Greave Primary School

Greave Primary School Werneth Road, Woodley, Stockport, Cheshire, SK6 1HR

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is good school

 Pupils make good progress during their time at the school.  The children get off to a good start in the caring and stimulating Early Years Foundation Stage.  Progress for pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 is good resulting in them achieving well by the end of year 6, particularly in mathematics.  Teaching is good and teachers have high expectations of the pupils.  Pupils are very proud of their school and enjoy attending. Standards of behaviour around the school are good and pupils say they feel safe.  The headteacher, senior staff and the governing body lead the school well and have brought about many improvements since the last inspection.  All staff work well as a team. Their actions are closely linked to ensuring pupils receive a good education.  Almost all parents are positive about the school, the care and quality of education provided.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Opportunities for boys to develop their writing skills in the Early Years Foundation Stage are less well developed than girls.  On a few occasions targets set for pupils in their literacy books, particularly at Key Stage 1, are not precise enough.  Pupils are not always given the opportunity to correct mistakes following teachers’ marking in their literacy books.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 14 lessons. They also listened to pupils read and scrutinised their work.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, staff, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and scrutinised a number of documents including the school’s improvement plans, monitoring files, minutes from governors meetings, data on pupils’ past and current progress and records relating to attendance, behaviour and safeguarding.  Inspectors also took account of 41 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent view), spoke to parents as they brought their children to school, and considered 27 questionnaires completed by school staff.

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Inspection team

Sheila Iwaskow, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Susan Barkway Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an averaged-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is above the national average, whilst the number of children supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly below the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Since the previous inspection a new deputy headteacher has been appointed.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve attainment in writing in the Early Years Foundation Stage for boys by developing further the range of activities that are particularly interesting for boys to stimulate their interest in writing.  Improve further the quality of teaching, particularly in writing in Key Stage 1 by: – ensuring that pupils have more regular opportunities to respond to teachers’ marking, for example, by having the opportunity to correct their spelling errors – ensuring that teachers in Key Stage 1 set pupils targets in their literacy books that are closely matched to the needs of the individual and help to improve their progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the school with a level of skill and knowledge that is expected for their age. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage because they are provided with a wide range of stimulating activities to promote their learning and development. Many opportunities are given for children to develop their writing skills. However, these activities are not always linked to boys’ interests. Consequently, boys writing skills are less well developed than girls in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Progress from Year 1 to Year 6 is good. By the end of Key Stage 1 a high number of pupils reach above the expected level in reading, writing and mathematics.  Progress in Key Stage 2 is similarly good. National test results and the school’s own data clearly show that attainment for pupils at the end of Year 6 is above average. Pupils performed especially well in mathematics with many making more than the expected progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Reading is taught well throughout the school. Phonic skills (linking letters and sounds) are taught well in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 so that pupils learn how to read more difficult words. In Key Stage 2, pupils use their skills to find information and enjoy reading; the well stocked school library is used regularly by pupils. In addition, trained volunteers come into school on a regular basis and support specific individual children with their reading.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress and are well supported by other adults and agencies.  Pupils supported by the pupil premium also make good progress. The support they receive helps them over come any difficulties they may have, ensuring their individual needs are met.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching since the last inspection has improved and is now consistently good across all areas of the school. A large majority of parents agree that their children are taught well and evidence from this inspection supports this.  All staff, including teaching assistants, share warm, caring and respectful relationships with the pupils. As a result lessons run smoothly and pupils behave well.  Teachers ensure the classroom environment stimulates pupils’ enthusiasm for learning. Displays are informative and resources accessible to promote independence in pupils’ learning.  The outdoor play area for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage has recently been renovated and provides many exciting opportunities for them to learn outdoor.  Teachers have good subject knowledge and strive to make lessons interesting and fun. For example, in a Year 5 literacy lesson chocolate bars were used stimulate pupils’ thinking about

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The quality of teaching is good

‘temptation’.  Lessons are planned effectively and good use is made of questioning to help develop pupils’ language skills and to allow teachers to assess their understanding.  Teachers give clear explanations so that pupils understand what they are expected to do and to learn. The pace of lessons is brisk with work being set at the correct level for pupils’ ability. The more-able pupils are set hard work and success is clear in the increase in the number of pupils working at above average levels, especially in mathematics.  Pupils work is marked on a regular basis and feedback given is helpful and constructive. However, in some literacy books, particularly in Key Stage 1, pupils are not always given the chance to respond to teachers’ marking, for example, by correcting the misspelling of everyday key words.  Targets are set by teachers across the school to help pupils learn and develop. However, at

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The quality of teaching is good

times, targets set in pupils’ literacy books by Key Stage 1 teachers are not always matched closely enough to their individual needs to take them forward in their learning.  Additional help for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs or for those falling behind is effective.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 Behaviour around the school is typically good and pupils are eager to come to school. One pupil commented during a discussion with the inspector, ‘I love it here.’ They clearly understand the school’s behaviour policy, rewards and sanctions.  Pupils behave well in lessons and enjoy their learning. They collaborate in groups. This was clearly evident during a Year 1 literacy lesson where children were working together to decide if statements relating to volcanoes were true or false.  Pupils are complimentary about their teachers and school staff. There is a caring, calm and orderly atmosphere within the school and pupils say that they feel safe.  Pupils understand different forms that bullying may take and the hurt that it can cause others. They feel confident that, on the rare occasions it occurs, it is dealt with effectively by staff.  Children arrive at school on time and attendance rates are good.

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The leadership and management is good

 The headteacher and her deputy work well as a team. They know the school well and have accurately identified the schools strengths and areas for improvement. They show the ability to improve the school further.  Many improvements have been led to the school improving since the last inspection. These have resulted in steadily rising standards and achievement. Staff morale is high and there is a very positive atmosphere throughout the school.  Subject leaders also make a strong contribution to school improvements. They have a secure understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Great care is taken to ensure that a broad and balanced curriculum is delivered to pupils and that literacy and numeracy are embedded in all aspects of the school’s work.  There are clear tracking procedures in place to monitor the progress of individual pupils and groups to ensure all are making equally good progress. This ensures that all pupils have equality

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The leadership and management is good

of opportunity.  Good systems and processes are in place to provide accurate information about the quality of teaching and this has contributed significantly to school improvement. Information from checking on teaching is used effectively to identify training that meets both the individual needs and the school’s priorities. The management of teachers’ performance also contributes towards their reward and remuneration.  Pupils benefit from a broad range of enrichment activities which include sporting clubs, residential trips and visits to places of interests such as the Imperial War Museum and Chester. These are well appreciated by both pupils and parents. Such good practice successfully promotes children’s spiritual moral and social development.  The local authority provides the school with good levels of support and is highly complimentary about the progress that the school has made.  Safeguarding arrangements are fully in place and meet requirements.

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The leadership and management is good

 The governance of the school: – Governors have a very good knowledge of the school. They work very well in partnership with the headteacher and other leaders and have undertaken appropriate training to support their role. The support and challenge they provide to the school and the headteacher is effective. The governing body is provided which data and assessment information which gives them a secure understanding of how much progress pupils are making in each class and subject. The school budget is managed effectively. The governors have a good understanding of the allocation of pupil-premium funding and monitor the impact of its support on attainment and progress. The quality of teaching and the management of teachers’ performance are monitored effectively through reports from the headteacher and through analysis of assessment information.

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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 106050 Local authority Stockport Inspection number 405018

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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 Community Age range of pupils 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 240 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Keith Hamilton Headteacher Susan Johnson Date of previous school inspection 1 February 2011 Telephone number 0161 4306318 Fax number 0161 4066108 Email address headteacher@greave.stockport.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

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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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