Hollywood Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve teaching and accelerate pupils’ progress in reading and writing by:
  • ensuring accurate assessment is used well by teachers when planning learning tasks for pupils
  • making sure pupils, especially the most able, are challenged as much as possible in lessons
  • using the well-honed teaching skills of senior leaders more to coach and effectively support teachers to improve their practice
  • strengthening the teaching of reading across the school so that pupils build on their phonics skills and develop their comprehension skills.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Senior leaders have a clear sense of purpose and shared vision based on wanting the best possible achievement for pupils. This vision is shared by governors and staff alike. It is central to the improvements which have taken place since the previous inspection.
• Senior leaders have high expectations of their staff and pupils. These high expectations show clearly in pupils’ good behaviour, the strong early years provision and the significant improvements made to teaching and learning in mathematics. The newly strengthened leadership team recognises that the previously good standards in English dipped in 2016. They also acknowledge that some unavoidable staff absence limited aspects of school improvement this year. Currently, some staff lack confidence with the school’s new assessment measures.
• The school’s leadership and management are now stronger than at the time of the previous inspection. The leadership provided by three newly appointed assistant headteachers means tighter checks are taking place on how well teaching is helping to improve pupils’ learning.
• Assistant headteachers are improving the quality of teaching by using their highly effective skills to coach their colleagues. In some year groups, teaching is rapidly improving pupils’ progress, for example in spelling. Leadership of mathematics, English and the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are all strong.
• Senior leaders have been successful in their work to improve pupils’ achievement in mathematics, which was identified as a key development point by the previous inspection. Pupils’ outcomes at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are now better than previously because of improved teaching in this subject.
• School leaders have sought support from local school partnerships. This support has given teachers many opportunities to learn from others in order to improve their own teaching. These opportunities have been welcomed by staff and are helping to improve pupils’ achievement, particularly in mathematics. The management of staff performance is effective.
• Pupils are well prepared for living in modern Britain. British values are taught through the half-termly focus placed on values for life. So that pupils could learn more about democracy in action, school leaders moved the timing of elections for the school council to coincide with local elections and, more recently, the general election. During the school council elections, pupils mirrored the events politicians were participating in nationally, such as electioneering and voting. Through these activities, they developed an understanding of the importance of the freedom to voice opinions and being involved in decision-making.
• The curriculum is rich and diverse. It is broad, well balanced, motivates pupils and stimulates learning. The curriculum is carefully pitched to match pupils’ interests. It has been adapted effectively to engage both boys and girls so as to reduce any differences between their progress and attainment. Many extra-curricular activities extend learning and improve pupils’ self-confidence and skills, such as the taekwondo club, which regularly meets after school.
• Pupil premium funding is used well to diminish differences between disadvantaged pupils and others nationally. In 2015, these differences reduced in reading, writing, mathematics and grammar, punctuation and spelling. The latest school performance information shows that, in a few year groups, disadvantaged pupils are making faster progress than their peers and catching up with non-disadvantaged pupils nationally. This is supported by what inspectors also saw in pupils’ books.
• The physical education and sports premium for primary schools is being used effectively to improve sports teaching in school. School leaders are always seeking different sports to excite pupils and increase their participation in those sports. A prime example of this is the sailing opportunities provided for older pupils. During the inspection, the well-coached school basketball team won a basketball tournament, after playing against other local schools in a tournament organised by the Kings Heath Sports Partnership.
• The resource base provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is led and managed effectively. The provision successfully enables pupils to integrate into the main school when they are judged to be ready to work in a mainstream class environment and able to make the most of school.

Governance of the school

• Following the previous inspection, an external review of governance was undertaken to address the identified weaknesses. This helped governors to learn more about the important role they play in school and inspired them to take decisive action to improve their effectiveness. They are now a strong, fully functioning strategic group committed to driving sustainable school improvement.
• Records of governing body meetings show that governors ask many challenging questions of school leaders about pupils’ progress. This helps governors to understand why some groups of pupils are not making as much progress as others. They make decisions about the deployment of resources to bring about improvement, with particular success in mathematics.
• The performance of staff is overseen appropriately by governors.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and fit for purpose. A robust and rigorous culture of safeguarding permeates school life.
• Leaders ensure that the necessary checks are made on staff before they are employed. Staff regularly undertake safeguarding training, receive regular updates and have a good understanding of what actions they should take if they have any concerns. School leaders and staff work closely with parents and a range of outside agencies to ensure vulnerable pupils are kept safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Variations in the use of assessment information mean teaching is more effective in some subjects and classes than in others. In mathematics, for example, standards are rising. However, in reading and writing, progress rates vary depending on the quality of teaching.

• A minority of teachers are not ambitious enough for their pupils. Some teachers do not use assessment information with sufficient care when planning learning tasks for pupils. This limits the amount of challenge for the most able pupils, while lower-ability pupils are sometimes given work which is too difficult for them to complete. This is not widespread, but it still happens too much.
• Occasionally, a little time is wasted in lessons when pupils are waiting to begin their learning activities. This slows the pace of learning for some pupils.

• Pupils are taught the skills of constructing and sounding out words well in many classes. Since 2013, the proportions of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check have been above the national figures, although the school’s results dipped to below average in 2016. Despite this largely positive picture, the teaching of reading does not build carefully enough on pupils’ skills. In some classes, teaching does not help pupils to read with understanding, and this hinders their learning. The teaching of mathematics, however, is stronger and leads to good progress.
• Teaching assistants are making an effective contribution to learning in classrooms when teaching small groups of pupils. Accurate identification of special educational needs enables staff to target individuals and groups of pupils for additional support in lessons or small groups.
• Resources are used well to support learning and fire pupils’ imagination, including the use of visual resources in the resource base provision. Displays around school are bright, colourful and well designed to support learning, while also celebrating some good-quality work produced by pupils across the school.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school's work to promote pupils' personal development and welfare is good.

• Staff in school have a caring, nurturing and inclusive approach to supporting pupils. This means their personal development and welfare needs are met effectively. This is particularly the case for pupils who attend the resource base provision. Parents explained to an inspector that they see this as a very positive side of school life and value it greatly.
• Pupils have a good knowledge of how to keep themselves safe in the wider community and particularly when using the internet. This is because of the high profile given to this important element of pupils’ education and development.
• Pupils report there is occasionally a little bullying in school, but it is usually dealt with to their satisfaction and inspectors agree. They went on to explain that sometimes adults could deal with incidents even more effectively. Leaders are aware of this and are taking action.
• The before- and after-school provision caters well for the needs of pupils who attend this. 

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Behaviour in the resource base provision is of a particularly high standard.

• Pupils are polite and well mannered. They hold doors open for others and confidently welcome visitors to their school.
• In the vast majority of lessons, pupils try hard and display positive attitudes, helping their learning to proceed with little disruption.
• Pupils attend school regularly. Pupils’ attendance is improving and is now above average. School staff work closely with the local authority to ensure attendance is given a high priority. The number of pupils who are regularly absent from school has been reduced well because of the strong focus placed upon being in school and learning.

• Home and school work together effectively to ensure regular attendance. The most recent overall attendance figure is in line with the national average and around a quarter of pupils had 100% attendance in the last academic year.
• In a small minority of lessons, boys do not engage fully, with some straying off-task, which slows their learning. 

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• From their individual starting points, pupils’ progress in reading and writing varies from one class to the next. In the main, this is due to some shortcomings in the way teachers use assessment information. On the other hand, achievement in mathematics has strengthened and pupils are now doing better in this subject than they were at the time of the previous inspection.
• At the end of Year 6 in 2016, pupils’ standards were lower in reading and mathematics than in writing because teaching was less strong in these subjects. The latest school performance information shows that this continues to be the case.
• The most able pupils’ progress in reading lags their progress in mathematics and writing. Current teaching does not always offer sufficient challenge to push them on further with their English skills.
• The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 dipped from 2015 to 2016 and was below average. In part, this was due to long-term staff absence that disrupted pupils’ progress and learning. Phonics teaching observed during this inspection was effective and other evidence indicates that such practice is typical.

• Throughout the school, assessment information shows that the progress made by disadvantaged pupils, including the most able, is stronger in mathematics and writing than in reading.
• School performance information shows pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making good rates of progress. Pupils attending the resource base provision also do well. 

Early years provision Good

• Early years is well led by an assistant headteacher with a clear vision of what children should be doing to progress well in their learning and development. Children get off to a flying start to their education at Hollywood because of this.
• From joining early years with knowledge and skills which vary from year to year, but overall are broadly typical for their age, children make good progress to the end of their year in the Reception class because of effective teaching. Teaching pays particular attention to the development of good learning habits, with a strong emphasis on speaking and listening skills, cooperation and perseverance.
• The proportions of children who are well prepared for learning in the next stage of their education in Year 1 have increased over time. Last year, nearly three quarters of children progressed well from their individual starting points to reach a good level of development.
• Children socialise nicely with each other; they take turns and clearly enjoy one another’s company. When in the indoor and outdoor learning areas, children get on well together. They behave well towards their peers and adults. 
• Disadvantaged children are making similar rates of progress to others because additional funding is spent well to support their learning. 
• Effective arrangements for children starting school help them to settle well into routines which are new to them.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective for children in the early years.
• The quality of teaching is good. Occasionally, the most able children in the early years are not challenged effectively and their progress, as a group, is not tracked as carefully as it could be.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 103314 Birmingham 10019999 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 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 428 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Steve Anderson Simon Dix 0121 675 7711 www.hollywoodprimaryschool.co.uk enquiry@hollywood.bham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 24–25 September 2014

Information about this school

• This is a larger than average-sized primary school.
• The majority of pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium funding is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have statements of special educational needs or education, health and care plans is above average.
• The school has a specialised autism spectrum disorder resource base provision on site, catering for 12 primary-aged pupils.
• The school met the government’s floor standards in 2015, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The school runs a breakfast club and after-school club for pupils.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in lessons and parts of lessons. Some of these were observed jointly with the headteacher, deputy headteacher or assistant headteacher for the early years.
• Meetings were held with senior leaders, school staff and two governors, including the chair of the governing body. The lead inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors held discussions with parents and groups of pupils. Inspectors spoke informally to pupils in lessons and during breaks and lunchtimes.
• Inspectors scrutinised the pupils’ work during lessons and work produced over time in a wide range of their books. They also listened to a small number of pupils from Year 1, Year 2 and Year 6 reading.
• Inspectors closely observed the work of the school and looked at the latest school performance information showing the progress pupils currently in school are making.
• Other documentation scrutinised included plans for school improvement, safeguarding information, behaviour logs, attendance records and minutes of governing body meetings.
• Inspectors took account of 78 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors considered 77 free text responses from parents and 43 responses to the staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

Declan McCauley, lead inspector Richard Kentish Sarah Ashley

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector