Greatham Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by:
  • increasing the consistency and quality of teaching in science and the foundation subjects
  • raising expectations for the standard of writing in science and the wider curriculum subjects
  • supporting pupils to be successful learners, including when working without close adult supervision.
• Improve writing outcomes in key stages 1 and 2 by accelerating the progress of the most able pupils and boys.
• Improve leadership and management by ensuring that leaders and governors use progress information to rapidly identify and support pupils when progress dips.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Leadership and management require improvement because leaders have not fully addressed the areas for development identified at the last inspection.
• Leaders use a wide range of evidence to evaluate effectively the strengths and weaknesses of the school and, increasingly, develop detailed plans to improve performance. For example, when leaders identified a decline in mathematics standards in 2016, they took decisive action to review the curriculum and retrain teachers. As a result, the teaching of mathematics has been revitalised and standards are consistently high. Nevertheless, weaknesses in the teaching of science, writing and humanities subjects, particularly for the most able pupils, have not been addressed effectively.
• Leaders track pupils’ performance and challenge teachers to improve progress. They meet with teachers regularly to check how well pupils are performing and link teachers’ pay to the progress their pupils make. Progress in both reading and mathematics has increased across the school. However, flaws in systems for tracking writing, particularly in key stage 2, have led to low expectations of what pupils can achieve in writing.
• Leaders check on the quality of teaching regularly and offer staff incisive feedback to help them improve their practice. Leaders have an accurate view of the quality of teaching and offer effective, bespoke training to support developing teachers and those who are ready to take on more responsibility. While some teaching is of high quality, teaching across the school is not yet consistently good.
• The senior leadership team is a cohesive and dedicated group. They have worked closely with external agencies and the local authority to gain useful training and external validation. Middle leaders utilise the support on offer to improve their skills and now take an increasing role in the development of the school. The capacity for further improvement has increased since the time of the previous inspection.
• The curriculum is broad and interesting. For example, in science, pupils studied how vibrations carry sound by building string telephones and testing their efficiency by tightening and loosening the cord. Every pupil studies Spanish and learns the key words for everyday objects to help them form sentences. By key stage 2, pupils can hold simple conversations in Spanish. Pupils learn about different religions and beliefs. Recently, pupils attended an assembly led by a local Muslim leader and learned about key beliefs and practices, widening their understanding of Islam. Nevertheless, pupils are not consistently challenged to study subjects in the depth that they could. For example, in geography, pupils routinely learn to name other countries and continents but do not research or compare the characteristics of these areas to their own locality.
• The special educational needs coordinator is highly skilled and has a keen understanding of the needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. She works effectively with teachers and parents and utilises additional funding to adapt the curriculum and activities in class to offer pupils just the right level of challenge and support. Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make strong progress from their starting points.
• Additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is utilised well. All disadvantaged pupils have a support plan devised by teachers and monitored by leaders. Actions listed to support pupils are discussed, evaluated and refined during regular pupil progress meetings, so that pupils receive tailored help which meets their needs in class. For example, in Year 1, pupils received additional phonics tuition to help them catch up with their peers in school. The extra assistance helps disadvantaged pupils make strong progress. Nevertheless, the most able disadvantaged pupils do not consistently attain at a high standard in writing.
• Leaders spend the sport premium funding well to increase pupils’ participation in physical activity. For example, staff provide extra-curricular games and activities during lunchtimes, which encourage all pupils to stay active and develop healthy lifestyles. Teachers undertake useful additional training in delivering physical education lessons and all pupils receive swimming instruction over and above the national curriculum requirements. Every pupil who responded to the Ofsted pupil survey stated that the school encourages him or her to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Governance of the school

• Governors have worked to improve assessment tracking systems and monitoring since the previous inspection. They ask leaders challenging questions about pupils’ attainment and the quality of teaching in the school. Nevertheless, governors do not focus sharply enough on the progress that pupils make during the year. As a result, when progress dips, support for pupils is not provided quickly enough to prevent a decline in standards.
• Checks on performance management procedures are robust and accurate. Governors ensure that teachers’ targets are closely aligned to the whole-school development plan. Staff pay is closely linked to their performance. Systems for challenging and supporting teachers have not yet raised the quality of teaching, learning and assessment rapidly enough to secure consistently good teaching.
• Governors use a wide range of evidence to monitor the school and check that improvements are made. They use the useful milestones in the school development plan to check the work of leaders and the impact of their actions. As a result, governors are well placed to secure further improvement in the school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Processes for checking staff, volunteers and governors are robust and appropriate. Statutory checks are completed in a timely manner and recorded diligently. All staff receive appropriate training in the school’s child protection procedures before they commence employment. Governors complete regular checks to satisfy themselves that systems and procedures are being followed.
• Staff know the pupils well and use their extensive knowledge to identify and support pupils who are at risk of harm. When concerns do arise, staff waste no time in recording their concerns and reporting them to leaders. In turn, leaders take staff referrals seriously and work with families and external agencies to secure appropriate support for pupils.
• Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. Work with the NSPCC and the Hampshire Thinksafe scheme offers pupils the chance to think about safety using realistic simulations of potentially dangerous situations. Pupils are well prepared to cope with the risks and challenges of modern society. Parents are given useful information on how to keep their children safe online through parents’ workshops and meetings.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is not consistently strong across the school. Teachers do not routinely set work at the right level of difficulty for pupils. As a result, some pupils do not make enough progress, particularly the most able.
• Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve in writing are not consistently high enough. Pupils, particularly the most able, are not routinely taught how to write at a high standard. Pupils do not regularly practise and refine their skills, nor are they required to write at the expected standard in subjects other than English. Consequently, standards of writing in English, science and the wider curriculum are not as strong as they should be.
• The teaching of geography, history, science and religious education in some classes is infrequent and, typically, does not consistently improve pupils’ knowledge or skills. In these lessons, pupils do not develop a deep understanding or appreciation of the subjects and often complete simple tasks that do not promote learning. Standards in these subjects are low across the school.
• The teaching of mathematics is a strength throughout the school. Pupils develop secure mathematics skills from the off and use these to solve interesting and challenging problems. Lessons are planned carefully to give pupils the skills they need, and then provide opportunities to apply these to increasingly complex scenarios. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and the most able disadvantaged, enjoy their mathematics lessons and make strong progress.
• Teachers and teaching assistants have secure subject knowledge and know how to develop reading skills effectively. In key stage 1, teachers deliver interesting and exciting phonics lessons so that pupils understand the relationships between letters and sounds. In key stage 2, pupils read thought-provoking texts and discuss how authors use style, composition and formality to engage, interest and inform their audience. Pupils throughout the school, including those who are disadvantaged, read well and make good progress.
• Support in class for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is effective. Pupils’ needs are assessed accurately by teachers and support staff who design bespoke tasks that offer just the right level of challenge. Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make strong progress from their starting points. Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Personal development and welfare
• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are proud of their school, take responsibility and know that their actions impact on others. Regular class assemblies require pupils to think deeply about their behaviour. For example, in Year 3, pupils sat in a circle and discussed what they were going to do to make their classroom a kinder, happier and more purposeful environment. One pupil noted, ‘I enjoy coming to school because the adults and children are kind.’
• Pupils are taught to maintain and value their physical and mental health. For example, pupils learn that mistakes are an essential part of learning. Pupils accept that others may make mistakes too, and that managing anger and disappointment is a key aspect of resolving conflict. Almost all pupils who responded to the Ofsted survey agreed that the school encourages them to look after their mental health.
• Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe and to make good decisions when using technology. For example, they know that they should report abusive peers and strangers when playing games online. Pupils in all year groups understand that they are responsible for the information they share online and that they need to show respect towards others when communicating electronically.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• In most classes, pupils behave well, concentrate and work hard to complete their tasks. However, in a significant minority of classes, pupils do not concentrate on their tasks unless guided by adults. In these classes, pupils become quickly distracted, and sometimes disruptive, when adults move to work with other pupils.
• In September, leaders sought to improve the behaviour policy and systems. New schemes for rewarding positive behaviour and identifying and tracking poor behaviour in class are now in place and there are early signs of improvement. However, the system has not had time to secure consistently good behaviour across the school.
• In corridors and cloakrooms and on the playground, pupils behave well and show great respect for each other and staff members. Pupils are courteous and polite towards visitors and are happy and proud to talk about their school. Disagreements are rare and, when they do occur, pupils say that they try hard to resolve their own differences, safe in the knowledge that adult support is on hand.
• While some parents expressed concerns about bullying, pupils note that this is rare and, when it does happen, adults are good at dealing with it. Behaviour logs show that leaders take accusations of bullying seriously and are adept at preventing further problems occurring.
• Attendance is good. Leaders work closely with families to ensure that they are supported to get their children to school. As a result, pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, now attend school more regularly than the national average.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• In recent years, the proportion of Year 6 pupils attaining at the expected and higher standard in reading and mathematics has risen. Nevertheless, in 2017, the proportion of pupils who attained at the expected and higher standards in writing was below the national average.
• In 2017, only a small proportion of key stage 2 boys attained at the expected standard in writing. No Year 6 boys or disadvantaged pupils attained at the high standard in writing. The progress for these pupils was too slow. Progress in writing remains a weakness for current pupils, especially for boys and the most able pupils.
• Standards in geography, history and science are not consistently strong. Pupils do not routinely deepen their understanding of key concepts in these subjects because work is too simple and does not require pupils to investigate, compare or evaluate. The quality of pupils’ writing in these subjects does not match the standard evident in English lessons.
• In 2017, the proportion of pupils who attained at the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics in Year 2 exceeded that seen nationally. Current pupils in key stage 1 are achieving well in these subjects. However, too few most-able pupils across key stage 1 write at a greater depth.
• Pupils complete challenging work in mathematics. Work typically requires pupils to think deeply and solve complex problems. Pupils reason and explain their answers clearly. As a result, progress in mathematics, particularly for the most able pupils, is strong throughout the school, with increasing proportions attaining at the higher standard.
• Effective systems are in place to accelerate the progress of disadvantaged pupils in reading and mathematics. For example, disadvantaged pupils receive helpful additional teaching in mathematics to help them strengthen their understanding of calculation. Disadvantaged pupils make strong progress in reading and mathematics.
• Pupils read widely and often, building on their increasingly secure phonics skills. The school’s reading scheme accelerates, appropriately, pupils to more challenging texts when they are ready. Reading attainment is strong in both key stages 1 and 2, with increasing proportions of pupils reading at the highest standard.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities receive bespoke support from teachers and teaching assistants. Teachers and leaders understand these pupils well and work hard to ensure that they can access the curriculum and achieve. Consequently, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make strong progress.

Early years provision Good

• Leaders and teachers have worked tirelessly to secure significant improvements to the early years. They evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the provision accurately and have worked with outstanding providers and the local authority to revitalise the quality of education provided to children. As a result, the early years provision is now good.
• Children enter the early years with broadly average skills and understanding. Leaders monitor the progress of children well and use additional funding to support disadvantaged children and those who have SEN and/or disabilities to ensure that these children achieve their potential. By the time they leave, the proportion of children who reach the expected level of development or exceed the expected level of development is above the national average. This represents strong progress from children’s starting points.
• Teachers get to know children and their families before they start in the early years. Home visits, taster days and effective collaboration with local nurseries ensure that, when children start in Reception, they are familiar with the school, adults and peers. This helps children to hit the ground running and make a great start to their education.
• Children in the early years show high levels of engagement and concentration. They play well together and use the stimulating indoor and outdoor environments to explore, develop and play. Adults teach children to build strong relationships and to accept that all children are different. As a result, behaviour in the early years is wholly positive and children are kind, calm and resilient.
• Teachers take every opportunity to ensure that the children undertake interesting and developmental tasks. Recently, children read ‘Room on the Broom’ by Julia Donaldson. Teachers and support staff used this opportunity to encourage children to count witches, stir potions and weave broomsticks. In phonics, children laughed as they looked at the differences between the letters ‘b’ and ‘d’. One pupil corrected her teacher, saying, ‘that’s a broom not a droom’. Children enjoy their lessons, achieve well and are well prepared for Year 1.
• Arrangements for safeguarding in the early years match the strong procedures seen across the school. All staff are well trained and monitor children closely to ensure that they are safe. Excellent relationships between the school and local nurseries ensure that child protection documentation is shared and discussed before children start in Reception. Children learn to manage risk and stay safe. For example, children built bridges between two tyres and stopped to readjust the structure before it became unstable.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 115898 Hampshire 10036947 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 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 189 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Michael Anderton Jo Goman 01420 538 224 www.greathamschool.co.uk adminoffice@greatham.hants.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 22–23 October 2015

Information about this school

• Greatham Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium is lower than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is similar to the national average.
• The school met the government’s floor standards in 2016, which are the minimum requirements for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in 12 parts of lessons, some with senior leaders.
• In addition to discussions with parents, 83 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, were taken into account, including 81 free-text comments.
• A range of the school’s documentation was scrutinised to gather information on leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance, the systems for managing the performance of teachers, the behaviour and safety of pupils, safeguarding, the progress and attainment of pupils and curriculum leadership.
• Inspectors scrutinised the school’s website to evaluate the quality of information for parents and whether the school meets statutory publishing requirements.
• Inspectors spoke to pupils to gather their views, and heard pupils read.
• Inspectors met with school leaders, representatives from the governing body, including the chair, and officers from the local authority.

Inspection team

Daniel Lambert, lead inspector Mary Ellen McCarthy

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector