Greenacres Primary School

Greenacres Junior Infant and Nursery School Dunkerley Street, Oldham, Lancashire, OL4 2AX

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 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.  Outstanding leadership by the headteacher has reinvigorated the school and brought about rapid and significant improvements in teaching and achievement since the previous inspection.  All pupils, regardless of their background, make good progress from their starting points. Attainment at Year 6 is above average.  Pupils entitled to support from additional funding, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are making good progress, and their attainment in English and mathematics is rapidly getting closer to that of their classmates.  Teaching is good, and increasingly outstanding, leading to rapid improvement in progress and rising standards.  Behaviour is good. The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils state they feel very safe due to the good relationships they have with each other and adults in school.  Pupils love school and say it is getting better

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

and better. This is why their attendance is now above average.  Parents and members of the local community value the rapid improvements in the school. Increasing numbers are applying to join the school, reflecting the growing confidence of parents.  The governing body provides good support for the school and works with staff and parents to set high expectations for the performance of pupils.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There are not enough opportunities for pupils to apply their good literacy and numeracy skills to different subjects.  Marking is not of a good quality in all classes.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are not enabled to learn enough outdoors.  Staffing is not yet stable. Some middle leaders, although doing a good job, are inexperienced in some aspects of their work.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 17 lessons and part lessons.  Meetings were conducted with the headteacher, governors, the leadership team, teaching assistants and the Early Years Foundation Stage staff. Discussions were ongoing throughout the two days with pupils. In addition, there were telephone discussions with a representative of the local authority and the National Leader of Education working with the school.  Information from the scrutiny of a range of school documentation added to inspection judgements. This included: - samples of pupils’ work in their books and on displays around the school - details relating to safeguarding and health and safety - an evaluation of the school’s improvement plan - a review of the school’s procedures for gaining an accurate view of its performance - records held by the school of pupils’ standards and progress.  Parents’ views were ascertained by evaluating the views expressed in three letters sent to the

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Information about this inspection

inspectors, by talking with some parents at the school gate, by meeting one parent and talking with two parent governors. An evaluation was also made of a recent questionnaire of parents’ views conducted by the school. Insufficient responses were available on the on-line questionnaire (Parent View).  An analysis of 20 staff questionnaires, together with an ongoing dialogue with teachers and teaching assistants, gave the inspectors an insight into the views of the staff.

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Inspection team

David Byrne, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Alison Thomson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school.  The vast majority of pupils are of Asian Pakistani heritage.  The number of pupils joining the school at times other than the usual times is above average. Many of these join Key Stage 2 and are new to the United Kingdom.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium funding is well above average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  There have been some changes in staffing since the previous inspection. During the inspection, there were three temporary teachers.  Since January 2013, the school has collaborated with a National Leader of Education, a headteacher from an outstanding school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching from good to outstanding, and thereby improve pupils’ achievement further, by: - raising expectations for all pupils to apply their reading, writing and mathematical skills to a wide variety of subjects - providing all pupils with clear guidance about their next steps in learning and giving them opportunity to consider how well they have achieved and how to improve - giving children in the Early Years Foundation Stage more opportunities to learn and play outdoors.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the school’s leadership and management so that its impact is outstanding by: - securing a stable staff team - developing the skills of middle leaders to enable them to take on more responsibility for managing aspects of the school’s work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement is much higher than at the time of the last inspection. Progress has accelerated rapidly in the last two years. This is direct response to the high expectations set by the headteacher for higher achievement and better quality teaching.  Most children start school in the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are much lower than typical for their age. They make good progress in their personal and emotional development and improve their communication skills, including spoken English. Limited opportunities for children to regularly learn and play outdoors hold back aspects of their achievement. By the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, children have made good progress overall. The proportion working at a good level of development has increased at a good rate but standards overall are below average.  In Years 1 and 2, good and, at times, outstanding teaching accelerates progress. Pupils of all

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The achievement of pupils is good

ages quickly improve their skills of reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils in Year 1 gain good results in the national screening check for phonics (the sounds that letters make). By the end of Year 2, overall standards are consistently average, representing good progress from the below average starting points to Year 1.  Between Years 3 and 6, progress is good. In 2013, all groups of pupils made good progress, particularly in writing and mathematics. Standards at the end of Year 6 were above average. Inspection evidence from lesson observations, analyses of school data and review of pupils’ work shows that progress continues at a good rate and for some pupils it is accelerating.  The most able pupils are making particularly good progress. The proportion of pupils across the school gaining standards that are well above average for their age is increasing in response to higher expectations of, and better provision for, the most able pupils. A good proportion of Year

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The achievement of pupils is good

2 pupils are now working at above average standards in writing and mathematics. In Year 6, the proportion gaining very high standards in reading, writing and mathematics is increasing due to specialised teaching and support.  The school is committed to promoting equality of opportunity and staff keep a close eye on the achievement of every pupil. Pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, receive well judged additional teaching. The gap between their attainment and that of other pupils is narrowing extremely rapidly; it is currently less than one term’s difference.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language, many of whom are new arrivals from abroad, benefit from a vigilant staff who quickly identify their needs and use their skills to support them. Effective bilingual support helps pupils who speak English as an additional

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The achievement of pupils is good

language to settle in and learn quickly. Those who stay in the school for more than two years usually get to at least the standards expected for their age.  A similarly effective approach supports disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. As a result, they make good progress in their learning, and although their standards are below that of other pupils, the gap is closing.  Pupils’ involvement in sport enhances their health and well-being. The allocation of the primary school sports funding increases staff expertise, improves sport equipment and enables a wider choice of sports. As a result, more pupils are now involved in competitive sport; pupils proudly report that the basketball team recently won a tournament.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good with some outstanding features. It secures good progress and meets the diverse needs of the pupils. All staff, including those working temporarily in the school, offer good and, at times, outstanding teaching.  Effective planning, based on thorough assessments of pupils’ attainment, makes sure that the needs of the most able pupils are successfully met while also providing well for others, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.  Excellent teamwork between teachers and dedicated teaching assistants widens the influence and impact of teaching in lessons. Well trained teaching assistants do their best for the range of pupils in their charge. In some cases, this is for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs; in others it is for new arrivals who often speak little or no English.  Highly-skilled staff help pupils who are potentially vulnerable due to their circumstances.

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The quality of teaching is good

Individual and small group activities enable such pupils to feel secure and confident to learn. Each pupil eligible for additional funding through the pupil premium is identified. Effective leadership and management and good teaching contribute to their good and, at times, outstanding progress.  Communication skills are taught well. By asking well considered questions and using a wide range of methods to stimulate discussion, teachers encourage pupils to talk and develop their vocabulary. There has been a recent focus on raising standards in reading. Training has improved the quality of teaching in reading. In addition, pupils now benefit from the creation of a good library.  Harder and more demanding work stretches the most able pupils identified in each class. The most able pupils in Year 6 benefit from working regularly with a teacher. Demanding activities give each of these pupils the skills and knowledge to gain the highest levels possible for their

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The quality of teaching is good

age.  Where learning is at its best, it is because of the enthusiasm of the teacher and excellent use of resources. In an outstanding Year 6 lesson, pupils used newspaper articles to develop their skills of journalistic writing. Because the lesson successfully captured the pupils’ interest, pupils of all abilities rose well to the challenge of this writing task, and had great fun while doing so.  When teaching is not outstanding, pupils are given too little opportunity to think about how well they have done in order to understand how to do better. Marking, while regular, is not consistent in offering clear guidance to pupils about their next steps in learning.  Teachers value homework and provide it regularly. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, reading materials in the form of ‘Story Sacks’ are available and, elsewhere, books are taken home daily. Workshops inform parents how to support their children’s learning at home.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. It is underpinned by pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are proud of the school; they develop confidence without arrogance and have a strong sense of right from wrong.  Pupils, staff and governors share the same, positive views of pupils’ behaviour. There is general agreement that behaviour has improved in recent times although there are still occasional fall- outs and disagreements. Pupils feel that their positive behaviour and attitudes are recognised and rewarded. In addition, pupils say they are enjoying their lessons far more and like the challenge that work is now providing.  Pupils are often totally engaged in their lessons. They readily answer the questions teachers put to them and willingly have a second attempt if their first answer is wrong. Pupils show respect for the views and ideas of others. Class discussions are often lively events with well considered

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

points presented and listened to carefully.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils have no concerns about bullying and have full confidence in staff to care for them and keep them safe. They understand the different forms bullying can take and know how to protect themselves from harm when using the internet.  Pupils proudly wear their ‘Green Caps’ as a symbol of being responsible for other pupils during playtimes. Members of the school improvement team and the enterprise group demonstrate the development of good citizens of the future.  Attendance is rising quickly, reflecting the overall improvement in the school. One parent reported that their child cannot wait to get to school each morning and is often disappointed when it is Saturday! This enthusiasm has led to attendance rising to above average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school benefits from outstanding leadership by the headteacher, supported by a good governing body. Armed with strong self-belief, the headteacher has turned the school around since the previous inspection. Astute appointments and the wise deployments of staff have improved the school’s effectiveness.  The headteacher has earned the respect of staff, pupils and parents. All who gave their views are resoundingly positive about the improvements. All staff share the headteacher’s determination and commitment to do the very best for each pupil. The comment of one staff member reflects the common feeling conveyed by staff to inspectors: ‘the school has improved enormously in the last year. It is much more efficient and I feel very happy working here’.  Leadership roles have evolved in response to staff changes. All staff shares a passion for securing fairness, equality and social justice. Some middle leaders are very new to post but are

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The leadership and management are good

quickly gaining the skills required. They already involved in judging the quality of teaching but they are not yet taking enough responsibilities for some aspects of school management, too many of which are taken by the headteacher.  The school reviews all aspects of its work thoroughly. The pupils’ progress data is evaluated, observations are made of the quality of teaching and reviews of pupils’ work completed. This deep insight into how well pupils learn, coupled with consultations with staff and parents create plans for improving the school that are realistic.  Leaders link salary progression to the contribution of staff to pupils’ achievement. Poor performance is not rewarded. Discussions with staff show that they are very positive about the regular reviews of their performance. They say this is because it makes them feel valued and gives them scope to influence decisions in the school. Effective training is encouraged for

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The leadership and management are good

everyone, teachers and teaching assistants. This has helped to improve the impact of teaching on learning since the previous inspection.  Pupils enjoy the different subjects and topics they study. They enable pupils of all abilities to achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. Their opportunities to apply these skills to a variety of subjects are too few to secure the best possible achievement. The use of educational visits is increasing and a residential visit has been introduced. School clubs are developing and include sports, chess and craft.  As the school has improved, so the community has deepened its trust in it. One parent who has a long relationship with the community said: ‘The headteacher is an excellent role model for everyone. Her frequent presence in the playground, her welcoming smiles and willingness to listen to our views has endeared her to the community’. School places are now filling rapidly,

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The leadership and management are good

indicating the growing trust parents have in the school. More parents are now willing to help in school and with school events.  The local authority has supported the school in its journey to becoming good. It has facilitated links with an outstanding school led by a National Leader of Education. This has given staff, including teaching assistants, experience of different approaches. A specialist consultant in primary education offers the school an objective view of its performance.  The governance of the school:  Governors have benefited from external support. They now have a good understanding of their roles and the committee structures are more efficient and purposeful. There is a good range of skills within the governing body, which adds to its ability to perform its duties well. Parent governors, including those from minority ethnic groups, ensure that the opinions and views of the community are reflected in the governing body’s decisions.

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The leadership and management are good

 Under the strong leadership of the Chair of the Governing Body and the vice-chair, governors make it their business to understand the school and the impact of its actions on the performance of the pupils.  Governors increasingly visit the school to get a feel for the quality of teaching and the pupils’ attitudes and behaviour. They understand essential data about the pupils’ performance. The data are compared to similar schools and others nationally. If discrepancies occur, they ask questions of the school to see how improvements can be made  The governing body strives to get the best value from the school’s income. The use of the funding to support pupils eligible for the pupil premium is carefully tracked to make sure it is helping such pupils. The impact on their progress is understood and the value of employing extra staff evaluated.  There is a strong policy for linking salary progression with staff performance. The headteacher

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The leadership and management are good

is set aspirational targets and governors are well informed about the performance of all staff. They are very clear about how to manage weaker performance and recognise when teaching is good.  The governing body makes sure that all aspects of safeguarding and health and safety are secure.

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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 105631 Local authority Oldham Inspection number 433773

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 240 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Howard Douglas Headteacher Lynne Mullen Date of previous school inspection 2 October 2012 Telephone number 0161 770 5350 Fax number 0161 628 5914 Email address info@greenacres.oldham.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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