Hollybush Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 28 January 2025

Pupils enjoy school. They have positive and caring relationships with the adults who work with them. Pupils generally behave well in lessons. Staff help them to talk about their feelings. There are safe spaces to go to for pupils who feel upset. When staff talk to pupils about their behaviour, they do this in a calm and consistent way. Bullying is rare, but when it happens adults promptly act. Leaders have reviewed the curriculum. However, its delivery is inconsistent. The programmes of study are not always completed as intended. Sometimes, teachers do not check on pupils' understanding well enough. This means that pupils do not always make the connections they might between the different things they learn. This stops them from achieving as well as they could. Pupils enjoy roles of responsibility. These include being a reading buddy, play leader or a duck farmer. Pupils from a young age have a very strong understanding of how to keep themselves safe, both online and in the community. Children in the early years are happy in school. They are confident in their routines and access activities to support their physical and emotional development. Staff identify themes that engage and promote children's interests well.

What the school should improve

• The school has yet to identify the important content that pupils should learn to become confident and fluent readers. Consequently, some pupils do not build their reading knowledge and skills well enough. The school should make sure that the reading curriculum is well planned and sequenced, and that staff have the knowledge and skills to ensure all pupils can become confident and fluent readers.
• Teachers do not identify precisely what pupils have learned in some subjects. This means they do not always know when pupils are ready to move on to new learning. The school should make sure that all staff have the skills to check pupils' learning so that they identify pupils' misconceptions and address them effectively.
• The governing body does not always hold school leaders fully to account, for example by asking probing questions. They governing body should ensure that it has a rigorous and effective programme for checking the work of the school and therefore holding leaders fully to account for their actions.

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