Holmer Green First School and Pre-School

Overview

Holmer Green First School and Pre-School continues to be a good school, providing a creative and stimulating environment where pupils are encouraged to experiment and take risks. The report highlights that pupils enjoy practical tasks, show high levels of engagement, and possess a "real love for learning." Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum that is regularly refined, with a strong focus on reading and mathematics.

Strengths

• Pupils learn in a "creative and stimulating environment" and are encouraged to "experiment and take risks" through the school’s ‘NED’ mantra.
• Early years provide "strong foundations" with high expectations of behaviour and learning, enabling children to settle quickly.
• Reading is a priority, with a "consistent, structured approach" to phonics and swift action taken if pupils fall behind.
• Mathematics is taught well, with pupils developing confidence in using "correct mathematical language" for complex problem-solving.
• Behaviour is "almost always impeccable," and bullying is "extremely rare" due to leaders’ focus on building trust and strong relationships.

Areas to improve

• In some foundation subjects, leaders have not identified precisely the key knowledge pupils need to know and remember, preventing some from building upon their knowledge over time.
• Leaders need to continue developing the curriculum to clearly set out the order in which pupils should learn essential knowledge across all subjects.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with a strong culture where safeguarding is "everybody’s responsibility" and all staff are trained in child protection.