Muswell Hill primary school rated “requires improvement” by Ofsted

Inspectors found that some parents do not send their children to school regularly enough and that some pupils were not sufficiently challenged

Hollickwood Primary School on Sydney Road received the rating after inspectors found that too many pupils do not achieve what they are capable of in writing in Key Stage 1, taken by children aged five to seven, and Key Stage 2, taken by children aged seven to 11.

They found that gaps between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and that of others remained too wide, particularly for children taking Key Stage 2.

Younger pupils are not systematically being taught spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is below average in reading, writing and mathematics.

Pupils who find work easy were not sufficiently challenged and too few pupils achieve the higher levels in both key stages.

Inspectors found that a small minority of parents do not send their children to school regularly enough.

Hugh Vivian, Hollickwood’s Headteacher, said: ”governors and school leaders welcome the report which is very much in line with our assessment of the school. We have new governors and a new leadership team in place and, while we understand the scale of the challenge, we are making considerable progress in all areas of the school; a fact that was recognised in the report. Our early years provision is already rated as “good,” as was behaviour and the safety and wellbeing of children.

“We are already on a trajectory to be at least “good” in all areas by the time Ofsted return in 2017. There is much to be proud of at Hollickwood and this result is a stepping stone on the way to Hollickwood becoming a very effective school in the near future.”