Greenfields Primary School and Nursery

Greenfields Primary School Highfields Road, Kettering, NN15 6HY

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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

 Achievement in Key Stages 1 and 2 is good. Pupils are making good progress in reading, writing, and mathematics.  Provision for the early years is effective and children make good progress. They enter Year 1 as confident learners.  Teaching is good. Marking is a strength because pupils act on the ‘next steps’ advice teachers give them, to further their learning and improve their work.  Teaching assistants are highly skilled in supporting the learning of individuals and groups of pupils. They make a significant contribution to those pupils’ progress.  Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning and are keen to do well. Their behaviour is good in lessons and around the school.  Pupils are kept safe whilst at school. They are taught how to feel safe in a variety of situations.  Leaders and staff work well as a team and strive to do the very best for pupils.  Senior leaders, managers and governors have taken

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This is a good school

effective action to improve teaching and achievement. They have a very clear understanding of what the school does well and what needs to be improved.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Sometimes, the work set in lessons is too easy for some pupils, including the most-able pupils, which means they do not always learn as well as they could.  There are too few opportunities for pupils to use their numeracy skills in investigations, or to solve problems in mathematics.  The teaching of grammar, punctuation and spelling is not yet consistently effective across all year groups. As a result, attainment at the end of Year 6 is not as high as that seen in other subjects.  Some pupils do not attend regularly enough.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 21 lessons, six of which were seen jointly with the headteacher and four with the deputy headteacher. In addition, an inspector listened to pupils read.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, the lead officer of the ‘improvement cluster’, governors, and senior and middle leaders.  Inspectors took account of the 29 responses to the online (Parent View) questionnaire.  They also considered the views of the 22 staff who completed the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors looked at many documents, including: the school’s information on pupils’ current and recent progress; planning of work in different subjects; evidence of leaders checking on teaching and learning quality; and records relating to behaviour, attendance, and safeguarding of pupils.

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Inspection team

Steve Nelson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Inspection team

Linda Griffiths Additional Inspector Liz Kissane Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The number of pupils attending Greenfields Primary School is increasing. As a result, the school is now an average-sized primary school.  Early years provision is full-time in the Reception Year.  About half of the pupils are of White British heritage. The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic groups and of those who speak English as an additional language are well-above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is higher than the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional government funding to assist certain groups, which in this school applies to pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those in the care of the local authority) is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum standards expected nationally for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing, and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this school

 The school provides a breakfast club, which was included in this inspection.  The school converted to academy status in November 2013. It is sponsored by the David Ross Education Trust (DRET).

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching, so that pupils make the best possible progress by:  ensuring that lesson activities consistently challenge pupils to think hard about their work, especially the most able  providing more opportunities for pupils to use their number skills in investigative work and problem- solving activities in mathematics  improving the teaching of grammar, punctuation, and spelling, so that pupils’ progress is consistent across all year groups and attainment rises at the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the rates of attendance for those pupils who do not attend as regularly as they should by working closely with particular families to make sure that all parents are persuaded of the importance of the education the school provides for their children.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and other leaders have developed strong teamwork amongst all staff and a culture of continuous improvement. The school is characterised by a highly positive ethos, in which leaders strive successfully to ensure teaching and behaviour are both good. Leaders promote equality of opportunity well and do not tolerate any discrimination. As a result, pupils achieve well.

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The leadership and management are good

 Self-evaluation is accurate. Senior leaders have identified the right priorities for improvement, based on their accurate assessment of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Their actions to bring about improvement have been successful and pupils are now making faster progress than they were last year. Leaders demonstrate good capacity for further improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The leadership of teaching is strong. The headteacher makes good use of information from checks on teaching and learning to develop teachers’ skills and improve teaching. She sets targets for teachers that are linked closely to pupils’ achievement. Teachers have responded well to the targets and, as a result, teaching is improving.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders fulfil their roles well. They monitor pupils’ learning in lessons regularly and assess the quality of the work in pupils’ books in their subjects. They check that teachers are supporting effectively those pupils identified as falling behind.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through the school’s vision and the values that are reflected throughout all of its work. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility in the school and to support others in the community. The school offers pupils a wide range of well-planned activities to help them to deepen their understanding of different cultures and faiths. British values are promoted well, for example, during the school’s celebration of ‘Great Britain Day’, so that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school provides a broad and interesting range of subjects that promotes pupils’ good achievement and contributes to their personal development. Teachers use termly topics, such as ‘Gunpowder treason and plot’ and ‘Animal Magic’, imaginatively to link aspects of many different subjects that interest and inspire pupils and arouse their curiosity. Pupils enjoy the many additional clubs, sports activities, and educational visits that the school provides.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school uses the additional primary sports funding effectively to extend the experience and skills of pupils and staff in a variety of sports, such as lacrosse and hockey. It has increased the number of pupils participating in sports and promotes their health and well-being well.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders, including governors, ensure that pupil premium funding is spent well. The small-group teaching and the carefully planned support given to disadvantaged pupils are effective in ensuring that the pupils make the same good progress as their classmates.

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The leadership and management are good

 The David Ross Education Trust took prompt and necessary action to improve teaching and standards at the school soon after it opened. Staff share expertise with eight other schools in a cluster, compare standards of work, observe lessons in each of the schools, and run combined sports events. The joint working and sharing of resources enhances teaching and learning at this school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Although attendance matches the national average, leaders have not yet convinced a small number of parents who do not bring their children into school regularly of the importance of attending school regularly.

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The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding arrangements are effective and meet statutory requirements fully. The headteacher has ensured that all staff and governors have read and acted upon the latest guidance on keeping children safe. Consistent application of school procedures ensures that pupils are safe and cared for well.  The improvement cluster lead for DRET has given the school effective guidance to help strengthen teaching and raise pupils’ achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is effective. Governors have a broad range of skills and good knowledge of the quality of teaching. They know the strengths and areas for development in the school. Governors support the headteacher in making decisions about pay by making sure that teachers’ annual targets and any pay increases are linked closely to the pupils’ progress. They set clear and challenging targets for the headteacher.  Governors understand the school’s performance data. They analyse information on pupils’ attainment and progress, compare it to that of other pupils nationally, and use their findings to arrive at well- informed conclusions. They are supportive, but challenge the school, thus helping to improve pupils’ achievement  The governing body monitors the school’s finances carefully and carries out its duties effectively. Governors work closely with staff to ensure that arrangements for safeguarding meet statutory

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The leadership and management are good

requirements. They also keep themselves up-to-date with relevant national changes in education.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. The pupils are courteous to adults and considerate and supportive of each other. This is exemplified well in their behaviour at playtime; while lively and happy, they are aware of the needs of others and adapt their play accordingly.

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Behaviour

 In nearly all lessons, pupils’ concentrate well, showing positive attitudes and a readiness to learn. Pupils are well equipped for their lessons and settle quickly to their work. Their co-operation contributes to their good progress. Most books are neat and well kept.

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Behaviour

 Pupils have a good understanding of the different forms that bullying can take, including those relating to race and gender. They say that bullying is rare, but that if they ever have any concerns, there is always an adult on hand to help them.

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Behaviour

 Pupils and parents greatly appreciate the well-run breakfast club, which gives pupils a nourishing and fun start to the day.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. All staff work hard to ensure that safe practices are understood and carried out consistently well throughout the school.

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Safety

 The school ensures that pupils are fully aware of potential risks, particularly when using the internet and mobile ’phones. Pupils say that they feel safe in school because the atmosphere is calm and orderly.

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Safety

 The school takes great care to ensure that all pupils, particularly those whose circumstances may make them vulnerable, are cared for and protected very well. The evidence from inspectors’ reviews of case studies of the care and support for individual pupils makes clear that the school’s safeguarding arrangements are highly effective.

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Safety

 Although the vast majority of pupils attend regularly, a few do not. Attendance is improving, but is only just average. Leaders have taken firm action with the small number of families who do not bring their children to school regularly. They recognise that they need to do even more to avoid individual pupils missing out on the good education that the school provides.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good throughout the school and some is outstanding. Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and pupils are making good progress in reading, writing, and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use their subject knowledge well and teach lessons confidently that stimulate pupils’ imagination. They use questioning effectively to challenge pupils to think through questions and explain their answers in detail. Pupils are encouraged to discuss questions together and so develop their thinking skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils write enthusiastically and with imagination, as a result of the exciting resources teachers use to engage them. For instance, in a Year 1 lesson, pupils made rapid progress in their ability to write an ending to an ‘alien adventure’. Pupils’ skills in using grammar, punctuation, and spelling correctly are improving; however, they are not yet consistently strong throughout the school because teachers do not check or develop these skills well enough in all classes.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In guided reading sessions, teachers and other adults question all pupils skilfully to make sure that they know what they are doing and how to improve. Pupils read regularly and say they enjoy reading for both pleasure and research.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of mathematics is good. Staff ensure that pupils learn the essential skills of calculation well. In a Year 6 lesson, pupils made good progress using reasoning to solve mathematical problems. The number of opportunities for pupils to investigate and apply skills to solve problems is increasing, but there are still not enough of them.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark pupils’ work frequently and provide detailed advice on the next steps needed, as well as praising what the pupils have done well. Pupils value this advice and act upon it promptly, which helps them to improve their work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Other adults, including teaching assistants, make good contributions to pupils’ progress, sometimes teaching small groups and, at other times, providing support for individuals. They provide effective support for those pupils who join the school during the year, helping the pupils to settle in quickly and catch up with the others.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Occasionally, there is insufficient challenge for some pupils, especially the most able. As a consequence, work set is too easy for these pupils and it does not make them think deeply enough.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils are making good progress from their starting points in reading, writing, and mathematics in Key Stages 1 and 2. They start Key Stage 1 with skills that are often below those expected for their age. Pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 is broadly average in all key subjects. It is above average in reading and writing and broadly average in mathematics at the end of Year 6. Pupils in the current Year 6 have made the expected progress and the majority have exceeded the expected progress in all three subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The results of this year’s national phonics screening check show that pupils make a good start in understanding the sounds that letters make. Pupils enjoy reading, both for pleasure and to find information. The school is improving pupils’ reading skills through its well-planned daily, guided reading activities.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils write for different purposes and in different styles effectively. Although generally secure by the time they leave the school, pupils’ skills in grammar, punctuation, and spelling are not developed equally well in all year groups. The school is working to eliminate the inconsistencies in teaching.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils are making good progress in mathematics. They show good knowledge and understanding of different methods of calculation. Their ability to investigate and solve mathematical problems is not as strong as it could be, as there are too few opportunities provided in some classes for them to do so.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils make good progress overall, with most reaching above-average attainment. Occasionally, the work set for the most able is not difficult enough to make them think hard and, when this happens, their progress falters slightly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language make good progress. This is because the school ensures that teaching meets their particular needs well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. This is because of well-focused support and effective teaching by teachers and other adults, who make sure that pupils’ work is set at the right level.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The effective action the school has taken to raise the achievement of disadvantaged pupils has ensured that they now make good progress. Information provided by the school shows that this year’s disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 are about a term behind their classmates in reading and writing and a term and a half behind in mathematics. According to the most recently published results, the pupils are two terms ahead of other pupils nationally in reading, a term ahead in writing and achieving the same standard in mathematics. The school’s evidence and that gathered during the inspection show that disadvantaged pupils make good progress throughout the school and that the gaps in their attainment compared with other pupils in the school are closing.

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The early years provision is good

 Children’s knowledge and skills when they join the school are below what is typical for their age in language and communication skills. The children make good progress from their starting points in all areas of learning. The proportion reaching a good level of development has not always been high in the past. However, the most recent school data show that, this year, the number of children reaching a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year, has risen sharply and that these children are well prepared to move into Year 1.

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The early years provision is good

 The quality of leadership and management in the early years is good, with all adults working closely together. Staff work closely with parents, so that parents are kept well informed and most are involved fully in their children’s education.

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The early years provision is good

 Teaching is good. Adults check children’s learning and development frequently and devise activities that stimulate and interest the children. This ensures the children make good progress.

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The early years provision is good

 Children enjoy a wide range of well-planned and exciting indoor and outdoor experiences. Learning activities are particularly well thought out and follow the interests of children closely, inspiring them to learn more. Staff encourage children to develop their reading, writing, and mathematics skills well, including through exploring and experimenting. Sometimes, however, tasks are too easy for the most- able children.

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The early years provision is good

 Children work and play well together. Most can concentrate on their activities for extended periods. Their behaviour and safety are good. Children feel safe and cared for well. They share learning resources and take turns and are curious about the world around them.

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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 140191 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 450160

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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 Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 279 Appropriate authority The David Ross Education Trust Chair Andy Brown Headteacher Sandra Appleby Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected. Telephone number 01536 514622 Fax number 01536 512993 Email address admin@greenfields-pri.co.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. 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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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