Hollycombe Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 January 2024

The Hollycombe Primary School's sports motto, 'small but mighty', reflects the entire school experience. There are high expectations for all pupils. The staff community is deeply invested in providing high-quality learning opportunities, as well as developing pupils' appreciation and understanding of life beyond the school gates. As one parent said, 'My child has thrived in their care, helping them to grow with confidence and develop their thirst for learning.' Pupils find joy in what they are learning about. They benefit from calm and purposeful learning environments and behave well. As a result, they talk passionately about what they learn in lessons and how this is complemented by assemblies and experiences during clubs and trips. In particular, arts and sports are highly valued across the school as a form of cultural and character enrichment. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. There are high ambitions for all pupils to explore a wide range of opportunities to nurture their holistic development. There is a broad range of clubs on offer for all pupils to attend, including gymnastics, choir and cartoon club. Pupils value these opportunities to develop and extend their interests. As a result, after school is a hive of bustling activity.

What the school should improve

• The curriculum in a few foundation subjects needs refining. Consequently, in some subjects, the knowledge that the school intends pupils to know and remember is not yet well matched to what is assessed. The school should continue with its work to make precise identification of the key content that pupils will learn. The school should check how well pupils have learned and remembered the essential knowledge and skills and use this information to inform future teaching.
• The school is continuing to support some pupils who do not attend school regularly. These pupils do not benefit from the curriculum and wider opportunities that are planned for them. The school needs to ensure that the actions taken to improve attendance are carefully evaluated and that adjustments are made when actions are not leading to sustained and desired improvements.

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