Girton Glebe Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that all teaching matches the quality of the best practice in the school so that pupils make sustained progress in writing and mathematics, by:
  • making sure that teachers plan activities that provide an appropriate level of challenge for the most able pupils, particularly in writing at key stage 2 and mathematics at key stage 1
  • providing more opportunities for pupils of all ability levels to deepen their learning through activities that allow them to grapple with more difficult ideas, and by improving the quality of questioning.
• Ensure that more pupils reach the expected levels in phonics by the end of Year 1 by raising expectations for what can be achieved and planning the teaching programme so that it builds on previous learning more effectively.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Governors and senior leaders have managed the significant staff changes effectively over the last two years and the school has improved since the previous inspection.
• The improvement has been brought about by a strong focus on improving the quality of every teacher’s teaching. In particular, a professional development programme has been put in place for every member of staff irrespective of their ability, which focuses on giving rigorous feedback on all areas of a teacher’s practice.
• There is a strong culture of aspiration across the school. Leaders know the strengths and areas for development within the school well and these are shared with staff, who are keen to build further on the rapid improvement in results that has taken place over the last two years.
• Governors and leaders have actively engaged with the local authority, which has provided good support for the school. This has had an impact at all levels: strengthening leadership through mentoring leadership, improving teaching and developing partnerships with outstanding schools.
• School leaders have been successful in implementing the new national curriculum. Last year there was a full review of what was working well and what could be improved. This led to the introduction of a range of exciting topics, which have been designed to engage and enthuse pupils. A good example is the Year 1/2 topic called ‘Around the world’, which starts with an aeroplane set out on the playground and ends up with pupils being transported around the world to engage in a wide range of stimulating activities.
• The majority of parents are very pleased with the school. Discussions with parents in the playground and analysis of the Parent View responses show that most pupils are very happy at school, communication between the school and parents has improved, the progress pupils make is now better and that teachers are very approachable.
• Senior leaders have an effective system in place in order to monitor the school’s performance. There is a timetabled schedule for visiting classrooms, watching teachers teach, checking pupils’ books and talking to pupils. This leads to half-termly evaluations of what is going well and what needs improving.
• Leaders meet with class teachers every half term to check on the progress pupils are making. Pupils identified as falling behind are discussed and strategies are put in place to support them to catch up. This is working successfully, as analysis of school data shows that there are fewer pupils working below the expected level in the older classes than in the younger classes.
• The quality of middle leadership is also good. The highly effective English leader has supported significant improvements in her subject through a range of strategies that include joint class teaching, lesson observations, staff meetings and working alongside local authority advisers. This means that results at the end of Year 6 are now better than the national average. Other coordinators are having a good impact so that no subject within the curriculum was judged to be less than good.
• The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well, including British values. Members of the school community from areas such as Spain and Romania come in to talk about their cultural heritage and pupils learn about democracy through carefully planned lessons.
• The pupil premium funding is used effectively to support the progress of disadvantaged pupils. Throughout the school disadvantaged pupils are making good progress because of a range of strategies that supports their individual needs.
• The sports funding is used effectively to provide specialist coaches as part of the curriculum. In addition, a range of extra-curricular clubs are put on and the school buys into the South Cambridgeshire School Sports Partnership. Careful monitoring of sports club attendance shows that over 80% of pupils attend some form of after-school activity linked to sport throughout the year.

Governance of the school

• Governors provide good levels of challenge and support. During a time when there have been several changes of headteacher, they have ensured that standards have kept improving. Governors have evaluated their own performance effectively and put in place strategies to keep improving. Governors make considerable efforts to get to know the school well through regular visits and attendance at events such as parents’ evenings and school shows.
• Governors have a clear long-term vision for the school and hold regular strategy meetings where they consider the ‘big picture’ of the school. They have clearly defined the kind of school they want this to be and have placed great emphasis on meeting the needs of the local community. As part of this process governors regularly seek the opinion of parents. Inspection analysis shows that considerable time and thought is devoted to considering the parental responses, and detailed reports are presented to the governing body on how parental views should be taken into account as the school moves forward.
• Governors have a good understanding of the quality of teaching throughout the school. Regular monitoring of pupil achievement takes place and a committee meets to challenge the school on its academic performance. Governors have ensured that performance management processes are rigorous and there is a clear link between the quality of teaching, pupil outcomes and the pay progression of teachers.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Staff receive regular and good-quality training on all aspects of safeguarding, and this ensures that there is a good culture of keeping children safe at all times. Checks during staff recruitment are robust and there are good links with outside agencies to protect the needs of vulnerable children. The culture is one in which pupils feel that teachers will listen to them if they have any worries.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching is now good. Strong action by leaders over the last two years has focused relentlessly on improving teaching in all areas. The assistant headteacher provides excellent guidance to staff and over time her sensitive support and challenge has brought about significant improvements to the teaching of a number of staff at school.
• Teachers plan and deliver lessons that engage and enthuse pupils. They have taken the new curriculum topics and worked hard to make them exciting for pupils. Discussions with pupils show that they enjoy lessons and believe that they are challenged to work hard in most lessons.
• The teaching of reading is a considerable strength in key stage 2 and helps many pupils to make rapid progress. This excellent progress leads to the proportion of pupils reaching the expected level and greater depth being much higher than the national figure. This progress is brought about by the good subject knowledge of teachers and the excellent feedback given to pupils, which helps them know what they are doing well and how to improve further.
• Interviews with pupils show that they enjoy reading a wide range of books and often choose challenging texts. Younger pupils say that they love to read books but not enough of them reach the expected level in the Year 1 phonics check given their good starting points when they leave Reception.
• Excellent teaching in art and music is characterised by thoughtful preparation which ensures that all pupils are challenged whatever their ability. In an art lesson, the teacher’s detailed subject knowledge ensured that all pupils developed their skills in shading. Good movement by the teacher around the class allowed the teacher to provide pupils with guidance and support as they worked so that many produced work of a very good standard.
• Across the school the teaching of music is good, and this is combined with high-quality additional teaching for a wide range of instruments, two choirs and an orchestra which means that many pupils reach above the expected standard in this area.
• Teachers and teaching assistants work effectively as a team to ensure that all groups of pupils make at least good progress. Teachers are skilled at supporting the learning of all pupils, often providing sensitive, calm and thoughtful support, asking probing questions and expecting pupils to do their best.
• Despite teaching being good across the school there are some aspects of inconsistency in the quality of practice, which slows the pace of learning. This is particularly true for mathematics in key stage 1 and writing in key stage 2, where pupils do not reach the same high levels as they do in other subjects.
• Where teaching is not as effective it is because planning is not effective in supporting all groups of pupils, opportunities for pupils to deepen their learning are missed and questioning is not thought-provoking enough. There are also occasions when some teachers are not confident enough to change their lesson when it is clearly too easy or too hard for pupils.
• The teaching of the most able pupils is improving and much is now good. By the end of Year 6, the proportions reaching the higher level are in line with or above the national average for reading, writing and mathematics.
• The teaching of phonics does not support enough pupils to reach the expected level by the end of Year 1 because teachers do not have high enough expectations for what the pupils can achieve and lessons are not planned carefully enough to build on previous learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils show a good understanding of the different types of bullying such as name-calling, physical assault and through use of the internet. Pupils say there is very little bullying in the school and that teachers always deal with incidents should they arise.
• School values such as respect are understood well by the pupils. Good teaching in class and carefully planned assemblies help the pupils appreciate how to live these values around the school.
• Pupils show a good awareness of safety around school, using the playground equipment sensibly and taking good care of one another at breaktime. The ‘buddy’ system whereby Year 6 children pair up with a Reception child is effective. At lunchtime one Reception child was seen to drop their lunchbox and instantly a Year 6 pupil was there to help, sorting out the problem and making sure everything was all right.
• Pupils are given a wide range of responsibilities throughout the school. These are really appreciated by the pupils, whether it be operating the projector for assembly, being a member of the school council or leading a house team.
• The wide range of equipment available for pupils to use at breaktime, combined with the additional sports activities provided, contributes to pupils’ good health and well-being. Pupils are aware of the need for healthy eating and appreciate the ‘lovely’ food provided for them in the school lunch hall.
• Almost all parents responding to the online Parent View survey agree that their children feel safe and happy at school and that they are well cared for.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Expectations for how pupils should behave are clearly defined and understood by pupils. They respond enthusiastically to the school reward system. At the start of a lesson in the Year 6 class, pupils avidly checked the teacher’s marking to see if their work had been given team points, and immediately went to the team point chart to add their scores.
• A large majority of pupils display positive attitudes to learning but there are a small number who struggle to concentrate in class. Teachers and teaching assistants provide effective support to these pupils so that they continue to make good progress.
• Pupils show good behaviour when asked to work independently. In a Year 4 mathematics class pupils were given a problem-solving activity which required their attention for an extended period of time. They stayed on task and worked well together, discussing their findings and collaborating on the presentation of results.
• Attendance is broadly in line with the national average and punctuality is good. The start to the day is handled well by all staff so that pupils come in quickly and start learning straight away.
• A small number of parents expressed concerns about poor behaviour, but inspection evidence showed that any such incidents were being managed appropriately.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes for pupils have improved since the previous inspection, with pupils making good progress in all subjects and all key stages as they move through the school.
• While progress is good in all areas there are variations in how well pupils are doing at different points across the school. In key stage 1 pupils do well in reading and writing, achieving above the national average, whereas in mathematics their results are in line with the national average. In key stage 2, progress in reading is above the national average and progress in writing and mathematics is broadly average.
• The progress in reading is stronger because a higher proportion of pupils both reach the expected level and achieve greater depth in reading when they take their end of Year 6 assessments.
• Progress in mathematics is good overall but not enough of the most able pupils reach the higher level in the Year 2 assessments because teachers’ expectations are not high enough and planning does not provide sufficiently challenging activities.
• The teaching of grammar, punctuation and spelling is excellent. The proportion reaching the expected level and the higher level in Year 6 is much higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who reach the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check fluctuates from year to year. Last year it was below the national average. Given their starting points when they leave the Reception class, more pupils should be reaching this level.
• Disadvantaged pupils make good progress. In most year groups they are making good progress when compared to that expected nationally for all pupils. This is because teachers provide good-quality teaching, teaching assistants provide additional support, and extra one-to-one or small-group teaching is given when a need is identified.
• The progress of the most able pupils is good in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 but particularly so for reading. The proportion reaching the higher level in reading and mathematics is higher than the national average, while in writing it is broadly average. Where high levels are reached, it is because of good teaching, high expectations, the excellent subject knowledge of teachers and the useful feedback given to pupils so that they can move on quickly in their learning. Progress for the most able disadvantaged pupils is similar to that of other pupils within the school.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their individual starting points. This is because of good leadership from the special needs coordinator, who monitors the progress of all pupils on her register and makes sure that teachers are supported well to plan and deliver appropriate learning programmes.

Early years provision Good

• Most children start Reception class with skills that are typically average for their age. They make good progress from their starting points due to good teaching, effective assessment and a well-planned curriculum which supports the progress of all children.
• The proportion of children reaching a good level of development by the end of Reception is above the national average. Children make good progress in all areas of the curriculum with almost one quarter reaching the higher level in literacy.
• Children show good personal development and behave well. They take turns, share their equipment and are very polite. One child politely said ‘Excuse me Mr Inspector’ as she moved to a new activity. The children came into class calmly and settled down quickly to the activities that had been set out.
• Adults monitor the progress of children well; they interact with children to support learning and often ask thoughtful and challenging questions that encourage the children to think.
• Parents play an important part in the children’s learning. Before the children start at school there is an extensive transition programme from Nursery. Parents commented on how welcoming the school was and how well their children had settled in. Children visit the school on several occasions before they start and teachers visit feeder nurseries.
• Parents contribute to the ongoing learning in class through regular additions to the children’s ‘learning journeys’. These are detailed and thorough and contain a wide range of information that is used to assess the children and plan activities that will help them progress quickly.
• Teaching is good, and teachers take time to plan a range of stimulating activities that encourage children to develop in areas of the curriculum. They have high expectations for what can be achieved and work hard to ensure that all activities are purposeful. Some children were observed being encouraged to use the sand area to make cakes by mixing ‘eggs’ and ‘flour’. The quality of discussion was good and children took great pride in what they had made.
• Children with a range of additional needs, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, are cared for well and supported effectively to make good progress.
• Leadership of the early years is good. The new foundation stage leader started in September 2016. Systems are fully in place to ensure that children are assessed quickly as they enter school and are given tailored learning programmes so that they progress quickly. Assessment of children is regular and accurate. The leader knows the strengths and areas for development within the provision and has plans to continue improving the quality of provision.
• Safeguarding in the early years is effective and the provision meets all statutory requirements.
• The early years provision is not yet outstanding because not enough children make better than expected progress from their different starting points.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority 110610 Cambridgeshire Inspection number 10019591 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 5 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 220 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Rowena Barnes Andrew Simpson 01223 276 484 www.girtonglebe.com office@girtonglebe.cambs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 5–6 November 2014

Information about this school

• There have been a number of changes to the senior leadership since the last inspection. The present headteacher took up post at the beginning of term.
• The early years consists of one full-time Reception class.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is below the national average.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed pupils’ learning in a range of lessons or parts of lessons and also looked at pupils’ work.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour and attitudes in classrooms, and at breaks and lunchtimes.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, representatives of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and a group of pupils.
• Inspectors heard two groups of pupils read.
• The inspectors talked with parents in the playground and took into account 73 responses from Parent View, the online questionnaire. They also took into account all written comments made as part of this survey.
• The inspectors observed the school’s work and considered a range of documents, including the school’s improvement plan, checks on the quality of teaching and learning, attendance, information about pupils’ progress, safeguarding arrangements and records relating to the governance of the school.
• The inspectors scrutinised the work of pupils in a range of subjects.

Inspection team

Duncan Ramsey, lead inspector Rachael Judd Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector