Grange Primary School

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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This is a good school

 Grange Primary School is a happy, hard-working and inclusive school.  The headteacher provides high calibre leadership. Together with effective deputy headteachers, other senior leaders and governors, she has improved teaching and achievement since the last inspection.  Senior and subject leaders know the school well. They know what needs to be improved and quickly address any weaknesses they encounter to enhance good learning.  Governors know the school well. They ask searching questions of school leaders, hold them accountable for the school’s development, and are challenging leaders to raise standards further.  Pupils behave well in lessons and at other times throughout the day. They are polite to each other and to adults. This helps to make the school a safe place in which pupils can learn.  Pupils are proud of what they do. They keep their workbooks neat and tidy.  Every effort is made to prepare pupils for life in

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This is a good school

modern Britain. The school strongly promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development throughout the curriculum.  Teaching is good. Teachers question pupils effectively and have high expectations of their work and behaviour.  Pupils are given high-quality feedback about how well they are doing and how they can improve. This is helping them to secure rapid improvement.  Teaching assistants are having a significant impact in helping pupils achieve success.  Children in the early years make a good start to their education. Good teaching in Nursery and Reception ensures they make good progress.  All pupils in all current year groups achieve well from their starting points on entry to the school. The school is well placed to improve further.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Attainment fell in 2014 and pupils’ achievement appeared low due to a legacy of weak teaching. This was also affected in recent years by high levels of pupils joining the school after the normal start time.  Pupils’ progress in writing is not as strong as in other subjects. Their skills in extended writing are less well developed than in other subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 24 lessons, of which nine were seen jointly with members of the school’s leadership team.  Inspectors visited a number of assemblies and tutorial sessions. The inspection team also made short visits to lessons during a number of walks through the school to look at pupils’ attitudes to learning and their behaviour.  Inspectors held meetings with two groups of pupils and talked informally to children during breaks and at lunchtimes.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, staff, and senior and subject leaders. Inspectors also spoke to members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a number of documents, including the school’s evaluation of its own performance, plans for improvement, policies, and records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance. Inspectors also scrutinised safeguarding documents.  They considered 31 responses to the online survey (Parent View), and took the results of a school survey

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Information about this inspection

of 199 completed questionnaires into account. Inspectors also noted the 40 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Robert Ridout, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Grange Primary School is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  The school’s pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. Less than one in twenty pupils are from a White British background. Most children are of Asian or Black African heritages or from other mixed backgrounds. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above the national average.  Two fifths of the pupils currently attending the school joined their class at different points in the school year. This is well above average.  About one third of pupils at the school are eligible for the pupil premium. This is well above the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils, in this school, who are known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above average.  There are a number of after-school clubs on site managed by the governing body.

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Information about this school

 Children attend Nursery part time and Reception full time.  The governing body has been reconstituted. A new Chair of the Governing Body has been elected, and several new governors have been appointed since the last inspection.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Key Stage 2.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to raise the quality of teaching to the very best so that teachers:  ensure that all pupils sustain the current rapid rates of progress seen in the school  further support pupils who do not make as much progress in writing, providing as many opportunities for extended writingas they do in other subjects, and take steps to remedy this through all aspects of the curriculum.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and deputy headteachers have successfully steered the school through a period of significant staffing changes. They have had a positive impact since the last inspection by raising pupils’ achievement and improving the performance of members of staff. They have established a good learning climate in which pupils behave well and are keen to learn. School leaders provide good role models for others to follow. Staff morale is high.  School leaders have addressed the long-term issues which led to a dip in test results and assessments in 2014. Some of the current Year 6 pupils have been in the school since Year 2, and their learning and progress have been affected by disruption to teaching in previous years. Two fifths of the pupils who were assessed at the end of Year 6 joined the school during Years 4, 5 and 6 with starting points below those typical for their age. Leaders did well to ensure that the progress of these pupils was similar to that of all

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The leadership and management are good

pupils nationally. However, they did not make the accelerated progress they needed to reach standards of attainment in line with their peers nationally. Current progress is much better for all pupils throughout the school.  Senior and subject leaders are effective and have an accurate view of the school’s performance. They have secured good standards of pupils’ behaviour, leading to good achievement in mathematics and reading. However, they know that further work is needed to raise standards in writing to the same levels.  Leaders and governors have made effective use of procedures relating to staff performance to tackle previous weak practice. Poor teaching and pupil underachievement is now a thing of the past. Teachers’ pay is linked directly to the achievement of pupils. Staff are very positive about the training and support they receive, which helps them improve the quality of their work. As a result, they are securing good and

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The leadership and management are good

improving standards in literacy and numeracy of pupils currently at the school.  The school is implementing an effective and high quality curriculum. Arrangements to assess work in the absence of levels are well advanced. Leaders ensure that teachers are confident and able to assess pupils’ work accurately against the requirements of the new National Curriculum. Staff have a common understanding of these when marking work. Leaders are acutely aware that some pupils do not make as much progress in writing as they do in other subjects. Well-focused actions are in place to address this.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is highly effective. Tolerance and respect are consistently promoted within the school. This underpins the calm and purposeful atmosphere in the school. Pupils are aware of and act upon these core British values and are well prepared for a life in

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The leadership and management are good

modern Britain. School elections help pupils understand the importance of democracy and also that the opinions of each and every one of them count.  Personal profiles written by the pupils and displayed in classrooms describe the rich and diverse range of countries from which they originate. The school celebrates this diversity and ensures that there is no discrimination of any kind. Staff encourage all pupils to develop positive attitudes to others, whatever their ability or background. All pupils are included in all activities and each has an equal opportunity to succeed.  Pupils and staff have benefited from the primary school physical education and sports funding. It has been used well to provide specialist physical education teachers to deliver lessons and training. The opportunity to work alongside professional coaches has strengthened teachers’ practice, and has helped to further develop the health and well-being of pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has made good use of pupil premium funding to provide effective one-to-one and small group support for disadvantaged pupils. The impact of this can be seen in the good progress of these pupils and in the narrowing of the gaps between their attainment and the attainment of others.  The school places a high priority on both safeguarding and child protection. Procedures are effective and meet requirements. Thorough checks are made on all adults who have contact with pupils. Training for all adults on child protection is kept up to date. Staff are vigilant and act appropriately when any child shares sensitive information with them.  Most parents are happy with the school and feel their children are well looked after and safe. Links between home and school have been strengthened. Families are more involved in their children’s learning than in the past. Most recognise the school has improved. One parent said ‘I was disappointed when my

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The leadership and management are good

child was admitted to this school as it was seen as the dump school. We no longer think that. My child is really lucky to be here as teachers do everything they can and more to help.’  The local authority has provided good and effective support and challenge for the school. Local authority representatives frequently review the school’s progress and provide leaders with specific and relevant indicators for further improvement. They have also supported the development of governors. School leaders value the quality of support provided.  The governance of the school:  Governance is good. The new Chair of the Governing Body provides good leadership. A number of governors are recent appointments. They have brought with them a broad range of skills that have enhanced the expertise of the existing team of governors.  Following an external review, governors have improved their skills and effectiveness considerably. All

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The leadership and management are good

governors have received training so that they fully understand their roles and are effective in executing their duties.  Governors have a clear and accurate overview of the school’s performance. They visit the school to see at first hand the effectiveness of teaching and the accuracy of assessments. They know how well pupils learn in lessons and how well they behave towards others.  Governors understand the school’s performance data in relation to other schools nationally and analyse information on pupils’ achievement effectively. They ask pertinent questions of the headteacher to ensure the school is always looking to improve. They ensure that interventions designed to support pupils joining the school after the usual start time in September have a good impact.  Governors fulfil their role in setting targets for the headteacher diligently . They know about leaders’ arrangements to set targets for teaching staff. They assure themselves as to whether teachers merit

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The leadership and management are good

salary progression and provide strong support for the headteacher when tackling underperformance.  They are knowledgeable about how the school spends its additional government funding. They have sought evidence that the school is using the funding appropriately.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. There is a purposeful buzz at the start of the day. Pupils arrive promptly with their families. Many parents stay on to talk with teachers and celebrate their children’s good work. The pupils take responsibility for moving into their daily routines and settling into their work quickly.  Pupils respond well to the school’s promotion of good behaviour, and conduct themselves well at all times. Break and lunch times are calm and orderly. Year 6 pupils commented that they ‘like how the school now manages behaviour, like the rewards, think it is fair to everyone and believe behaviour is much better than when inspectors last visited’. Younger pupils told inspectors ‘the best thing about Grange is the people’.  Attitudes to learning are positive and pupils want to do well. Relationships between pupils are strong. They play and work happily together. As a result, good learning takes place.

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Behaviour

 Pupils take full advantage of plenty of opportunities they are given to take part in the running of the school. For example, pupils can be elected to be play leaders or members of the School Council. These opportunities contribute to the strong ethos in the school of learning together, respecting each other and achieving their potential.  Pupils are proud of what they do. Work is neat and tidily presented. There is very little evidence of unfinished work. However, pupils do not always respond to comments in teachers’ marking and do not always correct their work.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. The school site is secure and staff are rigorously checked prior to appointment. Parents recognise that the school keeps their children safe, as noted in their responses on Parent View.  The school is vigilant in teaching pupils how to stay safe. Pupils told inspectors that there is always someone to go to if they are concerned about anything. They are confident that teachers will listen to them and take appropriate action.  From Year 1, pupils are routinely reminded of how to avoid risk when working online and what to do if they feel worried. In discussions, pupils demonstrated an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves safe on the internet.  Pupils are aware of the different types of bullying and know what to do if they ever need help. They say bullying is rare and they believe that adults deal with reported incidents effectively. School records show

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Safety

that there is very little bullying. Any incidents are properly investigated and resolved, ensuring the safety of pupils.  Staff training on child protection is up to date and adults are vigilant. Staff have a good knowledge of child protection, know what to look out for and are ready to intervene if they need to.  Attendance is currently average. The school has effective procedures for following up absences and provides many rewards for good attendance. Effective support is provided to any families who struggle to ensure that their children attend school regularly.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Better teaching is at the heart of this school’s improvement. Since the previous inspection, leaders have raised standards in teaching throughout the school. They have provided good professional support and have addressed areas of known weak teaching. Teaching is now consistently good in all year groups and in all subjects.  Classrooms are vibrant working areas, well resourced and with good use made of the available space. Displays are used well to celebrate success and provide support for learning.  Teachers have established very positive relationships with pupils and set high expectations of their behaviour. Pupils work happily together, share resources and take pride in their work. Pupil’s presentation of their work is of a very high standard.  Teachers have good subject knowledge and expertise, which they use effectively to provide a wide range of activities that promote pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. Teachers plan well to ensure all pupils are

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The quality of teaching is good

given work that is matched to their ability and is sufficiently challenging to enable pupils to make good progress.  Effective teaching in the Nursery and Reception classes ensures that children make good progress. An extensive range of activities is used to promote and develop children’s skills well. Teachers make sure the learning is interesting.  The teaching of phonics (the sounds letters make) is constantly reviewed and has been strengthened. As a result, pupils achieved above the required standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check in both 2013 and 2014.  Reading is promoted successfully throughout the school, and pupils of all ages read well. Reading aloud is a common feature of lessons. Each classroom has a good stock of books which are well used by pupils. Teachers are skilled at teaching reading and actively promote pupils’ reading for pleasure. Pupils choose to read during their social time, and their reading journals show that they read widely. As a result, pupils

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The quality of teaching is good

are developing good reading skills and a love of reading.  The teaching of mathematics is also good. As a result of their good quality training teachers have the confidence to deepen pupils’ understanding and show them the importance of mathematics in their everyday lives. Teachers provide well-planned and interesting opportunities where pupils are able to apply their basic skills to practical problem-solving activities.  Writing is taught well. Teachers have introduced exciting ways to encourage pupils to practise their writing skills through topics that the pupils help to choose themselves. This is helping them to improve their writing and develop social, team-working and communication skills. However, pupils’ attainment in writing skills is not as strong as in reading or mathematics.  Teaching assistants have made a big impact in helping pupils to make good progress. They are skilled in the support they give and work well with pupils. They help disabled pupils and those who have special

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The quality of teaching is good

educational needs to make the same good progress as other pupils. Many teaching assistants are skilled in teaching phonics to develop pupils’ reading skills. Some are particularly talented in helping pupils who are new to the country and who speak little English to quickly develop good speech and language skills.  Adults are good at asking questions and encouraging discussions to extend pupils’ learning. Questions are used effectively to encourage pupils to think carefully and develop their answers further. Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to move pupils on to the next stage of learning when they are ready to do so.  Pupils’ work is marked regularly. Teachers celebrate what pupils have done well, and highlight the next steps pupils should take to improve their work. Teachers provide clear guidance in pupils’ English and mathematics exercise books, making sure that pupils act on the advice given to enable them to learn

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The quality of teaching is good

from, and correct, their mistakes. The same good practice is not consistently seen in other subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 School leaders have taken effective action to deal with the dip in test results seen in 2014. Achievement throughout the school is now good and pupils are reaching the standards they are capable of securing.  A large number of children start the school with attainment that is below that typical for their age. The weakest areas are in language and communication, particularly speech, and personal development. They make good progress, and an average proportion of children reach a good level of development by the time they start in Year 1.  Developments in the teaching of phonics have further improved the ability of pupils to read and write, especially in the early years. The pupils in Year 1 build well on the good start they made in Reception. The results of the Year 1 phonics screening check were above average in 2014 and information provided by the school for the current Year shows that outcomes are of a similarly high standard.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement at the end of Key Stage 1 is good because pupils achieve average standards in reading, writing and mathematics from low starting points. School records for the current Year 2 pupils show that the proportion of pupils at the levels expected for their age are higher than they were on entry to Year 1. This shows pupils make good progress over the key stage.  In 2014, attainment at the end of Year 6 fell below average often because of low starting points. The school’s own monitoring, observations of pupils learning in lessons and the good quality work in their books indicates that pupils of all backgrounds are now making consistently good progress and better. Attainment is rising to become securely in line with national average standards by the time they leave the school.  Current Year 6 pupils are on track to reach above average attainment at the end of this year. Attainment in reading and mathematics is typically in line and sometimes higher than that expected for pupils of the

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The achievement of pupils is good

same age. Outcomes in writing are almost as good. This represents good achievement.  Pupils currently in the school are working at levels that are higher than those expected for their age in reading, mathematics, spelling, punctuation and grammar. Their extended writing, although above the levels expected for their age, is not as strong.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs have a good attitude and approach to learning and are generally making good progress. Good systems enable leaders to identify the pupil’s specific needs and ensure they receive appropriate targeted support. Regular checks are made to ensure that interventions are effective. Pupils achieve well, with many making better than expected progress.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language and those from the many different ethnic groups within the school including those from Asian and Black African backgrounds achieve well. Through

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The achievement of pupils is good

effective and carefully chosen support they quickly learn enough English to access the full curriculum and make good progress.  Pupils who join the school after the normal start time in September make good progress from their low starting points.  Overall, the most-able pupils make good progress and achieve well. Many produce work that is of a very high quality. Last year, the progress of the most-able pupils was not as fast as it should have been. A much higher proportion in the current Year 6 are making good progress and reaching higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics.  Analysis of the 2014 results shows that gaps between disadvantaged pupils and their peers in school had closed and they were often making better progress. Disadvantaged pupils were almost one term ahead in their reading, writing and mathematics. In contrast, the gap in attainment between those in Year 6 and other pupils nationally has narrowed but it remained about one term behind in all areas of learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The latest assessments show that disadvantaged pupils are making good progress from their different starting points compared with other pupils nationally. They are working at levels within a term or less of other pupils in the school as well as by comparison with other pupils nationally, for their age, in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The early years provision is good

 Effective leadership of the early years creates an environment where children grow and learn successfully. From starting points that are often below those typical for their age, children achieve well and attain standards at the end of the Reception Year that are close to the national average. Children are prepared well to start Year 1.  Children’s behaviour is good. They are well motivated and show good attitudes to learning. Relationships are excellent. Arrangements to keep children safe are effective. Good provision contributes positively to children’s’ physical and emotional health, safety and well-being, as well as enhancing their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The quality of teaching is good. Children are encouraged to be curious and respond positively to questions asked by adults. The much improved learning environment stimulates and supports children to engage in their learning.

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The early years provision is good

 Teachers and teaching assistants have high expectations of children. Adults are fully aware of what each child knows and is capable of doing. Activities are planned to challenge and extend children’s’ knowledge and understanding across all areas of learning. All do well, especially in developing literacy and number skills.  Adults talk a lot with children to extend their vocabulary. This is particularly useful in developing children’s’ speech, which is a weak area on entry to the school. As a result, their speaking rapidly improves.  Learning activities are carefully planned to help develop and secure good basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers make sure that they match the work set for the children and the books they read to the levels that the children are working at. Reading is taught well and children’s reading is moving on quickly.  Mobility is high, but children who join the school at different times throughout the year receive exactly the

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The early years provision is good

right level of one-to-one support they need to help them settle quickly into school life and make good progress from their starting points.  Good leadership in the early years ensures that children’s progress is reviewed regularly. Analyses of outcomes are rigorous and accurate. This has led to the rapid improvements that have secured good progress in the early years.  There are close links with parents. Parents are made to feel welcome and are encouraged to join their children in classes at the start of each school day. Parents value the high level of support given to them and their families, especially in developing good language skills.

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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 102202 Local authority Harrow Inspection number 462156

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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 609 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Peter Dollimore Headteacher Mrs Annette Szymaniak Date of previous school inspection 5 June 2013 Telephone number 02084225070 Fax number 02084229429 Email address office@grange.harrow.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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