Greenwood Primary School

Greenwood Primary School Wood End Way, Northolt, UB5 4QG

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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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Greenwood is an improving school which has successfully tackled the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection.  The drive and determination of leaders at all levels, including governors, has resulted in improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement.  The quality of teaching is good and often of high quality. This had led to improvements in achievement and all groups of pupils make good progress.  Pupils’ behaviour is consistently good and attendance above average. They have very positive attitudes towards the school and enjoy learning.  Pupils are well looked after and feel very safe. Staff have created a caring climate where no- one is left out and the needs of the individual are always met.  Topics are well chosen to interest pupils and provide a range of experiences which effectively promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The feedback given by teachers in Key Stage 2 in subjects other than English and mathematics does not provide pupils with a clear picture about how they are doing and what the next steps are in learning.  More-able pupils at Key Stage 1 are not given sufficient guidance on how to make faster progress.  What the school offers in Reception classes is not as stimulating as in the Nursery and does not provide sufficient opportunities for children to work on their own or in groups.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 25 lessons or part lessons and observed 19 teachers.  Joint observations were conducted with senior leaders and short visits were made to observe mental mathematics and the teaching of letters and sounds. In addition, inspectors conducted a work scrutiny with a senior leader to examine the work in pupils’ books.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and school improvement plan, minutes of governing body meetings, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and those relating to safeguarding.  Inspectors listened to pupils read, met with different groups of pupils, interviewed a sample of staff, and spoke to groups of parents and carers. They also spoke to members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The views of parents and carers were sought at the start and end of the school day, and through the school’s surveys. There were 19 responses to the online questionaire (Parent View).

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Information about this inspection

They also considered 32 comments from staff.

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Inspection team

Brian Netto, Lead inspector Additional inspector Mirella Lombardo Additional inspector Howard Dodd Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  The majority of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. Most speak English as an additional language.  An average proportion of pupils are eligible for the pupil premium which provides additional funding for looked after children and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is average, but the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  An additional Reception class was opened in September 2011 and a further class in September 2012.  The school is located on a site where two local schools have right of access at certain times of the day.  The school runs a number of after-school clubs and activities.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of feedback given to pupils to help them to make even more rapid progress by: – building on the effective ways of marking and assessment in English and mathematics at Key Stage 2 in other subjects – ensuring that feedback in all subjects helps pupils to know how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve – ensure that regular checks on pupils’ work leads to faster progress for more-able pupils in Key Stage 1.  Develop the school’s provision in the Reception classes so it is as good as that in the Nursery by: – providing stimulating activities for children – ensuring that there are regular opportunities for children to work on their own or in groups.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the Nursery with skill levels below those typically found. The excellent relationships and stimulating environment make their learning fun and purposeful. As a result, they make rapid gains in their skills. Learning in the Reception classes does not fully build on this outstanding start. Children do not develop independence well enough as they are not taught how to learn on their own or as part of small groups. However, children leave the Early Years Foundation Stage with a good range of skills.  Pupils achieve well at Key Stage 1 so their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is above average at the end of Year 2. A dip in performance at the end of Year 6 in 2011 has now been reversed and pupils leaving the school in 2012 attained much higher levels. Progress is good for all groups of learners throughout the school.  Progress in reading is good across the school, and pupils read widely. Many read at home and

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The achievement of pupils is good

the school makes good use of the school library and the local public library.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress. This is because they are well supported by experienced and well-trained teachers and other adults, including a range of specialist support. Careful assessments on their progress help to identify their needs quickly so these are fully met.  Pupils supported through additional funding make good progress. Funds are used well to effectively target their learning needs as well as making sure they are given excellent opportunities to develop their social skills and confidence. All pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language also make good progress, following good arrangements for induction. This demonstrates the school’s firm commitment to treating all pupils equally, and ensuring that no one is left behind.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching makes learning enjoyable. This was reflected in the views of one pupil who said, ‘I think the school is great because we have fun with our learning.’  The most effective teaching made consistent use of the system of WALT (we are learning today) and WILF (what I am looking for) to support the learning. For example, Year 4 pupils developed an excellent understanding of the historical context of Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, and wrote effective, expressive poems because they had a clear idea about what they had to do, and the teacher regularly assessed their learning.  Reading is taught very effectively across the school. Pupils in Year 2, for example, made outstanding progress in understanding how speech marks work during a lesson on letters and sounds. WILF objectives helped the pupils understand what was required and they responded well to the fast pace and high expectations.  Pupils who are at risk of underperforming are taught well. For example, a small Year 6 group of

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The quality of teaching is good

lower attaining pupils made outstanding progress in understanding how probability works as a result of careful questioning by the teacher and through tasks which made them think.  Pupils develop calculation skills well. Pupils in Year 3, for example, worked on word problems to help them with their calculation skills. As the work met their different needs, and the teacher checked the learning throughout the lesson, they were engaged and as a result made rapid progress.  The school makes effective use of outside expertise. For example, Year 2 pupils developed their singing voices through effective teaching by a visiting specialist music teacher which encouraged high levels of engagement, and they thoroughly enjoyed the experience as they developed their pitch and voice projection. This also illustrated how well teaching contributes to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Teachers give detailed feedback to pupils during lessons and in marking their work, especially in

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The quality of teaching is good

English and mathematics at Key Stage 2. This helps the pupils know what they do well, and what steps they need to take to improve their learning. This is more inconsistent in Key Stage 1 and in subjects other than English and mathematics in Key Stage 2, where pupils are not told in enough detail how they are developing skills in these subjects, and how to develop these further. Marking does not help more-able pupils in Key Stage 1 to make even faster progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have very positive attitudes towards learning. They enjoy taking part in lessons, and work well with their partners and in small groups. They respond well to adult guidance. Parents and carers, pupils and school records confirm that behaviour is good over time.  Pupils say that behaviour in the school is good though it occasionally dips. These rare incidents are dealt with quickly and effectively. Pupils are on rare occasions too boisterous during unsupervised play, though Year 6 peer mediators often help out to prevent problems from getting worse. This is a harmonious school where pupils usually play and work together well. They are friendly and show care and respect towards each other, and are keen to welcome new arrivals.  Pupils say they feel safe, and demonstrate a good understanding of how to keep safe when using the computer, as they have been taught about e-safety. They know about different ways

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

to deal with cyber bullying.  Parents and carers and pupils spoke warmly about the way the school supports their needs through the ‘Place2Be’. This confidential counselling service has helped pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable with their confidence and this has helped them improve their progress.  The school makes use of a range of ways to reward good attendance and has been effective in reducing the numbers of pupils who are persistently absent and, as a result, attendance is above average.

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The leadership and management are good

 Strong leadership from the headteacher and other senior leaders ensures that staff are made to feel valued and have a strong sense of teamwork. Procedures to manage the performance of staff are thorough and well planned to support the school’s priorities, and ongoing training has improved teaching significantly.  Leaders use information from regular checks on learning to inform their self-evaluation so this is robust and accurate. This has enabled the school to tackle areas of weakness and raise standards particularly at Key Stage 2. The good progress made by disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those supported by the pupil premium is evidence of the school’s commitment to equality of opportunity and to removing barriers to learning.  The school has many ways of supporting the needs of the most challenging pupils, and this has helped to create a positive environment where all pupils can succeed. Staff views were

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The leadership and management are good

summarised in this comment from one of them: ‘This is a lovely school where the children are genuinely cared for and encouraged to be the best they can.’  The subjects taught cover many different topics and are enriched by visiting specialist teachers and a wide range of interesting after-school clubs. Pupils are offered a wide range of experiences which contribute strongly to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. As one pupil said, ‘I think this is a special school because it has great facilities and clubs.’  The school has drawn on the local authority for specific support in areas that required improvement, such as mathematics and how to make better use of information on how well pupils are doing to accelerate their progress. This support has resulted in more consistency in the quality of teaching in mathematics, and leaders making better use of performance data to hold teachers to account for the pupils in their care.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are effective as they use information on how well pupils are doing to hold the school to account, for example, through checking on the use of additional pupil premium funding which has helped pupils make faster progress and close gaps with all pupils nationally. They ensure that strategic decisions, such as agreeing to the expansion of the school roll and making links with neighbouring schools, are made following careful consultation. Governors ensure that the school is kept safe and that all statutory requirements are in place.

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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 101899 Local authority Ealing Inspection number 400511

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 506 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Betty Buggust Headteacher Jim Britzman Date of previous school inspection May 2010 Telephone number 020 84229630 Fax number 020 84222106 Email address admin@greenwood.ealing.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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