Holbeach Primary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 29 March 2023

Pupils enjoy attending this school. They talk about feeling safe and happy. Staff know pupils well. They have high expectations for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They pay close attention to pupils' well- being as well as their learning. Staff ensure that pupils are ready for next steps and secondary school. Pupils behave well. They are mostly attentive and focused on their learning. Pupils can define bullying. They say bullying does not happen often and that they would tell a teacher when it does. Pupils feel confident that staff will address any concerns they have. Children in the early years have positive relationships with staff. Adults help children to develop their confidence. Leaders have ensured that there are opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests. Pupils talk about gardening and cooking club. They take part in football club and animation club. Leaders have made sure that pupils visit places that are linked to what they study in their lessons. Pupils visit Burghley House, for example, and make connections to learning about poetry and fantasy literature about enchanted woodlands. Leaders have not yet checked whether all pupils who would benefit from taking part in clubs do so.

What the school should improve

• In some lessons, teachers do not adapt their teaching well enough to ensure that learning moves on when it is right to do so. This includes when teachers identify misconceptions. As a result, some pupils develop gaps in their understanding and some pupils are not helped to reflect on the most complex aspects of their learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers have the strategies they need to make the most of opportunities in lessons to effectively address misconceptions and help pupils engage in sophisticated thinking about the subjects they study.
• In some areas of the school's provision, leaders have not yet precisely evaluated the impact of their strategies for improvement. This is the case, for example, in relation to their work to promote pupils' wider development and to ensure that all pupils engage well in lessons. Consequently, leaders are not as clear as they should be on what is working well and what they need to do next. Leaders should ensure that they understand the effectiveness of their work to bring about further improvement across all aspects of the provision, so that they know what next steps they should take to maintain the school's development.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)