Glory Farm Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve teaching and learning by ensuring that teachers:
  • set consistently challenging activities for all pupils, particularly the most able
  • question pupils in greater depth more regularly so they develop a deeper understanding of what they are learning
  • improve the breadth and depth of teaching in subjects across the wider curriculum so that pupils develop more secure skills and knowledge beyond English and mathematics.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders are relentless in their efforts to keep improving outcomes for all groups of pupils. Their vision and ambition have put the pupils at the centre of the school’s work. The headteacher uses effectively a wide range of networks and expertise available from across the multi-academy trust and other schools. Many parents appreciate the improvements and support provided by the headteacher. One parent representing the feelings of others said: ‘He is a fantastic leader who has plenty of time for parents as well as the children.’
• Leaders are effective in managing the performance of teachers to improve teaching, learning and outcomes for pupils. Teachers are awarded pay increases when they have demonstrated good performance and pupils in their class have made rapid progress in their learning. Targets for teachers are as ambitious as they are for pupils, recognising the importance of high-quality teaching to ensure that pupils learn well.
• Senior and middle leaders have worked together to secure improvements since the inspection of the predecessor school. They have actively and successfully tackled the issues identified. For example, the lower attainment in writing, particularly of boys, has been raised through a range of targeted strategies, including more stimulating texts for lessons focused on reading skills. Leaders have an accurate view of the strengths of the school and a detailed action plan for further improvements.
• Middle leaders are involved in checking aspects of the school’s work. They scrutinise pupils’ work to check that high standards are maintained. They ensure that the staff are well trained and supported. They provide opportunities for staff to develop their skills further. When changes in staffing occur, senior leaders implement highly effective strategies to develop emerging leaders and use the strengths of existing members of the team. As a result, there is considerable capacity in leadership to maintain the good standards achieved.
• The curriculum is designed to promote enjoyment as well as pupils’ achievement. Topics make sensible connections between different subjects and are chosen to engage the pupils’ interest. Trips and visitors to the school ensure that learning has context and develops pupils’ understanding further. For example, a Year 4 trip to Oxford city centre enabled pupils to have a greater understanding of the importance of locations for different buildings. Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs and additional activities. Some are provided through the effective use of the sports premium.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well within the school. This is evident in the class displays and pupils’ work, which show that pupils learn about and celebrate different cultural festivals such as Diwali and Chinese New Year. Pupils learn about different traditions and lifestyles and this helps them get a better understanding of each other.
• The school’s approach to promoting fundamental British values is well planned. Pupils study topics that teach them about modern Britain. For example, in literacy they explored the British monarchy and wrote letters to the Queen. In key stage 2, pupils study how Parliament is organised in order to better understand how democracy works.
• Pupil-premium funding is used effectively to provide a range of initiatives that support disadvantaged pupils. These include providing extra support through increased staffing and small-group intervention, harnessing the skills of outside agencies to support particular pupils’ needs and providing enrichment opportunities.
• Special educational needs funding is used well to support pupils who have significant learning needs. It has been used to raise staff understanding of different needs and bring in the expertise of outside agencies to support staff well.
• Primary sports funding is used effectively to ensure that a wide range of sporting opportunities are available, both throughout the day to enhance the curriculum and after school. Pupils are encouraged to establish healthy lifestyles through getting active, learning to grow their own food and making good choices about what they eat. School leaders carefully check which pupils participate in activities, and regularly undertake surveys to ensure that all their interests are catered for. The school spends 70% of the funding on making sure that the skills of teachers are good enough and this means that pupils learn new skills well during physical education lessons.
• While the curriculum is generally broad and balanced, some pupils do not make as much progress in some subjects, such as music and art, as they do in other subjects. This is because some teachers do not teach these subjects in sufficient depth or equip pupils with the necessary skills for those subjects.

Governance of the school

• The management of the school under the directors of the multi-academy trust is strong.
• Directors ask probing questions of leaders to hold them to account for their work. They have been trained well, and understand the performance of different groups of pupils in the school. Directors visit the school regularly and talk to pupils about their learning. They also undertake learning walks and talk to teachers about their pupils’ learning.
• Directors are very clear about how additional government funding, such as the pupil premium, is spent and where it is benefiting disadvantaged pupils. They recognise that the progress of disadvantaged pupils remains a focus for further improvement.
• Directors are acutely aware of matters relating to safeguarding and take practical steps to ensure that safeguarding remains effective. For example, they receive regular reports from the staff, and undertake site walks to check on identified safety issues. They also check the school’s single central record.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders’ commitment to keeping children safe underpins the work of the school. Actions taken to safeguard vulnerable children are swift.
• Staff receive effective and regular training, coupled with further briefings to keep safeguarding issues as the highest priority for all who work in the school. Staff are fully aware of the school’s internal procedures should they need to raise a concern about a pupil. Similarly, staff have been trained to protect their pupils from dangers such as radicalisation and exploitation.
• Leaders’ knowledge of individual cases is detailed and systematically recorded. Leaders are aware of particular safeguarding issues that are prevalent in the local community. They provide tailored training for staff, and workshops to develop pupils’ and parents’ resilience to these risks.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have good subject knowledge. They plan interesting and engaging activities that make use of the rich learning environment. Pupils are encouraged to be creative in their thinking, how they express themselves and their thoughts clearly, and how they learn through practical experiences. For example, in Year 3, pupils fully understood how craters are formed on the far side of the moon by exploring the impact of marbles being dropped on flour and cocoa powder.
• Teaching assistants are well deployed throughout the school. They work closely with individual pupils and groups of pupils, and actively support them in class. Their focus on improving pupils’ oral and written skills is effective. This is because they support pupils’ recorded work and oral responses well.
• Work in books demonstrates that pupils make strong progress over time in writing because writing skills are taught well across the school. The work in pupils’ writing books indicates that pupils write for a range of different purposes. They use varying sentence structures, vocabulary and punctuation effectively. For example, pupils learn how to write paragraphs using short sentences to create an element of surprise.
• The teaching of mathematics is effective, particularly for the most able who are challenged to attempt complex problem-solving and investigations. Vocabulary specific to particular subjects is reinforced to extend pupils’ learning still further.
• The teaching of phonics is highly effective because adults are skilled role models. Pupils are highly motivated during these sessions and maintain their focus extremely well. The teaching of basic skills in reading is regularly and effectively reinforced during the school day and pupils are encouraged to read books at home as well as in school.
• Parents and pupils alike described in detail how teachers, leaders and support staff have helped them, and how they teach pupils effectively. One parent said: ‘My daughter is very happy here, engaged in various activities and taught well. They have lots of after-school sports/science clubs which help her develop further.’
• On occasions, teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve, particularly the most able. This means that they sometimes tackle work that they can already do. As a result, activities can be repetitive for pupils who have already mastered the skill. Staff do not consistently target their questioning carefully to individual pupils or groups of pupils to make sure that they have to think hard about, or explain, their answers.
• Teaching in some subjects is not as strong as it is in English and mathematics. This is because, at times, teachers do not enable pupils to apply skills and knowledge related to other subjects effectively enough to deepen their understanding.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are very confident and positive about school. They are keen to learn, and happily share discussions and activities. Pupils get on exceptionally well with each other.
• Pupils are given a range of information through assemblies and outside speakers about how they can keep themselves safe. This includes information on the dangers of the internet and keeping themselves safe on the road. Information is clear and pupils are encouraged to ask questions.
• Pupils say bullying is a rare occurrence. They have confidence that adults in the school will take any concerns seriously. Pupils are knowledgeable about all the different forms of bullying. The majority of parents consider that the school deals with any incidents of bullying and other problems effectively. One parent commented: ‘The school has a very warm and friendly feel to it. Any issues are always dealt with quickly and effectively.’
• The personal, social, health and economic education programme covers a range of issues including sex and relationships, and peer pressure. Pupils are encouraged to celebrate differences, and think about different religions and ideals. This develops their respect for those who have opinions that are different to their own.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils’ conduct is good and movement around the school is very sensible. Pupils play happily together outside. They are polite and considerate towards others. This reflects well on the success of the school in promoting these qualities through the school’s values of ‘learning, laughter and love’.
• Attitudes to learning for many pupils are good. Most pupils are keen to do well, respect staff and try hard. This was particularly notable in a Year 6 lesson, where pupils were still striving to improve their work despite having worked on their writing for an extended period of time.
• Pupils and staff alike share strong positive relationships. The ‘peer-to-peer mediation’ helps pupils to develop strong positive relationships with their classmates. Peer mediators are trained to help other pupils resolve any problems in a non-threatening manner, within a safe and secure environment.
• Attendance has improved over time. Leaders have robustly tackled the reasons for poor attendance, working closer with families and external agencies. Records are accurate, and detailed information of pupils’ attendance is regularly analysed by leaders to ensure that any trends or issues are identified quickly. Attendance is in line with the national average.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The progress that pupils make is good overall. It has improved since the school joined the multi-academy trust. Consequently, attainment is also rising so that more pupils are working at standards expected for their age, particularly in reading and mathematics.
• Disadvantaged pupils, including the most able, make similar strong progress to their classmates because leaders use the pupil-premium funding effectively to support their learning. A range of effective interventions are in place to support the accelerated progress of some pupils. These are checked by leaders to ensure that additional help is improving outcomes.
• The school uses a systematic phonics programme that is well led and consistently applied. Consequently, in 2016 the proportion of pupils in Year 1 achieving the expected standard in phonics was above the national average.
• Leaders know each pupil’s needs very well and pinpoint exactly what they need in order to move on in their learning. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. Achievement information provided by the assessment leader indicates that this is continuing across the school. School leaders are quick to identify those that need extra support.
• The most able pupils achieve well overall. The current achievement information indicates that the proportion of pupils reaching high levels at the end of key stage 1 is in line with expectations, especially in mathematics. As pupils move through key stage 2, achievement is similarly strong. At times, however, most-able pupils do not make the rapid progress they are capable of.
• Pupils are well prepared for secondary school because they achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. They use these skills to develop their understanding in most subjects but not always in enough depth.

Early years provision Good

• The early years leader has a comprehensive understanding of the early years, including all the areas of learning. She makes regular checks on children’s progress. Adults use their careful assessment of progress in reading, writing and mathematics to plan what each child should learn next. The curriculum is well adapted to meet the learning needs of all groups of children, so they make good progress. As a result, they are well prepared for Year 1.
• Teaching in the early years is good. Staff pay particular attention to children’s emotional development and well-being. They know the children well and share information about their progress regularly with parents and carers. The learning journals help make this process easily accessible.
• Teachers carefully plan activities in the outside areas with purposeful and meaningful links to learning inside. A large number of focused areas have been created across the outside area to encourage children to play, explore, create, be imaginative and understand the natural world. Flow between the indoor and outdoor areas is smooth to ensure that pupils are continuously and actively engaged in learning.
• Adults work closely together to deliver the phonics teaching programme consistently. Routines are fully understood and followed by staff and children, who make good progress in their early reading skills. Children use their knowledge of phonics well to read and write simple sentences. Most-able children read with fluency and confidence, demonstrating a clear understanding of what they have read.
• Disadvantaged pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics, as well as in other areas of the early years curriculum. The same is true for the most able disadvantaged pupils and for those who are less able. This is the result of well-focused teaching and effective assessment.
• Children behave well. They are happy and enthusiastic learners who enjoy working together by taking turns and sharing resources. They stay engrossed in activities for long periods.
• Safeguarding practice is effective and all staff are well trained. As with other areas of the school, children learn in a secure and enriching environment.
• Parents are involved in their child’s education through regular newsletters and opportunities to know what learning is like for their child. For example, parents can experience a phonics lesson delivered by the staff as part of a workshop on early reading skills. Parents are kept regularly up to date with their child’s progress both at formal events and informally.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 141051 Oxfordshire 10032480 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 Academy sponsor-led 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 422 Appropriate authority Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Academy trust Michael Waine Ian Elkington 01869 244050 www.gloryfarmschool.co.uk office@gloryfarmschool.co.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with DfE guidance on what academies should publish.
• The school became an academy in July 2014 and is part of a multi-academy trust with one other school.
• The school is larger-than-average in size.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in all classes. They looked at work in pupils’ books and listened to pupils reading.
• Meetings were held with groups of pupils, school staff, and directors from the multi-academy trust, including the chair. A meeting was also held with an independent external adviser employed by the multi-academy trust who has assisted leaders with school improvement.
• Inspectors took account of a letter from a former pupil, replies to a survey of parents carried out by the school during the last academic year, and responses of 51 parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire. Inspectors also talked with parents as they brought their children to school at the start and end of the day.
• Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own information on pupils’ current achievement, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.

Inspection team

Richard Blackmore, lead inspector Alan Jenner Clare Morgan

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector