make similar rates of progress to other pupils nationally.
• The lead for physical education has ensured that the primary sport funding is spent exceptionally well. Pupils love the extensive range of physical activities which are offered. From tennis, to cross country, to dinghy sailing at Alton Water. The reception area is overflowing with trophies that pupils have won, and of which they are rightly proud. Such experiences as a visiting Olympic athlete ensure pupils’ continued interest not just in sport but also in healthy eating, perseverance and the taste of success.
• The vast majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, are pleased with the school and what it continues to offer their children. Those parents that inspectors spoke to before school were effusive in their praise of the teachers and leaders of the school. One said, ‘Holbrook is a fantastic school that offers my child a fabulous array of academic and extra-curricular activities.’
• The school’s assessment system is still developing. Teachers accurately make assessments during lessons which inform their daily planning and help with giving an overview every half-term. However, not enough has been done to check on the accuracy of teachers’ assessments, particularly of pupils’ progress. Leaders are aware that this is an area that still needs to be developed. They recognise that this information must give them an accurate view of the school and must be better used to quickly identify priorities and improve all pupils’ outcomes.
• Pupils spoke about their learning in different topics and subjects. They clearly all enjoy sport and readily take part in enrichment activities like residential and school trips. Pupils’ work in a variety of subjects that is displayed around the school is of high quality.
• The science, ICT, geography and history curriculum is crammed with exciting opportunities. Leaders take every opportunity to widen the experiences of pupils. For example, a visiting artist worked with pupils who are learning about the First World War to make beautiful ceramic poppies. Selected pupils presented at the Principia Conference which celebrated the school’s work on crafting 3D printable objects and where they met Tim Peake. One pupil said, ‘It was amazing to meet Tim Peake. The guy is a bit of a hero. He remembered our school project and said it was inspiring.’ Pupils are regularly taught French by a specialist. Inspectors saw pupils as young as Year 3 confidently speaking in French, responding to questions posed in French and fully engaged with the lesson. A trip to France was clearly a success, with pupils enjoying French food and observing the paintings of Claude Monet.
• Pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural aspects of learning are strongly promoted through the varied curriculum. Pupils learn about British values and what it is like to be a part of their local and national communities. Through visits, for example, to local places of worship, pupils learn about difference, respect and tolerance. ‘If we were all the same it would be boring’, said one very young pupil.

Governance of the school

• Governors, including those who are new to the role, continue to play a key role in ensuring that the school maintains a good quality of education. They bring a range of skills, knowledge and experience to their roles and are committed to improving the school even further.
• The governing body has a good understanding of the quality of teaching throughout the school and how this impacts on pupils’ outcomes. They are also aware of how well disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are progressing. As a result, governors are able to provide effective support and challenge.
• Governors attend training regularly to ensure that they are up to date on current safeguarding guidance. They have put in place systems to monitor, for example, the checks leaders do on the suitability of staff to work with children. However, they have not always been rigorous in their monitoring of the school’s vigilance in promoting pupils’ welfare and safety.
• Forward-thinking and proactive governance has overseen a change to the structure of the school’s leadership to ensure that roles and responsibilities are becoming more evenly distributed across the school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders have ensured that all appropriate checks are done on the suitability of staff to work with children. Systems are well maintained by the school’s bursar and checked regularly by leaders and governors.
• Leaders and staff are aware of what is needed to ensure that pupils are safe and secure in school. The headteacher has, until very recently, had sole responsibility for recording safeguarding concerns. This has led to some lapses in the full and comprehensive recording and collation of actions taken. The safeguarding governor and headteacher have ensured that the information is now in one file. Systems are now not over-reliant on the headteacher’s presence, as senior staff have been employed who are qualified to deputise in her absence.
• The headteacher has ensured that staff are clear about how to identify pupils who may be at risk from abuse. This includes regular training on radicalisation or abuse that occurs online. Staff understand what to do if they have a concern and follow the school procedures correctly. Leaders seek guidance and support from external agencies where necessary. This means that vulnerable pupils quickly receive the help and protection they need.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment, over time, is good.
• Teachers use ongoing assessment information, gleaned during lessons, to plan learning that is at the right level for the majority of pupils, including the most able. Most adults skilfully question pupils to explore and challenge their understanding. Where this practice is highly effective, pupils select harder activities, keenly explain their learning and respond well to additional guidance in their books.
• Teaching is particularly effective in upper key stage 2. This is because teachers have high expectations and provide pupils with precise, detailed guidance so that pupils know how to be successful.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve well. This is because the lead with responsibility for this area of the school’s work knows all of the pupils very well. Despite the very short time that she has had since returning from maternity leave, she has developed very effective relationships both with external agencies and with parents. Use of support staff is very well developed and ensures that pupils make the best progress they can and that pupils’ needs are very well met.
• In mathematics, teachers make sure that pupils have frequent opportunities to master and apply their calculation and problem-solving skills. Inspectors saw pupils grappling with algebra, unrelated fractions and areas of quadrilaterals. All pupils have a ‘can-do’ attitude to mathematics and methodically work through their calculations. Most eloquently explain their thinking and answer the familiar ‘why do you think that is so?’ questions that teachers pose.
• The teaching of phonics is very effective. From the very youngest children to those in key stage 2 who may still be in the early stages of reading, phonics skills are used well to read unfamiliar words.
• There is not a consistent approach to the teaching of reading across the school. The school’s policy is to ensure that guided reading takes place at least three times a week. However, how these sessions develop pupils’ love of reading, widens the experiences they have of reading, or extends their understanding of what makes a book interesting to the reader is not yet consistent. In the best practice, pupils are asked appropriate questions to extend their learning and capture pupils’ interest. However, too many activities seen during the inspection did little to enhance pupils’ reading experience. This is particularly so for those who are able readers and who say they would like more challenge and more opportunity to go to the school library.
• Teachers give many opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills in different areas of the curriculum. Many displays inside and outside the classroom are testament to the high expectations that teachers have of pupils’ writing. The majority of pupils make the progress the school expects of them. However, with more emphasis on reading, pupils would undoubtedly use more of the skills they observe in their writing. One pupil, for example, said that she really liked the adventure and unexpected scenes in Harry Potter books. When asked if she uses this in her writing, she said, ‘No, I hadn’t really thought of it like that!’

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The school has a calm and friendly atmosphere. Pupils appreciate how this helps them to learn well in their ‘exciting school’.
• In lessons, pupils encourage each other with their learning. They share their ideas enthusiastically in most classes and listen carefully to each other and adults.
• Staff are skilled in identifying and meeting pupils’ emotional and social needs. Teachers and leaders know all of the pupils very well. Pupils, therefore, are confident that adults will help them if they are worried. Consequently, pupils feel safe and are very keen to come to school.
• Pupils say that bullying is rare. They know bullying is ‘Something that someone does that is repetitive and mean’ and understand the various forms that bullying can take. They say that adults take bullying seriously and largely deal with any concerns quickly. This matches the school’s records of incidents and actions taken. Although a minority of parents and pupils expressed some concern about bullying in school, inspectors saw no evidence to support this.
• Pupils are keen to take part in and are very proud of their sporting achievements in particular, which are many and often. However, enthusiasm for their learning in reading, writing and mathematics is not always as evident in some classes.
• Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in school and when using computers or mobile phones. For example, pupils could explain the importance of not sharing personal details when they are online. The school also ensures that road safety is taught through such events as ‘Bright Sparks Day’.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good
• Leaders, staff and pupils share high expectations for behaviour. Leaders ensure that all staff understand and follow the behaviour policy and follow it consistently. Consequently, the vast majority of pupils are able to manage their own behaviour, both during lessons and around the school.
• Pupils say that their learning is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour and that teachers generally deal with it quickly and fairly. This matches the behaviour observed by inspectors.
• In the playground, pupils get along and play together well. Pupils say that Holbrook ‘is a friendly and fun’ place to be. They enjoy coming to school and seeing their friends.
• Parents appreciate the work of staff to ensure that pupils behave well in school. They are supportive of the systems to manage behaviour and welcome the information slips that teachers provide them with should there ever be any concerns. One parent said, ‘The school has a great sense of community and the children seem very happy.’
• Overall, pupils’ attendance in 2016 was above the national average. Leaders take effective action to identify any pupils whose attendance falls below that expected. Last term, attendance was once again above the national average, with very few pupils falling below average.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• From their different starting points, the majority of pupils are making good progress in writing and mathematics. However, pupils’ progress in reading is not as rapid. Leaders are beginning to take effective action to tackle this area of improvement.
• Most disadvantaged pupils make good progress from their individual starting points. At the end of key stage 2 in 2016, the majority of this small group of pupils made at least expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics, and attained above the national average in mathematics, but less so in reading and writing. There were too few disadvantaged pupils in key stage 1 to comment on their achievement in 2016.
• In 2016 a greater proportion of pupils achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics than is the case nationally. This mirrors the picture for the school for the previous two years. This means that they are well prepared for the next stage in their education.
• Pupils at the end of key stage 1 have historically achieved above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. In 2016, attainment in reading and mathematics was broadly in line with the national average, although writing dipped below. The proportion of pupils achieving greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics was above the national average.
• Good-quality phonics teaching has ensured that an above-average proportion of Year 1 pupils meet the required standard in the phonics screening check. This has been the case for the last three years.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make progress that is at least in line with that of their classmates This is because leaders and staff have high expectations for what these pupils can achieve and plan very carefully to meet their needs.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Outstanding leadership and management have secured outstanding outcomes for the vast majority of children in almost all areas of learning.
• The Reception class teacher knows the children exceptionally well. He has ensured that the teaching and support that children receive from the early years staff is highly responsive to children’s needs and interests. The early years team works closely with parents and, as a result, children thrive. As one parent said, ‘We couldn’t ask for a better start to school life!’ Inspectors wholly concur with this statement.
• The majority of children enter the early years with levels of development that are largely typical for their age. All children, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are disadvantaged, and those who are most able, make at least expected progress and a large majority make good progress from their varying starting points. Children are therefore very well prepared for Year 1.
• Children settle quickly into Reception and play well together and independently. They show curiosity and imagination, and sustained interest in the activities they either choose or are directed to by staff. This is because adults talk to children about what they are learning and extend their learning with appropriate questions. Learning is planned to incorporate children’s interests and builds very effectively on what children already know.
• Adults use every opportunity to check on children’s learning and record meticulously progress and any gaps that are emerging. Learning journals accurately chart individuals’ achievement and demonstrate perfectly the extensive and wide range of activities that children are offered inside and outside the classroom to develop their learning.
• The early years environment is bright, highly stimulating and very well organised across all areas of the curriculum. The thematic approach to learning is developed well. Children learning about chicks and eggs excitedly explained that ‘The chicks are in the incubator to keep them warm so they can hatch.’ Children made ‘hatching eggs’ from card, showing their well-developed cutting and colouring-in skills; they cooked ‘scrambled egg’ in the mud kitchen; they build ‘chicks’ nests’ in the playground, counting up to 13 bricks they had used. It was a pleasure to see children really enjoying the activities and listen to them keenly and eloquently explain what they were doing.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 124588 Suffolk 10023451 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 165 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Dan Saulter Annie Hookway 01473 328225 www.holbrook-pri.suffolk.sch.uk Info@holbrook-pri.suffolk.sch.uk Date of previous inspection May 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school meets the government’s floor standards for the minimum that pupils should achieve by the time they leave the school at the end of Year 6.
• Holbrook is a predominantly White British, smaller than average primary school which attracts a growing number of pupils from outside its catchment area.
• A growing proportion of pupils join the school at times other than the start of the academic year, and at different points throughout key stage 2.
• The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average, as is the proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed 18 lessons, some of which were joint observations with the headteacher or deputy headteachers. In addition, inspectors made a number of shorter visits to lessons.
• Inspectors heard some pupils read from across the school, including some most-able pupils.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher and senior leaders, the lead for early years, the special educational needs coordinator, a group of governors, including the chair and vice-chair, and a group of pupils from across the school.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of evidence, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, the systems to track pupils’ progress, policies and records relating to behaviour and attendance. They also looked at records of the monitoring of teaching by the headteacher, performance management information, safeguarding documentation and samples of pupils’ work in their books.
• The Parent View online survey responses of 49 parents was taken into account together with the views of those who spoke to inspectors during the school day and those who responded by text.
• Seven responses from the staff survey were also recorded, as were those of 44 pupils.
• Inspectors spoke informally to pupils during lessons and looked at the work in their books.

Inspection team

Ruth Brock, lead inspector Kate Moore Liz Chaplin Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector