The Grange Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that all teaching, learning and assessment are as highly effective as the best practice in the school, and result in outstanding progress across all years.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The headteacher and the head of school exude high expectations of pupils and staff. They are ambitious for all pupils and relentlessly focus on improving their outcomes. As a result, the quality of teaching is of a consistently high standard and pupils’ outcomes have improved rapidly in recent years.
• Senior leaders have an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and areas for ongoing development. They regularly check the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. As a result, incisive actions taken by leaders have increased pupils’ rates of progress, particularly the disadvantaged and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Senior leaders recognise that, on rare occasions, not all teaching is as effective as it should be. They are taking steps to rapidly eliminate these rare inconsistencies.
• Middle leaders are equally effective. They have high expectations about the quality of teaching across the school. Their support and monitoring has been particularly effective in heightening levels of challenge for high-prior-attaining pupils, and ensuring that more reach the highest levels of attainment by the time they leave the school.
• Systems for managing the performance of staff are well organised. These systems ensure that all teachers are held to account for developing the quality of their teaching, and for making sure that the pupils they teach make good and better progress.
• The pupil premium funding is used very efficiently. Funding is reviewed regularly by senior leaders and governors to ensure that it is helping pupils to achieve their full potential. As a result, differences between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally are diminishing.
• Leaders have also used the additional sports funding to increase the range of sports that pupils can participate in, and to purchase specialist equipment. Professional coaching enhances the school’s physical education curriculum, as well as staff’s confidence in planning for, and delivering, meaningful physical education experiences. Pupils participate in a wide range of activities and competitions, including football, basketball, cross-country running, street dancing and Zumba. Boccia experiences provide particular success and rewards for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• The discrete funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is checked carefully for impact. Bespoke learning arrangements in and out of lessons are regularly confirmed to ensure that these individual pupils make at least good progress.
• The highly innovative curriculum is varied and engages pupils’ interest. Teachers work extremely hard to ensure that pupils enjoy their learning and that they broaden their knowledge of life beyond their own community. Teachers plan work that fosters pupils’ interest and curiosity. For example, in Year 6 pupils are invited to consider how science can raise money for charity, Year 2 pupils reflect on why the human body is so amazing, while Year 1 pupils consider what it means to be alive.
• Displays around the school and pictures captured in the school’s many albums celebrate pupils’ artistic, musical and performing skills. Displays promote key school and British values such as respect and tolerance for family differences and the concepts of freedom and equality that underpin the British political and legal systems.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted exceptionally well. Opportunities to learn about different religions deepen pupils’ spiritual and cultural awareness. Pupils develop an understanding of democracy through assembly themes and in the annual election of school councillors and house leaders. Pupils’ adherence to the school’s rules and eagerness to take on subject responsibilities and play leaders’ roles, epitomises the school’s motto of ‘every child, every chance, every day’. Pupils’ regular participation in a variety of sporting activities and competitions enhances their social skills. These opportunities help them to become aware of the importance of encouraging one another to give of their best.
• The local authority provides the school with good support. It has an accurate view of the school’s strengths. School leaders have established links with a number of schools locally and regionally, to source bespoke professional development and training, to continue to improve the quality of the school’s work.

Governance of the school

• Governors have a strong understanding of the strengths of the school, and the priorities for continued growth and improvement.
• Governors are ambitious for all pupils and families, and are determined to provide high-quality teaching and learning experiences for all.
• Governors are confident in holding school leaders and managers to account, and achieve an appropriate balance of challenge and support.
• Governors place a high priority on keeping pupils safe, and ensure that staff training is up to date and relevant.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Staff training is constantly updated, including the ‘Prevent’ duty training.
• Leaders follow rigorously the school’s safeguarding procedures, and liaise closely with the relevant external organisations, including the Local Safeguarding Children Board.
• Leaders ensure a safe environment for pupils through regular risk assessments. Staff are highly vigilant in keeping pupils safe.
• The school’s links with individual families, where pupils live in particularly vulnerable circumstances, are very well established. Staff are extremely dedicated to minimise the degree of risk associated with these situations. They make themselves readily available throughout the school day, and beyond, to ensure that all pupils and families receive the support they need.
• Staff have a thorough understanding of the implications of the latest version of ‘Keeping children safe in education’. They use the advice and information to constantly guide their work.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Teaching is of a high quality, not only in English and mathematics, but also across the curriculum. Teachers and support staff plan learning that enthuses pupils and develops pupils’ resilience.
• For example, in key stages 1 and 2, inspectors saw pupils solving some challenging mathematics problems. Key stage 2 pupils talked animatedly about the teaching of science that had caused them to reflect deeply about survival possibilities in outer space. Pupils’ French books in Years 5 and 6 contain evidence of teachers’ high expectations of pupils’ abilities to describe where they live and what they like to do in the foreign language. Evidence of the teaching of information and communication technology across the school indicates the emphasis on pupils’ understanding of what goes on behind the computer screen.
• In the vast majority of lessons teachers show a very good understanding of pupils’ needs and interests. Teachers plan activities that ensure that learning is meaningful and thought provoking. They ensure that pupils are provided with appropriate levels of challenge, and expect them to apply their learning in different contexts. Teachers use probing questions skilfully to elicit pupils’ understanding and extend their thinking.
• The teaching of mathematics across the school is strong. Teachers use a range of successful strategies to encourage pupils to explain approaches to solving problems, reason why they succeed and sometimes fail. Opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical skills are well developed alongside the basic skills work.
• The teaching of writing is equally successful. In many classes pupils write confidently in a range of formal and informal contexts, and for different audiences and purposes. Teachers encourage pupils to work on tasks that require care and attention, an ability to write in detail, and with an eye for punctuation and vocabulary that makes a real impact on the reader.
• Reading is taught exceptionally well and many pupils enjoy reading for pleasure. Younger pupils are taught effectively to use their phonics knowledge to read unfamiliar words accurately. Older pupils appreciate the importance of reading and read regularly in school and at home.
• Teaching assistants provide pupils with effective support, which heightens their learning from their different starting points.
• The school’s website contains excellent home-learning opportunities for pupils to practise and develop their skills in reading, writing and mathematics, as well as in other subjects.
• Staff are keen to share effective practice in school and to visit other schools to learn from colleagues with specialist expertise.
• Excellent relationships exist between teachers and pupils. This fosters highly positive attitudes to learning and encourages pupils to try their very best.
• On rare occasions a minority of teachers’ expectations are not high enough. This results in some pupils losing concentration and completing work in a superficial manner that does not reflect their true abilities. Senior and middle leaders are taking action to rapidly address these occasional shortfalls.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupil welfare is one of the main priorities of the school. Leaders work successfully with other agencies, including the local authority and social care, when they identify any pupils who may be at risk.
• Many lessons, and the extensive range of educational visits and experiences, stimulate pupils to think about the world around them. As a result, pupils develop a strong appreciation of the beliefs and viewpoints of people from different backgrounds, faiths and cultures, as an essential part of their preparation for life in modern Britain.
• Pupils have an excellent awareness of the concepts of freedom and democracy and of Britain’s parliamentary system. They talk enthusiastically about their school responsibilities as play and house leaders, school councillors, and buddies to fellow pupils.
• The school operates as a cohesive community. Pupils and adults mix happily with each other and enjoy each other’s company. Pupils are well-mannered and welcoming of visitors.
• Pupils feel safe in the school and exceptionally well cared for. They have confidence in staff to help them with any problems that may arise, and one pupil said that there is ‘always someone close-by to lend a helping hand’.
• Pupils are confident in their understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They are clear about the importance of keeping safe online, the precautions to take when using a mobile phone and being vigilant of people they don’t know beyond the school’s gates.
• Pupils understand about different types of bullying, know that bullying is something that is repeated regularly and try to prevent it from happening. Pupils say that when rare incidents of bullying occur, they are dealt with quickly and successfully by staff.
• The school’s personal, social, emotional and health programmes include regular visitors from local community services. Daily ‘bubble time’ encourages pupils to take ‘time out’ and to reflect about personal and school issues. These moments inspire pupils to consider their actions and those of others and to understand the importance of a calm and composed lifestyle.
• Pupils in all years benefit from well-organised opportunities ahead of schedule to meet their new teacher, visit their new classroom and learn about their new learning experiences, as they move through the school. Transition arrangements for Year 6 pupils into secondary school are particularly effective.
• The school site is well kept. Pupils respect the learning environment which is clean, bright and inviting.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils show a very good awareness of the expectations that leaders and their peers have of their behaviour. This was seen during lunchtime when a key stage 1 pupil reminded his peers about how to stand sensibly to wait for lunch.
• Behaviour both in classrooms and during playtimes is of a high standard. Pupils respond well to the school’s behaviour code, and are acutely aware of the differences between ‘sunshine, clouds and thunder clouds’. The system was seen being used highly effectively in the classrooms.
• Older pupils are keen to be role models for their peers. They are extremely proud when they are nominated as ‘buddies’ and school council representatives. They understand what an important role they play in ensuring that all pupils are made to feel part of the school community.
• Leaders have established a robust system of attendance and follow-up. Absence is followed up on day one, and the school engages with a range of agencies where there are concerns about pupils’ attendance. As a result, attendance has improved and the vast majority of pupils attend regularly.
• Overall parents, pupils and staff responses to school questionnaires, and to the Ofsted online questionnaires, indicate that the school operates as an exceptionally orderly and cohesive community. Inspectors agree.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• Pupils’ achievement is outstanding. This is because teaching makes consistently high demands of all pupils’ levels of concentration, perseverance and commitment, and insists on the highest outcomes.
• As a result, key stage 1 attainment has risen rapidly over the past two years and is now overall above average. It is especially strong in reading and mathematics.
• The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 2 phonics check is above the national average. This is because children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 receive good-quality phonics teaching which is well matched to their different needs.
• By the time pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6, their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is well above average. These outcomes represent outstanding progress over time.
• Attainment in reading is a strength. Pupils from different abilities read fluently and with understanding to inspectors. When reading to inspectors, they used acquired phonics skills to pronounce unfamiliar words accurately. Many pupils could answer questions confidently about key characters, and how storylines might develop.
• The proportions of pupils achieving the highest outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics are rising rapidly across the school. This is due to increasing levels of challenge in all years, especially for the most able pupils who make increasingly good and better progress.
• Pupils’ progress across all year groups accelerates strongly throughout the school year. The school’s own assessment information confirms this and it is also evident in pupils’ books, not only in writing and mathematics but across the wider curriculum.
• Pupils develop increasingly above-average skills and understanding in science and history, and show strong aptitudes for learning a foreign language. Regular opportunities to design and make artefacts as part of enterprise projects contribute successfully to pupils’ effective technological and artistic awareness. Pupils develop strong musical appreciation through playing a range of instruments, including the flute and the recorder, and listening regularly to music from different world cultures. High-quality physical education experiences develop levels of team work, stamina and physical agility.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good and often outstanding progress. In 2016, the progress of these pupils was in the top 10% of schools nationally in reading and in the top 20% for mathematics. This progress is a result of very well-planned support and well-targeted activities, both in and out of the classroom.
• The progress made by pupils eligible for support funded by the pupil premium is outstanding. In 2016, progress made by the end of key stage 2 by disadvantaged pupils was in the top 10% of pupils nationally in reading and in the top 20% in mathematics. School information shows that current disadvantaged pupils, including the most able, are also making strong progress, and in some cases stronger progress than that of non-disadvantaged pupils in the school. This is because the school is fully aware of their needs and ensures that support for them is specific.

Early years provision

• The skills and knowledge of children when they join the Nursery or Reception are

Outstanding

below those typical for their age. They make outstanding progress because leaders and staff are passionate about meeting their needs. Staff plan and deliver a rich curriculum that quickly develops children’s skills and knowledge. As a result, the proportions of children reaching a good level of development, and above, at the end of the Reception Year, are higher than national averages.

• Ambitious leadership, high expectations of staff, and regular checking of children’s needs and progress, have resulted in above national average outcomes at the end of the early years over several years.
• Adults are highly skilled at involving pupils in all aspects of the curriculum. This is achieved as a result of engaging indoor and outdoor learning environments and thought-provoking activities that ignite children’s interest and curiosity.
• Phonics teaching in the early years is strong. Activities in these sessions encourage repetition and successfully consolidate learning and challenge for all children, including the most able, in matching words with sounds.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported effectively alongside their peers. Pupil premium funding is used successfully to provide disadvantaged pupils with additional support and resources.
• All children are encouraged to help each other with all of the planned activities. They confidently explore all of the resources and equipment, indoors and outdoors.
• The vast majority of the adults ask questions that encourage children to think for themselves and develop confidence in communicating with each other.
• Children are kept safe because all staff adhere closely to safety procedures and risk assessments.
• Parents from the early years attend useful family-learning sessions that are planned by the school. Parents and children learn alongside each other in these sessions. The sessions have been designed to give parents ideas to extend their children’s learning outside of the classroom.
• Leaders in the early years are not complacent. They have identified scope to develop even more creative learning activities, to fire children’s imagination further, and enhance their resourcefulness and inventiveness.

School details

Unique reference number 140626 Local authority North Lincolnshire Inspection number 10031920 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 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 428 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Margaret Thompson Larissa Thorpe 01724 843 601

www.tgps.uk.com

admin.tgps@northlincs.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 is larger than other primary schools.
• Children in the early years attend the Nursery on a part-time basis. Children in Reception attend full-time.
• The large majority of pupils are White British. A small proportion are from minority ethnic backgrounds. Few pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is well above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is also above the national average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited a wide range of lessons across the school, looking extensively at pupils’ work in all lessons. Additionally, three visits to lessons were made with school leaders.
• Alongside school leaders, inspectors reviewed pupils’ progress data and pupils’ work in books, information about the performance of teachers, documents pertaining to safety and behaviour, and information pertaining to safeguarding.
• Inspectors spoke with pupils in lessons and at breaktimes, and met with groups of pupils separately.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, and governors. A telephone conversation was also held with a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors took account of the 45 replies from staff, and the 35 replies from parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaires. No pupil completed the Ofsted questionnaire. Inspectors also considered recent school surveys of the views of parents and pupils of the work of the school.

Inspection team

Andy Swallow, lead inspector Lesley Bowyer Catherine Morgan

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector