Hollyfield Primary School

Overview

Hollyfield Primary School continues to be a good school, where leaders are "ambitious for all pupils" and committed to ensuring every child achieves well. Pupils are described as happy, safe, and respectful, with a strong emphasis on reading and broadening interests through trips and clubs. However, the report highlights that irregular attendance disrupts learning and that assessment systems in some subjects are not yet fully embedded.

Strengths

• Leaders have created an "ambitious curriculum" with high expectations, ensuring pupils possess the necessary knowledge and vocabulary to succeed.
• Reading is prioritised effectively; phonics is taught well, books are carefully matched to pupils’ abilities, and those falling behind are "swiftly identified and supported."
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities access the same curriculum as others and "achieve well" with effective staff support.
• The school fosters a positive culture where bullying incidents are rare and "nipped in the bud," and pupils learn to respect differences in faith and culture.
• Early years children settle well into established routines and develop early language and number skills effectively.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should strengthen the monitoring of attendance and punctuality, as irregular attendance disrupts learning and impacts achievement.
• In the early years, staff planning for the wider curriculum is not always clear enough, leaving some children uncertain about expectations when working independently.
• Leaders must establish robust assessment systems for foundation subjects to systematically monitor pupil progress across the entire curriculum.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders prioritising pupil welfare, ensuring staff receive regular training, and recording concerns such as neglect swiftly.