Holyhead Primary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 April 2026

Pupils are proud to belong to Holyhead Primary Academy and speak positively about the school's values of 'Excite, Explore and Excel'. They arrive each morning eager to learn and are greeted warmly by staff, who know them well. This consistent welcome helps pupils to feel safe, settled and valued. Pupils describe a strong sense of belonging and positive relationships are evident between pupils and adults across the school. Pupils enjoy learning and show positive attitudes in lessons. They typically achieve in line with other pupils nationally and are prepared well for the next stage of their education. In many subjects, pupils can typically explain what they have learned and make links with prior learning. However, teaching does not consistently address errors in pupils' basic knowledge and skills, including reading, handwriting and spelling. As a result, some pupils develop inaccuracies in their knowledge and skills that persist and limit how securely they build new learning. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They understand the school's expectations and follow routines consistently. This begins in the early years, where children learn to manage their behaviour and cooperate with others. Consequently, the school is calm and purposeful. Pupils are polite, kind and considerate. They say that bullying is rare. Pupils are confident that staff will listen to them and act quickly when concerns arise. Staff are ambitious for all pupils. They identify barriers to learning early and work closely with families to provide effective support. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may be disadvantaged. As a result, pupils attend regularly and engage positively with school life. Pupils value the range of wider opportunities on offer. These include clubs, educational visits and leadership roles, such as school councillors and reading leaders. Pupils take pride in these opportunities. These experiences help pupils develop confidence and responsibility and prepare them well for life in modern Britain.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that staff identify and address pupils' knowledge gaps and misconceptions routinely and swiftly so that errors are not repeated and pupils can progress through the curriculum unimpeded.
• Leaders should ensure that the school's approach to teaching reading, handwriting and spelling are implemented effectively and enable pupils to quickly secure the foundational knowledge and skills that they need for future success.

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