Greatfield Park Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • leaders robustly monitor the changes made to teaching and learning styles in each class and the impact these have on the quality of pupils’ recorded work, particularly writing
  • leaders continue to be ambitious that disadvantaged pupils make strong progress in core curriculum areas, especially writing
  • subject leaders develop their ability to monitor and evaluate progress of the most able pupils.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by teachers:
  • raising their expectations of pupils’ attitudes to learning so that they are consistently positive across the school
  • planning activities which provide sufficient challenge for the most able pupils, especially in writing
  • providing feedback that is consistent with the school’s agreed policy, so that pupils understand how to improve their work
  • effectively monitoring pupils’ work and encouraging them to take more consistent pride in it.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The school is working on the right areas for improvement. The headteacher has a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Self-evaluation of the school’s performance is accurate and plans for development are tightly focused to provide better outcomes for pupils.
• Leaders and governors have cultivated an orderly, engaging and aspirational school environment where pupils are typically keen to learn. The school’s values encourage pupils to be respectful and tolerant of others. Older pupils demonstrate their understanding of fundamental British values. They can discuss how people have different faiths and beliefs, including those without faith.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is developed through carefully planned work. For example, pupils have experienced working with the wider community, raising money for and visiting a local residential home.
• Leaders’ commitment to improvement is recognised by the school community. Almost all parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, said that they would recommend the school to another parent.
• Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the school and the level of support they receive from leaders. They say that leaders encourage, challenge and support them to improve their practice through professional development. They particularly feel supported to take risks and innovate in ways that are right for pupils.
• Leaders and governors carefully scrutinise use of the pupil premium funding to ensure that disadvantaged pupils achieve well. Their strategy has improved attendance and outcomes in reading and mathematics for many of these pupils.
• Leaders have made changes to the curriculum in order to introduce a ‘real-life’ context and motivate those pupils who were not effectively engaging in their work. Projects to inspire boys to read more have been successful. Other curriculum areas are open to exploration, with learning inspired by questions such as ‘Will people still be eating fish and chips in 2021?’ Pupils say that they enjoy learning more than they did previously, as it’s often fun. Leaders are passionate and staff are enthusiastic about this approach to learning. It is too early for leaders to confidently assure themselves that pupils’ progress is sufficiently strong with this initiative.
• Leaders, after much research, have introduced new initiatives to motivate and inspire pupils to make choices in their learning. Where this is well managed by teachers’ high expectations of positive behaviour, pupils thrive. Leaders are not sufficiently checking the impact upon the quality of written work in classes where expectations are not high. As a result, pupils’ pride in their work and the quality of its appearance are highly variable. This is particularly important where younger pupils are still developing their writing skills.

Governance of the school

• Governors provide challenge and support to the headteacher. They recognise the positive impact upon the school of the headteacher’s commitments to other local education organisations.
• The regular visits that governors make to the school and the reports they receive ensure that they have an accurate picture of the quality of education the school provides.
• Governors monitor the spending of the pupil premium and sport premium with a clear focus on successfully improving pupils’ achievement. They recognise when changes need to be made and contribute to driving improvement.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Staff receive training to recognise vulnerable pupils and they know how to protect pupils from extremist views.
• Administrative staff complete and keep up to date all the necessary checks on the suitability of staff, volunteers and visitors to the school. Leaders and governors check these processes thoroughly.
• Pupils are safe and articulate clearly how the school supports them to stay safe online and within the school site. Almost all parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, said that they felt that their children are safe in school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is effective. Teachers and other adults support these pupils well. There is a strong emphasis on ensuring that social and emotional needs are met. As a result, pupils are ready to learn. Teachers and teaching assistants help them to learn alongside their peers and make good progress relative to their individual starting points.
• Helpful information keeps parents informed about their children’s progress. Parents of pupils who have special educational needs are positive about the school’s work to identify and meet these needs.
• Careful targeting of disadvantaged pupils ensures that they benefit from additional funding. These pupils receive dedicated teaching time to discuss and reflect upon their learning. The outcomes for disadvantaged pupils improve as a result.
• Pupils with lower starting points get the support they need to complete tasks successfully. As a result, these pupils make good progress. Boys’ reading, identified as an area for improvement by leaders, is improving due to more engaging material that boys find interesting and relevant. Consequently, boys in key stage 2 are motivated and making better progress.
• The teaching of phonics is effective. Pupils regularly practise writing the letters that represent the sounds they are learning. As a result, children in Reception classes make good progress with early writing skills.
• Current pupils are developing their mathematical thinking through effective teaching. Pupils frequently use reasoning and problem solving to enhance their calculation skills. An increasing proportion of pupils are working at a greater depth in mathematics as a result.
• Inconsistencies exist in both key stage 1 and key stage 2 for pupils to practise their writing skills across the curriculum. Pupils are often unclear how to improve their work.
• Teachers’ use of assessment information to inform planning is not sufficiently developed. The headteacher provides teachers with clear guidance based on analysis of their checks on pupils’ learning. This information is not being used well enough to ensure that the youngest most able pupils achieve as well as they can.
• Most pupils are very keen to improve their work. However, the school’s new approach to learning in the classroom allows pupils to choose how and where to write. Where this is not well managed, pupils’ presentation and pride in their work are impaired.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Most pupils are confident and self-assured. They show respect for others’ ideas and views. Older pupils can reflect, with maturity, about their experience of school. These views are overwhelmingly positive. Pupils learn about the qualities of being a responsible citizen through the school’s clear values.
• Pupils’ well-being is a high priority for staff. Provision for pupils’ individual social and emotional needs is effective. The school uses extensive multi-agency teams to ensure that the needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are met.
• Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. They are confident that the adults in the school will deal with their concerns. They say that bullying is rare and that it is dealt with quickly if it occurs.
• Pupils’ attendance has improved to be above that found nationally. Fewer pupils are persistently absent due to effective intervention and support from the school.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• The conduct of pupils throughout the school day is very positive. The school is an orderly learning environment. The changeover between lessons is calm. As a result, pupils start each lesson ready to learn.
• Most pupils are keen to improve their work and they have positive attitudes to learning. However, attitudes to learning lapse when teachers’ expectations are not high enough.
• Pupils’ pride in their work is inconsistent. This is largely when changes in learning styles are not well managed, leading to the presentation of pupils’ written work in books being not good enough.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Disadvantaged pupils are carefully monitored and typically make good progress in the core areas of learning. Those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make excellent progress with their clearly identified needs.
• Children in Reception make progress that is at least typical for their age and sometimes better. An increasingly higher proportion of children achieve a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year.
• Pupils get a good start in reading. In Year 1, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in phonics is consistently in line with the national average. Those current pupils who need to catch up with their learning are identified and effectively supported to make good progress. Pupils continue to attain well in reading, and by the end of key stage 1 the proportion achieving the expected standard is well above that found nationally.
• Pupils’ attainment in writing, mathematics and science is well above that found nationally at the end of Year 2. However, not enough of these pupils achieve greater depth in their learning in writing and mathematics.
• Outcomes for boys in reading at the end of key stage 2 have not been as strong as those for girls. Initiatives introduced to motivate current boys and improve their progress are having a positive impact.
• At key stage 2, attainment in mathematics is improving. Leaders rightly recognised that changes were needed to improve the school’s approach to teaching mathematics. In 2016, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard was well below that found nationally. In 2017, a greater proportion achieved the expected standard. Current pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are making good progress in mathematics.
• In writing, at the end of key stage 2, progress over time shows an improvement from 2016 to 2017. Boys’ writing progress is not as strong as that of girls. Attainment was below national averages in 2016 and is broadly in line in 2017. The most able pupils do not achieve as well as they could in writing.

Early years provision Good

• The early years is a supportive environment which ensures children’s safety and welfare while developing their social skills effectively. Parents are supportive and appreciative of children’s smooth transition to the Reception classes.
• Children behave well and demonstrate that they feel safe. Teachers and teaching assistants ensure that movement between lessons and activities is calm and orderly. They care for the children well. Staff establish clear routines so that children know what to expect. Children listen carefully to adults’ instructions and behave sensibly as they explore and learn. They enjoy a stimulating outdoor area with equipment to inspire their learning.
• Teaching nurtures, engages and motivates children and promotes their sense of achievement. Children enjoy learning and they are encouraged to make choices and decisions.
• Teaching ensures that children understand the link between their phonics learning and writing skills. As children learn new sounds in phonics, they immediately practise letter formation in a variety of ways to improve early writing skills. Pupils with low starting points make good, and in some cases rapid, progress towards the early learning goals.
• Most children are ready for Year 1 because they achieve a good level of development. Where children do not achieve a good level of development, teachers ensure that important gaps in their learning are quickly filled, especially in phonics.
• Children’s progress is carefully monitored. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development has increased over time and is now in line with national averages. Given that many children start school at a level which is typical for their age, a greater proportion should achieve a good level of development.

School details

Unique reference number 115586 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 10037850 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 231 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kate Shepherd Headteacher Nikki Hill Telephone number 01242 523301 Website www.greatfieldparkschool.com Email address head@greatfieldpark.gloucs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 13–14 Mar 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• 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.
• Greatfield Park Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school. There are eight classes.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is lower than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is lower than the national average.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection team visited classrooms to observe learning. Some of these visits were made jointly with the headteacher. Inspectors observed pupils’ learning across the school.
• The inspection team looked carefully at pupils’ work from all year groups and across a range of subjects.
• The inspection team talked to pupils from different year groups about how they feel about school, how teachers help them with their learning and how the school keeps them safe.
• The inspection team held discussions with school leaders, staff and members of the governing body. The inspectors also took into account responses to questionnaires completed by staff and pupils.
• The inspection team looked at the school’s evaluation of its own performance, its improvement plan, a number of key school policies and the minutes of meetings of the governing body. They also considered a range of documentation in relation to child protection, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.
• The inspectors listened to a selection of pupils read.
• The inspectors took account of 49 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including a number of free-text responses. The inspectors also spoke to a number of parents during the inspection.

Inspection team

Mike Brady, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Wendy Hanrahan Ofsted Inspector