Grange Park School

School report Grange Park Junior School Lansbury Drive, Hayes, Middlesex, UB4 8SF

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Overall effectiveness: Previous inspection: This inspection: Satisfactory

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3

Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Fewer pupils than nationally made better than expected progress in reading and mathematics until this year.  The number of pupils making better than expected progress in writing is still lower than in reading and mathematics in Years 5 and 6 especially for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  Too little teaching has been good in the past and so some pupils have not made enough progress until this year.  Teaching has improved but there are still inconsistencies in how teachers ask questions to extend and challenge some pupils to do even better.  Tasks and activities are not always adjusted when checks show that they are too easy or too difficult for some pupils to complete on their own.  Governors have supported the headteacher in her push to drive up standards but have not always asked challenging questions about pupils’ progress until this year.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher provides strong leadership. Much of the current teaching is good because of the steps she has taken to improve pupils’ learning.  Robust systems are now in place to check all aspects of the school’s work including staff performance. The school has an accurate view of its performance and every member of staff is clear about what needs to be done and by when.  The recently appointed deputy headteachers and the business manager provide good and effective support. Improvements to progress and attendance have accelerated this year.  Teachers’ secure subject knowledge in English and mathematics ensures explanations are clear and help pupils to understand their learning and progress.  Booster classes and interventions in all year groups are helping pupils to make faster progress in reading, writing and mathematics this year. The most-able pupils are making good progress.  Pupils behave well and feel safe. Their positive

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The school has the following strengths

attitudes to school make a strong contribution to their learning and the school’s warm and welcoming atmosphere.  The curriculum makes a strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 24 lessons taught by 16 teachers. In addition, they made a number of short visits to lessons.  The inspectors looked at past and current information about pupils’ progress and pupils’ work in books and on display. They also heard some pupils read.  The inspectors also looked at documents relating to behaviour and safeguarding, the school’s own assessments of its strengths, and school improvement planning.  The inspectors met with small groups of pupils to talk about their learning and to find out what they thought of the school. Inspectors also met with staff and the Chair of the Governing Body.  Inspectors talked to parents informally at the start of the school day. There were too few responses in the online questionnaire (Parent View) for inspectors to consider and so the school’s own recent parent survey was taken into account.  The inspectors took note of 20 staff questionnaires

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Inspection team

Georgina Beasley, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Philip Littlejohn Additional Inspector Susan Payne Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Grange Park Junior School is larger than an average-sized school.  Nearly all pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds with Indian being the largest group.  A high proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.  An above-average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional government funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those in local authority care and children with a parent in the armed services.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported at school action plus and with a statement of special educational needs is also above average.  The school meets the government floor standards (which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment).  The headteacher has been in post for over two years; the two deputy headteachers and

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Information about this school

business manager were appointed in September 2013.  The recently appointed Chair of the Governing Body is a national leader for governance.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure teaching is consistently good and outstanding by:  teachers’ questioning constantly extending pupils’ learning and understanding in lessons  tasks and activities being adjusted when checks show pupils find them too easy or too difficult to complete on their own.  Increase the proportion of pupils exceeding expected progress in writing, especially those known to be eligible for free school meals, so that they close the gap more quickly in this subject.  Strengthen the expertise and knowledge of governors so that they ask the school challenging questions about pupils’ learning and progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ progress requires improvement because until this year, too few pupils made expected and faster than expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Progress is faster this year for all groups of pupils in all year groups and is close to national figures. Attainment has been rising over the last three years in these subjects and is now broadly average.  The number of pupils making expected progress has improved across the school as a result of better teaching. Greater challenge has increased the number making faster than expected progress in reading and mathematics. The number remains lower in writing, especially for pupils who receive the pupil premium funding.  The progress and attainment of pupils who receive the pupil premium vary each year. Pupils in the current Year 6 are reaching levels about two terms behind pupils who do not receive the funding in writing and mathematics and about a term behind in reading. Due to booster groups

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

and individual support, these pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 are not as far behind, reflecting improving progress across the school.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Some do better than this in reading due to the individual support given through the accelerated reader programme.  The most-able pupils receive good levels of challenge and make good progress. An increasing number each year reach the higher levels of which they are capable in reading, writing and mathematics.  The school has been successful in ensuring boys reach similar levels in writing as they do in reading and mathematics. Similar improvement has been made in the progress of Indian pupils across the school in reading, writing and mathematics and who now make the same progress as other Indian pupils across the country.  Funds from the government for sport education have paid for specialist coaches and additional

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

training for teachers. As a result, pupils have a good understanding of the importance of being healthy and fit. The funding also provides additional opportunities for pupils to take part in clubs including basketball and street dance.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Weaknesses in the quality of teaching in the past are still reflected in the slower progress over time of some groups of pupils. Fewer pupils than nationally exceeded expected progress until this year and this is still the case in writing.  There are still inconsistencies in how teachers ask questions to extend and challenge pupils to do even better. Pupils are not consistently expected to explain the thinking behind their answers in class. On occasion additional questions from teachers could help extend pupils’ learning.  Tasks and activities are sometimes too easy or too hard for some pupils to complete. When tasks are too easy, pupils consolidate what they already know or can do rather than extend learning. When tasks and activities are too hard, they struggle for too long before a teacher or learning support assistant gives them the help they need to move them on.  The positive atmosphere in classrooms helps to build pupils’ confidence to ask for help when

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

they need clarification or support for in their learning. Good subject knowledge ensures the answers the teachers give are accurate and are often supported by examples to aid pupils’ understanding.  Teachers use assessment information well to identify and give relevant support to pupils who are close to moving up to the next level. Pupils value the many opportunities to attend booster classes or to visit the library to complete individualised reading tasks. They recognise that these extra classes help them to make faster progress and to do better work. Year 6 pupils particularly like the revision booklets that the school bought them to help them revise what they already know before starting new learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ positive attitudes support learning well. Pupils know and refer to their targets in lessons to help them remember what they need to improve in order to reach the next level. They listen attentively in most lessons, start the tasks that they are given quickly and concentrate well on them throughout the lesson.  The behaviour of pupils is good. Most parents who responded to the school’s survey and who spoke to inspectors agree. Pupils have numerous opportunities to take responsibility such as selling fruit at morning break, acting as play leaders at lunchtimes or being school councillors.  A positive approach to managing behaviour builds pupils’ good understanding of the importance of good behaviour at all times and not just when they are being supervised. Year 6 pupils were praised for their behaviour on a recent trip to RAF Hendon. The school has successfully helped pupils with considerable behavioural difficulties to settle into school and become successful

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

learners.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils said that they feel safe in school. They have a good understanding of how to stay safe when using the internet and what to do if they have a concern. Pupils have a clear understanding of the different types of bullying and are confident not only that it hardly ever happens but also how the school would deal with it if it did.  Attendance is improving as a result and is now securely at the national average. Good attendance is celebrated in newsletters and assemblies. Punctuality is good.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership is improving but until this year much of the improvement has relied on the headteacher’s hard work in establishing systems and processes for improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  The school’s view of its work is accurate and subsequent improvement priorities are relevant and well planned. Regular checks ensure that the school remains focused on the most urgent priorities.  Leadership of subjects, aspects and year groups is becoming more established as the strong leadership of the deputy headteachers and the business manager takes effect. Improvement since their appointment has become more rapid. Learning in a number of subjects is well planned due to improvements in subject leadership.  Parents, pupils, staff, the Chair of the Governing Body and the local authority recognise the improvements that have taken place since the appointment of the current headteacher. She has

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The leadership and management requires improvement

a clear vision for the future and high expectations of herself, staff and pupils. Responses in the staff questionnaire indicate that all staff are proud to be part of the school and know what the school is trying to achieve.  The school monitors staff performance closely. Challenging targets for pupils’ progress are used to decide whether to award a pay rise. Termly meetings review performance against whether pupils are making enough progress to reach their individual learning targets.  The school plans subjects in an interesting way and which promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development particularly well. Pupils have good respect for others’ beliefs and faiths and talk knowledgably about different countries and cultural events.  The governance of the school:  The governing body ensures all statutory requirements are met regarding safeguarding, the performance management of staff and financial management including additional funding for

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The leadership and management requires improvement

sport and the pupil premium. The Chair of the Governing Body is clear about the school’s strengths and areas in need of further improvement. He has started to develop the skills of other governors in challenging the school about its performance and in holding it to account for pupils’ progress but recognises that there is more to do.

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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 102432 Local authority Hillingdon Inspection number 430825

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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 Junior School category Foundation Age range of pupils 7 – 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 340 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul Rosen Headteacher Jayne Pavitt Date of previous school inspection 11–12 July 2012 Telephone number 020 85733638 Fax number 020 85617716 Email address grangepkjun@hillingdongrid.org 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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