Greenfields Community Primary School

Greenfields Community Primary School Oxford Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 8DF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Teaching does not challenge pupils of average and above average ability.  Assessment information is not used often in planning for the needs of all learners.  Not enough pupils make good progress in English and mathematics.  While pupils’ progress in mathematics has improved, there are some weaknesses in pupils’ writing skills, especially in Year 3. A few pupils make slow progress in reading and mathematics.  In lessons, pupils are not given enough opportunities to extend their learning, and as a result, a few lose interest or become distracted.  While the fairly new leadership team is driving improvements, it has not had enough time to promote good progress.

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The school has the following strengths

 The new headteacher motivates staff and pupils to do their best. As a result, teaching has improved from the monitoring inspection.  There are good relationships between the pupils and teachers. Pupils’ attendance has improved since the last inspection.  Staff are enthusiastic and dedicated to supporting pupils.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs receive good support from teaching assistants. Detailed information on their progress is used to provide good-quality extra support for them.  Pupils’ books are marked regularly by staff and pupils respond to their comments which help them improve their work.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 19 lessons, of which seven were joint observations with members of the senior leadership team.  Meetings were held with the local authority’s link advisor and senior improvement advisor. There were also discussions with pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and staff.  Inspectors considered parents’ and carers’ views of the school through discussions and the seven responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View).  The team examined a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress, and planning and monitoring documentation. They looked at attendance figures, teaching assistants’ notes, pupils’ work, and behaviour records.

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Inspection team

Janice Williams, Lead inspector Additional inspector Jameel Hassan Additional inspector Christine Taylor Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is a larger than the average-size primary school.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, there are two Nursery and two Reception classes.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding provided by the government) is well above average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is lower than the national average as is the proportion who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is similar to the national average and the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also similar to the national average.  In 2011, the school did not meet government current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. This is the latest year for which validated data are available.  The school holds the Healthy Schools and Inclusion Quality Mark awards.

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Information about this school

 The experienced deputy headteacher was appointed acting headteacher in 2011. He was made permanent headteacher on 26 September 2012.  Three newly appointed assistant headteachers joined the school in September 2012.  The local authority supported the school in the Kent Challenge partnership to accelerate pupils’ achievement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning so that it is at least consistently good by:  increasing teachers’ expectations and making better use of assessment information in plans to engage and motivate pupils of average and above-average ability  reducing the amount of teacher talk and ensuring there is brisk pace in lessons  improving the guidance and information given to more-able pupils so that they can take responsibility for extending their own learning.  Accelerate pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics by:  creating more opportunities for pupils to accurately use a range of punctuation, paragraphing and different sentence types to improve their writing skills  ensuring pupils use and apply what they have learnt in mathematics in real-life situations  ensuring that pupils understand the level they are working at, especially in reading, and providing clearer guidance on how to improve

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 creating more engaging and creative activities in the curriculum to stimulate pupils’ interest and engagement in lessons.  Strengthen leadership and management at all levels by:  providing an effective support programme to develop teachers’ skills and subject knowledge  ensuring senior leaders use data thoroughly to track and monitor the progress of all pupils and take effective actions to accelerate pupils’ progress  developing middle leaders’ skills in checking up on the progress of pupils so that they can effectively use this information to identify underachievement and drive improvements  providing more training for the governors so that they can challenge senior leaders and effectively support leaders in improving the quality of teaching so that pupils make good progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because in Key Stages 1 and 2, pupils of average and above-average ability do not make fast enough progress, especially in mathematics where work is dull and, in some cases, too easy.  In writing, pupils’ progress is not good enough because they are not given enough help and/or time to practise the key skills of punctuation and the use of paragraphs to make the writing more interesting.  Children enter the Nursery with knowledge and skills below expectations for their age. A high proportion of children are at the early stages of communicating in English. Several children have speech and language delay. Children make slow progress because planning does not reflect their interests and needs. However, through good support from teaching assistants, children’s speech and language skills are improved.  In Reception, the learning environment stimulates interest and children make good progress

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

because staff ask questions which really make children think. Children are given many good opportunities to reflect, explain their ideas and solve problems. By the time the children leave Reception, most have made good progress and have attained average standards.  In Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment is consistently below the national average. The school’s 2011 results showed that the Years 1 and 2 pupils make the progress expected in reading and slightly better progress in mathematics.  In Key Stage 2, pupils make expected progress from their starting points. In Year 6, attainment has been consistently below average in English and mathematics. However, the 2012 unvalidated results indicate that attainment for this year group was broadly average and pupils made expected progress, although a few made better than expected progress.  In most classes, pupils make slightly better progress in writing, but the Year 3 pupils make

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

slower progress. The current Year 6 pupils make good progress in writing and they achieve better in mathematics than other year groups.  Most disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar progress to their peers. However, in Years 3 and 5, pupils at school action plus make slower progress in writing and, in Year 5, school action pupils make slow progress in reading.  Most pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium make expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics, and the few pupils whose first language is not English make better progress in reading.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because pupils of average and above-average ability are not helped to make good progress. In far too many lessons, teachers talk too much. When teachers are confident, they deliver good lessons. Weaker teaching occurs as a result of insecure subject knowledge and teachers controlling pupils’ learning. There are too few occasions for pupils to work on their own or to improve their knowledge and understanding.  In Key Stages 1 and 2, most of the lessons seen required improvement because all pupils were given similar tasks, many of which were too easy for pupils of average and above-average ability.  Marking has improved since the last inspection and pupils receive regular feedback and guidance. Pupils’ books are marked often and they respond to comments. Pupils use ‘traffic light colours’ to indicate their confidence and understanding of a topic. However, pupils of average

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

and above-average ability often use green which shows they understand easily what they have learned. In mathematics, pupils do the same problems repeatedly and there are very few tasks to extend pupils’ skills or that allow them to apply their knowledge in other subjects.  While pupils’ writing skills have improved, there are inconsistencies in the guidance given to stretch the more able. Very few opportunities exist for pupils to practise punctuation, sentence structures and paragraphs to make their writing more interesting. Pupils do not spend enough time learning how to order paragraphs properly in their writing.  There are inconsistencies in the quality of teaching in Nursery and Reception. In the Nursery, children make expected progress because there are not enough activities to keep their interest that motivates them to do more. Teaching assistants give better help to children’s word development.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The teaching in Reception is mostly good. Some teachers and helpers ask good questions to make children think, but a few teachers do not ask enough questions, especially during story time.  Lesson plans clearly state what pupils will learn and give guidance for pupils to be successful learners, but do not make sure that all groups work at a level which is not too easy for them.  In lessons, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs get good support from teaching assistants who regularly assess pupils’ understanding by making detailed notes. These are used to update teachers’ daily planning and provide more help.  Years 2 and 6 pupils enjoy reading but do not always blend sounds correctly. Teachers’ assessments of pupils’ reading skills are not often shared with them.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

 Behaviour requires improvement because there are too many lessons in which pupils lose interest and lose concentration. This results in them not moving on to more challenging work.  There is a very calm atmosphere in the school and pupils and staff are caring and supportive. Good relationships exist between adults and pupils. The headteacher and the Chair of the Governing Body are greeted pleasantly by all. In an English lesson, some pupils pretended to be the headteacher and others eagerly attempted using persuasive techniques to discuss why they should be selected for the headteacher’s award.  In most lessons, pupils are respectful and work well with their peers. However, pupils say that there are minor disruptions to their learning in a few lessons. Pupils play safely and are polite and helpful.  Children in the Nursery remember how to keep safe because of the good help they get from teaching assistants.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement

 Children in Reception listen carefully to their teachers’ questions and take time to think before they give an answer. They are independent and work well together, for example in cleaning up their play areas.  In the corridors and lunch room, pupils behave responsibly by remaining in their rows and willingly stop to allow adults to pass. During lunch, they behave well and are friendly.  Pupils say bullying does not happen often and they know to whom to report any such incidences. They are aware of physical abuse but are not aware of other types of bullying. They enjoy attending lunchtime and afternoon clubs and praise the school’s reward systems.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and confidently explain why the school is safe.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 In March 2011, the school had a monitoring inspection which judged that it had made inadequate progress in making improvements from the previous inspection. Since then, the newly appointed headteacher and restructured governing body have made effective improvements in teaching and pupils’ progress, especially in mathematics.  The headteacher and governors have worked in close partnership with the local authority to reduce underachievement. The school ensures that all groups of pupils have equal opportunity to make expected progress and that there is no discrimination. As a result, Key Stage 2 pupils now make expected progress although few pupils make better than expected progress.  Leaders have a clear picture of the quality of teaching in the school. They monitor frequently the quality of teaching and through good support for weaker teachers, they have drastically reduced the amount of inadequate teaching. Nevertheless, some inconsistencies in practice still remain

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The leadership and management require improvement

because some leaders are new and have not been able to put into practice plans to ensure that pupils make good progress.  While leaders’ use of the results of checking on pupils’ progress is improving, it does not link closely enough to teachers’ termly planning. The results are not used well enough in helping pupils understand how they can improve their work and make better progress. Although developments in literacy have led to improvements in the way reading is taught, there are still inconsistencies in setting targets to help pupils make consistently good progress.  The headteacher has implemented effective behaviour strategies and rewards systems which have improved pupils’ attendance and behaviour. The behaviour specialist ensures that the behaviour policy is understood by all. However, where planning does not meet the needs of all pupils, some become noisy and do not make enough progress in those lessons.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leaders use the pupil premium to provide breakfast and support for pupils who need extra help, but pupil premium pupils do not make good progress because they do simple tasks in the breakfast club.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The governance of the school:  The restructured governing body is supportive and each governor has a responsibility to check on a different area of the school’s work.  The Chair of the Governing Body focuses on behaviour as he is actively visible within the school. He supports pupils in lessons and conducts assemblies. During the inspection, he was invited by pupils to watch a Year 2/3 dance combination with both teaching assistants and teachers happily joining in.  Because there has been a strong focus on securing good leadership, governors have not spent enough time checking on pupils’ progress, especially to ensure that it is good for all groups.  Governors have ensured that all safeguarding requirements are fully met.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 134857 Local authority Kent Inspection number 402644

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 302 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gary Morley Headteacher Dan Andrews Date of previous school inspection 14–15 October 2009 Telephone number 01622 758538 Fax number 01622 759042 Email address office@greenfieldscps.kent.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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