Greenleas Primary School

Greenleas Primary School Green Lane, Wallasey, Merseyside, CH45 8LZ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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.  Teaching is good. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and use a wide range of strategies to involve and motivate them. As a result, pupils make good progress in lessons and over time.  By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment in mathematics and reading is well above average, and in writing it is above average. Pupils’ progress from their various starting points is good in English and mathematics.  Sensitive and very well-planned support for disabled pupils enables them to make outstanding progress and participate fully in activities. Well-tailored support for pupils with special educational needs and those supported by the pupil premium enables them to make good progress.  Behaviour is good and attendance is above average. Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning and good relationships with each other and with adults in the school. They feel safe in school.  The school’s evaluation of its work is accurate

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

and based upon the rigorous analysis of pupils’ progress. This information is used well by senior leaders to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Good promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development enables them to thrive in a supportive learning community.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet outstanding. Work is not always precisely enough matched to pupils’ needs and capabilities so that pupils do not always achieve their full potential.  Pupils are not always given good guidance about how to improve their work, particularly their writing in subjects other than English.  Pupils are not always given sufficient opportunities to work collaboratively to solve problems for themselves and work independently of the teacher.  Subject leaders are not yet fully involved in driving improvement in teaching and learning in their subjects and across the wider curriculum.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 19 lessons and made short visits to other activities led by teachers and trained assistants. Six of these observations were carried out jointly with the acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher.  Two groups of pupils met with inspectors. Discussions were also held with staff, including senior leaders. Meetings were conducted with the Chair and vice chair of the Governing Body and with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of 55 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and phone calls from parents.  Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work and read a range of documents. These included documents about the school’s strategies to enable leaders to gain an accurate view of its performance, school improvement plans, pupils’ current progress, policies and records on safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Judith Tolley, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Prydwen Elfed-Owens Additional Inspector Jeremy Barnes Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Greenleas is a much larger than average sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well below average, as is the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding (additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those looked after by the local authority and children of service families) is lower than that usually found.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below average.  The school has a number of awards including Healthy School status.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, there have been significant changes in staff. The acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher have been in post since September 2013.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ attainment and increase their rate of progress further in English and mathematics by: - ensuring pupils are always given precisely the right level of challenge, whatever their ability - making sure they are always given good guidance about how to improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching from good to outstanding across the school by providing more opportunities for pupils to gain confidence by working collaboratively to solve problems and to work independently of the teacher.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further develop the role of subject leaders by ensuring they are fully involved in driving improvement in teaching and learning in their subjects and across the wider curriculum.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The proportion of pupils making and exceeding expected progress from their starting points compares favourably with national figures. Most children enter the school in the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and knowledge typical of those expected for their age. They make good progress during the Early Years Foundation Stage in all areas of their development, so that the majority enter Year 1 with skills that are above those expected for their age and are well prepared for the Key Stage 1 curriculum.  Overall, pupils make good progress from their individual starting points but their progress is sometimes uneven in English and mathematics as they move through the school. By the end of Year 6, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are well above average.  Work seen during the inspection indicates that standards have remained well above average over the last three years and progress has remained consistently good so that the proportion of

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupils that make more than expected progress has remained constant.  The most able pupils make good progress from their starting points in mathematics, in reading and in writing, with some reaching the highest levels by the end of Year 6. In lessons, however, there is scope to provide even more challenge for these pupils to increase their independence and confidence through problem solving and collaborative work.  Pupils write effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences and use a good range of vocabulary and structures.  Progress in reading is good. Pupils are taught phonics effectively and are able to apply their knowledge in reading and writing.  Achievement in mathematics has improved recently, with most pupils now making more than expected progress.  Pupils of all ages, even the youngest, are enthusiastic about their reading. By the end of Year 6, most pupils read a variety of texts with a good level of fluency and understanding. Most are able

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The achievement of pupils is good

to talk in detail about what they have read, and can compare and contrast books they have enjoyed. However, some less-able pupils sometimes have difficulty when books chosen for them feature subjects which are too far outside their experience.  Disabled pupils make exceptional progress as a result of the extra help and care they are given and which enable them to participate fully in all aspects of school life. Those with special educational needs make the same good progress as their peers as result of the extra help they are given both in class and in small groups.  The extra support, such as extra help in the classroom and support from teaching assistants that the school provides with the additional funding for pupils eligible for the pupil premium, enables these pupils to reach their targets and to make the same good progress as their peers. Gaps between the attainment of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in English and

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The achievement of pupils is good

mathematics and their class mates have closed.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good across the school, with some that is outstanding.  Teachers present new ideas clearly and activities are well designed to capture pupils’ interest. For instance, Reception class children were entirely involved in activities related to their topic work about castles, knights and dragons, princes and princesses which included drama, music and building a castle for themselves. They were able to explain the roles they were playing and expressed their enthusiasm to learn to read stories related to this for themselves.  Teachers use video clips and other resources imaginatively to capture pupils’ interest and to deepen their knowledge and understanding, for instance, in Years 5 and 6, lesson clips from a film were used to enable pupils to write descriptions of different characters in a story. In Years 1 and 2 pupils made outstanding progress in measuring in mathematics because of a very well-

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The quality of teaching is good

planned series of practical activities, which were well matched to their interests and needs. However, this is not always the case. On occasion, pupils find tasks too easy or too difficult because work is not always precisely matched to their capabilities.  Teachers and teaching assistants work effectively together. They ask pupils very searching questions to get them thinking and to see how much they have understood or to challenge them to solve problems for themselves. For instance, in a Years 3 and 4 mathematics lesson, pupils were excited when they were asked to solve the problem of a magic square and made rapid progress as a result with the most able explaining how they had worked it out and what they could do to check that their answers were correct. However, in some lessons, opportunities are missed to enable pupils to work things out for themselves in this way.  Pupils’ work is marked regularly and there are instances of outstanding practice within the

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The quality of teaching is good

school. However, marking does not always give pupils the precise guidance they need to improve, particularly their writing. Marking in subjects other than English does not always pick up errors in spelling so pupils continue to make the same mistakes. Some pupils respond to teachers’ comments and improve upon the work they have done but this is not always the case.  The impact of teaching on pupils’ spiritual, moral social and cultural development is good and is particularly strong when pupils work collaboratively and learn from each other.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour is good. Pupils are courteous and considerate to each other and work and play very well together. Pupils support each other well, for example, when working with a partner. They take responsibility very seriously and are proud of their contribution to the school, for example, as school councillors and as play leaders and buddies for younger children. They value the Kindness award and enjoy identifying and discussing the strengths of People of Outstanding Character from the media, from history and from the local area.  Disruption to lessons is rare and pupils work responsibly and with enthusiasm, especially when given the opportunity to work independently or in small groups to solve problems themselves. They listen carefully to others and respect each other’s views.  Pupils have very good relationships with adults, feel safe and are confident that any poor behaviour is dealt with promptly and effectively. They are aware of the different forms of

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

bullying, such as name-calling and cyber-bullying that can take place and know how to deal with it.  Children joining the Early Years Foundation Stage settle down well to routines, learn to take turns and play together well.  Pupils know how to stay safe and have a good understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. They are enthusiastic about the wide range of extra-curricular activities, including sport, that are provided and which have a positive impact on their health and well-being.  Pupils enjoy school and are particularly enthusiastic about singing. They relish opportunities to take the lead in activities, such as the harvest assembly for parents, which Years 3 and 4 pupils planned and led themselves with great confidence. Their enthusiasm was contagious.  Attendance is above average. It has improved over the last three years and persistent absence has decreased as a result of the good work the school is doing in encouraging attendance and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

pursuing those families whose children do not attend regularly enough.  Pupils who may have challenging behaviour are supported effectively to make good choices and, as a result, incidences of poor behaviour are very rare.

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The leadership and management are good

 Although she has been in post for a very short time, the acting headteacher, strongly supported by the acting deputy headteacher and senior staff, provides very clear direction. The members of the leadership team have a very clear understanding of the strengths of the school and what could be improved further based on a rigorous analysis of pupils’ progress. As a result, standards have remained consistently well above average since the last inspection.  There are detailed action plans focused on raising pupils’ attainment and on improving teaching and learning. The school is well placed to improve further.  Teaching and learning are closely checked on by senior leaders and teachers new to the school are effectively supported. Teachers work effectively in year group teams to plan lessons and this is successful in ensuring consistency across classes.  Although subject leaders are involved in lesson observations and in driving improvement by

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The leadership and management are good

working closely with class teachers in lesson planning, they are not yet fully involved in checking the school’s performance or planning whole-school improvement in their subjects across the whole curriculum or in holding teachers to account. This is a key reason why teaching is good and not yet outstanding.  The senior leadership team have a detailed analysis of pupils’ progress and this is used effectively to trigger appropriate interventions for pupils. However, the school could take this further by checking the progress of more groups, such as those in Key Stage 1 who do not achieve the expected levels in reading.  A comprehensive system of appraisal and performance management has been adopted, which is linked to pay scales and is used to identify training for teachers.  Safeguarding meets government requirements and discrimination in all is forms is rejected.  The school works very effectively with local agencies, the local network of schools, including the

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The leadership and management are good

high school, and with parents to ensure that all pupils settle well to learning. This includes detailed information for parents through the school website and newsletters, as well as workshops for parents so that they can help their children with their learning at home. The school promotes equality of opportunity effectively and all pupils do well.  The curriculum meets the needs and interests of the pupils well. Pupils have frequent opportunities to practise their writing and mathematical skills in their topic work. Pupils also benefit from specialist teaching through links with the high school. The curriculum is enriched by a wide variety of activities and visits which promote pupils’ physical well-being and their personal development.  The new Primary School Sport funding is being used effectively to provide extra coaching for sports activities in the playground. This is not only promoting pupils’ physical development and

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The leadership and management are good

well-being effectively but also encouraging some pupils, who might not otherwise do so, to join in.  Since the previous inspection, the local authority has provided light touch support for this good school. The school works very effectively with the local network of schools to improve its practice.  The governance of the school: - The governing body has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas which need to be improved. Governors are fully involved in checking the school’s performance, including data that shows pupils’ attainment and progress. They have a clear understanding of the quality of teaching and the performance of staff, including how good performance is rewarded and any underperformance is tackled. The efficiency of spending is scrutinised, for instance, the effectiveness of the use of pupil premium funding. Governors ensure that safeguarding requirements are met. They are actively involved in the life of the school and hold leaders to

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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 105004 Local authority Wirral Inspection number 427206

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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 330 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gillian Vicary Headteacher Jo Russell (Acting Headteacher) Date of previous school inspection 8 October 2007 Telephone number 0151 639 1225 Fax number 0151 639 4349 Email address schooloffice@greenleas.wirral.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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