Holbrook Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 June 2026

Pupils enjoy attending this small, friendly school. They study a broad range of subjects, including technology, music and art. Many pupils enjoy their lessons and like learning new information. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) generally benefit from appropriate help. This enables many of them to access the curriculum successfully. Pupils who join the school needing extra help to transition to secondary education are typically well supported to make secure progress over time. However, pupils' experiences in lessons is too variable. Often pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to address gaps in their knowledge or to deepen their understanding. Teachers' expectations of what pupils should know and do are not consistently high enough. As a result, over time, too many pupils do not achieve well including in national examinations. Pupils are included well in school life. They have access to a wide range of enrichment opportunities which they enjoy. They like the different clubs such as netball and art. Pupils develop positive friendships with their peers. They trust the staff and feel welcomed in school. Pupils are typically friendly and polite. They benefit from opportunities to develop their confidence, such as through leadership roles. There is a warm and friendly culture at Holbrook Academy. Pupils attend well. They receive extra help to come to school if they are struggling to attend. Pupils generally behave well both in lessons and during social time. Some pupils receive extra help to manage their emotions. This reduces barriers to their learning and ensures that lessons are rarely disrupted. Pupils feel safe in school. They know they are well looked after and cared for. Lunch and break times are positive experiences. Pupils like to take part in different activities. They enjoy spending time with their friends. Bullying is rare and dealt with effectively.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should improve the precision with which they identify underlying causes of pupils' underachievement so that actions lead to pupils making consistently secure progress through the curriculum.
• Leaders should ensure that professional development is sharply aligned to improving teaching, and evaluate its impact through consistent improvements in pupils' achievement across all subjects and year groups.
• Leaders should establish and implement a coherent approach to assessment so that assessment information is used effectively to inform teaching, address pupils' misconceptions and improve pupils' academic outcomes, including in national examinations.
• Leaders should strengthen pupils' understanding of the protected characteristics so that inappropriate comments, including those relating to race, gender and appearance, are challenged and reported and become uncommon for pupils to experience.

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