Grayswood Church of England (Aided) Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve outcomes by ensuring that:
  • the progress of the most able and the most able disadvantaged pupils strengthens so that more attain the higher standard
  • pupils’ writing in foundation subjects and science matches the standard in their English work.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since the previous inspection, the school has added an additional key stage and, until recently, has suffered from turbulence in its senior leadership. The new headteacher has steadied the ship, wisely utilising the talents of the existing staff, as well as using leaders from her other school. Her thoughtful approach has galvanised a capable and ambitious team, who are beginning to improve standards. This is a school going from strength to strength.
• Leaders know the school well. They use a wide range of activities to gather first-hand information. Using this, leaders form well-judged plans to improve the school further. As a result, standards are rising. Parents have noticed this too. One parent told inspectors, ‘During the turbulence, parents remained loyal and are now being rewarded.’
• Middle leaders have received useful support to develop their skills and understanding. They work as a cohesive team to moderate their assessments and evaluations and to help develop each subject area. These leaders have the capacity to secure further improvement in the school.
• Teachers’ performance is monitored closely by leaders. They use this information to provide teachers with helpful support and guidance. As a result, the quality of teaching has improved across the school.
• The curriculum is carefully planned and well considered. Pupils enjoy the chance to develop their musical, philosophical and artistic skills. A range of extra-curricular clubs, such as gardening, choir, netball and athletics, help pupils to explore their own interests. Typically, the curriculum provides pupils with opportunities to discover, analyse and debate new learning. Nevertheless, standards of writing across subjects do not routinely match those seen in pupils’ English books.
• The primary physical education and sport premium is used to provide specialist teaching for pupils and to purchase high-quality resources. Increasingly, pupils have the opportunity to participate in competitions with other schools and develop their key skills. This promotes a love of sport and encourages healthy lifestyles.
• The inclusion manager understands the specific needs of pupils and provides useful support for pupils and families. She works closely with teachers and parents to identify pupils who need extra support, and uses additional funding to provide resources and staff to remove barriers to learning. Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make strong progress from their starting points.
• Additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils is used well to help pupils to access clubs, trips and activities. The funding is used effectively to ensure that a high proportion of these pupils meet age-related expectations. Leaders recognise that the funding now needs to be more sharply focused to help a greater proportion of disadvantaged pupils attain the higher standards.

Governance of the school

• Governors are skilled and knowledgeable. They use a wide range of activities to gather first-hand evidence about the performance of the school. Their work to monitor and promote the well-being of staff during the changes in leadership has been particularly effective.
• Governors’ work to promote pupils’ awareness of, and respect for, those with protected characteristics is well attuned to the needs of the community. When developing the sex and relationship education policy, governors sought the views of parents, who asked for greater opportunities for pupils to learn about same-sex, as well as heterosexual, relationships. Governors, rightly, worked with leaders to ensure that this policy was sensitive to the needs and backgrounds of all pupils and their families.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Recruitment and background checks on all adults working in school are made in good time and monitored closely by governors and leaders. Induction training for all new staff provides them with the right information and an understanding of the processes to keep pupils safe.
• Staff are well trained to identify and report any concerns they have about pupils. Exceptionally well-maintained records show that, when this occurs, leaders take swift and robust action, holding external agencies to account when their actions are not as rapid as leaders require. As a result, pupils and families quickly get the help they need.
• Pupils are taught to stay safe. They know how to identify dangers on the internet and how to report concerns if they arise. Pupils learn about cycling safety and receive useful training to teach and test their proficiency. As a result, pupils take responsibility for their own safety and make good decisions when assessing risks.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Relationships between pupils and staff are very strong throughout the school. Pupils come to school ready to learn and settle exceptionally well in lessons.
• The teaching of phonics is a strength of the school. Teachers and teaching assistants plan lessons that match pupils’ needs well, helping them to segment and blend to read and write unfamiliar words. As a result, pupils read, write and spell well, helping them to access texts and communicate effectively across the curriculum.
• Pupils use their strong phonics skills to access and enjoy interesting books from the school and class libraries. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their favourite authors and often read for research during lessons. As a result, pupils achieve well in reading.
• In mathematics, teachers use their strong subject knowledge to challenge pupils and deepen their understanding by setting them exciting and interesting problems to solve. Pupils reason well and can explain their findings in a range of ways. As a result, pupils’ progress is good.
• Teachers and teaching assistants carefully analyse the needs of pupils and use this information to guide pupils and develop their understanding further. This was exemplified by a Year 5 teacher who used thought-provoking questions to help pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities to express their ideas orally before they wrote them down in their books. Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make strong progress.
• Teachers support pupils to plan, edit and write interesting texts. Pupils write regularly for a specific purpose, for instance when contributing to the school’s magazine. Most pupils write at the standard appropriate for their age.
• Teachers, typically, plan interesting and varied experiences for pupils to enjoy. For example, during the inspection, Year 3 visited London Zoo, Year 4 visited a local garden nursery and Year 6 worked with teachers and pupils from the local secondary school to learn about cell structures in science. These experiences are well judged, relevant and used to inspire pupils’ learning. Leaders recognise that the standards of pupils’ writing across the wider curriculum do not match the high standards evident in English books.
• The vast majority of pupils make strong progress and attain the expected standard for their age. However, some teaching does not challenge the most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, to achieve at the higher standards.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• This year, leaders and pupils worked together to develop the shared values of the school. Pupils learn about, and demonstrate, the values of love, kindness, forgiveness, respect, perseverance and teamwork with great pride and enthusiasm. These values are woven throughout the curriculum and the moral fabric of the school.
• Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Recently, pupils studied the process of voting and held their own mock election. Pupils are kind, accepting and tolerant of those who hold different political and religious beliefs to their own.
• The outdoor learning provision teaches pupils to stay safe and value their environment. As one parent noted, ‘The forest school makes the learning come alive.’ Pupils gain useful skills, learning how to safely use knives, light fires and prepare food. The elderflower cordial is a particular favourite.
• The home-school link worker helps families to ensure that children attend regularly, access learning and receive additional help when they need it. She is knowledgeable and readily available to families. As a result, families get the support they need for children to thrive.
• Transition arrangements are excellent because pupils have regular opportunities to visit local secondary schools and meet staff and older pupils. During the inspection, pupils in Year 5 enjoyed working with pupils from the local secondary school, learning how to dissect onions and identify the key parts of a cell. Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• The behaviour of pupils in class is first-rate. Pupils are polite, attentive and determined to do their best at all times. Consequently, classes are purposeful and joyful environments where pupils can flourish and achieve.
• Pupils take great pride in the work they complete. Pupils’ handwriting across the school is exemplary and their books are always well presented. Tidy classrooms and corridors are rich in celebratory displays which exhibit pupils’ achievements. Pupils are proud of their school and rightly so.
• In the playground, pupils play with joy and excitement. They make the most of the space, with specific zones for football and racquet sports, as well as areas for pupils to sit and chat. Pupils are adamant that there is no bullying and feel that they are well prepared to sort out any minor squabbles themselves.
• Pupils are proud of the fact that they take responsibility for their own actions. This is rewarded through the weekly ‘Shhh award’, which credits those who shoulder responsibilities without being asked. Pupils pick up litter, tidy shared spaces and include pupils in their games because it is the right thing to do. This is a happy school where pupils grow to be responsible citizens, preparing them exceptionally well for life in modern Britain.
• Leaders have taken robust and direct action to improve pupils’ attendance. Procedures for tracking and challenging unauthorised absence have recently been revamped. As a result, the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent, including those who are disadvantaged or who have SEN and/or disabilities, has dropped dramatically.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• For the past three years, the proportion of pupils who have achieved the expected standard in the phonics screening check has risen steadily and is now above the national average. Pupils use their phonics skills well to decode unfamiliar words and spell words correctly in their writing. As a result, the quality of pupils’ reading and writing is rising.
• Pupils write well throughout the school. They take care to present their work at a high standard and, typically, include a broad range of interesting vocabulary and appropriate punctuation. High proportions of pupils attain at the expected standard for their age by the end of the school year.
• In mathematics, pupils develop strong skills and understanding because they use their fluent calculation skills to solve a range of problems. For example, pupils in Year 4 used mathematical reasoning to help solve ‘crimes’, carefully measuring the evidence left behind using a range of suitable equipment. Pupils enjoy mathematics and achieve well.
• Pupils throughout the school make strong progress in reading. They read widely and often, at home and in school. As a result, they are able to read for pleasure and to research and have access to appropriate materials in class.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are supported to achieve well. Their learning is well planned and closely monitored by leaders. As a result, these pupils make strong progress from their starting points.
• Pupils achieve well across the curriculum. For example, in history, pupils compared the similarities and differences between the modern and ancient Olympics, using their findings to write interesting and informative texts. However, the standards of writing in subjects such as geography and science do not routinely match the standards seen in pupils’ English work.
• The vast majority of pupils make strong progress in all subjects. Nevertheless, some work is not sufficiently challenging to really stretch pupils’ thinking and deepen their understanding. As a result, the most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, do not always attain the higher standards they are capable of. ,

Early years provision Good

• Children are polite, enthusiastic and keen to share their work. They play and learn well together and develop a thorough understanding of the school’s routines. As a result, children are well prepared for more formal learning in Year 1.
• Safeguarding arrangements match the high standards seen in the rest of the school. Strong links with parents help to support children’s safety and welfare, both in and outside of school.
• Children enter Reception with skills and understanding broadly typical for their age. By the time they leave, a higher-than-average proportion of children have achieved a good level of development. This represents strong progress from children’s starting points.
• The early years leader is highly skilled and reflective. She uses a broad range of checks to evaluate the provision and further tailor it to meet the needs and interests of children. As a result, standards in the early years continue to rise.
• Transition processes are well established and valued by parents. Parent representatives help new parents to engage with the school and encourage families to get involved in the school’s trips and events. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the great start their children get to their education. One parent explained: ‘My children have settled brilliantly since starting at Grayswood. We are always encouraged to get involved.’
• Teachers in the early years are skilled and knowledgeable. They plan work that captures children’s imagination. Children were keen to show inspectors the space ship that had mysteriously crashed in their outdoor area. This was used to great effect by teachers and teaching assistants to promote children’s writing, mathematical and communication skills.
• Children develop a strong understanding of the school’s values and an appreciation of different cultures and faiths. In the run-up to the royal wedding, children planned and staged a mock wedding in the local church, writing invitations, preparing menus and learning about religious ceremonies. Children considered how people from other cultures are married by studying a Sikh wedding ceremony.
• Children enjoy their mathematics and develop strong skills. They particularly value the chance to solve ‘real-life’ problems which are carefully constructed by their teachers. Occasionally, the tasks and activities do not provide enough challenge for children whose number and calculation skills are more advanced.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 125245 Surrey 10046534 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 Voluntary aided 5 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 187 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Andrew McQuillian Jo Fraser 01428 642 086 www.grayswoodschool.co.uk office@grayswood.surrey.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 4 June 2008

Information about this school

• This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Originally, the school educated pupils in key stage 1 and the early years only. In 2014, the school expanded to incorporate key stage 2 pupils and, this academic year, it has its first cohort of Year 6 pupils.
• 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 higher than the national average.
• Since the previous inspection, every member of teaching staff, including the headteacher, has left the school.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in 17 parts of lessons, all with senior leaders.
• In addition to discussions with parents, 107 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were taken into account, including free-text comments.
• A range of the school’s documentation was scrutinised to gather information, including: leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance; systems for managing the performance of teachers; the behaviour and safety of pupils; safeguarding; the progress and attainment of pupils; and curriculum leadership.
• The lead inspector 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.
• Meetings were held with school leaders, representatives from the governing body and a diocesan officer.

Inspection team

Dan Lambert, lead inspector James Munt

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector