Grove Park Primary School

Grove Park Primary School Nightingale Close, Chiswick, London, W4 3JN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Achievement is outstanding. Two thirds of pupils leaving at the end of Key Stage 2 achieve at the higher Level 5 in mathematics and English. All groups of pupils, including those eligible for the pupil premium, make rapid and sustained progress and there is no gap in attainment between them and their peers.  Teachers have excellent expectations of what pupils are able to achieve and provide constant and consistently high levels of challenge in the activities they plan for all subjects and classes.  There are high-quality relationships at all levels. Pupils are extremely enthusiastic to learn in lessons, resulting in excellent attitudes and behaviour. Pupils say they feel extremely safe at school.  The leadership of this school has energy and drive for continual improvement in pupils’ achievement, both academically and socially. There is a strong partnership between the school’s senior leaders and the governors,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

and together they have secured improvements in both teaching and achievement since the last inspection.  The wide variety of ethnic groups represented, who achieve equally well, and the harmonious, cohesive school community, show that there is equality of opportunity and no discrimination. As the pupils say, ‘We all get on really well together.’  As the pupils in the junior leadership team so elegantly summarised and recorded in their recent meeting, ‘The teaching in this school is very impressive, the teachers are very supportive and kind. The staff try their best to help us strive forward in our learning and push us to the highest of our abilities. Teachers’ marking is incredible.’

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 21 lessons taught by 11 teachers, of which four were jointly observed with the headteacher or deputy headteacher. In addition, short visits were made to other lessons, and inspectors listened to pupils read.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, other members of the senior leadership team, key stage leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and three other members, three groups of pupils, and a telephone call was made to a local authority representative.  The team took account of the 105 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and also of a recent parent questionnaire conducted by the school. The responses to 35 staff questionnaires were analysed.  The team looked at school documents, including school data relating to assessment and pupils’ progress, planning for school improvement, monitoring of teaching and learning, records relating to behaviour and attendance, minutes of the governing body and documents relating to

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Inspection team

Janet Dinsmore, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Allan Barfoot Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school. It has recently expanded and now takes two forms of entry each year. At the time of the inspection there were two classes in the Reception year and also for Year 1 pupils.  Two thirds of the pupils are from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds other than White British. Half of these are learning English as an additional language. The rest of the pupils are of White British origin.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after by the local authority and children of service families) is average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs supported at school action is below average. The proportion of those supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.

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Information about this school

 The school does not have access to any alternative provision.  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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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the opportunities for sharing excellent practice with more schools, particularly for the training of teachers at an early stage of their careers.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children start in the Nursery with broadly average skills, some of which are below that which would be expected, particularly in communication for those who are new to learning to speak English. This group makes outstanding progress in this area. Otherwise, all groups of children make good progress which continues in the Reception class.  New arrivals to the school in the Reception classes are at an average stage of learning and development. They make outstanding progress in literacy skills, with some children able to write paragraphs to describe a character. All achieve the early learning goals in all areas of development, making them well prepared for the next stage of education in Year 1.  This outstanding progress in reading and writing continues for all pupils throughout Key Stages 1 and 2; pupils also make outstanding progress in mathematics across both key stages. Significantly above average levels of attainment have been maintained for the last five years.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

The most able 15 to 20% of pupils achieve Level 6 in mathematics and writing.  Pupils’ ability to analyse text and discuss characteristics is built on as pupils move through the school. Pupils in Year 1 can discuss and write about characters in stories, expressing their exasperation about the human character in Farmer Duck and developing excellent use of adjectives. Year 6 pupils, for example, can use a wide range of superb vocabulary to describe what the Little Prince, in their study of the book of the same name, thinks about adults and children.  The most able pupils achieve exceptionally well at this school. They are continually challenged and they, together with all other pupils, become articulate, confident and eloquent young people. Some more able Year 5 pupils are already working at the higher Level 6 in mathematics.  Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium achieve as well as their peers at this school.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

There is no significant difference in their attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 in English or mathematics. In the previous year these pupils were four terms behind in English and three terms behind in mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils eligible for free school meals make progress in line with their peers throughout the school.  Pupils develop mathematical skills exceptionally well. Pupils in Year 1 confidently add two-digit numbers, and in Year 4 they analyse the mathematical operations needed in more complex word problems. By Year 6 they are confidently able to use good and rapid mental recall and calculation to solve problems quickly.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make outstanding progress in line with their peers. Those who are learning English as an additional language achieve as well as all other groups of pupils. The achievement of pupils is outstanding, irrespective of their different

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers plan an excellent range of learning activities that do not limit pupils’ achievement. This means that pupils, including the most able, continually excel and challenge themselves. This is particularly true in mathematics lessons. In Year 1 and Year 6, for example, a wide range of activities was provided that enabled pupils to demonstrate their skills in working out calculations in different contexts.  Teachers have an infectious enthusiasm and excellent knowledge of subjects and the way pupils learn. They can continually accelerate pupils’ learning by providing stimulating opportunities for all groups of pupils to practise and build on their skills as they move from class to class.  There is a consistent and clear language used by teachers throughout the school that enables pupils to articulate what they are learning. High expectations of how pupils present their work in their books are also consistent. Teachers mark pupils’ work exceptionally well. Pupils say, and

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

the note books show, that comments tell them exactly what they need to do to improve their work.  The partnership in the class teaching teams of teachers and teaching assistants works seamlessly and cohesively to support learning very effectively. Teaching assistants use questioning well and know exactly when to intervene to ensure all pupils are making excellent progress. They also work effectively with small groups of pupils, contributing well to the assessment of pupils’ progress.  Teachers use a wide range of checks and tests to make sure that they know exactly how well pupils are doing in reading, writing and mathematics. They thoroughly plan the next steps in learning, both to challenge pupils and to address any misconceptions they have identified through questioning, discussion with pupils and checking their work.  The close attention paid to analysing detail in assessment data makes sure that any slight

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

slowing of progress is quickly identified and acted upon, for example through providing specific teaching in small groups or for individuals. This has been particularly effective in enhancing individuals’ progress in mathematics and reading, and for specific groups of disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those eligible for the pupil premium.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. They have extremely positive attitudes to learning, curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. The excellent behaviour across subjects and year groups results in a superb pace of learning in lessons. They work exceptionally well with partners in lessons, questioning and challenging each other.  Minor disruption is non-existent. Teachers have consistently high expectations regarding behaviour and the excellent relationships mean that pupils respond very well to this.  Pupils are courteous, kind and all get on really well with each other, demonstrated by groups playing well together in the playground. Year 5 and Year 6 pupils have responsibilities as monitors and play buddies and this, combined with support staff who actively support pupils’ play, means that incidents of poor behaviour are extremely rare.  Pupils take responsibilities in the playground, are representatives on the school council, junior

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

leadership team and liaise with the building firm who are building the extension to the school. These rich and varied opportunities equip pupils very well with a wide range of interpersonal and communication skills.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils know how to keep safe on the internet and are fully aware of different forms of bullying, including cyber bullying. They know how to stay safe on the roads and understand all the actions the school takes to keep them safe on trips out of school.  Pupils and parents report, and school records show, that bullying is non-existent. Pupils say that minor falling-outs occur, but these are dealt with well by staff. Pupils say, ‘We respect the teachers and they respect us.’

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Leaders and managers have very successfully created a strong and vibrant school community where relationships are strong, where high quality teaching thrives, and where pupils behave extremely well and are highly motivated to learn.  Continual raising of achievement for all groups of pupils is central to the ambition and drive of all staff in the whole school, ably led by the headteacher and leadership team, including middle leaders. They have significantly closed the gap between the attainment of those eligible for the pupil premium and their peers. They have a very accurate picture of all aspects of the school, so that the plans for improvement are specific.  Since the last inspection, the new headteacher and restructured leadership team have improved the quality of teaching and resulting achievement across the whole school.  The monitoring of teaching and learning is extremely thorough. It is carried out by all senior and

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The leadership and management are outstanding

middle leaders using a good range of observations in lessons, looking at pupils’ work and checking their progress.  Class teachers, in discussion with the senior leadership team, use assessment data extremely well to make sure that all groups of pupils make consistently strong progress. This is tracked and analysed comprehensively and this information is shared with governors so everyone knows exactly how well pupils are achieving.  This information about pupils’ progress is central to the targets set for teachers so that they are accountable for this. Their performance is managed very well. Teachers, support staff, key stage and senior leaders are trained well and specifically for their roles.  The school works effectively in partnership with other local schools to share good practice. The school acknowledges that this sharing of excellent practice, especially for the benefit of newly qualified teachers, is not yet fully developed.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Subjects are linked together very effectively and taught through a rich range of experiences, both in and out of school, for example the hatching of chicks, archaeological digs in the sand on the school site and visits to the Imperial War Museum. These experiences contribute extremely well to pupils’ high levels of achievement. Pupils have frequent opportunities to excel in music, performance and sport.  The primary school sports funding is used well by employing a specialist teacher to increase the range of physical education skills and the quality of the teaching. This has increased the opportunities for all pupils’ involvement in competitive sport; consequently, pupils are now developing relevant skills at a faster rate, as well as showing enhanced motivation to participate.  The local authority provides light touch support for this outstanding school and values its contribution to the local cluster of schools.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Parents are extremely supportive of the school. They say that their children make excellent progress and sometimes they cannot believe what they are achieving at such a young age. They contribute to a range of cultural and religious celebrations in the school and are valued members of the school community. Pupils’ social, moral spiritual and cultural development is outstanding.  The governance of the school: − The governors have made sure that they have an excellent range of skills from professions including education, architecture, public relations and accountancy, to fully support the school and hold it to account. They are fully aware of performance data and of how the performance of the school compares with others nationally. They challenge and question the headteacher and senior staff and visit regularly to see the evidence for themselves, as well as receiving comprehensive reports from the headteacher. They are well informed about the targets,

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The leadership and management are outstanding

coaching and support for teachers, and the performance of the headteacher is managed very well. Governors know precisely about the high quality of teaching in the school and the absence of any underperformance, and they make sure that teachers are rewarded appropriately. Governors have an excellent structure so that chairs of committees ensure that their meetings are focused on the strategic direction of the school. They have made sure that the pupil premium funding has been used very effectively to close the gap rapidly in performance between these pupils and their peers by employing specialist staff to teach them and providing good support for parents. Governors have ensured that all statutory requirements for safeguarding are 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

Local authority Hounslow Inspection number 431295

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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 257 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Debbie McMullen Headteacher Alex Cornelius Date of previous school inspection 19−20 January 2009 Telephone number 020 8994 7405 Fax number 020 8742 7758 Email address info@grovepark.hounslow.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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