Holton Primary School in the town of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan. There are 425 pupils on roll aged from 3 to 11 years, including 45 who attend part-time in the nursery. The school organises its pupils into 14 single-age classes, plus the nursery. Around 26% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average of 18%. The school identifies about 21% of pupils as having special educational needs. This is in line with national average. A few pupils come from an ethnic minority background or have English as an additional language. A very few pupils speak Welsh at home. The headteacher took up her post in November 2017. The school’s previous inspection was in September 2013. Further information is available from the Welsh Government My Local School website at the link below. http://mylocalschool.wales.gov.uk/Schools/SchoolSearch?lang=en 1 A report on Holton Primary School October 2019 Summary Pupils at Holton Primary enjoy coming to school and make good progress in the development of their skills and knowledge over time. Pupil behaviour and wellbeing are a particular strength. The school works well to ensure that pupils are happy in school and achieve to their full potential. The work of the school’s nurture provision is a key part of this. Staff plan and deliver interesting learning experiences that engage and motivate most pupils. They have high expectations of pupils and maintain a positive, encouraging working relationship with them. The school’s support for the development of pupils’ skills in literacy and numeracy is strong. Staff ensure frequent opportunities for pupils to apply and develop these skills further in their work across the curriculum. All leaders place the interest of the pupils at the heart of their work. They know the school well and are working successfully to develop their skills in school improvement. This is leading to strong progress in key areas of the school’s work, such as ensuring consistently positive pupil behaviour. Inspection area Judgement Standards Good Wellbeing and attitudes to learning Good Teaching and learning experiences Good Care, support and guidance Good Leadership and management Good 2 A report on Holton Primary School October 2019 Recommendations R1 Improve systems of communication between staff and leaders R2 Improve attendance R3 Provide opportunities for pupils to work independently and direct their own learning in the foundation phase R4 Review the effectiveness of assessment for learning strategies What happens next The school will draw up an action plan to address the recommendations from the inspection.