Grangetown Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the progress of middle-ability and the most able pupils by providing them with more opportunities to apply their knowledge and understanding in order to work at greater depth.
• Continue to diminish any differences in the progress and attainment of disadvantaged pupils and boys by:
  • matching teaching, additional interventions and resources closely to their needs
  • further developing their writing skills.
• Further reduce levels of persistent absence by building on the close links with parents and carers to further remove any remaining barriers to learning.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and deputy headteacher have developed a strong ethos centred upon achieving the very best for the pupils in their care. This ethos is shared by all staff and governors and is reflected in the continual focus upon improving pupils’ progress and in the provision of a variety of activities that enrich pupils’ experience.
• Senior leaders have built a collective approach to school improvement and developed the capacity of middle leaders through a range of professional development activities. Staff morale is high. Middle leaders value opportunities to innovate change within clear systems of accountability. Middle leaders are closely involved in monitoring the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress and work ever more closely with external partners to moderate the quality of pupils’ work.
• Senior leaders have successfully addressed many of the areas for improvement identified in the previous inspection, including spreading good practice and introducing more responsive assessment systems to improve progress.
• Senior and middle leaders maintain a strong focus on improving outcomes for all pupils. They consistently review pupils’ progress and closely evaluate the impact of teaching and additional support. As a result of these actions, pupils are making good and improving progress at key stages 1 and 2.
• Leaders are developing assessment systems that identify pupils’ current progress and the actions needed to address any underachievement. Despite gaps between teacher assessments and test outcomes in 2016, teachers are now developing a more accurate view of standards. All of pupils’ key stage 1 work and key stage 2 writing were externally moderated in 2016 and teachers’ view of standards found to be accurate.
• Leaders and governors have a clear understanding of the school’s overall strengths and areas for improvement. They have developed appropriate improvement plans that are contributing to clear progress; this is evident in the quality of pupils’ reading across the school.
• Performance management arrangements are robust and closely checked by the headteacher and governors. The headteacher reviews teachers’ performance on a regular basis against their targets, their teaching and the progress pupils make. Lesson observations are carried out with middle leaders in order to build leadership capacity and strengthen levels of accountability.
• Leaders are introducing new systems to diagnose and support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Improved training, better planning and effective support from teaching assistants is beginning to improve rates of progress. In addition, progress is enhanced by the close links leaders have developed with external partners to promote speech and language growth and social, emotional and behavioural development. Additional funding, including funding used to support the intervention work of the deputy headteacher, is used wisely.
• Leaders and governors closely track the impact of the use of pupil premium funding to improve provision and outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. This money supports additional staffing in key year groups, counselling support and parenting programmes. This is contributing to improving progress in the majority of year groups, although differences in attainment remain.
• Leaders’ actions to diminish differences in progress between boys and girls are less successful. Despite stronger initiatives this year, the lower standards of literacy and numeracy displayed by boys in the early years are not improved upon rapidly enough in key stages 1 and 2.
• Leaders provide a curriculum that is exciting, broad and balanced. They balance academic study with access to a range of experiences that develop pupils’ interests and self-esteem. On day two of the inspection, Year 1 pupils went on a visit to a local lighthouse, while Year 6 pupils rehearsed with external partners for a dance project. Displays around the school and on the excellent website celebrate the numerous trips to local science, industrial and history museums alongside dance, drama, film and literary workshops that enrich pupils’ interests and experience.
• Parents appreciate the wide range of additional experiences that teachers provide for their children. In the week of the inspection, Year 2 pupils went to a wildfowl park, Year 5 pupils swam at a local secondary school and Year 6 pupils visited a country estate. In addition, rehearsals took place for a dance festival at a local theatre and an array of musical tuition took place. As one parent wrote, ‘As well as enjoying their topics relating to their curriculum activities, they have experienced a lot of extra-curricular activities – visitors to school and school trips – and have thoroughly enjoyed all of these.’
• The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is exceptional. The headteacher has a passionate commitment to this work and a cohesive programme aligns key assembly themes to work carried out in class. Pupils have a good awareness of their local community and history, but this is complemented by an understanding of other cultures and traditions. This is exemplified in the school’s work with its partner schools in Nepal and China and with its e-twinning work with a European school. Pupils have an awareness of different types of families, races, cultures and religions and show considerable respect for equality and the rights of others.
• Leaders nurture close partnerships with families that support pupils’ progress and well-being. Parents regularly join their children at class workshops and attend sessions to support their children’s learning. These partnerships support pupils’ learning and welfare and parents are appreciative of the strong support the school provides.
• Funding from the government to promote sport and increase physical activity is being used successfully. Pupils and staff have worked with external coaches and gained access to specialised experiences, including surfing at a local beach and circus skills, alongside football, dance, swimming and gymnastics.

Governance of the school

• Governance is effective. Governors share the headteacher’s moral purpose and commitment to pupils and the wider community. The governing body has an effective combination of specialist insight and close community awareness that enables them to hold the school to account well.
• The governing body checks on the impact of pupil premium spending and of additional funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Governors have regular updates on pupils’ progress and meet middle leaders to gauge the impact of improvement strategies.
• Governors visit the school regularly to check the accuracy of the information they receive. They review the impact of improvement plans, such as their recent review of actions to promote a stronger interest in reading. They are rightly proud of the school and of the action that teachers take to promote strong links with families.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are extremely effective. The central importance of ensuring that pupils are safe runs through all aspects of the school’s work. All staff take their responsibilities for pupils’ welfare extremely seriously. Safeguarding training for all staff and governors is thorough and up to date.
• Leaders carry out rigorous checks to ensure the suitability of adults working on site. Governors have training in safer recruitment. Leaders pursue any concerns over pupils’ welfare tenaciously and records are maintained in an exemplary manner.
• Leaders and their extended support teams provide support for pupils and families that greatly enhances the well-being of pupils at the school. Teachers and counsellors identify possible threats to pupils’ social and emotional welfare and act sensitively but resolutely to provide support.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Leaders have developed a positive learning culture where clear classroom routines are enhanced by effective intervention and support. Teachers and teaching assistants plan effectively to meet pupils’ needs. Considerable emphasis is placed upon developing the key skills of literacy and numeracy. Many pupils use prompts and dictionaries to develop their independence and extend their understanding, although a minority remain more reliant upon the support of adults.
• Teachers are developing a strong reading culture through a range of initiatives that are building vocabulary and access to a wider range of texts. Pupils use drama and role-play activities to practise enunciating words with clarity and expression. Teachers were seen using effective questioning to probe pupils’ understanding of non-fiction texts in Year 6.
• Inspectors listened to a range of pupils read and were impressed by the clarity of their reading and their understanding. Pupils were keen to share their enthusiasm for reading and there was evidence of effective partnership with parents and carers to support reading.
• Teachers develop pupils’ mathematical skills effectively. In Year 6, pupils use clear formulas to help them understand the order of operations and work is pitched to match their abilities. Work in pupils’ books confirms that there are many opportunities to develop pupils’ fluency and consolidate their skills. Even so, there are fewer opportunities for regular problem solving and to work at greater depth.
• Teachers provide many opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills from the early years upwards. External visits and wider experiences are often used to provide a stimulus for writing and pupils have opportunities to write in a range of genres. Pupils show a good understanding of grammar and punctuation. While these approaches are leading to good progress for many pupils, boys continue to make slower progress in their writing.
• Pupils have exciting and high-quality opportunities to learn in a wide range of subjects. In Spanish, pupils in Year 3 enthusiastically recounted numbers from one to 20 and bid inspectors ‘adios’ as they left the room. In science, pupils in Year 5 carefully dissected a petunia flower and used tweezers to separate the ovule and a magnifying glass to observe pollen closely. Effective questioning encouraged pupils to explain why their fingers were sticky and there was a palpable sense of awe and curiosity, alongside strong support from adults in the room.
• Assessment systems enable teachers to track pupils’ progress and address underachievement by modifying their teaching or organising additional support and interventions. Weekly meetings with key-stage leaders ensure a continual focus upon how assessment information can inform teachers’ planning and support. The majority of teachers provide feedback in line with the school’s policy.
• Specific interventions led by the deputy headteacher are supporting more tailored provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is being complemented by additional training for staff and is beginning to contribute to good and improving rates of progress.
• Teaching in the early years is imaginative and well planned. Children are happy, engaged and curious through the many stimulating opportunities to learn.
• Teachers work effectively with teaching assistants to plan and provide well-targeted support that is contributing towards the good progress that pupils make. Teaching assistants know their pupils well and intervene effectively to provide support.
• Teaching promotes good rates of progress but does not consistently enable middle-ability and the most able pupils to reach greater depth. Although these pupils consolidate their skills effectively, they are not given consistent opportunities to apply their knowledge, skills and understanding in more advanced ways.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Clear routines and procedures and the wider curriculum ensure a constant focus on pupils’ welfare. Pupils are happy at school because they feel valued in this highly supportive and positive environment.
• Teachers and counsellors work closely with pupils, parents and external agencies to develop positive behaviour and tackle barriers to learning. There are many occasions where these partnerships have transformed pupils’ learning and their wider engagement with school.
• Pupils value the kindness and support of their teachers. They feel that bullying is extremely rare and are confident that adults would address any unacceptable behaviour. Pupils also value the opportunity to use the ‘worry box’ to share any concerns they may have.
• Pupils feel safe in the school and the vast majority of their parents agree. One parent wrote, ‘If I ever have any problems the teachers make it easy to talk to them and issues are sorted out straight away.’
• Pupils develop physical well-being through imaginative engagement with the outdoor environment on a range of trips and regular opportunities to participate in sport. Pupils participate in a local authority initiative on lifestyle and fitness that promotes healthy eating and physical activity.
• Pupils are able to discuss personal safety and the actions that the school has taken to help them keep safe. During the inspection, they demonstrated a good awareness of how to keep safe online.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Leaders have established ‘golden rules’ for behaviour that promote respect of, and consideration for, others. An assembly on the importance of caring on day one of the inspection reflected the importance the school places on caring for others. The vast majority of pupils are polite and courteous.
• Teachers develop positive learning behaviour that enables the vast majority of pupils to engage purposefully in their learning. A minority of pupils are, on occasion, less attentive and are more reliant on teacher support.
• Pupils show a visible pride in their school and their learning. They talk to one another and adults with confidence and articulacy. They were keen to share their love of reading with inspectors and show their appreciation for the support they receive and the range of trips they have experienced.
• Pupils enjoy their learning and work conscientiously. Incidents of low-level disruption are extremely rare. Behaviour systems encourage positive attitudes to learning and the rare instances of misbehaviour are deftly addressed.
• Leaders have introduced strong systems and close partnerships to promote improving levels of attendance. This work has had a significant impact upon many pupils. As a result, attendance has improved, so that it is now in line with the national average. Even so, levels of persistent absence remain above those seen nationally.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• At key stage 2 in 2016, the majority of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, made good progress from their starting points in writing and mathematics. Overall attainment was weaker and this was largely a result of underperformance in the new reading assessments. An extensive review of current reading standards across the school shows that pupils are now making strong progress in reading and leaders have acted decisively to raise standards.
• Current pupils are making good progress in mathematics and reading across key stages 1 and 2. The sustained focus on these skills across the school contributes to positive progress for all pupils. There is evidence that girls are making good progress in writing, although outcomes for boys are weaker because teaching interventions are not diminishing differences rapidly enough.
• In 2016, outcomes at key stage 1 showed a significant improvement. Through strong planning, effective teaching and close tracking, leaders have sustained these improving standards and pupils are continuing to make strong and improving rates of progress.
• Pupils’ progress in science, geography and history is good because teachers set work with appropriate depth and challenge that enables pupils to deepen their knowledge, understanding and skills in these subjects.
• As a result of effective planning and teaching, children make good progress in the early years and are now achieving good levels of development that are close to those seen nationally from often low starting points.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standards in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 has been slightly smaller than the proportion nationally. However, the proportions that reach the required standard by the end of Year 2 has been increasing, particularly for disadvantaged pupils. Outcomes are improving and a thorough review of reading showed that standards are good and pupils read with clarity and understanding.
• Improved training, customised assessment and more tailored support plans are helping pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities to make improving progress. Support with speech and language and social and emotional needs is enabling these pupils to make good and improving progress.
• Differences in progress between disadvantaged pupils and their peers are diminishing in the majority of year groups, although differences in attainment remain. Boys make weaker progress than girls in a number of year groups, particularly in their writing.
• The most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, are not making the progress of which they are capable across a wide range of subjects. This is because they are not given sufficiently regular opportunities to apply their learning and work at greater depth, and work is not consistently matched to their abilities.

Early years provision

Good

• Children enter the early years with knowledge, skills and abilities that are below those typical for their age. As a result of careful planning, close tracking and creative teaching, children make good progress.
• The early years provides a stimulating and well-resourced environment where children are inquisitive, enthusiastic and show impressive levels of concentration. They switch effectively from adult-led activities to continuous play. Children are happy and content in this supportive environment. As one parent wrote, ‘Reception has been engaging and stimulating. My daughter loves her topics and discusses what she’s doing at school with us.’
• Parents and carers are thoroughly involved in their children’s learning. They contribute towards assessment and loyally attend meetings which help them to support their child’s learning and use resources that teachers provide to help their children learn at home. This strong partnership between home and school accelerates children’s progress.
• Much productive learning was observed by inspectors. Children responded enthusiastically to a transport project, collecting their passports and luggage and fastening their seatbelts before take-off on their imaginary aeroplanes. This transport topic also encouraged children’s writing, as they wrote simple sentences on the theme of travel, taking care with their spelling.
• Teachers and teaching assistants ensure a strong focus upon reading in the early years. A mixture of targeted phonics work, library sessions, individual reading and letter- and word-recognition activities are supporting children in developing their reading skills. Reading records are thorough and show that parents provide further support at home.
• Teachers and teaching assistants monitor children’s progress closely and record this accurately. They use assessment information to fine tune their planning to meet children’s needs. Early years leaders have a clear understanding of strengths and areas for improvement and work with the whole team to focus on the detail of what each child and key groups of children require.
• Records of children’s learning across the early years foundation stage, known as ‘learning journals’, show that children make good progress from their starting points. Teachers have an accurate picture of children’s abilities and learning needs and therefore teaching is precisely tailored and so progress is good. Differences between the standards reached by disadvantaged children and their peers are diminishing. Although differences between the proportions of boys and girls achieving a good level of development are more apparent, there are signs that these are beginning to narrow.
• Safeguarding practices in the early years are extremely effective. There are no breaches of statutory welfare requirements; children are safe and well supported. The high standards of welfare evident throughout key stages 1 and 2 are equally apparent in the early years.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 108758 Sunderland 10023964 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 253 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Mrs Sue Thomson Mr Les McAnaney Telephone number 0191 5537647 Website Email address www.grangetown.sunderland.sch.uk office@grangetown.sunderland.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 13–14 February 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• This is an average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for support funded by the pupil premium is well above average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and the proportion who speak English as an additional language are both below average.
• In 2016, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.
• The school has achieved Artsmark Gold, International School Award, Healthy Schools Award, Anti-Bullying Award Gold and the School Games Mark.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed a wide range of lessons, covering all classes in the school. The headteacher accompanied the lead inspector on a number of observations on the first morning of the inspection.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and middle leaders. The lead inspector also met three members of the governing body, including the chair. The lead inspector met the school’s local authority improvement partner. The lead inspector talked to a group of pupils at lunchtime on day one of the inspection and the inspection team talked to pupils in lessons and at breaktime.
• Inspectors talked to parents as they dropped their children off at school on day two of the inspection.
• Pupils’ behaviour was observed during lessons, lunchtimes and playtimes.
• Inspectors listened to groups of pupils reading and talked to them about their reading.
• Inspectors extensively examined the quality of work in a wide range of books. They discussed pupils’ work and their learning with them in lessons.
• Inspectors looked at the school’s work and considered documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, the school improvement plan, curriculum plans and information relating to pupils’ achievement and safeguarding.
• Inspectors took into account 24 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and 15 free-text responses. They also took into account the 26 responses to the staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

Malcolm Kirtley, lead inspector Julie McGrane Phil Scott Deborah Ashcroft

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector