Greenslade Primary School

Erindale, Plumstead Common, London, SE18 2QQ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and managers have worked successfully to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement since the previous inspection. Leadership and management are good.  Governors are knowledgeable and committed to supporting the school. They have played a key part in helping to make sure the quality of the school’s work is good.  Teaching is good. Improvements to the teaching of phonics (the sounds letters make) and mathematics have increased rates of pupils’ progress and raised standards.  Children in the early years make good progress from their starting points. They are well prepared for the start of Year 1.  Achievement is good. Pupils learn and progress well in Years 1 to 6. All groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, make similar good progress through the school.  Pupils enjoy school and behave well. Attendance is above average. In the online survey and in the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

school’s own recent survey of parents’ views, parents agree that their children are happy at the school.  The school makes sure that pupils have a good understanding of how to keep safe from harm. Advice and guidance, workshops and visitors to the school help pupils to understand how to avoid risks.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The most able pupils do not always get hard enough work to help them make rapid progress and reach the highest standards of achievement.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 20 lessons, including three observed jointly with the headteacher. They observed learning in all years except Year 4, who were away on a residential visit during the inspection.  Inspectors held discussions with groups of pupils, staff and members of the governing body. They met a representative of the local authority and listened to pupils reading. They looked at work in pupils’ books and the school’s information showing pupils’ progress.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation provided by the school, including action plans, together with the school’s own checks on its performance and the quality of teaching. They also looked at records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  There were 48 responses to the Ofsted online survey (Parent View). Inspectors spoke informally with parents and considered the school’s own recent survey of parents’ views. The inspection considered 26

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Inspection team

Madeleine Gerard, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is slightly smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is above average. The proportion of those who speak English as an additional language is also above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional government funding to give extra support to those known to be eligible for free school meals and to children who are looked after) is average.  In 2014, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The school provides part-time early years provision for children in Nursery in one morning class and one afternoon class. Provision for children in Reception is full time.

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Information about this school

 The school provides a breakfast and an after-school club each day for pupils on roll at the school and pupils attending Timbercroft Primary School.  There have been a number of recent changes in teaching staff.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that the most able pupils throughout the school always receive suitably difficult work so that they make rapid progress and reach the highest standards of attainment.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, working with leaders, managers and governors, has made sure that key priorities for improvement have been tackled effectively since the previous inspection. As a result, the school has made improvements to teaching and raised pupils’ achievement so that the quality of these aspects is now good. Together with success in maintaining good provision in early years and encouraging pupils’ good behaviour, this shows the school’s strong capacity to improve further.  Leaders have improved the way information about pupils’ learning is used. For example, regular checks on how well pupils make progress ensure that staff quickly identify and support individual pupils in need of additional help are quickly.  Additional funding is used in a variety of ways to help disadvantaged pupils catch up with the others. Leaders check that additional funding is effective in helping eligible pupils to achieve well. Discrimination is

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The leadership and management are good

tackled well. The school makes sure that all pupils have an equal opportunity to benefit from all that the school has to offer.  Subject leaders have been successful in driving improvements, for example to the way literacy, reading and phonics are taught. They have made sure that training for staff is of high quality and leads to pupils’ better learning. They use information about how well pupils make progress to check that teaching is securing pupils’ good achievement over a sustained period.  Teaching has improved because leaders have made clear their high expectations of teaching quality. Leaders check the quality of teaching frequently. They have taken swift action to tackle any underperformance. For instance, they have provided additional guidance and training as well as the opportunity for staff to observe high-quality teaching at Greenslade and in other local schools.  Leaders have not been as consistently effective in making sure that work for the most able pupils is

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The leadership and management are good

always hard enough.  The curriculum is well organised to encourage pupils’ good achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils enjoy outings to local places of interest as well as residential visits to activity centres in Year 4 and Year 6. Pupils say they enjoy learning. Parents who responded to the online survey, and the school’s own survey of parents’ views, agree.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted. For example, through visits to a variety of local places of worship, celebration of festivals from a range of cultures, charity fundraising and participating in school performances, pupils develop mutual respect and tolerance. Staff are positive role models. All this fosters good working relations and prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.  Participation rates in sporting activities have risen as a result of the school’s successful drive to raise

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The leadership and management are good

standards and encourage pupils to be more active. The government primary sports funding has been used to provide a variety of equipment as well as specialist training and guidance for staff to secure lasting improvement. Pupils are motivated and have organised fundraising in order to improve the sporting equipment available to use in the playground at break time.  The school’s safeguarding arrangements are well led and managed. Staff know the school’s procedures, which are effective and work well. Records show that the school takes its role in keeping pupils safe very seriously.  Following the previous inspection, the local authority has been effective in helping to make sure the school secures the necessary improvements to its work. The degree of assistance provided is now reduced and the local authority provides light-touch support for this good school.  governance of the school:  Governors have worked closely with the senior leadership team to help make sure that the school

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The leadership and management are good

improves quickly. They attend training to make sure they are well informed about current educational policy in order to carry out their roles. They show strong commitment to the school, for example through the very regular visits that they make to check the quality of the school’s work. Governors have a secure understanding of assessment data that shows how well the school performs compared with other schools nationally. They know how well different groups of pupils achieve at the school, including disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs, and disadvantaged pupils. Members of the governing body take a keen interest in the management of performance. They know the quality of teaching and how any weaknesses are tackled. Governors make sure that good teaching is celebrated and acknowledged.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They conduct themselves sensibly around the school and are courteous and polite. The parent of a child who recently joined the school told inspectors how quickly their child had settled because pupils are friendly and welcoming. Pupils’ attendance is above average.  Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They listen attentively and work hard. Work in pupils’ books is neat and carefully presented. Occasionally, a few pupils lose concentration in lessons, but they refocus quickly when staff speak to them about it.  Pupils have caring attitudes towards one another and also for the school environment, including the school’s vegetable garden that is maintained by the gardening club. The school site is free from litter.  The school council helps make the school better by gathering the views of the pupils. Improvements to dining arrangements and break time, for example, have been introduced as a result of pupils’ suggestions.

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Behaviour

 Pupils attending the breakfast and after–school clubs enjoy the activities that the adults organise. Pupils from both schools socialise well together.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. There is some bullying but the school’s staff act quickly and effectively to address any problems, as the school’s records show. Pupils are sure they can sort out any small problems for themselves through discussion. They are confident that the adults will help them if need be. In early years, children are successfully encouraged to look after one another and to be kind.  Pupils are aware of the steps they should take to keep themselves safe from harm. Guidance, including workshops and visitors from the local emergency services, helps pupils develop a good understanding of risks. The school makes sure pupils have a good awareness of safe practices when using information and communication technology. Older pupils know how to avoid danger and recognise hazards outside school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are engaged by their learning. Teachers make sure that tasks are interesting, particularly in mathematics. They ask demanding questions that help pupils to think hard. Daily reading helps pupils build strong reading ability. They appreciate the books they are given to read and develop an enjoyment of reading. Older pupils confidently discuss their favourite authors and their reading preferences. Teachers make sure that pupils develop writing skills well and encourage neat, fluent handwriting throughout the school. Mathematics is well taught in all year groups.  Teaching assistants contribute positively to pupils’ learning. They are well trained and effective in helping selected pupils make good progress, including in the early years provision. Together with teachers, they ensure that disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are well supported.  Pupils know how to make their work better because teachers explain what they should do to improve it.

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The quality of teaching is good

Pupils say they find teachers’ feedback helpful. Work in pupils’ books shows they follow suggestions and guidance carefully.  Teachers use the information about pupils’ learning to set work that is generally at the right level of difficulty to help pupils build up their skills well. This year, the most able pupils in Year 6 have extra sessions to boost their writing, reading and mathematics in order to reach ambitious standards. In other classes, including in the early years, the most able are not always set work that is appropriately hard and demanding enough to accelerate their achievement and raise standards further.  In early years, staff work closely with parents and, as a result, children settle quickly and are happy. Adults make sure children build up their skills in the indoor and outdoor spaces, including in the school’s woodland area.

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is good

 Good teaching over a sustained period has secured better achievement for all groups of pupils. Pupils make good progress. Progress through the school in mathematics, a weaker aspect of pupils’ achievement at the time of the last inspection, has increased.  Better teaching of phonics in early years and Year 1 is helping to raise standards. In the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2014, provisional results suggest that the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard was above average.  Disadvantaged pupils make similar good progress as other pupils at the school. Gaps in attainment between eligible pupils and the others are closing. Disadvantaged pupils make good progress from their starting points when compared with other pupils nationally. In the 2014 national assessments at the end of Key Stage 2, results suggest disadvantaged pupils at the school were one term behind other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. Compared with other pupils at the school, disadvantaged

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is good

pupils were three terms behind in writing, two terms behind in reading and one term behind in mathematics.  The most able pupils make particularly good progress in Year 6. A reading club for the most able readers in Year 6, as well as extra sessions in writing, helped more pupils than the national average to attain high standards in national assessments in 2014. This year, extra sessions in mathematics challenge the most able pupils in Year 6 with work that deepens their knowledge and understanding. However, in other years, including in early years, the most able pupils are not always provded with work that is demanding enough to develop their skills. As a result, their progress is not as rapid.  The school’s records on the progress of pupils currently at the school show that all groups of pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This includes those pupils from minority ethnic

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is good

backgrounds and pupils who speak English as an additional language.  Leaders make sure that support for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is carefully tailored to their individual requirements. As a result, these pupils make similar good progress compared with other pupils at the school and achieve well.

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is good

 Children achieve well in early years. They are well prepared for the next stage in their education by the time they start Year 1.  Standards at the end of the Reception Year are rising. The proportion of children reaching a good level of development in their learning is above the national average.  Good leadership and management make sure that both boys and girls in the early years enjoy their learning and achieve well.  The quality of teaching in early years is good. Staff pay careful attention to children’s individual interests. They plan activities that capture children’s attention and help them to build on what they know and can do already. Occasionally, however, activities are not as well planned to make sure that the most able children move on quickly in their learning.  Children’s behaviour is good. They play well together and share resources. Caring attitudes are fostered, for example through looking after sick patients in the hospital role-play area. Children develop a good

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is good

understanding of how to keep safe, for instance when learning outside in the woodland area.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 100162 Local authority Greenwich Inspection number 453673

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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 245 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ann Jefferson Headteacher David Ashley Date of previous school inspection 28 February–1 March 2013 Telephone number 020 8316 6847 Fax number 020 8855 6767 Email address office@greenslade.greenwich.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 and 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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