Grangefield Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Continue to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment to ensure that pupils make strong progress in all year groups and subjects by making sure that:
  • teaching across all key stage 1 classes demands the highest standards of pupils, particularly for the middle-attaining and the most able pupils, in writing and mathematics
  • pupils receive high-quality phonics teaching which enables them to read well and apply their phonic knowledge to their writing
  • teachers’ checks on learning are used precisely to ensure that planned activities consistently meet pupils’ needs, particularly for the most able.
• Improve leadership and management, including governance, further by ensuring that:
  • middle leaders make close checks on pupils’ progress taking into account pupils’ prior attainment so that no group of pupils falls behind
  • governors challenge school leaders robustly and hold leaders to account for whole school performance through their regular school visits and meetings.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and deputy head have a clear vision for the school which is shared by subject leaders and governors. Senior leaders’ actions and their strong drive for improvement have ensured that the school has maintained its good standard of education since the previous inspection.
• Senior leaders are forward thinking and constantly seek to improve the school. For example, a recent review of the school’s systems and processes is having a good effect. There is greater clarity to subject action plans and a more precise focus on measuring the impact of the school’s work. As a result, leaders at all levels are working on the right aspects for development, and any relative dips in weaker school performance are accurately identified and being addressed. There is good capacity for further improvement.
• Senior leaders’ determined actions and intervention have raised pupils’ achievement in key stages 1 and 2 over time. They have not wavered from their focus on raising pupils’ achievement and improving teaching despite a time of considerable building works and whole-school change. As a result, pupils’ outcomes remain good and continue to improve.
• Leaders have been effective in securing a stable staff team by making changes to the teaching structure and planning carefully for the school’s expansion.
• Leaders have acted swiftly to begin to address the shortfall in Year 1 phonics outcomes in 2017. Leaders have ensured that teachers have already assessed current Years 1 and 2 pupils in their phonic knowledge. This has given rise to bespoke teaching plans to enable those pupils who need it, to begin to catch up. However, this work is very recent. Leaders have not yet ensured that teachers routinely use the assessment information they have collected at the beginning of the year. Leaders know there is more to do to improve this aspect so that phonics teaching is consistently good.
• Senior leaders undertake a comprehensive menu of monitoring to check on pupils’ learning. Inspection evidence confirms that leaders’ checks bring about considerable improvements to the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes. For example, careful monitoring of the provision for the most able pupils has given rise to a greater proportion of pupils in key stage 1 and key stage 2 exceeding the expectations expected nationally in 2017. However, some of the leaders’ checks this academic year are not yet as precisely focused as they need to be. Leaders have been slow to identify that teaching is not consistently building on what pupils can do, know and understand in their writing in some key stage 1 classes this term. Consequently, the middle-attaining and most-able pupils’ progress in the last few weeks has stalled.
• Middle leaders’ roles are developing well. For example, precise training, support and monitoring in mathematics is very effective in ensuring that teaching is closely matched to pupils’ needs and pupils’ progress is good. This is a particular strength in key stage 2. Middle leaders’ impact is less effective in English and early years. In such cases, feedback does not provide staff with the next steps they need to accelerate pupils’ progress even further.
• The leader of special educational needs and disabilities (SENCo) is highly ambitious for these pupils. Her stoic determination to improve systems and processes to track the performance of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is paying off. As a result, most of these pupils receive work that is matched to their needs and their progress over time is increasingly good. The additional funding for pupils who have special educational needs is closely tracked and used appropriately.
• Leaders track the impact of pupil-premium funding effectively. Pupil numbers are small and therefore it is not possible to draw conclusions about the progress of this group of pupils against other pupils nationally. However, in-school support, both pastoral and academic, is enabling pupils to make good progress. Leaders’ noteworthy strategy to improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils is resulting in gradually improving attendance of this group.
• The planned curriculum meets national requirements. Pupils’ learning across the curriculum encourages them to use and apply their English and mathematical knowledge. However, this is more limited in some subjects. For example, too much structuring of activities in science restricts a few pupils from fully applying and deepening their investigative skills.
• The curriculum supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Regular learning through the school’s family group system, the ‘Owl group’ system, is highly effective in helping pupils to build relationships and friendships across phases. It also aids development of teamwork, resilience and empathy. Pupils told inspectors that these sessions are central to their learning development and help them look at the bigger picture of being an effective learner.
• Leaders have used the additional sports premium funding to provide high-quality continuous professional development for teachers and embed new curriculum planning. As a result, the quality of physical education teaching has improved. In addition, the school’s wide-ranging programme of sport and participation is improved.
• The vast majority of parents who responded to the online questionnaire ‘Parent View’ are resolute in their positive feedback about the school.

Governance of the school

• Governors are forward thinking in their approach. For example, they successfully brokered a leadership review to evaluate the impact of leadership systems across the school. However, governors have been slow to respond to some of their areas for development identified in this review. For example, governors’ minutes of meeting do not record sufficient challenge and their checks against key priority areas for improvement have not been sufficiently rigorous.
• Governors have also been too accepting of the information they are provided with by school leaders. As a result, they do not have the impact of school improvement initiatives at their fingertips. This is because visits to the school to review school improvement areas have been too sporadic or left to a few key members of the governing body to carry out.
• The chair of governors has made determined efforts to improve how governors hold the school to account. Part of this work has been in successfully inducting new governors into their roles. As a result, the governing body is now better placed to begin to build its capacity and strengthen the way it holds leaders to account. Rightly, governors know there is more to do to ensure that they are working at full capacity.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff training is up to date and in line with current legislation. Staff spoken to during the inspection understand what to do if they have concerns about a pupil’s well-being. They know the importance of following up concerns and checking that those leaders who are responsible for safeguarding have followed up actions in a timely way. Leaders work closely with external agencies when the need arises. Scrutiny of school documents confirms that designated safeguarding leaders are persistent in following up any concerns to reduce pupils’ risk of harm.
• Staff checks are completed in line with national requirements to confirm staff suitability to work with children. However, in the past, some aspects of record-keeping were not as well organised as they could have been. Governors conduct regular safeguarding checks relating to staff training, employment checks and health and safety. Any actions are followed through well and progress recorded within governors’ minutes.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• At key stage 2, teachers use their assessments well to plan work that builds on what pupil can do, know and understand. As a result, work scrutiny shows that these pupils’ progress continues to accelerate well this term.
• Teaching for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is usually effective. However, at times, intervention support is needed to ensure that these pupils make good progress. This is because the teaching on offer is too difficult for these pupils to access their learning in class, or because they are moved on too quickly before learning has been consolidated. As a result, learning falters for a few pupils at key stage 1.
• The school’s approach to improving teaching of spelling, punctuation and grammar at key stage 2 is already paying dividends. This is resulting in previously weaker pupils’ spelling being tackled effectively. Teaching is increasingly effective in exposing pupils to work that deepens their skills and knowledge of writing at key stage 2. As a result, pupils are using more sophisticated and complex word and sentence choices in their writing.
• In key stage 1, in a few classes, teachers’ assessment practices are less well refined. Teachers do not consistently use their understanding of pupils’ prior knowledge and skills to plan work that is sufficiently challenging. As a result, teachers’ expectations of the middle-attaining and most-able pupils are not uniformly high. The teaching of phonics in Year 1 is not yet consistently strong. Leaders have identified this and have plans in place to improve this aspect so that pupils can apply their phonics skills to their early writing.
• The school’s strategy to strengthen the teaching of mathematics further is proving very effective in key stage 2. As a result, pupils have greater fluency and strong skills in calculation and number across the school. The recent incorporation of a greater focus on problem solving and reasoning is noteworthy in many year groups. This is enabling pupils to apply their mathematical skills with greater confidence and make consistently good and sometimes rapid progress. However, on occasion in a few key stage 1 classes, pupils do not get exposure to the most challenging work quickly enough and this hinders the progress that these pupils make.
• Additional adults are deployed well. They provide timely and caring support. This helps pupils gain confidence and independence in their learning skills.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils say they feel safe in school and talk with confidence about how to keep safe online.
• Pupils are well supervised at lunch and breaktimes. They enjoy playing with a wide variety of equipment and get along well together.
• Pupils at Grangefield benefit from effective pastoral systems that develop personal responsibility and pupils’ well-being. For example, the school’s vertical tutor group system, the ‘Owl group’ system, provides plentiful opportunities for pupils to support each other in a range of enrichment activities. Older pupils particularly enjoy reading alongside their younger peers. Pupils feel that this ‘unique time’ helps to bring the whole school community together.
• The curriculum supports the vast majority of pupils well. As a result, most demonstrate consistently positive attitudes to learning and are proud of their school. Occasionally, when teaching is not closely matched to their needs in key stage 1, pupils’ concentration can stray and this slows the progress that pupils make.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils conduct themselves well around the school and in lessons, often demonstrating an inherent motivation to learn. As a result, most pupils present their work well and show high levels of resilience when tackling work that is challenging. Occasionally, however, when teachers’ expectations are not consistently high, the quality of pupils’ presentation can wane.
• Pupils’ attendance has been above the national average for a number of years. Pupils say that, if they are absent, teachers help them catch up with their work. However, there remains a small difference between the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and others in the school. The children and families support worker provides effective support and acts as a point of contact for parents to discuss any concerns. This is proving effective in supporting pupils to improve their attendance. Consequently, attendance for this group of pupils continues to rise gradually.
• Pupils report that bullying is rare. Pupils say that they are confident to approach adults with any concerns they have. They feel that adults sort out any issues and concerns quickly.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The proportion of pupils reaching a good level of development, the standard expected at the end of early years, has been above the national average for the last three years. However, boys’ attainment is not as high as that of girls.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the required standards in the phonics screening check in Year 1 improved steadily between 2014 and 2016. However, in 2017 the proportion of pupils achieving this standard dropped below the national average. School leaders have put plans in place to help those pupils who have fallen behind to catch up. However, this support is very recent and has not yet brought about the sustained and necessary improvements.
• Pupils’ outcomes in 2016 at the end of key stage 1 were above the national average in reading and mathematics and slightly below the national average in writing. Boys’ attainment in writing was lower than that of girls. Now in Year 4, these boys are catching up quickly in their writing, as a result of the good teaching they receive.
• In 2017, pupils’ good outcomes have been maintained, with the greatest improvement seen in writing overall. Carefully targeted teaching for the middle-attaining and the most able pupils is enabling many more pupils to make more rapid progress than previously, particularly in reading. As a result, the proportion of pupils exceeding the standard expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics continues to rise.
• In 2016, outcomes at the end of key stage 2 were in line with the national average in reading and mathematics and above in writing. In 2017, outcomes at the end of Year 6 have continued to improve. As a result, outcomes are now above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils achieve broadly in line with the national average in spelling, punctuation and grammar. Overt teaching of this aspect across key stage 2 is beginning to pay dividends. As a result, this year more pupils are demonstrating sophisticated sentence structure and precision in their writing across key stage 2.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making increasingly good progress. This is because targeted assessments are used effectively to plan additional intervention and support. However, occasionally, a few of these pupils make more variable progress when work on offer in class is not closely matched to their needs.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is small. It is not possible to make meaningful comparisons against other pupils nationally at the end of each key stage. Most disadvantaged pupils across the school do make good progress from their starting points. However, very few pupils are exceeding the standards expected nationally.
• Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can and cannot do, know and understand are usually high. However, while many year groups demonstrate consistently good presentation and care in their work books, pupils’ handwriting is occasionally, in lower key stage 2, not sufficiently well presented. In a minority of cases, learning activities are left unfinished. Leaders have not ensured that teaching in other subjects is consistently as effective as it is in English and mathematics.

Early years provision Good

• Leaders have a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for development within the early years. Regular checks on children’s learning ensure that planned activities build on what children can do, know and understand. Consequently, children in the early years get off to a good start and most make good progress overall.
• Children are happy and confident to come to school. Clear routines and structures are already well established because adults support children effectively to build their independence and confidence. Consequently, children behave well and enjoy school.
• Teaching in the early years is good. The breadth of curriculum is appropriate. Children experience a wide range of activities both inside and outside. They enjoy the activities on offer and show high levels of independence. For example, during ‘challenge maths’ children explored a variety of practical number activities outdoors to deepen their understanding of counting and finding the sum of two objects.
• Teaching is beginning to develop children’s phonic knowledge. Teaching is meeting children’s needs well and they are already developing positive and effective reading behaviours.
• Parents warmly welcome systems for sharing what their children have been learning at school. The online system enables parents to contribute to their children’s significant learning moments. A number of parents commented that they value this system and the effective communication between home and school that they experience.
• Pupils experience a successful transition from Reception into Year 1. Pastoral care is also effective at this point. However, the system in place to ensure a smooth transition in pupils’ academic achievement is not as good as it could be. Teachers in key stage 1 are not provided with all the information they need to plan work that builds firmly on pupils’ prior achievement. As a result, some of the most able children have not sustained their high attainment in writing into Year 1. In addition, for a few children, though specific targeted support and teaching has been provided in the summer term, learning has been too fragile. So, academic standards have not been fully sustained in writing when moving to Year 1.
• All safeguarding requirements are met.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 131784 Gloucestershire 10037003 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 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 244 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Colin Peacey Karen Lewis 01242 671003 www.grangefield.gloucs.sch.uk admin@grangefield.gloucs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 4–5 October 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• This is an average-sized primary school. It is a growing school. As such, an additional building has been created to house key stage 2 pupils. When at capacity the school will have two classes for each year group.
• There are two classes for children in Reception and pupils in Years 1 and 2. Currently there is one class for each key stage 2 class.
• The majority of pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils who receive special educational needs support is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have a special educational needs statement or an education, health and care plan is in line with the national average.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support by the pupil premium is well below the national average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in visits to lessons across the school, some of which were jointly observed with senior leaders.
• Discussions took place with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, and the English, early years and mathematics leaders. There was also a meeting with the leader of special educational needs and/or disabilities and the parent support worker.
• The lead inspector met with a group of governors. She also met with a representative of the local education authority.
• Inspectors scrutinised a number of school documents, including school improvement plans, records relating to behaviour, checks on teaching and learning, school performance information, pupils’ attendance and safeguarding.
• The inspection team carried out scrutiny of the quality of pupils’ work in books across a range of subjects and year groups.
• Inspectors spoke to two groups of pupils to seek their views about the school. The views of other pupils were gathered during lessons and lunchtimes. An inspector listened to pupils reading.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, in an assembly, at lunchtimes, breaktimes and around the school.
• Inspectors considered 70 responses to the online survey, Parent View, as well as 47 free-text responses from parents. Questionnaire responses from five members of staff and 23 pupils were also analysed.

Inspection team

Julie Carrington, lead inspector Nick Sheppard Wendy Hanrahan

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector