Holbrook Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve boys’ progress in writing.
• Ensure that teaching consistently provides sufficient challenge for the most able pupils, so they make as much progress as possible.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The pace of improvement in the school has accelerated in the past two years as developments in teaching and leadership have taken effect. As a result, the quality of pupils’ learning has improved considerably across the school and standards are rising.
• Leaders and staff are understandably pleased with their success in improving the quality of teaching and learning. They are ambitious for the school’s future and look forward to securing further developments in the school’s work. Their confidence is reflected in the school’s positive, upbeat and hard-working atmosphere.
• Leaders have strengthened leadership substantially since the previous inspection. They have reviewed and clarified leaders’ roles and have established a well-defined leadership structure. As a result, senior leaders, phase leaders and subject leaders are very clear about their responsibilities. They work well together and with other members of staff to ensure a whole-school focus on development priorities.
• Leaders have established rigorous and reliable procedures for checking pupils’ progress. This ensures that leaders and teachers have an accurate view of how well individuals and groups of pupils are learning. They use this information effectively to make adjustments to teaching and to prioritise staff training and development needs.
• Phase leaders provide a valuable link between senior leaders, subject leaders and teachers. They play a key role in monitoring the implementation of developments and in gauging the difference that these make to pupils’ learning.
• The school’s values, consistent with British values, are promoted effectively throughout school life. For example, during the inspection, pupils made thoughtful comments in an assembly about the importance of being kind to one other in the playground and about doing their best in school.
• The school’s broad and balanced curriculum contributes well to pupils’ learning. Trips and special events capture pupils’ interest and motivate them to find out more. The school provides plenty of opportunities for pupils to participate in clubs and competitions. An increase in the number of pupils participating in sport outside school hours illustrates the school’s success in encouraging pupils to be active.
• Leaders use additional funds effectively to support pupils’ learning, including pupil premium and special educational needs funding. For example, leaders use funds to provide specialist help where appropriate to support pupils’ personal and academic progress. The inclusion leader makes sure that staff are knowledgeable about pupils’ specific needs and keeps a close check on how well pupils are learning.
• The school’s use of physical education funding has been used well to strengthen teachers’ confidence in teaching sports such as gymnastics.
• Leaders have successfully worked alongside teachers to raise expectations and to provide greater challenge for pupils of all abilities. They have rightly identified, however, that further developments in teaching are now needed to ensure that boys achieve as well as they should in writing and to deepen learning for the most able pupils.

Governance of the school

• Governors play a more effective role in supporting and challenging leaders than at the time of the previous inspection. They are clearer about their roles and responsibilities in holding leaders to account and are knowledgeable about the school’s work.
• Governors have an accurate view of the school’s performance in relation to other schools nationally and understand the priorities for improvement in the school’s work. They make good use of activities, such as meetings with leaders, teachers and pupils, to inform their view of the school’s work.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders make good use of training to ensure that staff and governors are knowledgeable about safety procedures. They work constructively with parents and carers and agencies, including the police and children’s services, to ensure pupils’ safety.
• Leaders review and update systems regularly in response to national developments and parents’ feedback. For example, they recently strengthened procedures to inform parents of any incidents of children bumping heads in school.
• Records are well maintained and stored securely. This ensures that leaders can keep track of pupils’ welfare over time and can access information quickly whenever necessary.
• Staff and governors know what to do if they, or anyone else, are worried about a pupil’s welfare. School records indicate that leaders act promptly and appropriately to address any concerns raised.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour. They plan interesting work which builds well on previous learning. As a result, pupils make strong progress in developing the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in the next stage of their education.
• Developments in the teaching of phonics during the past year have improved pupils’ early reading skills. Teachers are confident about teaching phonics skills and do so effectively.
• Teachers make good use of practical equipment, such as cubes, counters and number lines, to improve pupils’ mathematical understanding. They give pupils regular opportunities to tackle number problems so that pupils become confident mathematicians.
• During the past year, teachers have made good use of training and specialist advice to improve the teaching of writing. As a result, pupils’ progress has accelerated in all year groups. Teachers are now focusing on making sure that boys and girls make equally strong progress.
• Teachers use questioning well during lessons to check pupils’ understanding. They are alert to pupils’ needs and make adjustments to activities wherever necessary to support pupils’ learning. However, teaching over time does not ensure that the most able pupils always make as much progress as they could.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils enjoy school and take pride in their work. Above-average attendance rates reflect pupils’ positive attitudes to learning. Almost all parents who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, say that their children are happy in school.
• Pupils feel safe and secure in school. They have a sensible view of everyday risks, such as using the internet, and have a good understanding of what they can do to stay safe. For example, they know that all visitors in school should be wearing a visitors’ badge and say that they would talk to their teacher if they had any concerns. Pupils say that adults are always there to support them if they have any problems.
• Pupils say that bullying is rare and quickly sorted out by their teachers. School records and discussions with parents and staff support this positive view. Most parents who completed Parent View feel that pupils are safe in school.
• Pupils in Year 6 provide strong role models for others and carry out their responsibilities maturely. For example, during the inspection they spoke kindly to the younger pupils while helping adults to supervise behaviour in the corridors during lunchtime.
• Pupils are keen to do well and happily get on with the work set by their teachers. However, some pupils lack the confidence and determination needed to have a go at more demanding activities.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils move between classrooms quickly and quietly. They speak politely to adults and to each other and respond promptly to adults’ instructions.
• Pupils behave sensibly in the dining hall. They enjoy chatting to their friends while eating lunch and get on very well together.
• Most parents who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire feel that pupils are well behaved.
• Most pupils behave well during lessons. They listen carefully to their teacher and to their classmates. At times, however, some pupils lose focus and complete less work than they should as a result.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Developments in teaching in the past two years have strengthened pupils’ progress across the school. Pupils make rapid progress in a range of subjects, including English and mathematics, and standards are rising in all year groups.
• Pupils make particularly strong progress in reading and achieve well by the end of Year 6. Pupils of all abilities enjoy reading and develop a keen interest in books.
• Changes in the teaching of phonics during the past year have improved pupils’ progress in the development of early reading skills. More pupils are on track to achieve expected results in the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2018 than in previous years.
• Pupils develop a secure knowledge of number in mathematics. They learn how to use a range of strategies and approaches to solve mathematical problems successfully. Pupils record their calculations carefully. This enables them to keep track of their workings and to spot and correct errors quickly.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have made better progress in the past year as the result of effective teaching and leadership.
• The small number of disadvantaged pupils in each year group make similar progress to their classmates.
• Pupils learn how to write effectively for a wide range of different purposes and audiences. For example, pupils record their scientific thinking clearly when completing experiments in science; write engaging biographies of historical characters in history; and use vocabulary with increasing effect to convey meaning and atmosphere in fictional writing. However, while pupils learn well in writing, boys make slower progress than girls and do not always achieve as well as they should.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 increased in 2017 and was above the national average. However, while the most able pupils achieve well, they could make even better progress.

Early years provision Good

• Children are active, interested and busy learners. They are clearly proud of their achievements. For example, many were keen to show visitors their work during the inspection.
• The early years leader has strengthened the quality of teaching and learning in early years since the previous inspection. She has increased adults’ expectations of children’s learning and has developed adults’ confidence in teaching literacy and numeracy.
• Effective teaching during early years ensures that children are well prepared for the next stage of their learning in Year 1. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development has increased substantially since the previous inspection and was higher than the national average in 2016 and 2017.
• The early years leader has updated the teaching of phonics in the Reception classes during the last few months. Observations in lessons during the inspection illustrated children’s enthusiasm for the new approach. Children talked with excitement about the phonics that they had been learning and about what they would be learning next.
• Adults use questioning skilfully. For example, during the inspection, adults used questioning very well to explore and develop children’s understanding of volume, measurement and vocabulary while they played with jugs and beakers in the water tray.
• Adults take good care of children. Strong relationships ensure that children feel safe and secure. Children enjoy school and behave very well.
• Adults keep a regular check on children’s progress. They adjust teaching and activities well to support children’s needs. However, as with other year groups, teaching over time does not deepen learning for the most able children fully enough.
• In the past year, leaders have extended opportunities for children to write throughout the early years areas, including the outdoor area, so that children practise writing skills regularly. As a result, children’s progress in writing has improved and most make strong progress. However, leaders have accurately identified that boys make slower progress in writing than girls. They have suitable plans in place to strengthen this aspect of the school’s work.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 125965 West Sussex 10040711 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 4–11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 419 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Carol Davies Ian Holmes 01403 272500 www.holbrookschool.co.uk office@holbrookprimaryschool.com Date of previous inspection 26–27 June 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is much lower than that found in most primary schools.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• Most pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.
• The school has a privately run breakfast club and after-school club, which are inspected separately.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection team observed pupils’ learning in 26 lessons, including seven completed with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.
• Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, phase leaders and subject leaders, the bursar and a representative of the local authority. They also met with three governors, including the chair of the governing body.
• Inspectors took account of 112 responses to Parent View, as well as considering the views expressed by parents informally during the school day. They also considered 31 responses to the staff questionnaire.
• Inspectors observed the school’s work and considered a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation documents, safeguarding policies, the school improvement plan and information about pupils’ progress and attendance.
• Inspectors reviewed a sample of pupils’ work provided by the school, as well as looking at pupils’ work in lessons. They listened to pupils in Years 2 and 6 reading.

Inspection team

Julie Sackett, lead inspector Andrew Hogarth Dorota Milner

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Osted Inspector